Exclusive | How Bono, Sting, George Michael and more banded together for Do They Know Its Christmas? 40 years ago

As the epic recording session for “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” began on Nov.25, 1984, Bob Geldof — the mastermind behind the all-star charity single — realized that one A-lister was MIA: Culture Club frontman Boy George.“I called him [and] I said, ‘Where are you, man?’ ” Geldof, 73, told The Post.

“And he said, ‘Oh, I’m in bed.You know, I had a late night.’ ”But the “Karma Chameleon” crooner was laid up a whole continent away from Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London.“He’s in New York, and we’re recording,” recalled Geldof.

“I said, ‘Get on a plane and come here! There’s a Concorde in an hour and a half.Get on it.’ And he got there at 6 in the evening.”Boy George joined a who’s who of British and Irish hitmakers — from Sting, Bono and George Michael to Phil Collins, Duran Duran and Bananarama — in the supergroup Band Aid that would raise millions for Ethiopian famine relief.The historic single — which shot to the top of the UK charts with record-setting sales after its release on Dec.

7, 1984 — inspired a new wave of humanitarianism in pop, with benefit recordings and concerts such as USA for Africa’s “We Are the World” and the Geldof-helmed Live Aid following in 1985.And four decades later, the song that helped feed the world is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special “2024 Ultimate Mix” and compilation — just as we begin another Christmastime.It’s a music movement that goes back to when Geldof saw BBC reports by Michael Buerk on the Ethiopian famine in October 1984.“It was horrifying,” he said.“It seared itself into my head … These people were dying of want in a world of surplus.”After being driven to tears, the Boomtown Rats frontman was driven to action.

“This demanded more than simply putting a buck or two into the local charity box,” said Geldof.“So I thought I’d do a song.”But rather than resort to his own group to bring his mission to life, Geldo...