This article is about the original 1985 song. See We Are
the World 25 for Haiti for the 2010 celebrity remake and We
Are The World 25 for Haiti (YouTube Edition) for the 2010
YouTube collaboration.
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally
recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was
written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and co-produced
by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album
We Are the World. Following Band Aid's "Do They Know
It's Christmas?" project in the UK, an idea for the creation of
an American benefit single for African famine relief came from
activist Harry Belafonte, who, along with fundraiser Ken
Kragen, was instrumental in bringing the vision to reality.
Several musicians were contacted by the pair, before Jackson
and Richie were assigned the task of writing the song.
Following several months of working together, the duo completed
the writing of "We Are the World" one night before the song's
first recording session, in early 1985. The last recording
session for the song was held on February 28, 1985. The
historic event brought together some of the most famous artists
in the music industry at the time.
The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the only single
from the album. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music
charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling
American pop single in history. The first ever single to be
certified multi-platinum, "We Are the World" received a 4×
certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.
However, the song garnered mixed reviews from journalists,
music critics and the public. Fans enjoyed hearing racially and
musically diverse recording artists singing together on one
track, and felt satisfied in buying "We Are the World", knowing
that the money was going to charity. Other individuals,
including many commentators in the rock press, were
disappointed that the song did not challenge listeners as to
why famines occur in the first place, and felt that the lyrics
were self-aggrandizing.
Awarded numerous honors—including three Grammy Awards, one
American Music Award and a People's Choice Award—the song was
promoted with a critically received music video, a home video,
a special edition magazine, a simulcast, and several books,
posters and shirts. The promotion and merchandise aided the
success of "We Are the World", which was eventually named the
biggest-selling single of all time. As of 2009, it has sold
more than 20 million units and raised over
$63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US.
Following the devastation caused by the magnitude 7.0 M
earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, a remake of the song
by another all-star cast of singers was recorded on February 1,
2010. Entitled "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", it was released
as a single on February 12, 2010, and proceeds from the record
will aid survivors in the impoverished country. "We Are the
World" has demonstrated that diverse musicians can productively
work together, and has further influenced the movement within
pop music to create songs that address humane concerns.
Before the writing of "We Are the World", American
entertainer and social activist Harry Belafonte had sought for
some time to have a song recorded by the most famous artists in
the music industry at the time. He planned to have the proceeds
donated to a new organization called United Support of Artists
for Africa (USA for Africa). The non-profit foundation would
then feed and relieve starving people in Africa, specifically
Ethiopia, where around one million people died during the
country's 1984–1985 famine. The idea followed Band Aid's "Do
They Know It's Christmas" project in the UK, which Belafonte
had heard about. In the activist's plans, money would also be
set aside to help eliminate hunger in the United States of
America. Entertainment manager and fellow fundraiser Ken Kragen
was contacted by Belafonte, who asked for singers Lionel Richie
and Kenny Rogers—Kragen's clients—to participate in Belafonte's
musical endeavor. Kragen and the two musicians agreed to help
with Belafonte's mission, and in turn, enlisted the cooperation
of Stevie Wonder, to add more "name value" to their project.
Quincy Jones was drafted to co-produce the song, taking time
out from his work on
The Color Purple. Richie also telephoned Michael
Jackson, who had just released the commercially successful
Thrilleralbum and had concluded a tour with his
brothers.
Jackson revealed to Richie that he not only wanted to sing
the song, but to participate in its writing as well. To begin
with, "We Are the World" was to be written by Jackson, Richie
and Wonder. As Wonder had limited time to work on the project,
Jackson and Richie proceeded to write "We Are the World"
themselves. They began work on the song's creation at
Hayvenhurst, the Encino home of Jackson and his family. For a
week, the two spent every night working on lyrics and melodies
in the singer's bedroom. They knew that they wanted a song
which would be easy to sing and memorable. The pair wanted to
create an anthem. Jackson's older sister, La Toya, watched
the two work on the song, and later contended that Richie only
wrote a few lines for the track. She stated that her younger
brother wrote 99 percent of the lyrics, "but he's never
felt it necessary to say that". La Toya further commented
on the song's creation in an interview with the American
celebrity news magazine
People. "I'd go into the room while they were writing
and it would be very quiet, which is odd, since Michael's
usually very cheery when he works. It was very emotional for
them."
