We are the
World by Mohammed Ibrahim
Harry Belafonte originally wanted to put
together a benefit concert featuring black musicians to raise money for
Africa. Ken Kragen (who became president of the originization United Support
of Artists for Afica) thought an American version of "Band
Aid" would be a better idea. Ken
Kragen is an owner of a personal management and television production
company. One of his clients was Lionel Ritchie, so he called him with the
idea. Lionel's wife talked to Steve Wonder's wife and arranged to line him
up for the song.
Quicy Jones was lined up as the producer, and
Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie were the song writers. The recording took
place on the night of the American Music Awards, January 28th, 1985. This
was the perfect way to assure that most of the artists would all be free on
a single date.
The instrumental tracks were recorded ahead of
time and sent out to the interested musicians. With each tape, he sent a
letter that stated they should "check their ego at the door." When they
arrived in the studio, there was a piece of tape on the floor for each
person to stand on, arranged around six microphones in a semi-circle.
800,000 copies arrived in stores on Tuesday,
March 7th 1985. There were sold out by the first weekend. It entered the
Billboard Hot 100 on March 23rd, at number 21. At the time it was the
highest debuting single since John Lennon's "Imagine" and was number one in
three weeks, which at the time was the fastest rising chart-topper since
Elton John's "Island Girl" in 1975. It was the eighth consecutive year the
Lionel Ritchie had written a number one song. It won Grammys in 1985 for
Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Dan Aykroyd also sings on We Are the World. You
can see him in the top row in the video. Dan Aykroyd was in the Blues
Brothers was a band before it was a SNL sketch (and then a movie), hence he
was a musician. VH-1's "Pop-Up Video" states he's there to represent the
American film industry,
- Dan Aykroyd
- Harry Belafonte
- Lindsey Buckingham
- Kim Carnes
- Ray Charles
- Bob Dylan
- Sheila E.
- Bob Geldof
- Hall and Oates
- James Ingram
- Jackie Jackson
- LaToya Jackson
- Marlon Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Randy Jackson
- Tito Jackson
- Al Jarreau
- Waylon Jennings
"Pop-Up Video" stated that he left the recording session due to a dispute
over the lyrics.
- Billy Joel
- Cyndi Lauper
- Huey Lewis and the News
- Kenny Logins
- Bette Midler
- Willie Nelson
- Jeffery Osborne
- Steve Perry
- The Pointer Sisters
- Lionel Richie
- Smokey Robinson
- Kenny Rogers
- Diana Ross
- Paul Simon
- Bruce Springsteen
- Tina Turner
- Dionne Warwick
- Stevie Wonder
- Michael Boddicker - Synthesizers,
Programming
- Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
- Louis Johnson - Bass
- Quincy Jones
- Producer
- Michael Omartian - Keyboards, Producer
- Greg Phillinganes - Keyboards
- John Robinson - Drums
I get a lot of requests for the lyrics. The first
set is without the performers next to each line, the second set has each
performer next to their respective part.
"We Are The World", U.S.A. for Africa
There comes a time when we need a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big family
And the truth - you know love is all we need
( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
so let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
Well, send'em you your heart
So they know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us
By turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand
( REPEAT CHORUS )
When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, let's realize
That one change can only come
When we stand together as one
( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
To this day I just love to hear "We Are The World" - the melody is so
simple but beautifully arranged and produced by Daddy Q. Okay, so it woud
not hit the top 40 in the 90's, but re-produce it and replace the singers
with those like Puff Daddy, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, Madonna, etc, and
chances are it's going all the way to the top! Here's a list of the singers
next to their lyric from the 1985 version. . .
There comes a time when we heed a certain call (Lionel
Richie)
When the world must come together as one (Lionel
Richie & Stevie Wonder)
There are people dying (Stevie Wonder)
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life (Paul
Simon)
The greatest gift of all (Paul Simon/Kenny
Rogers)
We can't go on pretending day by day (Kenny Rogers)
That someone, somehow will soon make a change (James
Ingram)
We're all a part of God's great big family (Tina
Turner)
And the truth (Billy Joel)
You know love is all we need (Tina Turner/Billy
Joel)
( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving (Michael
Jackson)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Diana
Ross)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Michael
Jackson/Diana Ross)
Well, send'em you your heart so they know that someone cares (Dionne
Warwick)
And their lives will be stronger and free (Dionne
Warwick/Willie Nelson)
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread (Willie
Nelson)
And so we all must lend a helping hand (Al Jurreau)
( REPEAT CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children (Bruce
Springsteen)
We are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start giving (Kenny
Logins)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Steve
Perry)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Daryl
Hall)
When you're down and out there seems no hope at all (Michael
Jackson)
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall (Huey
Lewis)
Well, well, well, let's realize that a change can only come
(Cyndi Lauper)
When we (Kim Carnes)
stand together as one (Kim Carnes/Cyndi
Lauper/Huey Lewis)
(REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
(additional ad-lib vox by Bob Dylan, Ray
Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, James Ingram)
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