My Dad taped the whole 12 hour broadcast back on BBC (before we moved to USA, then back to England again LOL), and whilst I cant sit through 12 hours of it, its cool to see some of it again.


Even though Queen fucking owned that day, I love George Thurogoods "madison blues" segment (only half on the below clip). Perfect for stadiums, this performance rocks

http://uk.youtube.com/wat...oK7iprSuQw

Other favs include adam ant, Nik Kershaw, Clapton, U2, beach boys, the who, paul mccartney etc...

As its 1986, its a bit too early for me LOL. And no Springsteen (Bob Geldof begged him but he had tour commitments apparantly), and of course, no party poop Prince (god that dude takes himself seriously LOL) and bizarrely, no Michael Jackson (no album to promote was probably why he couldn't be bothered LOL)

Still, it could be worse. Bob Dylan is the highlight for the wrong reasons LOL. Patti Labelle is good, and is one of the few rnb related acts there. Tina Turner and Mic Jagger kill "state of shock", miles better then the flat Jacksons version. Quite why Stevie Wonder is missing is beyond me?

I heard Led Zeppelin pulled their performance from the DVD released a few years back? Sad they take A CHARITY CONCERT so seriously, but honestly, Jimmy Page was sloppy and looked very drunk LOL, so putting the blame on a jet lagged Phil Collins seemed rather unfair.

Heres Zeppelin doing a rather painful "rock n roll" (one of my fav Zeppelin songs). Pages guitar sounds very 80's (hard to desribe).....

http://uk.youtube.com/wat...AzIsSHJJq4

Watching it as a kid, I thought the perfomance was cool. Looking back, its just nice to see 3/4 of them together again, and its still not that bad. Fuck their so called legacy. Shoulda made the DVD, but youtube has it (for now), and I got it aswell LOL.


Anyway, not the best lineup ever, barely any rnb acts (wtf reo speedwagon?), but great to see led zep, the who, the beach boys, together again. Rick Springfield did a few songs aswell, but I think the concert I got only shows one of his songs? Anyway....

Your thoughts?

i remember thinking the whole hall & oates/tina turner/mick jagger thing was pretty cool. was that where boy george was all smacked out and had calamine lotion all over his face? whatever that was, it was unfortunate. oh, and of course, i was waiting all day for them to play the prince video.

Queen doing 'Radio Ga-Ga' (even though I hated the song) and Bowie doing 'Heroes' were the highlights for me...although back then I was dying to see Duran and the Prince vid...

Anxiety said:

I know the boy george clip you mean, but Iam pretty sure (after spending weeks watching the whole thing again), Boy George was absent. I got the Prince video, its cool, but WTF wasn't he there?

I dont think the BBC 12 hour thing I got is complete. I mean, its pretty complete obviously, but I think some of the US acts clashed with the UK acts (even though they wern't meant to?). Its complicated, and apparantly, NBC (or ABC or whomever) deliberately rubbed out all the performances of the day (as asked to, but BBC and MTV didn't bother , so fuck knows why NBC did?). As BBC showed pictures NBC were showing, obviously most of the US segment exists, but thank fuck BBC wern't so stupid to rub out the US segment like nbc did, and thank god mtv were there aswell. George Thurogoods performance seems cut on my tape, so maybe MTV has the full version of his set?

Its all quite complicated LOL.

Also heard some US acts would only perform if they got a set in prime time. Jesus, USA did not seem to get the meaning of "Live aid" did they LOL. Also heard stadium promoters wanted full pay etc.., which Iam pretty sure Wembley didn't do.

Anyway, Phil Collins doing both a US and UK segment, then playing for Clapton and infamously, for Led Zeppelin, pretty much sums up the fact Collins owned the 80's commercially LOL.
[Edited 2/14/08 18:18pm]

Did BBC show both UK and US shows in their entirety? Was BBC the only UK channel that aired it?

I think MJ wasn't there because he was filming Captain Eo or whatever. I still don't know why Prince didn't appear

thesexofit said:

I think that famous clip of the messed-up looking Boy George was from an anti-apartheid show in the UK or some such event - that was from '86 or so if I remember correctly.

I've never thought that Zeppelin performance was as poor as everyone made it out to be. Page is not in good shape, obviously, but I think it's a good bit better than their appearance at the Atlantic anniversary show from the late eighties.

bboy87 said:

BBC showed the whole thing, as did NBC. The UK stage and US stage would alternate, and I think it worked for the most part. But because the UK concert started 8 hourse earlier (12pm Uk time), then obviously USA would have to get up at 6am to catch it all. I think USA showed highlights of the day aswell. Pretty complicated, but all 3 metworks (BBC, NBC and MTV), covered pretty much all of it.