Richie had recorded two melodies for "We Are the World",
which Jackson took, adding music and words to the song in the
same day. Jackson stated, "I love working quickly. I went ahead
without even Lionel knowing, I couldn't wait. I went in and
came out the same night with the song completed—drums, piano,
strings, and words to the chorus." Jackson then presented his
demo to Richie and Jones, who were both shocked; they did not
expect the pop star to see the structure of the song so
quickly. The next meetings between Jackson and Richie were
unfruitful; the pair did not produce any additional vocals and
got no work done. It was not until the night of January 21,
1985, that Richie and Jackson completed the lyrics and melody
of "We Are the World" within two and a half hours, one night
before the song's first recording session.
The first night of recording, January 22, 1985, had tight
security on hand, as Richie, Jackson, Wonder and Jones started
work on "We Are the World" at Kenny Rogers' Lion Share
Recording Studio. The studio, on Beverly Boulevard in
California, was filled with musicians, technicians, video
crews, retinues, assistants and organizers as the four
musicians entered. To begin the night, a "vocal guide" of "We
Are the World" was recorded by Richie and Jackson and
duplicated on tape for each of the invited performers. The
guide was recorded on the sixth take, as Quincy Jones felt that
there was too much "thought" in the previous versions.
Following their work on the vocal guide, Jackson and Jones
began thinking of alternatives for the line "There's a chance
we're taking, we're taking our own lives": the pair were
concerned that the latter part of the line would be considered
a reference to suicide. As the group listened to a playback of
the chorus, Richie declared that the last part of the line
should be changed to "We're 'saving' our own lives", which his
fellow musicians agreed with. Producer Jones also suggested
altering the former part of the line. "One thing we don't want
to do, especially with this group, is look like we're patting
ourselves on the back. So it's really, 'There's a
choicewe're making.'" At around 1:30 am, the four
musicians ended the night by finishing a chorus of melodic
vocalizations, including the sound "sha-lum sha-lin-gay". Jones
told the group that they were not to add anything else to the
tape. "If we get too good, someone's gonna start playing it on
the radio", he announced.
On January 24, 1985, after a day of rest, Jones shipped
Richie and Jackson's vocal guide to all of the artists who
would be involved in "We Are the World"'s recording. Enclosed
in the package was a letter from Jones, addressed to "My Fellow
Artists":
The cassettes are numbered, and I can't express how
important it is not to let this material out of your hands.
Please do not make copies, and return this cassette the night
of the 28th. In the years to come, when your children ask,
'What did mommy and daddy do for the war against world
famine?', you can say proudly,
thiswas your contribution.
Ken Kragen chaired a production meeting at a bungalow off
Sunset Boulevard on January 25, 1985. There, Kragen and his
team addressed where the song would be completed by the
supergroup of musicians. He stated, "The single most damaging
piece of information is where we're doing this. If that shows
up anywhere, we've got a chaotic situation that could totally
destroy the project. The moment a Prince, a Michael Jackson, a
Bob Dylan—I guarantee you!—drives up and sees a mob around that
studio, he will never come in." On the same night, Quincy
Jones' associate producer and vocal arranger, Tom Bahler, was
given the task of matching each solo line with the right voice.
Bahler stated, "It's like vocal arranging in a perfect world".
Jones disagreed, stating that the task was like "putting a
watermelon in a Coke bottle". The following evening, Lionel
Richie held a "choreography" session at his home, where it was
decided who would stand where.
The final night of recording was held on January 28, 1985,
at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Michael
Jackson arrived at 9 pm, earlier than the other artists,
to record his solo section and record a vocal chorus by
himself. He was subsequently joined in the recording studio by
the remaining USA for Africa artists, which included Ray
Charles, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce
Springsteen and Smokey Robinson. Also in attendance were five
of Jackson's siblings: Jackie, La Toya, Marlon, Randy and
Tito. Many of the participants came straight from an American
Music Award ceremony, which had been held that same night.
Invited musician Prince, who would have had a part in which he
and Michael Jackson sang to each other, did not attend the
recording session. The reason given for his absence has varied.
