Live Aid (1985) (TV)

Director:

Vincent Scarza

Writer:

Bob Geldof (idea)

Release Date:

13 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

The Global Jukebox

Plot:

The broadcast of the biggest benefit concert in history.

Plot Keywords:

Rock Music | Ethiopia | Famine | Live Aid | Pop Music

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Bob Geldof	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bryan Adams	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium)
Stuart Adamson	...	Himself (as Big Country)
Adam Ant	...	Himself
Nick Ashford	...	Himself
Joan Baez	...	Herself
Tom Bailey	...	Himself (as Thompson Twins)
Garry Beers	...	Himself
Big Country	...	Themselves
Black Sabbath	...	Themselves
Bono	...	Himself (as U2)
The Boomtown Rats	...	Themselves
David Bowie	...	Himself
Andrew Bown	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
Jeff Bridges	...	Himself - Host
Pete Briquette	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Charlie Burchill	...	Himself (as Simple Minds)
Geezer Butler	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Tony Butler	...	Himself (as Big Country)
Warren Cann	...	Himself
The Cars	...	Themselves
Martin Chambers	...	Himself (as The Pretenders)
Chevy Chase	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium)
Eric Clapton	...	Himself
Dick Clark	...	Himself - Host
Adam Clayton	...	Himself (as U2)
Albert Collins	...	Himself (with George Thorogood & the Destroyers)
Phil Collins	...	Himself
Billy Connolly	...	Himself
Elvis Costello	...	Himself
Crosby Stills Nash & Young	...	Themselves (at JFK Stadium)
David Crosby	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash and Young)
Chris Cross	...	Himself (as Ultravox)
Simon Crowe	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Alannah Currie	...	Herself (as Thompson Twins)
Billy Currie	...	Himself (as Ultravox)
Roger Daltrey	...	Himself (as The Who)
John Deacon	...	Himself (as Queen)
Paul Denham	...	Himself (Sade's backing band)
Ronnie James Dio	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Dire Straits	...	Themselves
Duran Duran	...	Themselves
Bob Dylan	...	Himself
John Entwistle	...	Himself (as The Who)
Andrew Farriss	...	Himself
Jon Farriss	...	Himself
Tim Farriss	...	Himself
Bryan Ferry	...	Himself
Sally Field	...	Herself
Johnnie Fingers	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Mel Gaynor	...	Himself (as Simple Minds)
David Gilmour	...	Himself (Bryan Ferry's backing band)
Band of H.M. Coldstream Guards	...	Themselves (as Regimental Band of The Coldstream Guards)
Tony Hadley	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Andrew Hale	...	Himself (Sade's backing band)
Daryl Hall	...	Himself
Michael Hutchence	...	Himself (as INXS)
John Illsley	...	Himself (as Dire Straits)
INXS	...	Themselves
Tony Iommi	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Mick Jagger	...	Himself
Elton John	...	Himself
Howard Jones	...	Himself
John Paul Jones	...	Himself (as Led Zeppelin)
Casey Kasem	...	Himself - Announcer
John Keeble	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Gary Kemp	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Martin Kemp	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
Eddie Kendricks	...	Himself
Jim Kerr	...	Himself (as Simple Minds)
Andy Kershaw	...	Himself
Nik Kershaw	...	Himself
B.B. King	...	Himself
Mark Knopfler	...	Himself (as Dire Straits)
Patti LaBelle	...	Herself
Alan Lancaster	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
Simon Le Bon	...	Himself (as Duran Duran)
Joe Leeway	...	Himself (as Thompson Twins)
Madonna	...	Herself
Stuart Matthewman	...	Himself (Sade's backing band)
Brian May	...	Himself (as Queen)
Paul McCartney	...	Himself
Marilyn McCoo	...	Herself - Hostess
Darryl McDaniels	...	Himself (as Run-D.M.C.)
Robbie McIntosh	...	Himself (as The Pretenders)
Freddie Mercury	...	Himself (as Queen)
George Michael	...	Himself (as Wham!)
Jason Mizell	...	Himself (as Run-D.M.C.)
Alison Moyet	...	Herself
Larry Mullen Jr.	...	Himself (as U2)
Graham Nash	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash and Young)
Jack Nicholson	...	Himself
Tessa Niles	...	Herself
Petter Nome	...	Programleder (host, Norway)
Steve Norman	...	Himself (as Spandau Ballet)
John Oates	...	Himself (as Hall & Oates)
Ric Ocasek	...	Himself (as The Cars)
Ben Orr	...	Himself (as The Cars)
Ozzy Osbourne	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Jimmy Page	...	Himself (as Led Zeppelin)
Rick Parfitt	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
Teddy Pendergrass	...	Himself
Robert Plant	...	Himself (as Led Zeppelin)
Power Station	...	Themselves
The Pretenders	...	Themselves
David Quinn	...	Himself (as Children to Children)
Nick Rhodes	...	Himself (as Duran Duran)
Griff Rhys Jones	...	Himself
Keith Richards	...	Himself (as The Rolling Stones)
Lionel Richie	...	Himself
Andrew Ridgeley	...	Himself (as Wham!)
Tony Rivers	...	Himself - background-singer with Elton John
Garry Roberts	...	Himself (as Boomtown Rats)
Nile Rodgers	...	Himself
Francis Rossi	...	Himself (as Status Quo)
David Ruffin	...	Himself
Sade	...	Herself
Carlos Santana	...	Himself (as Santana)
George Segal	...	Himself - Host
Joseph Simmons	...	Himself (as Run-D.M.C.)
Simple Minds	...	Themselves
Valerie Simpson	...	Herself
Richard Skinner	...	Himself
Mel Smith	...	Himself
Julia Somerville	...	Herself - Newscaster
Spandau Ballet	...	Themselves
Rick Springfield	...	Himself
Status Quo	...	Themselves
Stephen Stills	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash and Young)
Sting	...	Himself
Style Council	...	Themselves
Andy Taylor	...	Himself (as Duran Duran/Power Station)
John Taylor	...	Himself (as Duran Duran/Power Station)
Roger Taylor	...	Himself (as Queen)
Roger Taylor	...	Himself (as Duran Duran)
The Edge	...	Himself (as U2)
The Thompson Twins	...	Themselves
George Thorogood	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as George Thorogood and the Destroyers)
Pete Townshend	...	Himself (as The Who)
Tina Turner	...	Herself
U2	...	Themselves
Tracey Ullman	...	Herself
Ultravox	...	Themselves
Midge Ure	...	Himself (as Ultravox)
Tommy Vance	...	Himself (Announcer)
Bill Ward	...	Himself (as Black Sabbath)
Bruce Watson	...	Himself (as Big Country)
Paul Weller	...	Himself (as Style Council)
Wham!	...	Themselves
The Who	...	Themselves
Brian Wilson	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as The Beach Boys)
Ron Wood	...	Himself
Neil Young	...	Himself (at JFK Stadium) (as Crosby Stills Nash & Young)
Paul Young	...	Himself
Paul Cook	...	Himself (uncredited)
Benny Hill	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Prince Charles	...	Himself (uncredited)
Princess Diana	...	Herself (uncredited)
Tony Thompson	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincent Scarza

