Posted on 12/20/2004 3:51:46 AM PST by crushelits
LONDON (Reuters) - The reworked Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" has clinched the coveted Christmas number one spot on the UK pop charts, the Official UK Charts Company said Sunday.
As expected, Band Aid 20, a nod to the two decades that have passed since Bob Geldof (news) assembled the leading pop stars for the 1984 smash hit record, clung on to the top spot beating off competition from Ronan Keating (news) and pop queen Kylie Minogue (news).
Proceeds from the new Band Aid recording -- featuring vocals from stars such as Jamelia and Coldplay's Chris Martin (news) and rap from Dizzee Rascal -- will go toward relief efforts in Ethiopia and Sudan.
Geldof welcomed the number one spot. "It's an excuse to think about someone else this Christmas," he told BBC radio. "Thank you very much everybody. What you have done is remarkable and important."
Bookmakers William Hill stopped taking bets on Band Aid taking the top Christmas spot two months ago and instead focused on the festive number two. The charity single has outsold Keating and Minogue by five to one, William Hill said.
Despite missing the number one spot, Christmas came early for Irish heartthrob Keating. His duet "Father and Son" with Yusuf Islam, who first recorded the song when he was known as Cat Stevens (news), went straight in at number two.
The melancholic remake pushed Minogue's typically upbeat "I Believe In You" down a spot to third.
Rapper Ice Cube's "You Can Do It," featuring Mack 10 and MS Toi, also moved down a spot to fourth place.
Bo Selecta's double comedy charity single "Soda Pop/I've Got You Babe," featuring Patsy Kensit and Davina McCall, was one of three new entries in the top 10, going straight to number five.
Music veteran Morrissey's "I Have Forgiven Jesus" was also new at number ten.
But the man who has become a perennial feature on the festive charts, Cliff Richard (news), stayed outside the top 10. His ballad "I Cannot Give You My Love," entered at number 13.
The top spot on the Christmas album chart went to British crooner Robbie Williams (news) whose "Greatest Hits" was followed by opera quartet Il Divo. Irish rockers U2 were third with their "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" album.
A BBC correspondent, Michael Buerk, recently revisited Ethiopia. He identified the root of the problem it was a "Marxist Maoist" government that forbade the private ownership of land and had a tendency to divert aid to it's military. However he quickly skipped past these unfortunate facts to go on to the solution which was... to critisise the west for not providing enough development aid and to demand more!
Perhaps a better idea would be to get rid of the "Marxist Maoist" government.
However a good point of criticism he made of the United Nations was that they DEMANDED (and got) a 5 star hotel built before UN officials would go visit the country!!!
What rubbish.
"...for the restivus!"
The only artist on that album-and I use the term advisedly-that even approaches the talent of a Harry Chapin is Stevie Wonder.
Estimates vary, but from 25 to 40 percent of Ethiopia's population is Muslim. Islam can no longer be considered a "minority" religion in Ethiopia.
The children and grandchildren of Haile Selassie are descended from the Prophet. A number of Ethiopian princes have been Muslim, and though this precluded their ascending the Imperial Throne it did not prevent them from ruling in their own dominions. Empress Menen, consort of Emperor Haile Selassie, bore a descent from the Prophet through her mother, Sehin, daughter of Negus Mikael (Muhammad Ali) of Wollo. Male descendants of the Prophet are sharifs.
If Ethiopia falls-remember, this is a people who can trace their roots back to King Solomon-I don't think there's much hope for the rest of the continent.
The Copts are already undergoing a systematic extirpation at the hands of the (Islamic) Egyptian government.
I fear what will happen if they ever make any further inroads.
One of Al Qaeda's primary goals-along with the NIF of Sudan-was to create a pan-Islamic caliphate across the Horn of Africa and including every country in the region; Somalia, Djibouti, etc...
I hope that dream never comes to fruition.
Why not Festivus?
My gosh! Why didn't anyone tell me of the latest offering from Mack 10 and MS Toi?!
Bump for Harry Chapin, half of all his concerts were charity benefits. That's what I call practicing what you preech... except Harry didn't preech much, just led life the way he thought it should be led. Taken away from us far too soon.
And to think, Linda Rondstadt is still around, producing music that induces dry heaves.
It's a shame.
They need a new version: "Can you call it 'Christmas' anymore?"
HEY! Where's my Christmas present?
(Disappointed Smiley.)
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