BBC Four and BBC Radio 2 will celebrate the 40th anniversary since the recording of the first Band Aid single, Do They Know It’s Christmas?, on Sunday 25 November 1984. The program includes never-before-seen images from that day. It was published.

On BBC 10 O’Clock News on 23 October 1984, Michael Buerk reported on the famine in Ethiopia and the heartbreaking human tragedy unfolding there. This was the catalyst for Sir Bob Geldof to take action, releasing the groundbreaking charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? He created Band Aid, which brought together some of the biggest names in pop. – produced by Midge Ure and released on December 10, 1984 – and the Live Aid concert in 1985.

Sir Bob Geldof of the Band Aid Trust says of BBC Four’s documentary The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas: “On that Sunday morning, a group of young spotty British pop stars (more or less) fresh from school were trying to destroy the pop culture of the world. They can never understand the enormous consequences of that day. While this was not exactly the ‘worldwide shot’, it certainly became, albeit unwittingly, the ‘worldwide scream’, culminating in its unexpected glory 20 years later, ultimately challenging the global political process. At the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005 and after the Live8 concerts, he yielded to his focused will. This, then, is the “fly on the wall” story of the day, from found footage that no one had thought to look for before but is now an integral part of British pop history. I love it because it’s so… English. “So pure, so attractive, and yes, so innocent.”

He continues: “These rock stars piling into the control room with babies under their arms – it was a Sunday, it was a family day, they were contributing, they were laughing, they were making suggestions, they were taking s*ss, they were funny, they were having fun making history, and the world to boot. And boy were they singing.” compare and contrast with the American follow-up, which is hyper-sophisticated, hyper-super-talented, hyper-organized and professional, and our group basically gives it a big and pretty polished What a great bunch of people they were, and still are for the most part. The Maysles Brothers would be proud.”

On BBC Radio 2, Zoe Ball presents Does She Know It’s Christmas?: The Song That Changed the World (12pm-1pm on Sunday 1 December, and on BBC Sounds from Monday 25 November); This documentary is a one-hour documentary that tells the story of Christmas. The world’s most successful charity record for many years. It was an era-defining call to action, proving the power of pop music as a force for change. The program tells the story of Band Aid’s powerful legacy, with contributions from producers Midge Ure, Trevor Horn, Nigel Godrich, Paul Epworth and Pete Waterman, as well as Bob Geldof and those who have contributed to the versions recorded over the last four decades: Bono, Fran Healy, Sting, Phil Collins, Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin, Cathy Dennis, Rita Ora, Seal, Jason Donovan, Marti Pellow, Will Young, Tom Chaplin, Ellie Goulding, Lisa Stansfield, Justin Hawkins and Olly Murs. A Zinc Media production.

On Monday 25 November, to mark the 40th anniversary of the song’s recording, the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show (6.30-9.30) will play the first festive songs of the season on Radio 2 at Christmas. The show will also feature a number of guests associated with Band Aid over the years, as well as insights from listeners who share their memories of that iconic day. Later that day, Jeremy Vine (12-2pm) will dive deeper into the anniversary, looking at when it was recorded and what’s happened since.

Head of BBC Radio 2, Helen Thomas, says: “Do they know it’s Christmas? A true Christmas classic loved by our audience. “The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds and Jeremy Vine will discuss the song’s enduring appeal over the four decades since Band Aid released the original in 1984, as well as a special documentary also presented by Zoe Ball.”

Later that week, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer present a new 75-minute documentary: The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas? The song was recorded over a day at SARM Studios in Notting Hill and filmed by director Nigel Dick. Although some of the footage was used for the iconic music video, much of what Nigel recorded had not been seen for four decades, and some had never been seen before.

This documentary reveals 75 minutes of the original footage, which was shot on 16 mm film and newly restored and digitalized. In rare and never-before-seen moments, stars including Bananarama, Bono, Boy George, Duran Duran, George Michael, Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory, Paul Young, Phil Collins, Spandau Ballet and Sting rehearse, record and interact with each other in their respective parts. 24 hours that will go down in music history. The film also features interviews with Bono, Gary Kemp, George Michael, John Taylor, Simon Le Bon and Trevor Horn, shot on the same day, as well as an appearance by Nigel Planer, who played Neil in the BBC TV series The Young Ones. Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas? Produced by Jill S Sinclair for the Band Aid Trust.

Jonathan Rothery, BBC Head of Pop Music TV, says: “The creation of supergroup Band Aid and the release of Do They Know It’s Christmas? “It was a hugely important moment in the history of pop music and BBC TV will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its recording and its incredible legacy that lives on today.”

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