C/D: Band Aid 20 and charity singles

Although BA20 won't help me feel smug cos I don't plan to buy the record.

Dud in every way, other than in that they generate funds.

Bob Says: Everyone should buy 40 copies.

But at £3 a time, would the charity be better off if you sent £20 directly to them?

The Disasters and Emergencies people have already had cash from me, so I do not feel guilty about deciding without a doubt, absolutely, definitely not to buy this record.

i might donate the price of the single to charity this time (always say i'll do this when complaining about charity records then conveniently forget and continue feasting on wild boar, caviar and guzzling Kristal after toasting 'to evil')

I'll donate how much I think it is worth, once I hear it.

it's kinda like: volunteering 4 hours per week for a cause you believe in in your community is better than volunteering to serve dinner to the homeless on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Or doing the canned food drives just around the time that the holiday lights go up...i guess because my paid work has been with disenfranchised people, who (through agencies that rely on grants, which are a form of corporate/federal "giving") I tend to want people to really think about their giving impulse. Even one hour a week volunteering at a non-profit can make a huge difference.
There are some statistics that are disheartening about "giving campaigns", that prove the overhead barely covers the cost of the campaign - so it's about one third of donations that actually go to the advertised recipient. it's important to do research.
How much are the "release parties" going to cost, and is every musician going to be responsible for every part of his/her/their involvement in the project? or will the record company pick up the tab?
The first Band Aid featured the OTHER version of the song, that recorded stars while going into the studio - CLASSIC! - rich, decadent, poufy eighties bands saying "Hi, we're Bananarama.Feed the world, save the people." Hi, this is Simon from Duran Duran - feed the world, feed the hungry."...when you clearly knew they were about to go snort endless lines of cocaine while teasing their hair a BIT more.
I'm suspicious of projects like this - and the lyrics are not only stupid, but racist, as many targeted countries are not Christian. So, yeah, there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime.
Do they know it's Christmastime at all? probably not - especially if they are Muslim, or belong to a tribe.
That all said, i can't wait to hear it. it's always fun to see who is trying to out emote/ out bellow their fellow stahz. i assume wacko jacko was not invited.

Also, international aid charity fundraisers like this do not go through any government - I believe it is all handled through UN humanitarian aid groups, Red Cross, etc..or an agency that is created as non-profit/humanitarian. Not that some of those aren't swindlers! Or have deep ties to fundamentalist churches, and are basically paying for Christian missionaries to go over and "help" - convert - the poor people.
You really have to look out - unfortunately - for where your donations are going. i think the best thing is to donate directly to a shelter in your immediate community. And then volunteer.

I wish people who obviously wern't around at the time would stop referring to the original as a 'classic', which is pure nonsense as I've never heard it referred to as this before.

The whole concept is just as smug, utterly condescending and borderline racist as before.

i referred to it as "CLASSIC!" - mostly the version that has the smug, coke addled, poufy rock stars making statements on their way into the studio. And i was a teenager when it came out. props to me - even then, I was very confused by the "There won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime...the greatest gift they'll get this year is LOVE...". Snow in Africa = a big global warming problem.
The rock stars SHOULD be doing a gigantic benefit for me, and other ILxors, to pay all of our outstanding debts and give us health insurance and really cushy jobs and pay for all of us to go to school and pay our bar tabs, etc.

The original felt like a big deal, how everyone 'checked their egos in at the door', but the film of this one just looks like Fame Academy. I bet they didn't have any trouble with people not doing what they were told.

I was laughing at Busted for not knowing what it was for, but I didn't know myself until yesterday.

It's nice to see Midge Urine back in the limelight.

I am disappointed that Ant and Dec were not invited to the recording.

"The greatest gift they'll get this year is life - PSYCHE!"

http://www.dec.org.uk/
I wonder how much the ad costs? Hmmm...
So tell me who is there from the original cast? Nostalgia is instant - Duran2 have come back, so can I have some overly dramatic emoting from Le BonBon?
Will Phil Collins fly across established datelines so he can continue to suck?
Can Wacko Jacko please be involved?
"feed the world. save the people."