European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 27, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Live Aid organizer returns to his first love by John Swenson United press International two years ago Bob stared in Loic abyss Aller years of slur Riglo record companies int hostile British press his hand. Inc was about to Bicak up Tow Lush bandleader had been spinning his wheels in n a Jar a Crale cd unit to promote Iho Hals such album. In Hie Long grass ind ils since to. Do then a so Ringo thing happened Hoh Goodof got Uio Call he was at Homo when in Camp to Wao watching a irl Evision report on the Lamine in Ethiopia the images of cajun Llesi victims of Stai Vadon Shook him Thill Specter hounded gel Dol throughout Iho night Tho no i Day to decided to make a record to raise Money or Ethiopia and began enlisting musician friends within Wooks he had assembled band Aid an impressive group of pop stars to mate Oft they know it s Christmas. The idea snowballed Geld Al pushed Lor an american version of the project which became Usa for Africa and produced the massive hit we afe ins world then he organized Iho spot Lacunar global concern live Aid a Aldol s determination to do so moshing Tor Lamine victims resulted in $120 million Worth of contributions he Lomidz himself on the world political platform addressing the United nations and engaging Margaret thalcher in an Impromptu television debate. He was nominated for the Nobel peace prize in 5986 and 1987 earlier this year gel Dot was Inal y Able to pick up where he had Lell of at Iho end of 19b4. He finished work on an autobiography is to a ii. And went Inlo the studio to Accord his first Solo Alburn. Deep in the heart of nowhere on a recent trip to new York. Gel Dol arrived at the of fico of his record company looking like a Man who has t Boon gelling much sleep he is doing Iho same kind of promotional activity that Kepi him Busy before he dropped everything to snarl up band Aid. As if his Rock n Roll Persona Harj been in suspended animation this la the Besl exercise in showing people you Vegol Clay icon he argued in a musical Dublin accent people say god. What s Geldof doing pulling Oul a record Well i be Golla pay my elec Lucily Bills to in quilt Blunt with you that brings in Down to the mundane the whole Point about band Aid is ital everyone is capable of doing thai stuff i said of the Bee nning. This demands not Money bul something of gel Dol has evoked a deep response irom Many people some still come up to him on the Street to give him Money on the Way to the Airport in London his tax Driver foiled Down his window and handed me five pounds he recalled. Others have criticized gel Dol charging he used live Aid to promote himself. At first i was hurl by he admitted "1 thought. How could you. What do they want of mo9 i had gone to the Point of local exhaustion of even exhausting my finances. Then i just thought it s a mile extreme to say that i organized the greatest famine in human history so lha i could sell a few records. It s like saying that Demis Roussos the greek Singer organized the Beirut hijacking to restore his flagging career although Geldof has resumed to his music he Stilt keeps track of the Aid Money and talks to the band Aid staff twice a Day i m chairman of the Board of trustees up to june it look a lot of my Lime i spent a lot of time on in because i did t want to make a mistake. Making a mistake would have betrayed the people who trusted us. Hurt the people we were trying to help and Given the politicians an despite the challenges of getting Lood to starving ethiopians in the midst of Africa s current political chaos. Band Aid has pulled in Oil. Says Geldof we have our own ships our own trucks so to kept control from Iho moment someone gave us the Money to the moment it left London docks to the moment in docked to the moment it got on the trucks to the moment it left the trucks we jus organized our own system How Long Wal in go on until such time As the Money is spent. I said every Penny would gel there every cell that s a personal guarantee and thai holds we had $120 million there s $30 million Geldof could have launched a political career on Iha Success of live Aid. Hut he could t wait to get Back to his main love making music. Still he wonders if the Bob Oreldo has embarked on e new crusade promoting hit Solo career Long separation will take us loll when a came Limo to do my record again i viewed doing in with a sense of Relief but i was t sure in i could write songs anymore he said ii had been iwo years since i thought in a musical Frame of mind. I thought maybe my mind reacting to what in act seen and done Over the last two years might nol want to write songs or in in did maybe in would reject All that stuff and want to do something like Tummy Yummy Yummy i be got Lovo in my Lummy and people would say in was a song about Sla Valion. So there was that worry Hal i Here was this expectation people would scrutinize the lyrics and read things Inlo them which weren t there " Asil Lur soul. Ihal s already happened. Somebody said today Bob in t this is the world calling about Africa and your experiences in band Aid if they d known my songs Belore band Aid Hoy d know this was just a carrying on there was an awful lot of pressure and i was worried Sliff " thai s where producers Dave sle Warl and Rupert Home came in Davo Stewart put in in pers Polive explained Geldof. His whole attitude about songs is look in
