2025 is the 40th Anniversary of Live Aid
A contribution from MGMM
Forty Years of Live Aid – A Tale of Persuasion, Panic, and Pure Playfulness.
This year marks four decades since Live Aid shook the world awake — a single day when music stretched its arms across oceans and pulled hearts toward a common cause.
At its helm was Bob Geldof: part musician, part firebrand, part conjurer. He stitched together the star-studded tapestry of Live Aid with charm as sharp as a hook, bluffing with a gambler’s grin, and riding the wave of momentum from Band Aid. In smoke-and-mirror fashion, he whispered to Elton John that Bowie and Queen were already in, then told Bowie that Elton and Queen had signed on, fanning the flames of artistic FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) until no one wanted to be the one who was.
The mission was unshakable: every penny for famine relief in Ethiopia. That clarity, that moral gravity, drew not just artists, but the world. Geldof dreamed big — a global telethon, twin stages in London’s Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium, broadcasting a single heartbeat across continents. And from that vision came an audacious idea:
A TRANSATLANTIC DUET.
David Bowie in London, Mick Jagger in Philadelphia. Two giants of rock, singing together in perfect sync — except for one cruel fact. In 1985, technology lagged just enough to betray them. The satellite link carried a half-second delay, enough to turn harmony into chaos. The only fix? One would have to mime. Neither man would stomach it.
So, a new plan: they would make a video, Fast. Very fast. The song? Martha and the Vandellas’ 1964 Motown classic, “Dancing in the Street”. Its opening line — “Calling out around the world” — was the very heartbeat of Live Aid’s “Global Jukebox” dream.
On June 29th, at Westside Studios in London, Bowie — between takes for the Absolute Beginners soundtrack — and Jagger, began to record the track, with Steve Nieve of The Attractions on keys, Neil Conti of Prefab Sprout on drums, Matthew Seligman on bass, and Kevin Armstrong on guitar, all guided by the creative vision of producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
Hours later, the call went out from the artists’ management to legendary MGMM producer Jacqui Byford:
"We need a video… tomorrow night. Find a crew. Find a location. Brief David Mallet. No questions. Tell us where — we’ll be there."
No questions were asked. Trust was implicit.
Phones rang. Cars sped. In under 24 hours, the gang at MGMM had secured a crew, who all volounteered to do it for nothing. A location found, the crumbling majesty of Millennium Mills in London’s docklands, two Panavision cameras, a Nagra tape machine, and just enough lighting — with headlights from crew cars filling in the rest. It was midsummer and time was the enemy.
By dusk, a limo rolled up. Out stepped Bowie, wrapped in a long raincoat over a jumpsuit, and Jagger, every inch the swaggering rock prince. Some of the crew still had no idea who they were shooting until that very moment.
Director David Mallet, who’d once crafted Bowie’s surreal “Ashes to Ashes” video, kept it loose. No choreography, no over-planning — just two supernovas colliding. Jagger tossed out his trademark struts and hip shakes, Bowie answered with sly grins and theatrical flourishes, the two of them circling, laughing, pushing each other into ever more joyful absurdity.
It ended, famously, with both turning their backs to the camera and wagging their behinds in unison — two icons stripping away the myth for a moment of pure, ridiculous fun.
The footage was rushed overnight to Technicolor to be processed. Mallet edited through the small hours, delivering the final cut to Geldof barely a day before Live Aid. On July 13th, 1985, after Queen’s historic Wembley set, comedian Chevy Chase introduced the video in Philadelphia.
It landed exactly as intended — a burst of energy, humour, and goodwill — nudging millions toward the phone lines to donate. When “Dancing in the Street “was released as a single that August, it shot straight to Number 1 in the UK, raising yet more money for Famine Relief.
What remains today is more than a charity single or a music video. It’s a time capsule of a wild, unrepeatable night when the music industry’s biggest egos set them aside, let the cameras roll, and simply danced in the street.
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This clip is a glimpse behind the scenes during the good natured chaos that went on as the clip was made. It was shot and edited by Nick Morris and had been “lost” for nearly 40 years. It’s a joy to see it again.
Here’s the finished Music Video in 4K
18th JUNE 2025
MGMM LAUNCH INITIAL CONTENT
Initial Content will specialise in Music Based Podcasts
www.initialcontent.co.uk
20th October 2023
See Full Story Here:
5TH June 2023
Did it inspire Bowie’s Let’s Dance?
TINA TURNER
24th May 2023
One of the greatest singers of the 20th century just left the planet. Tina Turner. MGMM Directors Brian Grant, David Mallet and Producer Scott Millaney were lucky enough to produce many projects with her including “Private Dancer “, “Live from Wembley Stadium” and many more. She was of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artistes, a musical legend and exemplary role model for all humanity. As far as we were concerned she was just Tina, the most fun client we ever had.
OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN
8TH AUGUST 2022
I am overwhelmed with sadness at the passing of dearest Olivia Newton John. One of the kindest and most generous people I have ever known and worked with. She was ......what you thought she was........ Honest...thougthful...selfless...and unassuming...A beacon of decency and humility in an industry not fabled for those qualities. And she was brave....very..very brave. I was lucky enough to have shared many wonderful, mad creative endeavours with her and not once was she ever fearful of trying something new. She was always the most delightful person to spend time with. She cared about everyone and was in every respect the embodiment of humanitarianism. ........and ......she was delighfully funny !!!..........I'm gonna miss her.
God bless Livvy x
Brian Grant (director)
ADELE AND BEYONCE
9th September 2022
ELBOW
GUY GARVEY
May 8th 2022
Guy’s recent appearance on ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, discussing some of elbow’s most influential music videos, will be repeated this Friday on Sky Arts at 3:40am. It’s also available to watch right now on demand.