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Artists Re-Record "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Is It As Good as the Original?

A group of artists including Rita Ora, One Direction and Ed Sheeran have re-recorded "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to raise money for Ebola. The original song, which was recorded by the charity super group "Band Aid" in 1984, was written by Bob Geldoff and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in Ethiopia. The single, which sold over two million copies and raised more than $24 million, featured U2, Phil Collins, Sting, David Bowie and more. (Watch the original video here.) The song has since been redone in 1989, under Band Aid II, and in 2004 under "Band Aid 20." Neither reincarnation matched the original in both sound and success. Fall TV pop contest: The winner is ...

robyn-ross.jpg
Robyn Ross

A group of artists including Rita OraOne Direction and Ed Sheeran have re-recorded "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to raise money for Ebola.

The original song, which was recorded by the charity super group "Band Aid" in 1984, was written by Bob Geldoff and Midge Ure to raise money for anti-poverty efforts in Ethiopia. The single, which sold over two million copies and raised more than $24 million, featured U2, Phil Collins, Sting, David Bowie and more. (Watch the original video here.) The song has since been redone in 1989, under Band Aid II, and in 2004 under "Band Aid 20." Neither reincarnation matched the original in both sound and success.

Fall TV pop contest: The winner is ...

The latest version, organized by Geldoff, debuted Sunday night on ITV's X Factor. "From what we've seen from iTunes it's gone bonkers," Geldoff told Radio 4's Today according to BBC. "Within four or five minutes we had a million quid." The recording was done over the weekend and the single will be available online Monday. 

While the new version is fine, we just wonder why artists keep going to back the well. (Especially if you're going to make bogus lyric changes.) What do you think? Watch below and tell us! 

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