Forget about Bob Geldof and Midge Ure - a selection of Bedfordshire's finest bands have their own charity single to plug this Christmas.

The Bands Care Project has seen 22 acts including Don Bronco, Fell Silent and Lecarla cover Do The Know It's Christmas in aid of Keech Cottage Children's Hospice.

And the whole project was the brainchild of an independent producer from Luton who produced much of the song from his own studio in his parents' garage.

Stuart Rolls said: "I have been recording various bands locally for a while, and I thought it would be great to find something which would being everyone together on a single project.

"I first had the idea last year, but it takes a lot of time and effort to make it happen and being so many people together.

"So I decided that if it was going to take this much work then we ought to do it for a good cause too."

As well as a number of the bands descending upon Mr Roll's Lucid Cut Studio, he also went to a number of groups' own facilities.

A video for the song was also shot at The Hat Factory in Luton.
Bedford-based act Lecarla were among the bands that took part in the project.

Bassist Nikki Brightman said: "There are a lot of big local names taking part in the song, so we were really pleased to join in. I think it may have helped that we have a female vocalist too, but there are a lot of voices on the song.

"Obviously everyone knows about the work that is done at Keech Cottage, and everyone knows Do The Know It's Christmas.

"It was great fun, and it should raise money for a really important cause."

Do The Know It's Christmas by The Bands Care Project is available to buy online now. Downloads are £1 from www.myspace.com/thebandscareproject