An example of a segment being missing, might be the tv presenters talking about a UK performance, just after it happened, whilst a US live perfomance, has already started, and vice versa. And thus you may get songs missing.

Also, more crucially, USA has adverts. MTV's feed was different to the NBC one (which fed the BBC and vice versa), so I seem to remember reading. Also, MTV would have backstage interviews, which neither BBC or NBC had.

If someone had the MTV feed, then they could bootleg that for a sum on ebay Iam sure. Infact, even I could with my more common BBC full version, as the official DVD, has a few hours missing.

violator said:

That "radio gaga" clip is insane. Gotta remember this wasn't a Queen concert, so for the crowd to be so into the performance was really something that looks so powerful. I love the song though LOL.

I kinda like Bob Geldofs "i dont like mondays" performance. I like when he stops after the line "lesson we learn is how to die!" (or something like that).

Def Leppard shoulda been there (big only in America, so coulda taken the US stage at that time), but I think their drummer might of just lost his arm? Iam not sure though?

Lots of big acts shoulda been there, but Leppard, prince, MJ, Stevie Wonder, boy george, chicago etc... shoulda got an invite, and if they did, WTF wern't some of them there?

Madonna's bit is kinda "meh". Singing backing to what looked like the thomspon twins (big in US?). It looks so 80's. I think the song was the beatles "revolution"? Madonna had no stage presence (yet), but it could be worse.

Iam a casual Dylan fan only I admit, but his setlist was fucking obscure! Obviously I got "blowing in the wind", but the other 2 songs? Anyone know? Quite why Keith Richards is there and not with Jagger is beyond me, but its a hilairious trainwreck and so Dylan LOL. A must see!

It was a really amazing day, i can remember everything i did that day, despite it being over 22 years ago, i remember waking up at 5am to watch the LIVE FEED from England and taped everything, Englands show clearly was stronger than the USA show, but i felt when it switched over to ABC here in the states at night thats when it really got too "commercial" considering most of the day wasnt commercial while on channel 5.

I was very happy with the LIVE AID dvd, though some things did get cut off, i was surprised Zeppelin did, because i thought they were ok, probably a battle of royalities held that up. But luckily i still have that taped, and also cutting Rick Springfields 5 song set totally out was a slap in the face, considering at that point in 1985 he was on a 17 straight top 40 hit run himself.

But looking back you can see the difference between Live Aid and LIVE 8. and it had nothing to do with music, back on Live Aid, no one rehearsed, had soundchecks, makeup jobs, etc...For Live Aid they just went out and performed they didnt give a shit what they sounded or looked like, for LIVE 8 that was different, it was for the most part polished, though some good stuff, it didnt have that "feel". And of course QUEEN just stole the freaking day, and than coming back out and doing "Is this the world we created" which could be more about today than it was about then.

lastdecember said:

Cool. You got the ABC (sorry I assumed NBC) feed. I wonder if I got (or my dad LOL), got any slightly different footage from your feed. As I said above, I heard bad things about the US broadcast. The prime time thing being horrible if true. Also, America had to have huge Pepsi sponsers which again, Iam pretty sure BBC didn't. But then, ABC has advertisers to pay, but a shame nonetheless.

Shameful they cut Ricks part out the DVD completely (i dont own the dvd so thanx for the info). I guess todays audiences wouldn't care for him now.

youtube had a mtv feed of led zep interviewed backstage. So as I thought, MTV has some footage ABC doesn't have, and ABC probably have footage BBC doesn't have.

Any favs? I gotta buy me some George Thurogood. He kills that performance of "madison blues".




Check out the site below:

http://liveaid.free.fr/re...index.html

I just found it. I was sorta right with some of the info I remember reading. Interesting stuff....

bboy87 said:

If someone already said this...Prince was bailing his bodyguard out of prison out of the time for drug charges (the large white man who looked like santa clause who was in purple rain) and he couldnt perform, so he sent a video of 'Tears in your eyes' w/Wendy and Lisa...if I'm not mistaken?

