We Are The World: An American charity dream team
Ethiopia was hit hard by famine in the 1980s. People were starving. A million people were dead. A quarter-million children were orphaned.
Inspired by the British all-star charity single the previous Christmas, a plan was hatched to bring together American singers for a similar effort to raise money for drought relief.
The result, “We Are the World” by USA for Africa, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 April 13, 1985 — 40 years ago Sunday. It became the fastest-selling pop single of all time, raising more than $80 million for drought relief.
An All-Night Recording Session For Music Elite's Talent
Calypso singer Harry Belafonte had an idea to pull together Black musicians for a show to benefit famine-struck Ethiopia. Hoping to recruit Lionel Richie, he called Richie’s manager, Ken Kragen, who suggested an original song would have a larger impact and would raise more money.
Kragen asked famed record producer Quincy Jones to produce the song and then signed up Richie, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder to participate. The cast grew from there. Richie was hosting the American Music Awards on the evening of Jan. 28, 1985, so the group knew a lot of singers would be in town. They scheduled an all-night recording session for Kenny Rogers’ Lion Share Studios in Los Angeles.
What they needed next was a song. Wonder wanted to write it, but was tied up finishing his work on the music for “The Woman in Red.” Instead, Richie wrote the song with Jackson, putting the final touches on it the night before the recording session.
One of the invitees — Prince — reportedly saw the sign Jones had posted on the door of the studio that said, “Leave your ego at the door,” took offense and left. The other 49 artists filed in and began work as Jones made decisions on who would get solo parts and who would not.
Not everything went smoothly. Cyndi Lauper kept causing recording issues by rattling her bracelets near the microphone. She complained to Billy Joel that the song sounded like a Pepsi commercial.
At another point, Wonder suggested singing a phrase in Swahili in the background. Country singer Waylon Jennings took offense at that and stormed out of the session. Ray Charles stepped up to restore calm.
By 8 a.m., the song was completed and a video had been recorded. “We Are the World” was released on March 7, 1985, and sold 800,000 copies within the first three days. It would go on to win four Grammy Awards.
More important, the project raised $10.8 million in the first four months and about $45 million in the first year. USA for Africa eventually pulled in a total of about $80 million.
Before writing “We Are the World,” Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie listened to national anthems of various nations. They aimed for something that sounded familiar, like a world anthem, Richie said.
Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder kicked off the first verse ...
... before handing off to Paul Simon and Kenny Rogers.
Dionne Warwick and Willie Nelson sang part of verse two ...
.. and then Bruce Springsteen took the chorus
Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, and Kim Carnes sang the song's bridge.
The Staff
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