Ferry Aid
| Company type | Charity supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 |
Area served | United Kingdom, United States |
| Products | Charity single "Let It Be" |
Ferry Aid was a British-American charity supergroup assembled in 1987 to produce a rendition of "Let It Be" in response to the Zeebrugge Disaster, where a ferry capsized resulting in 193 fatalities. All profits from the single were allocated to the relief efforts for those affected by the tragedy. The initiative was spearheaded by The Sun newspaper, which had offered discounted ferry tickets on the day of the incident. This charity single was a re-recording of the original composition by the Beatles, penned by Paul McCartney.
Recording
At the time, Garry Bushell of The Sun orchestrated the project by enlisting producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman. They reached out to numerous artists across the music industry to contribute vocal performances. Although some performers were initially hesitant, prominent contributors included Boy George, Kate Bush, Gary Moore, and Mark Knopfler. Paul McCartney participated as well, recording his segment separately; it was subsequently disclosed that he incorporated his original 1970 Beatles vocal track into this version. The recording sessions spanned three days from 14 to 16 March 1987, with the single released shortly after on 23 March 1987. The first artist to lay down his part was Mark King, who also played bass guitar on the track; Paul King recorded his contribution last.
In contrast to the original Beatles track featuring a guitar solo by George Harrison, this version divided the solo between two guitarists: Gary Moore, who delivered a more rock-infused style, and Mark Knopfler, whose playing was characterized by a more relaxed approach, as depicted in the accompanying video.
Performers
The song included solo vocal performances from artists such as:
- Paul McCartney
- Boy George
- Keren Woodward and Nick Kamen
- Paul King
- Mark King
- Jaki Graham
- Taffy
- Mark Knopfler (guitar solo)
- Andy Bell
- Pepsi & Shirlie
- Mel and Kim
- Gary Moore (guitar solo)
- Kim Wilde and Nik Kershaw
- Edwin Starr
- Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot
- Ruby Turner
- Kate Bush
The finale featured a large choir comprising many soloists alongside other musicians and celebrities from diverse backgrounds, including:
- The Alarm, John Altman, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Bucks Fizz, the Christians, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Go West, Imagination, Loose Ends, Maxi Priest, Princess, Suzi Quatro, Mike Read, Neville Staple, Alvin Stardust, Steve Strange, Bonnie Tyler, among others.
The B-side of the 7" single features an impromptu gospel rendition of "Let It Be." Meanwhile, the 12" version includes the "Let It Be (Mega Message Mix)," which was produced by Burni Adams and Jamie Bromfield.
Criticism
The British pop group Chumbawamba released an anonymous parody titled "Scab Aid," which criticized The Sun newspaper and questioned the sincerity of some artists involved, labeling their participation as hypocritical.
Additionally, musician Robb Johnson addressed similar criticisms in his song "The Herald of Free Enterprise," reflecting on concerns related to the project.
Chart performance
On 4 April 1987, "Let It Be" reached the top position on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. It ranked as the 13th highest-selling single in the UK for that year and earned a gold certification for shipping over 500,000 units. The track also secured the number one spot in both Norway and Switzerland, while placing within the top ten across multiple other European countries.
| Chart (1987) | Highest position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report) Chart | 28 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Denmark (IFPI) | 1 |
| Dutch GfK chart | 4 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 3 |
| French Singles Chart | 8 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
External links
- Comprehensive list of band members available at Ferry Aid – Let It Be Images on Discogs
- Ferry Aid Discography at Discogs (partial listing of band members)
- Additional partial band member details at Ferry Aid – ear.fm