Elton John song reimagined for Live Aid musical
JUST FOR ONE DAY – THE LIVE AID MUSICAL (ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING)
NEW SINGLE
‘I’M STILL STANDING’ TELLS STORY OF MARGARET THATCHER AND BOB GELDOF
‘HAMILTON MEETS GILBERT AND SULLIVAN’ AS CLASSIC ELTON JOHN SONG REIMAGINED
LISTEN TO ‘I’M STILL STANDING’ HERE
ALBUM PREORDER LINK HERE
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE FOR JUST FOR ONE DAY – THE LIVE AID MUSICAL
Tuesday 20th May 2025: A radical reimagining of an Elton John classic has been released as the first single from Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical (Original Cast Recording).
The show is now open at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End, capturing the story of the music community’s response to the devastating famine in Ethiopia in 1985 and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Band Aid Trust’s efforts to help those facing hunger around the world.
The songs in the show and on the album come from the world’s greatest pop icons, from Queen to Madonna, U2 to Bob Dylan. But it was to an Elton John hit that Bob Geldof turned to tell the story of his confrontation with the British prime minister as he fought to ensure donations would be tax free.
Bob Geldof said: “There was an argument between Margaret Thatcher and myself and it’s central to the show so the scene needed a real dynamism. I thought it should be Gilbert and Sullivan meets Hamilton.
“It stands out in the show as a moment of real politics. It needed to have a different treatment and it does, ending with the big showstopper and the dance off.”
He said the characterisation of Margaret Thatcher, played by Julie Atherton, is “spectacular”.
Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical (Original Cast Recording) – out on July 11 – is a fully realised rock record, available to preorder now, with songs by artists including including Queen, David Bowie, Ultravox, Boomtown Rats, U2, Elton John, The Police, The Who, Madonna, Phil Collins, Bob Dylan and more.
The record was announced this month by Bob Geldof, Midge Ure, Harvey Goldsmith and John Kennedy as they gathered at Wembley Stadium nearly 40 years after the groundbreaking concert. It is a love letter to the ‘80s – a time of bold anthems, raw emotion, and an unshakable belief in music’s power to change the world. This is not only a reworking of these legendary tracks, it’s a celebration of their lasting impact, recorded in the same spaces as many of the original iconic songs.
The album, produced by Olivier nominated arranger Matthew Brind and Jon Bath, and engineered by Grammy-nominated Jeremy Murphy, boasts a modern, expansive sound while staying true to the energy and emotion of the originals.
On 13 July 2025, Just for One Day will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of Live Aid with a very special performance at the Shaftesbury Theatre followed by an exclusive after party with surprise special guest performances at Koko, Camden. There are a limited number of tickets available to purchase with a generous additional contribution to the Band Aid Charitable Trust. For more information on this, and all other performances, click HERE.
Producer Jamie Wilson said: “From the outset, our aim with Just For One Day was to capture the spirit of unity and the transformative power of music that defined Live Aid. The cast album is a testament to that vision, bringing together timeless songs and heartfelt performances that resonate across generations. It’s more than just a recording; it’s a celebration of a moment when the world came together through music.”
Album producer Jon Bath said: “As a bonafide kid of the ‘80s the chance to make an album that celebrates that extraordinary era of popular music, defined by one Saturday in July 1985 has been a ‘kid in a candy shop’ moment as a producer. I hope we’ve done justice to every one of these iconic songs and can’t wait for listeners to have the chance to enjoy extraordinary performances by the cast and band of Just For One Day. In Bob’s emphatic words: ‘It better not be s**t.’ I firmly believe we’ve lived up to the challenge!”
While the album will undoubtedly transport listeners back to the golden age of rock, it also offers a moment to reflect on our world today. What has changed? What hasn’t? The songs that once called for action and unity in 1985 remain just as powerful and relevant in 2025.
10% of all ticket sales for Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical will go directly to the Band Aid Charitable Trust to continue their vital work, to date the musical has raised over £750,000.
