Originally published on www.sosogay.co.uk
Music is a message that, at its best, is universal in connecting us all through times of trouble, sadness and happiness. It is a way of sending a message that a wide audience can understand. The lyrics speak to us in different yet similar ways and the actual music that can let two very different people, from two very different parts of the world, feel connected through the emotions it set out to convey to its listener.
The power and influence of music is strong. We all have songs, albums and even particular artists that remind of us of times, places, people and emotions, whether they are good or bad memories. It’s strange to think that a few minutes of a tune with sometimes overly repetitive lyrics can convey such powerful messages, and evoke such deep emotions from individuals from vastly different cultures, who may not even speak the same language. But it does.
One particular way in which music has helped connect those around the globe in times of trouble and strife is through the power of the charity single. We’ve all heard the songs; they get played repeatedly during the run up to a particular charity event and many of us may have danced to the odd charity single from time to time. ‘Is This the way to Amarillo?’ anyone?
But despite charities such as the British Red Cross, Barnardo’s being around for years, it wasn’t until nearly thirty years ago that the power of the charity single was truly realised.
After the 1984 BBC report by Michael Buerk about the famine that had devastated Ethiopia, future saint and former Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof and Ultravox singer Midge Ure sprang into action and put together ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas?’. We all know the story after this. They roped in some of the biggest names in 80s pop music like George Michael, Boy George, Bono and Phil Collins to create Band Aid, and then recorded and released one of the biggest selling singles in UK history and help raise millions for famine-hit Ethiopia.
But it didn’t stop there for Band Aid. They held benefit concerts in 1985 and the single was re-released in 1989 by the Hit Factory, this time featuring the likes of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, for the same cause. We also saw the release of Band Aid 20 in 2004 in order to benefit the troubled region of Darfur in Sudan, which was followed by a number of Live 8 concerts in 2005.
All three versions of the song hit number one in the UK, selling millions of copies worldwide and helped raise millions for their charities. For a time it helped the people of the UK to feel as through they were helping others around the world, and allowed those receiving the aid to realise that the rest of the world cared.
Not to be outdone by the British, the Americans soon released ‘We Are the World’ in 1985 to help raise money for Africa. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, the single featured vocals from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper and its writers. It unsurprisingly reached number one around the world, selling more than 20 million copies, raising an astonishing amount of money for charity and giving the world a greater sense of togetherness on the back of Band Aid.
‘We Are the World’ received a re-release itself in 2010 following the devastation caused in Haiti after an earthquake hit the country, this time featuring the likes of Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber and Barbra Streisand. Although it wasn’t as successful as the original it still managed to reach the top 20 in many countries and helped raise money for the cause. The earthquake in Haiti saw the UK emerge with their own single to help raise money for the people of Haiti, a cover of the R.E.M single ‘Everybody Hurts’, which sold close to half a million singles in its first week, with all proceeds going to the disaster struck country.
The charity single has come in many different shapes and sizes, from original songs like ‘We Are the World’ and ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas’ to covers like ‘Everybody Hurts’, with singers from all generations jumping on board to sing their part for charity. We’ve seen megastars like Britney Spears and Destiny’s Child collaborate with several other artists on a cover of the Marvin Gaye song, ‘What’s Going On’, to help raise money for Aids programs in Africa and other disadvantaged regions. This song had been covered previously as part of Live Aid Armenia to help raise money for victims of the 1988 Armenian Earthquake.
Even the godmother of British music, Annie Lennox, roped in a vast array of singers for her song ‘Sing’, taken from her fourth studio album Songs of Mass Destruction. Madonna, Pink, Céline Dion and another 20 prominent female singers from around the world came together to raise money and awareness for the HIV/AIDS organisation Treatment Action Campaign.
Whereas these other songs may not have been as commercially successful as their 1980s counterparts, the singles still raised the profile for a number of causes and issues around the world through the power of song, with the aim of bringing the world together.
However, despite the success of these stand-alone charity singles, and the occasional benefit concert, two great British institutions have capitalised on the success of the charity single in order to help raise millions for those both in the UK and around the world.
Children in Need began back in 1980 and has helped raise over £600 million for charity, but it wasn’t until 1985, after the success of the Band Aid charity single, that they began releasing the all-encompassing charity single. After a few failed attempts and a brief breather from the single, ‘Perfect Day’ was released in 1997 and went on to sell over 1.5 million copies and raised more than £2 million for Children in Need.
Whereas Children in Need is a British-based charity raising money for children in the UK, Comic Relief, its counterpart of sorts, helps raise money for impoverished people further afield and, like Band Aid, was itself a reaction to the Ethiopian famine.
Set up in 1985 by comedian Lenny Henry and scriptwriter Richard Curtis, Comic Relief has raised over £620 million (1988-2011) for people suffering in third world countries. The power of music has also played a huge part in raising money for the cause. From 1986 onwards artists as diverse as the Spice Girls, Cliff Richard, One Direction and Susan Boyle have all lent their vocal abilities to help raise money for Comic Relief, with all but one of the singles reaching the top ten and amassing an impressive 13 number one singles. TheComic Relief single has often been talked about and with the UK population buying it by the bucket-load, with proceeds going to charity.
It’s clear to see that music has the power to evoke emotions and bring not only a community or country together, but the whole world to help others during a time of need. With the most recent comic relief single, a cover of Blondie’s ‘One Way or Another’ by One Direction, reaching the UK top spot and reaching top 10 or 20 in countries all over the globe, including America, its clear to see that the charity single is here to stay and will continue to help those in times of need.
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