GELDOF PRAISES ARCH RIVAL WELLER

Irish rocker SIR BOB GELDOF is still amazed he and PAUL WELLER managed to put aside their differences to work on the original 1984 BAND AID charity record.

The ex-BOOMTOWN RATS star admits he misjudged the former JAM frontman, because Weller agreed to sing on the supergroup's first DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS? hit - which raised money for African famine victims - despite Geldof's well-publicised feud with the STAND BY ME singer.

Geldof explains, "I never got on with him. I respected him musically though, and felt the record needed him.

"But I thought he'd think a) this is a naff and b) Geldof is a c**t. But He put it all aside.

"That always impresses me that he could do that. I was wrong about him."