Message in a Bottle Available to Listen On:
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Apple Music
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Amazon
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Deezer
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iTunes
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YouTube Music
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Pandora
Formats:
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Double Vinyl
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Double CD
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Digital
Distributed by Absolute Label Services
Tracklisting:
1. Overture
2. Heroes
3. Rat Trap (featuring Craige Els)
4. Drive (featuring Abiona Omonua)
5. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (featuring Jack Shalloo)
6. Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Feed The World)
7. Radio Ga Ga
8. Stop Your Sobbing (featuring Julie Atherton)
9. We Are The Champions (featuring Collette Guitart & Jo Foster)
10. We Are The World
11. You’re The Best Thing (featuring Emily Ooi)
12. I’m Still Standing (featuring Craige Els & Julie Atherton)
13. Bad
14. Message In A Bottle
15. Pinball Wizard (featuring Joel Montague)
16. Dancing In The Streets (featuring Danielle Steers & Ashley Campbell)
17. Summer of ’69 (featuring Collette Guitart)
18. Blowing In The Wind
19. Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand) (featuring Julie Atherton)
20. In The Air Tonight / We Can’t We Live Together (featuring James Hameed, Danielle Steers & Ashley Campbell)
21. We Will Rock You / King Of Rock (featuring Olly Dobson & Tamara Tare)
22. Rockin’ All Over The World (featuring Olly Dobson)
23. Vienna (featuring Jack Shalloo)
24. I Don’t Like Mondays (featuring Craige Els)
25. All You Need Is Love (featuring Jason Battersby)
26. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) (featuring Joel Montague)
27. Rebel Rebel / Don’t You (Forget About Me) / Into The Grove (featuring Jo Foster, Rhys Wilkinson and Tamara Tare)
28. Bohemian Rhapsody (featuring Freddie Love)
29. My Generation (featuring Naomi Katiyo)
30. Let It Be
Album here
About Just For One Day – The Live Aid Musical
On 13 July 1985, music united the world.
Now, 40 years on, discover the behind-the-scenes story of Live Aid in a whole new way at JUST FOR ONE DAY – The Live Aid Musical.
This exhilarating night out “rocks in all the right ways” (WhatsOnStage), with hit songs by Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney and more of the iconic artists who made history at simultaneous charitable concerts in London and Philadelphia.
Live Aid was an unprecedented global music event that brought 1.5 billion people together, and they all have a story to tell about ‘the day rock ‘n’ roll changed the world’.
Whether you saw it live, watched it from home or weren’t even born yet, you won’t want to miss this “rip-roaring” (The Daily Telegraph) and “remarkable” (Daily Mail) new musical written by John O’Farrell (Mrs. Doubtfire, Something Rotten!) and directed by Luke Sheppard (&Juliet, The Little Big Things).
Director Sheppard has assembled a stellar creative team: Musical Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestration by Matthew Brind, Choreography by Ebony Molina, Set by Soutra Gilmour, Costume by Fay Fullerton, Lighting by Howard Hudson, Sound by Gareth Owen, Video & Projection by Andrzej Goulding and Casting by Stuart Burt CDG.
JUST FOR ONE DAY – The Live Aid Musical is produced by Jamie Wilson Productions, Kevin McCollum, Sonia Friedman Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Kenny Wax Ltd, ATG Entertainment, David & Hannah Mirvish, Nederlander Presentations, Stephen C Byrd, Tilted, No Guarantees Productions, Burnt Umber Productions, Willette & Manny Klausner, Nicole Eisenberg, Hornos/Moellenberg and The Old Vic by permission of The Band Aid Charitable Trust.
About The Band Aid Charitable Trust
The Band Aid Charitable Trust was set up in 1984. Over the last 40 years it has been operated by the same group of unpaid trustees and with no employees. The Trust’s mandate is the relief of hunger and poverty in Ethiopia and the neighbourhood thereof. It has raised and spent in excess of £140 million.
During its 40-year history it has funded food, medicine, housing, hospitals, surgery, immunisation, bridges, irrigation, water supplies, livestock, schools and much, much more – including bee keeping! In tandem with these charitable projects the Trust has created, nurtured and protected intellectual property to develop regular annual income streams to enable the Trust to continue its activities. Just For One Day is a natural part of that evolution. All of the Trust’s income from the ticket sales of Just For One Day will go directly to these charitable activities.
All of this growing out of a 3 minute 42 second Christmas song!
About Jamie Wilson Productions
Established in 2008, Jamie Wilson Productions (JWP) is one of the leading independent theatre production companies in the UK. JWP have produced or co-produced over 90 productions in London, Broadway, on tour throughout the UK, and internationally.
The Stage 100 recognised Jamie as one of the top 20 most influential figures in the theatre industry, and in 2023, JWP was nominated for Producer of the Year at The Stage Awards.
Recent West End productions include; The Last Laugh (Noël Coward Theatre & NYC), Just for One Day – The Live Aid Musical (Toronto and the Old Vic Theatre), The Devil Wears Prada, (Dominion Theatre), Two Strangers Carry A Cake Across New York (Criterion Theatre), Mrs Doubtfire (Shaftesbury Theatre), Ain’t Too Proud (Prince Edward Theatre), Sister Act (Eventim Apollo, Dominion Theatre and internationally), South Pacific (Sadler’s Wells) and My Fair Lady (London Coliseum).
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