One newspaper claimed that the singer did not want to record
with other acts. Another report, from the time of "We Are the
World"'s recording, suggested that the musician did not want to
partake in the session because organizer Bob Geldof called him
a "creep". Prince did, however, donate an exclusive track, "4
The Tears In Your Eyes", for the
We Are the Worldalbum. In all, more than 45 of America's
top musicians participated in the recording, and another 50 had
to be turned away. Upon entering the recording studio, the
musicians were greeted by a sign pinned to the door which read,
"Please check your egos at the door". They were also greeted by
Stevie Wonder, who proclaimed that if the recording was not
completed in one take, he and Ray Charles, two blind men, would
drive everybody home.
I think what's happening in Africa is a crime of historic
proportions ... You walk into one of the corrugated iron
huts and you see meningitis and malaria and typhoid buzzing
around the air. And you see dead bodies lying side by side with
the live ones. In some of the camps you see 15 bags of
flour for 27,000 people. And I assume that's why we're all
here tonight.
Each of the performers took his or her position at around
10.30 pm and began to sing. Several hours passed before
Stevie Wonder announced that he would like to substitute the
"sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound for a line in Swahili. At this
point, Waylon Jennings left the recording studio and never
returned; he allegedly felt that no "good ole boy" ever sang in
Swahili. A heated debate ensued, in which several artists
rejected the suggestion. The "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound ran
into opposition as well and was subsequently removed from the
song. The participants eventually decided to sing something
meaningful in English. They chose to sing the new line "One
world, Our children", which most of the participants
enjoyed.
In the early hours of the morning, two Ethiopian women,
guests of Stevie Wonder, were brought into the recording
studio—it had been decided that a portion of the proceeds
raised would be used to bring aid to those affected by the
recent famine in Ethiopia. They thanked the singers on behalf
of their country, bringing several artists to tears, before
being led from the room. Wonder attempted to lighten the mood,
by joking that the recording session gave him a chance to "see"
fellow blind musician Ray Charles. "We just sort of bumped into
each other!" The solo parts of the song were recorded without
any problems. The final version of "We Are the World" was
completed at 8 am.
"We Are the World" is sung from a first person viewpoint,
allowing the audience to "internalize" the message by singing
the word
wetogether. It has been described as "an appeal to human
compassion". The first lines in the song's repetitive chorus
proclaim, "We are the world, we are the children, we are the
ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving". "We Are
the World" opens with Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon,
Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner and Billy Joel singing
the first verse. Michael Jackson and Diana Ross follow,
completing the first chorus together. Dionne Warwick, Willie
Nelson and Al Jarreau sing the second verse, before Bruce
Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry and Daryl Hall go
through the second chorus. Co-writer Jackson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi
Lauper and Kim Carnes follow with the song's bridge. This
structuring of the song is said to "create a sense of
continuous surprise and emotional buildup". "We Are the World"
concludes with Bob Dylan and Ray Charles singing a full chorus,
Wonder and Springsteen duetting, and ad libs from Charles and
Ingram.
On March 7, 1985, "We Are the World" was released as a
single, in both 7" and 12" format. The song was the only one
released from the
We Are the Worldalbum and became a chart success around
the world. In the US, it was a number one hit on the R&B
singles chart, the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and the
Hot 100, where it remained for a month. The single had
initially debuted at number 21 on the Hot 100, the highest
entry since Michael Jackson's "Thriller" entered the charts at
number 21 the year before. It took four weeks for the song to
claim the number one spot—half the time a single would normally
have taken to reach its charting peak. "We Are the World" might
have reached the top of the Hot 100 chart sooner, if it were
not for the success of Phil Collins' "One More Night", which
received a significant level of support from both pop and rock
listeners. "We Are the World" also entered
Billboard's Top Rock Tracks and Hot Country Singles
charts, where it peaked at numbers 27 and 76 respectively. The
song became the first single since The Beatles' "Let It Be" to
enter
Billboard
's Top 5 within two
weeks of release. Outside of the US, the single reached number
one in France, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,
Switzerland and the UK. The song peaked at number 2 in Austria,
number 12 in Italy and number 18 in Denmark.
The single was also a commercial success; the initial
shipment of 800,000 "We Are the World" records sold out within
three days of release. The record became the fastest-selling
American pop single in history. At one Tower Records store on
Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, 1,000 copies of the
song were sold in two days. Store worker Richard Petitpas
commented, "A number one single sells about 100 to
125 copies a week. This is absolutely unheard of." By the
end of 1985, "We Are the World" had become the best selling
single of the year. Five years later it was revealed that the
song had become the biggest single of the 1980s. "We Are the
World" was eventually cited as the biggest selling single in
both US and pop music history. The song became the first ever
single to be certified multi-platinum; it received a 4×
certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The estimated global sales of "We Are the World" are said to be
20 million.
