Anyone watch the making of Do They Know Its Christmas Doc on BBC

[I8toys]

Such a lovely slice of nostalgia. I now have major crush on Midge Ure - such a lovely creative and extremely calm man in the face of potential chaos.

Lovely to see the process and the genius of a young George Michael and Boy George bringing in the smut and humour.

Yes, DH and I commented that the humans looked human.

I don't know why everyone is asking where people are? They literally organised it in 24 hours, I reckon they were lucky to get the people they did get. And maybe that's the reason there were only a few women. The ones there could make the recording.

It’s made me really nostalgic for a simpler time.

This was organised before mobile phones and t’Internet. Probably had a Filofax of numbers and contacts to call and beg them to take part.

Was never a Boy George fan but he sounded pretty effortless and great.

It wasn't that many years later for Mel and Kim, as Kim had died from cancer by January 1990. Apparently they "achieved success" between 1986 and 1988. Salt N Pepa were active from 1985.

(The only reason I know it wasn't very much later is that I've only owned one pop album in my life which was Now 85.)

I think what people forget is how quickly the pop scene changed in those days. Yes, a 5 year gap was a long time then.

Later in the 80s I know, but as an example Bros had their first hit in November 1987 and their last in July 1989. A huge band but they didn’t even last 2 years. Bands came and went in moments.

Watch an old Top of the Pops from 1978 and compare it to 1983, for example, completely different.

Still not 1984 then, which is when the single was recorded... not to mention the fact that Salt n' Pepa were an American hip hop act so would've been highly unlikely to be top of Midge Ure or Bob Geldof's wish list even if they were known at the time.

Just for once it would be nice to view something for what it was and enjoy a bit of nostalgia, without constantly having to reframe it and view it through a contemporary lens.

I thought Simon & George had spent some time on their hair! And good to see Gary Kemp getting on well with one of the Duran guys considering they were rivals

Yes! So nice to see a more natural look free of the overly white msssivd veneers and the filled faces/lips of today. How people should look.

Gary kemp seemed lovely.

Yeah he seemed an important part of the song & obviously the main songwriter in Spandau Ballet

Oh, they are all look so young, slim and beautiful, even first thing in the morning and either jet lagged or hungover.

Cigarette central and cans of red stripe dotted around. Loved the sound mixer in his tweed hat basically kept alive by cigarettes!!!!

Fantastic programme, the best I’ve watched this year IMO but can we all stop this too white, too many males nonsense, it’s really not a good look. This was put together within a massively limited timescale and I’m sure they got as many people there as possible.

very nostalgic for me, lovely to see.

As someone mentioned unthread, awful fates awaited quite a few of them. So sad.

The doc is a great snapshot of the time.

Am just loving this documentary - seeing GM talking about Last Xmas made me cry - I was 17 when it came out so feeling terribly nostalgic . Next weekend I’m going to see the Human League Sat night and Culture Club Sun night so this is getting me very excited . loved seeing Trevor Horn conducting the backing track .

Same

Yes they all looked so scruffy and down to earth. None of the Instagram era preening and posing we see nowadays.

I've just watched it and, yes it blows your mind. All that talent and fame, right there in a studio.

Lovely to see and hear the raw snippets by each singer coming together at the end

Love Boy George, and his gorgeous voice. Wish I was as good at eye make up as him - well-jel. Gorgeous piercing eyes.

Poor Phil Collins is a very sick man nowadays, very sad seeing him so young and 'with it' then.

More mullets than you can shake a stick at😆

I've never been a fan of his music but I was so impressed with how Phil Collins absolutely nailed the drum track, no fuss, just got on with it. He was clearly very talented. Some voices really stood out - George Michael, Bono, Boy George all very strong and distinctive. Status Quo were really rubbish 🤣.
I loved watching this. Clearly very of it's time in terms of sentiment, attitudes and composition (very white male dominated), but it was well meant, was done with huge heart and raised an enormous amount of money. I remember the shocking images of starving people and if it got food to them and saved some lives then it achieved some good, even if we think differently about aid now.

Wasnt Paul Young rubbish!

Loved Midge telling him he was
Bland

Apparently that line was meant for Bowie but he couldnt make it

And it was all put together at short notice

I n don't get why anyone thinks big American stars were dropping everything at short notice and flying in for free

George Michael and Sting really stood out for strong vocals

Sting with his harmonies out-singing the others

Just watched this. Tony Hadley in his prime was quite something wasn't he. I also liked nervous Paul Young.

Absolutely loved the Last Christmas exchange between George Michael and Paula Yates, as pp has said, it was really moving. I was 13 in 1984, I remember it coming out so well.

There definitely were conversations about it being a bit white saviourish at the time in the lefty liberal household I grew up in, but the wider feeling was that people wanted to do something to help. You can't judge something by attitudes that aren't of that time.

@levantine 💯 agree and including the unfounded criticisms on here about the intent of DTKIC and the lyrics.

The evidence was in the documentary, how literally every penny piece was donated to the cause, proceeds from the artists, the freely donated studios and production staff, the newspaper "column inches" including the centre page spread.

The song lyrics were designed to touch peoples hearts and raise awareness of the horrors of famine, which might have otherwise been invisible - no Social Media, no digital comms ( loved the old cream wired telepnone!).

The sincerity was so moving, and including Jill Sinclair's comment that she wished artists would get together every year to make a record to donate to worthy causes.

To me their collective sincerity at that point in time shouldn't be tarnished by putting a negative spin on it