"Make it Work" - Moore, Christy, Paul Doran and the Self Aid Band
Single
U2 Related Content:
- "Make it Work" (Studio Version) - Christy Moore, Paul Doran and the Self-Aid Band (featuring Larry Mullen) (03:09)
Full Track Listing:
- Make it Work (Studio Version) (03:09) – Christy Moore, Paul Doran and the Self Aid Band
- The Self Aid Song (03:12) – Christy Moore
Background Information
“Self Aid” was a 1986 benefit concert, held in Dublin Ireland on May 17. The concert was organized to highlight the chronic unemployment problem in Dublin at the time. The concert was held over 14 hours, and was the largest show ever staged in Dublin up to that date. U2 performed at the Self Aid benefit, and a recording of U2 performing “Maggie’s Farm” would appear on the album, “Live for Ireland”, documenting that day. Larry and Bono also performed on “Make it Work” that day in concert and that recording also made the album documenting that festival. The concert started at 12 noon on the R.D.S. grounds, and would continue all day long. U2 were initially scheduled to take the stage at 12:10am and to play until 12:45. After the U2 performance was a big sing along of “Make it Work” which Bono and Larry stayed on stage for. A live album taken from the concert was released titled “Live for Ireland” which included U2’s performance of “Maggie’s Farm”.
Prior to the “Self Aid” concert, Christy Moore and Paul Doran joined together and organized the “Self-Aid Band”. The group recorded a song that Moore and Doran had written called “Make It Work”. The band consisted of Arty McGlynn, Donal Lunny, Larry Mullen, Paul Brady, John Walsh and Liam O’Flynn as well as Moore and Doran. They released a 7-Inch vinyl single in Ireland the week prior to the Self Aid concert was to be held. The b-side of the single was Christy Moore’s song “The Self Aid Song” a solo acoustic song that Moore recorded himself without other members of the Self-Aid Band. The front cover of the single featured the logo of the project, as well as information about who was on the single, as well as multiple silhouettes of faces. The back side of the sleeve contained the lyrics, as well as a one line note “Self Aid – May 17th – 1986” directly advertising the show.
The song charted as a “Special #1” on the Irish charts on May 18, 1986, something which had only previously happened with “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”. This was done when sales of a new single were so strong they recognized it would chart the following week. The following week it came in at #1 on the Irish Charts, and then the week following at #2.
Liner Notes
Make it Work:
Christy Moore, Paul Doran and the Self Aid Band. (Arty McGlynn, Christy Moore, Donal Lunny, John Walsh, Larry Mullen, Liam O’Flynn, Paul Brady, Paul Doran)