Following its release, "We Are the World" received mixed
reviews from journalists, music critics and the public.
American journalist Greil Marcus felt that the song sounded
like a Pepsi jingle. He wrote, "... the constant repetition of
'There's a choice we're making' conflates with Pepsi's
trademarked 'The choice of a new generation' in a way that, on
the part of Pepsi-contracted song writers Michael Jackson and
Lionel Richie, is certainly not intentional, and even more
certainly beyond the realm of serendipity." Marcus added, "In
the realm of contextualization, 'We Are the World' says less
about Ethiopia than it does about Pepsi—and the true result
will likely be less that certain Ethiopian individuals will
live, or anyway live a bit longer than they otherwise would
have, than that Pepsi will get the catch phrase of its
advertising campaign sung for free by Ray Charles, Stevie
Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and all the rest." Author Reebee
Garofalo agreed, and expressed the opinion that the line "We're
saving our own lives" was a "distasteful element of
self-indulgence". He asserted that the artists of USA for
Africa were proclaiming "their own salvation for singing about
an issue they will never experience on behalf of a people most
of them will never encounter".
In contrast, Stephen Holden of
The New York Timespraised the phrase "There's a choice
we're making, We're saving our own lives". He commented that
the line assumed "an extra emotional dimension when sung by
people with superstar mystiques". Holden expressed that the
song was "an artistic triumph that transcends its official
nature". He noted that unlike Band Aid's "Do They Know It's
Christmas", the vocals on "We Are the World" were "artfully
interwoven" and emphasized the individuality of each singer.
Holden concluded that "We Are the World" was "a simple,
eloquent ballad" and a "fully-realized pop statement that would
sound outstanding even if it weren't recorded by stars".
In "We Are the World", Bruce gave Cyndi Lauper and Tina
Turner a run for their money for worst performance.
Springsteen's amazing, up-all-night, three-packs-a-day
rendition with Stevie Wonder rivalled Tina Turner's
self-conscious moaning and Lauper's putting three syllables in
'change'., The argument was this: "He's trying so hard, he
really
feelsthe lyrics." Yeah, just like any Holiday Inn lounge
lizard feels the lyrics to "Feelings".
The song proved popular with both young and old listeners.
The public enjoyed hearing a supergroup of musicians singing
together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying the record,
knowing that the money would go towards a good cause. People
reported they bought more than one copy of the single, some
buying up to five copies of the record. One mother from
Columbia, Missouri purchased two copies of "We Are the World",
stating, "The record is excellent whether it's for a cause or
not. It's fun trying to identify the different artists. It was
a good feeling knowing that I was helping someone in need."
According to music critic and Bruce Springsteen biographer
Dave Marsh, "We Are the World" was not widely accepted within
the rock music community. The author revealed that the song was
"despised" for what it was not: "a rock record, a critique of
the political policies that created the famine, a way of
finding out how and why famines occur, an all-inclusive
representation of the entire worldwide spectrum of post-Presley
popular music". Marsh revealed that he felt some of the
criticisms were right, while others were silly. He claimed that
despite the sentimentality of the song, "We Are the World" was
a large scale pop event with serious political overtones.
"We Are the World" was recognized with several awards
following its release. At the 1986 Grammy Awards, the song and
its accompanying music video won four awards: Record of the
Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group
with Vocal and Best Music Video, Short Form. The music video
was awarded two honors at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards. It
collected the awards for Best Group Video and Viewer's Choice.
People's Choice Awards recognized "We Are the World" with the
Favorite New Song award in 1986. In the same year, the American
Music Awards named "We Are the World" "Song of the Year", and
honored organizer Harry Belafonte with the Award of
Appreciation. Collecting his award, Belafonte thanked Ken
Kragen, Quincy Jones, and "the two artists who, without their
great gift would not have inspired us in quite the same way as
we were inspired, Mr. Lionel Richie and Mr. Michael Jackson".
Following the speech, the majority of USA for Africa reunited
on stage, closing the ceremony with "We Are the World".
