The first part of a new four-part CNN docuseries celebrating the 40th anniversary of the historic Live Aid concert will premiere this Sunday, July 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took On the World tells the story behind the famous and star-packed 1985 event held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, which raised money for famine relief in Africa.
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The series also profiles the hugely success British and U.S. charity singles that preceded Live Aid, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “We Are the World,” as well as the legacy of the initiative and how it’s impacted efforts to help people in-need across the globe. In addition, Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took On the World will look at the 2005 sequel concert, Live 8.
The docuseries’ four parts will premiere on four consecutive Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT—July 13, July 20, July 27, and August 3.
The July 13 episode, titled “A Band Aid,” explores how Bob Geldof, lead singer of Irish rockers The Boomtown Rats, was inspired to write “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” with Ultravox frontman Midge Ure after Geldof saw an October 1984 BBC news report about the famine that was devastating Ethiopia at the time.
Geldof and Ure then went about enlisting some of the biggest U.K. pop and rock stars to record the tune. The episode includes interviews with Geldof, Ure, and two of many music legends who were featured on the song—U2’s Bono and The Police’s Sting.
Bono and Geldof Share Recollections of Recording the Song
An exclusive preview clip from the episode features Bono and Geldof reflecting on the memorable and emotional lyrical line the U2 singer belted out in the song.
The segment begins with Bono watching footage of him in the studio before he sang his part.
“I was a little uncomfortable,” he comments. “You can tell that ’cause I’m doing the shy thing [puts one hand to the side of his face], which is a dead giveaway.” He adds, sarcastically, “And then, of course, [I was] really relaxed by the line Bob gives me.
The scene then cuts to Geldof, who, paraphrasing the line in question, says, “Thank God it’s them instead of you, mate.” Bob adds that Bono responded to the lyric by asking him, “Are you sure this is what you mean?”
We then see another clip from the recording session showing Bono listening to one of the verses with Geldof. He comments, “It’s a hymn, really. Far out, Bob.”
The segment then returns to present-day Geldof, who explains what he was trying to convey with that line.
“The war, the horror of the famine, just be aware of it,” he notes. “There’s nothing sentimental about what I’m saying or trying to say. I’m being very f—ing blunt.”
Bono then points out, “I’m Irish. Bob Geldof’s Irish. We have a folk memory of famine. I just said, ‘OK, I will attempt to be worthy of that cruel prayer.’”
Cut to a 1984 clip of Bono singing, “Well, tonight, thank God, it’s them instead of you.”
As the preview ends, Ure shares his recollections about Bono’s performance of the line.
“He went up an octave to the one that I had done on the guide vocal,” Midge said, “and it just took off at that point.”
More About Live Aid
The Live Aid concert took place July 13, 1985, at Wembley Stadium and in Philadelphia at John F. Kennedy Stadium. The 16-hour event was broadcast all over the world.
Among the many major music stars who performed at the shows were Queen, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, Madonna, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Phil Collins, and Sting. Collins famously performed at both locations, first at Wembley Stadium, then hopping on the Concorde jet to cross the Atlantic to play at JFK Stadium.
More About the Docuseries
Part two of the docuseries is titled “The Global Jukebox,” and premieres July 20. It looks at how the success of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” inspired the similar all-star U.S. charity single “We Are the World,” co-written by Lional Richie and Michael Jackson.
The episode also focuses on Geldof’s motivation to expand his charitable efforts, leading to the organization of the Live Aid concert. The program will include footage of performances in London and Philadelphia.
Part three of the docuseries is titled “The Greatest Show on Earth,” and premieres July 27. The episode partly focuses on the challenges Geldof faced as he tried to use the funds raised by Live Aid and its related initiatives to buy and transport food to those who needed it in Africa.
The program also looks at how the experience inspired Geldof to make a lifelong commitment to support charitable campaigns in Africa.
Part four is called “Live 8 – 2005,” and it premieres on August 3. It focuses on the organization of Live 8, which featured a series of concerts held on the same day in eight different cities across the globe. A goal of these events was to pressure the leaders of the world’s richest nations to find solutions to the poverty in Africa.
The episode also looks at Geldof’s and Bono’s ongoing political activism, including their efforts to eradicate AIDS in Africa and help the continents impoverished peoples.
You can check out more about the Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took On the World docuseries, including an additional preview clip, at CNN.com.
(Courtesy of CNN Original Series)
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