Live Aid high lights for me was Sade, Queen, Phil Collins, U2, etc...
[Edited 2/14/08 19:15pm]
[Edited 2/14/08 19:15pm]
[Edited 2/14/08 19:24pm]

lonelygurl8305 said:

Cool story, but bollocks though. Surely that billy connely looking muthafucker wasn't more important then one of the biggest days in music history?

Prince didn't do "we are the world", did contribute the song "4 the tears in your eyes" for the LP (which is surprisenly synthy for 1985), but despite donating the song for the LP, had too much ego for live aid so just sent a video in. Nice video mind, but a wasted opputunity for reasons that seem to be extremely pretensious.

thesexofit said:

I was lucky to hold on to the tapes from that day to still have things that didnt make the DVD. And a few years ago i got a perfect copy of Ricks full set, even the channel 5 version cut two songs out.

But faves for the day

Queen (everything they did)
Phil Collins "Against all odds"
Sting "every breath you take w/phil"
Nik Kershaw "wouldnt it be good"
Bob Geldof "I dont like mondays"
Simple Minds "dont you"
Reo Speedwagon "Roll with changes"
Rick Springfield " Celebrate Youth, Love Somebody"
Elton John
Paul McCartney (though the original his audio was out for half of it)
u2 "pride"
Dire Straits wSting" money for nothing"
Inxs (in austraila) "dont change"
Men At work (aus) "Everything i need"
Adam Ant "vive le rock"
The Cars "Hearbeat city"
Hall and Oates
Howard Jones "pearl in the shell"

lastdecember said:

I agree with most that list. Add the cars "drive" and I agree with that (though, as the website I linked above says, its joined half way through on the bbc feed-which I always noticed).

Dire Straits are one of my all time fav bands, but their "sultans of swing", whilst still awesome, is better on their live "alchemy" album. I heard Adam Ant was one of the few acts to do his then current hit "viva le rock", even though he was asked to do his big hits LOL.

Gotta love Bryan Adams opening the US concert. Good choice for opener (ditto with the very british Status Quo for the UK segment)

I love some rick springfield, and watched his bit only about 3 weeks ago, and I swear I only remembered one song being aired. According to the website, bbc showed "to love somebody" (off that film he did-got the cd to that somewhere?), but i definately remember "Human touch". Shame BBC only showed 2 of his songs. Seems the bbc feed ain't complete either LOL.

Ricks BBC coverege
http://liveaid.free.fr/re...field.html

ABC coverage
http://liveaid.free.fr/re...field.html

Seems rick got a raw deal on both channels, and ABC didn't get "Human touch" which sucks LOL.

Funny, I swear the Prince video is on the BBC footage I have? I swea I saw it on there, but according to the website (that seems very well researched), it was not shown on the BBC feed?

Hmmm I guess I havn't seen it LOL.

thesexofit said:

That's precisely why I liked the performance. I am a Queen fan and to see that level of audience response... discipline even... was astounding...

thesexofit said:

Yeah the Cars "drive" was cut off here, it was around that time that channel 5 in the usa was getting ready to end its footage, it carried it from 6am to 5pm with very limited breaks, almost none. But then ABC took over at 8pm-11pm and that was just bad. Bryan Adams was great, forgot about that, also THE HOOTERS playing "all you zombies"! , also Paul Young did a strong set, "Come back and Stay" kicked ass. Here on channel 5 Rick Springfield had 3 songs aired, but one wasnt full. But when i got this other footage it had from start to finish of his set, seemed like it was the mtv feed, which i didnt have back then.


Rick's Set list
"Love somebody"
"Celebrate Youth"
"State of the Heart" (current single)
"Living in oz"
"Jessie's Girl"


and of course Queens full set, including "is this the world we created" near the end, which originally wasnt seen here in the usa, was one of the greatest moments.

lastdecember said:

Yeah, BBC got "to love somebody" (good but not great song) and "human touch". Your complete 5 set must be the mtv one then. Interesting stuff. Dont think I ever seen the crosby, stills and nash bit, dont think BBC aired it? So we missed stuff aswell. Good you got to see "is this the world we created". BBC got that. As you said earlier, that song sums up the reason behind the event pretty well.

I'd have to agree and say UK's setlist was stronger then USA's. Quite alot of brit guys on the US stage though (the second british invasion and all that was still in full swing in 1986). Led zep, clapton, Sabbath, thompson twins, billy ocean (well, i think he is british?), simple minds and most surprisenly, judas priest (no idea he was big in america?) etc...

Duran Duran were at the US segment aswell wern't they?

