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Cover Story

Do They Know It’s Long Past Christmas?

by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com

November 18, 2004

Brother Peace Bono, the Irish rocker who made the keynote address at the Liberal convention where Paul Martin became Canada’s Prime Minister, is not at peace.

Fighting for world peace and against poverty and aIDS have become trademarks for U2’s ‘man of the shades’.

Fighting off cheeky up-and-comers is what Bono was doing during the 20th anniversary of Band aid. an alleged right royal ruckus broke out when Justin Hawkins of The Darkness took over Bono’s place in a new recording of, Do They Know It’s Christmas.

One of the song’s most famous lines, immortalized by Bono–"Well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you", was recorded for posterity by Bono, who did not attend a new recording of the song on November 14. That’s if there is anything that can be immortalized in the world of rock music.

among the old guys, Bono is considered as one of rock’s elder statesmen, while Hawkins, for all of his flash, is just a young whippersnapper. The closest Hawkins ever came to any Prime Minister is sharing the same name as the son of long ago one, Pierre Trudeau.

Green-behind-the-ear status notwithstanding, Hawkins dedicates the lion’s share of his time to music rather than rubbing elbows with Prime ministers. So it was no surprise that when he took over Bono’s Do They Know It’s Christmas line, he belted it out with verve and class, leaving Bono’s contribution, well, superfluous?

When Bono heard about upstart Justin Hawkins, he left the Emerald Isle, hightailing it to the U.K., particularly after his management insisted that his version had to be the one included, even though it had last been done in 1984.

"Bono’s people say he definitely has to do that line," said one music industry wag. "Justin’s version was brilliant, but they are adamant."

Said the young whippersnapper: "I did it and I did it better than him. So, his management kicked up a stink. It obviously means a lot to him. It’s a valuable line for him, he needs it, so I think he’s going to fly back and try again to beat me."

The Hawkins-Bono melee, isn’t the only controversy that cropped up in a new recording, main reason of which is charity. Sir Paul McCartney, who plays bass guitar on the song, was banned from singing because he was too old, a move bound to be seen as poetic justice by British beef farmers, whose products vegan McCartney lobbies to ban.

Then there was the little problem of artist Damien Hirst’s CD cover, which had to be scrapped because it was too "disturbing".

Band aid 20, which will raise money for famine relief in the Dafur region of Sudan, will be released on November 29 and is expected to be the Christmas number one single.

The original song, which featured stars including George Michael and Duran Duran, raised $8 million, but went down without any major ego fights.

If the catfights and backbiting don’t end soon, the recorded song will have to be called Do They Know It’s Long Past Christmas?

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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