"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a video
cassette, and several other items made available to the public,
including books, posters, shirts and buttons. All proceeds from
the sale of official USA for Africa merchandise went directly
to the famine relief fund. All of the merchandise sold well;
the video cassette—entitled
We Are the World: The Video Event—documented the making
of the song, and became the ninth best-selling home video of
1985.
The music video showed the recording of "We Are the World",
and drew criticism from some. They felt that Michael Jackson
was "unable to leave his ego at the door" in the video because
he wore sequined socks, a single glove and sunglasses. The
singer claimed he had wanted to wear his signature socks so
that the audience would be able to identify him; in the clip,
the camera moves up his body, before resting on his face. The
musician joked before filming, "People will know it's me as
soon as they see the socks. Try taking footage of Bruce
Springsteen's socks and see if anyone knows who they belong
to." Jackson was also criticized for filming and recording his
solo piece privately, away from the other artists. The singer's
supporters reasoned that Jackson was a perfectionist; recording
in front of other big name artists would leave him awestruck
and unable to perform at his best. His detractors suggested
that Jackson liked to feel different from everybody else, and
that he had wanted to emphasize the difference by erecting
barriers around himself.
The song was also promoted with a special edition of the
American magazine
Life. The publication had been the only media outlet
permitted inside A&M Recording Studios on the night of
January 28, 1985. All other press organizations were barred
from reporting the events leading up to and during "We Are the
World"'s recording.
Liferan a cover story of the recording session in its
April 1985 edition of the monthly magazine. Seven members of
USA for Africa were pictured on the cover: Bob Dylan, Bruce
Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Tina
Turner and Willie Nelson. Inside the magazine were photographs
of the "We Are the World" participants working and taking
breaks.
On the morning of April 5, 1985 (Good Friday of that year),
"We Are the World" received worldwide coverage. At
10:25 am, over 8000 radio stations simultaneously
broadcast the song around the world. They played it to show
their support for the relief of famine in Ethiopia. The song
was also broadcast by Muzak, a company which pipes background
music into 110,000 stores and businesses in the US. It was the
second time Muzak had played the sound of "human voice", the
first being an announcement on the release of American hostages
in Iran in 1981. As the song was broadcast, hundreds of people
sang along on the steps of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
The simultaneous radio broadcast of "We Are the World" was
repeated again the following Good Friday.
"We Are the World" gained further promotion and coverage on
May 25, 1986, when it was played during a major benefit event
held throughout the US. Hands Across America—USA for Africa's
follow-up project—was an event in which millions of people
formed a human chain across the US. The event was held to draw
attention to hunger and homelessness in the United States. "We
Are the World"'s co-writer, Michael Jackson, had wanted his
song to be the official theme for the event. The other board
members of USA for Africa outvoted the singer, and it was
instead decided that a new song would be created and released
for the event, titled "Hands Across America". When released,
the new song did not achieve the level of success that "We Are
the World" did, and the decision to use it as the official
theme for the event led to Jackson—who co-owned the publishing
rights to "We Are the World"—resigning from the board of
directors of USA for Africa.
Four months after the release of "We Are the World", USA for
Africa had taken in almost $10.8 million. The majority of
the money came from record sales within the US. Members of the
public also donated money—almost $1.3 million within the
same time period. In May 1985, USA for Africa officials
estimated that they had sold between $45 million and
$47 million worth of official merchandise around the
world. Organizer Ken Kragen announced that they would not be
distributing all of the money at once. Instead, he revealed
that the foundation would be looking into finding a long-term
solution for Africa's problems. "We could go out and spend it
all in one shot. Maybe we'd save some lives in the short term
but it would be like putting a Band-Aid over a serious wound."
Kragen noted that experts had predicted that it would take at
least 10 to 20 years to make a slight difference to
Africa's long-term problems.
In June 1985, the first USA for Africa cargo jet carrying
food, medicine and clothing departed for Ethiopia and the
Sudan. It stopped
en routein New York, where 15,000 T-shirts were
added to the cargo. Included in the supplies were high-protein
biscuits, high-protein vitamins, medicine, tents, blankets and
refrigeration equipment. Harry Belafonte, representing the USA
for Africa musicians, visited Sudan in the same month. The trip
was his last stop on a four nation tour of Africa. In Africa,
Belafonte was greeted and praised by Prime Minister Salim Ahmed
Salim. Salim told the musician, "I personally and the people of
Tanzania are moved by this tremendous example of human
solidarity."