Dance said:

Well, yes that is inevitable unfortunately. Corrupt goverments are more then common in Africa, but Iam pretty sure not all the effort was wasted. Its naive to think all of it helped, but there have been programmes saying some of the money helped. That could be a lie aswell, but unless corrected, I chose not to be quite that cynical.

But yes I see your rather obvious point. Well done.

thesexofit said:

Duran Duran did the USA version and it was the last time till re-forming that they played together as a 5 piece. Actually the Rick "set" i put was an error, "Living in oz" wasnt played, it was "Human touch". The UK was much stronger than the USA, which was the case with LIVE 8 also. Funny thing is that Huey Lewis and Tears for Fears are listed on the shows guest list for appearing but i dont remember them playing.

lastdecember said:

No, I dont remember them playing either? Boy George was on the list aswell I think? Huey Lewis was huge at that time (as were tears for fears chart wise come to think of it), shame niether of them played.

Live 8 was not so good. I can just tell buy the atmosphere of the day how cool live aid musta been (I wasn't even born yet), never gonna see that happen again. Music and its outlets have changed too much now, but live 8 was a good try I guess?

Robbie Williams was cool, and Pink Floyd stole the show, but to compare it, in my eyes, would be unfair. Live aid ain't ever gonna happen again. Too much cynicism now aswell. Surprised MTV still has footage. Surprised MTV was in there LOL

thesexofit said:

Yeah i liked a few things from LIVE 8 but they cut alot out of the Dvd, and MTV really got BASHED for its coverage, mainly because they were talking through all of the acts, MTV got bombarded by emails and complaints, and a week or so later VH1 aired about 5 hours nonstop coverage to make amends, but they really ruined it with the ocverage. There were some good performances, but most got cut, a-Ha played in Germany and kicked ass, but had to cut their set because their tech and sound was off, so they were cut to 3 songs instead of 4 and the dvd release cut them all off, the only way to get their performances is on the LIVE 8 berlin dvd, but that only has one song.

Even looking back at LIVE AID, not only is the england show better, but even the charity single for England was light years better, "Do they know its Christmas" is a billion times better than "We are the world" which i cant even listen to anymore.

we were actually singing Feeeeed Booooob Gellllldooooofffff

Am I in the minority? Live-Aid was a big snooze-fest. I'm just not a fan of 80s pop.

PFunkjazz said:

Well, its no secret that the 80's was pretty chessy popwise. And like the Chester The Cheetah says: It ain't easy being cheesy.

the thing is that most of what made LIVE AID great was it was the best performers of the day and they still hold up. I mean the likes of Queen, Elton,George Michael,u2,Madonna,The Who,Bowie,Zeppelin,Duran, Hall and oates,Patti Labelle, Dylan, Phil Collins and Sting to name a few, on a stage, that would be great right now, even the POP kids of that day like Adam Ant,Howard Jones,Paul Young,Bryan Adams,Sade,Simple Minds,Nik Kershaw,Billy Ocean etc, would be fucking lights year better than what is out there now. Almost all of these artists still make great/better music now than they did then, and most of kids of today are already over and done with.

damosuzuki said:

I concur. Zep were ok that night. The Atlantic Records show was a disaster.

The Who were dire though. Roger Daltrey forgot the words to/missed his cue in Won't Get Fooled Again and spent six minutes clapping, until it came to his scream.

And then there was Bob Dylan, setting the pace for every performance to follow from thereonin.

Adam Ant's career died that day. As did Howard Jones's.
[Edited 2/17/08 11:48am]

lastdecember said:

On the Live Aid DVD set, are the shows seperated or are the performances mixed together? And what was cut out? I heard that the Elton/George performance of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me" wasn't included

And I agree about the songs. I love the performance of Do They Know It's Christmas whereas the rendition of We Are The World was terrible. No Cyndi, No Stevie, No Diana, No Michael....and just so damn unorganized

The Live 8 coverage.....don't get me started. MTV was cutting to the US then UK, then South Africa, then Japan for like 15 seconds, What in the hell where they doing?! I'm hesitant to get the Live 8 set because I wasn't interested in the US show but would've rather watched the UK and Japan concerts

I remember enjoying The Style Council, Sade and The Pretenders. Was funny when Madonna came out and said, "I ain't takin' shit off, today!". Dylan w/Keith Richards & Ron Wood was horrible. Jagger w/Tina Turner ("State of Shock"?) was fun.