The new Band Aid single has been put together in record time - from a trip by Band Aid supremo Bob Geldof and Prime Minister Tony Blair to Ethiopia in
early October to release on Monday. The momentum built up as October went on.
Shane Murray, who co-ordinated the release for Mercury Records, joined the project at the end of the month. He takes up the story of how it happened.
The story is released on the bbc website and details the process of creating
this famous re-visit.
Here is a brief preveiw:
THURSDAY 28 OCTOBER
We had a set-up meeting and that was the first time we knew something was going
to happen. It was people getting round a table for the first time. Usually with
a record, the set-up time can be indefinite.
Production schedules got thrown out of the window and we had to break the rules.
SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER
Robbie Williams did his bit in Los Angeles. He did it really early and Fran
had done the guide vocal to a backing track that Midge and Nigel had come up
with.
TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER
We had our first meeting with production company Initial, which is behind the
forthcoming BBC One documentary, and the promo video.
SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER
The CDs were made at factories in Blackburn and Hanover
It was the launch of the Live Aid DVD and the press interest began in earnest
that week. Artists were getting on board day by day - we had a constantly changing
press release.
WEDNESDAY 10 NOVEMBER
The Trust had Damien Hirst's cover artwork for a couple of days before deciding
they didn't want to use it, for their own reasons.
FRIDAY 12 NOVEMBER
The record is expected to be number one on Sunday
We had a 6pm deadline for the artwork and we got there. Everyone was absolutely
delighted with it.
SATURDAY 13 NOVEMBER
We managed to have the backing track done by the time everyone came in on the
Sunday. Quite a few people had done their vocal lines on the Saturday - Sugababes,
Tom Chaplin from Keane, Justin and Dan from The Darkness had come in to do their
guitar lines and Justin's vocal.
SUNDAY 14 NOVEMBER - THE BIG RECORDING
It certainly seemed that anyone who was there over the course of the weekend
knew why they were there and were very privileged to be there.
MONDAY 15 NOVEMBER
The record was actually mastered at Abbey Road studio at 2pm and we had various
members of our radio promotions team on standby at Abbey Road.
TUESDAY 16 NOVEMBER
We had various people at radio stations across London and in Scotland and they
hand-delivered the CDs at about 7:58 so nobody would jump the gun.
FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER
You have to have a week which is called call-off a week before the release date.
WEDNESDAY 24 NOVEMBER
Jamelia promoted the record to London radio listeners
We made TV and radio ads, which lots of people generously donated their time
for.
MONDAY 29 NOVEMBER - THE RELEASE
I just want as many people as possible to buy it because it's been a privilege
working with the people who have been a part of this.
Check out the full How
Band Aid 20 came together
