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Band Aid 1984. Only 4 women in it-I never noticed this before.

20 replies

Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 18:13

Was watching an interview with Sarah & Keren from Bananarama and they pointed out there was the three of them and Jodie Whatley. That was it. Did Sir Bob just not have anyone else's numbers?

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 18:14

.

Band Aid 1984. Only 4 women in it-I never noticed this before.
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purpledagger · 04/12/2020 18:58

I noticed last year that none of the women get a solo spot either.

purpledagger · 04/12/2020 18:59

Ditto anyone who is non-white.

Spitoutthebauble · 04/12/2020 19:04

Honestly. The arts are so hectic like this. A lot, lot, lot better than they were, but I used to work in publishing and it was unbelievably shit how much review space and publicity and extra hoisting up the fame-and-prizes ladder men got. There’s a website that measures the percentage of review space given to men and I think one year the london review of books and New York Times book review gave something like 20% of reviews to women writers. (Who write 60-70% of fiction, so just to be clear, to represent them in the proportion to which they write the stuff, they would need to be given 60% of space).

Then the people who had reviews would be taken seriously and nominated for prizes and have better sales and then everyone would shrug and be like ‘but men are like, the SERIOUS and IMPORTANT writers’.

FluffytheGoldfish · 04/12/2020 19:07

Have a look at the charts for that year and see how few UK female artists are listed there, and how few non-white groups. I was in my early teens remember that Bananaram stood out to me.

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:07

@purpledagger

I noticed last year that none of the women get a solo spot either.
Yes, once I realised there were only 4 women I realised none of them got a solo either. Angry

You would think that Sir Bob and Paula would have been able to get in touch with Kim Wilde/Alison Moyet/Annie Lennox to name a few. Pretty much everyone he did ask said yes.

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dayswithaY · 04/12/2020 19:12

I remember at the time people complained that there were so few ethnic minorities included. I think it was just Kool and the Gang who were American.

No one mentioned women being under represented at all. I guess it was a sign of the times that it just wasn't a problem for anyone then, even though we had a female Prime Minister.

BogRollBOGOF · 04/12/2020 19:14

Looking at my inlay card of my Now 2 cassette (83-84) 24 of the 30 acts were entirely male.

Female/ mixed acts include: Eurythmics, Cyndi Lauper. Nena, Tracey Ullman. Not a great representation of British female talent.

Gutted the tape warped, but it feels like a bit of social history Grin

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:16

I think I was too into Duran Duran and too young to notice it all at the time probably.
I hate the record now, but it's up in the loft on vinyl somewhere.

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Tinkity · 04/12/2020 19:18

According to this Annie Lennox was due to be on the single but pulled out due to illness.

eurythmics-ultimate.com/records/4034-annie-lennox-and-band-aid-do-they-know-its-christmas-uk-7-single-feed1/

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:18

@BogRollBOGOF

Looking at my inlay card of my Now 2 cassette (83-84) 24 of the 30 acts were entirely male.

Female/ mixed acts include: Eurythmics, Cyndi Lauper. Nena, Tracey Ullman. Not a great representation of British female talent.

Gutted the tape warped, but it feels like a bit of social history Grin

Tracey Ullman was brilliant. Also Kirsty MacColl rest her soul. I wonder what Sir Bob and Midge would say if asked now?
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june2007 · 04/12/2020 19:19

Apparently Annie Lennox recorded a msg but it didn,t make it to the producers in time. So apparently she is not on the record but their is an aknowledgement on the Bside. (The wonders of wikepedia).

june2007 · 04/12/2020 19:21

It,s not something I noticed before. I def noticed Bananarama.

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:21

Interesting about Annie Lennox, so there could have been 5 women.

Also George Michael was there but no Andrew Ridgeley or Pepsie & Shirlie.

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:23

@june2007

It,s not something I noticed before. I def noticed Bananarama.
I have been down a Bananarama rabbit hole during lockdown. They have done some recent concerts and they sound great. I forgot how good they were. Also they have a book out.
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Tinkity · 04/12/2020 19:27

Pepsi & Shirlie only formed in 1985 & released their first single in 1986.

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:30

@Tinkity

Pepsi & Shirlie only formed in 1985 & released their first single in 1986.
Yes but (in my eyes) they formed part of Wham! as singers.
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june2007 · 04/12/2020 19:45

Tere were a few more women on the 1989 version.

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Sparklingbrook · 04/12/2020 19:47

I don't even remember a 1989 version when it happened but believe Bananarama were on both?

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june2007 · 04/12/2020 20:07

Yes they were.

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