Do you remember Geordie Aid?

The recent article, marking the anniversary of the recording of the fund-raising single Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid, has got readers reminiscing about that song '“ and another more locally-inspired charitable money-spinning.
The Toy Dolls.The Toy Dolls.
The Toy Dolls.

Recorded 32 years ago by a supergroup, featuring a whole host of pop and rock stars of the day, including members of Spandau Ballet, Status Quo, Duran Duran, Bananarama and many more, the song raised more than $24,000,000 towards famine relief in Ethiopia.

Reader Michelle Barnes went online to say that she still has her copy of the single.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Others recall watching the massive Live Aid concert which followed the release of the song or took part in their own fund-raising activities.

Trish Graham Middleton said: “We recorded the whole of Live Aid on our Betamax video recorder. My mam probably still has the tapes.”

Julie Conroy says: “I did the 5k run, three-legged with me mate, the day after me first 80s perm!”

Many others also pulled on their trainers to Run The World, for which they received a commemorative T-shirt and a medal. Do you still have yours?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Regular contributor and renowned local film-maker Gary Wilkinson got in touch to tell me about another fund-raising record, produced by a group of local musicians and actors.

“There was also a Geordie Aid song that was recorded by Brian Johnson from AC/DC, along with members of Lindisfarne.

“Tim Healy, who was in the big TV show Auf Wiedersehen Pet at the time, was also involved, as was Olga, from the Sunderland band Toy Dolls. So too, I think, was John Miles.

“Not sure at which North East studio it was recorded though.”

The end result was Try Giving Everything. What do you remember about the song? Does anyone still have a copy of it in their record collection?