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bob Geldof		idea

Produced by
David Fein	....	contributing producer
Hal Uplinger	....	producer
Rich Zielinski	....	segment field producer

Film Editing by
Nick Carroll

Makeup Department
Jim Gillespie	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Andrew Zweck	....	production manager

Sound Department
Chris Downes	....	assistant sound
Kim Richards	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
David A. Canning	....	video communications: concert
John Jopson	....	camera operator
William Louthe	....	electrician

Other crew
Mariella Frostrup	....	public relations
Steven J. Santos	....	stage manager
Rich Zielinski	....	diamondvision director

Production Companies

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Music Television (MTV)
• Worldwide Sports & Entertainment

Distributors

• Orbis Communications (1985) (USA) (TV) (syndicated portion only)
• Warner Music (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

960 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:E

Filming Locations:

John F. Kennedy Stadium - 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

This was the last major appearance for both the Boomtown Rats.

Quotes:

Phil Collins:Why am I playing at both Wembley and Philadelphia? Because I'm mad, that's why.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "20 to 1: 80's Good, Bad & Ugly (#9.15)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Open Invitation

Wish I'd seen it live

I was just a young pup with barely enough allowance to cover a movie. I never could have bought the pay per view. Now that I'm an adult I'm paying a fortune for bootlegs and authorized versions.

That's the thing about nostalgia, what seemed unimportant as a child becomes the stuff that dreams are made of sitting in a cubicle all day. Still, the official release is worth picking up.

I'm disappointed some acts chose not to participate in the re-release. I guess Led Zepplin doesn't need any new publicity but if I was the Hooters I'd be begging for a chance to get back into daylight, never mind the spotlight.