One year after the release of "We Are the World", organizers
noted that $44.5 million had been raised for USA for
Africa's humanitarian fund. They stated that they were
confident that they would reach an initial set target of
$50 million. By October 1986, it was revealed that their
$50 million target had been met and exceeded; CBS Records
gave USA for Africa a check for $2.5 million, drawing the
total amount of money to $51.2 million. USA for Africa's
Hands Across America event had also raised a significant amount
of money—approximately $24.5 million for the hungry in the
US.
Since its release, "We Are the World" has raised over
$63 million for humanitarian causes. Ninety percent of the
money was pledged to African relief, both long and short term.
The long term initiative included efforts in birth control and
food production. The remaining 10 percent of funds was
earmarked for domestic hunger and homeless programs in the US.
From the African fund, over 70 recovery and development
projects were launched in seven African nations. Such projects
included aid in agriculture, fishing, water management,
manufacturing and reforestation. Training programs were also
developed in the African countries of Mozambique, Senegal,
Chad, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
"We Are the World" has been performed live by members of USA
for Africa on several occasions both together and individually.
One of the earliest such performances came in 1985, during the
rock music concert Live Aid, which ended with more than
100 musicians singing the song on stage. Harry Belafonte
and Lionel Richie made surprise appearances for the live
rendition of the song. Michael Jackson would have joined the
artists, but was "working around the clock in the studio on a
project that he's made a major commitment to", according to his
press agent, Norman Winter.
An inaugural celebration was held for US President-elect
Bill Clinton in January 1993. The event was staged by Clinton's
Hollywood friends at the Lincoln Memorial and drew hundreds of
thousands of people. Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J, Michael Bolton
and Tony Bennett were among some of the musicians in
attendance. The celebration included a performance of "We Are
the World", which involved Clinton, his daughter Chelsea, and
his wife Hillary singing the song along with USA for Africa's
Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
The New York Times'Edward Rothstein commented on the
event, stating, "The most enduring image may be of Mr. Clinton
singing along in 'We Are the World', the first President to
aspire, however futilely, to hipness."
Michael Jackson died in June 2009, after suffering a cardiac
arrest. His memorial service was held several days later on
July 7, and was reported to have been viewed by more than one
billion people. The finale of the event featured group
renditions of the Jackson anthems "We Are the World" and "Heal
the World". The singalong of "We Are the World" was led by
Darryl Phinnessee, who had worked with Jackson since the late
1980s. It also featured co-writer Lionel Richie, Jackson's
family and the late singer's children. Following the
performance, "We Are the World" re-entered the US charts for
the first time since its 1985 release. The song debuted at
number 50 on
Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0
earthquake, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200
years. The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian
capital Port-au-Prince. Over 230,000 civilians have been
confirmed dead by the Haitian government because of the
disaster and around 300,000 have been injured. Approximately
1.2 million people are homeless and it has been reported that
the lack of temporary shelter may lead to the outbreak of
disease.
As a result of the devastation, a new version of "We Are the
World" was recorded on February 1, 2010. Over 75 musicians were
involved in the recording, which was held in the same studio as
the original. The new version features revised lyrics as well
as a rap segment pertaining to Haiti. Michael Jackson's younger
sister Janet duets with her late brother on the track, as per a
request from their mother Katherine. In the video and on the
track, archive material of Michael Jackson is used from the
original 1985 recording.
"We Are the World" has been recognized as a politically
important song, which "affected an international focus on
Africa that was simply unprecedented". It has been credited
with creating a climate in which musicians from around the
world felt inclined to follow. According to
The New York Times'Stephen Holden, since the release of
"We Are the World", it has been noted that movement has been
made within popular music to create songs that address
humanitarian concerns. "We Are the World" was also influential
in subverting the way music and meaning were produced, showing
that musically and racially diverse musicians could work
together both productively and creatively.
Ebonydescribed the January 28 recording session, in
which Quincy Jones brought together a multi-racial group, as
being "a major moment in world music that showed we can change
the world". "We Are the World", along with Live Aid and Farm
Aid, demonstrated that rock music had become more than
entertainment, but a political and social movement. Journalist
Robert Palmer noted that such songs and events had the ability
to reach people around the world, send them a message, and then
get results.
Since the release of "We Are the World", numerous songs have
been recorded in a similar fashion, with the intent to aid
famine victims throughout the world. One such example involved
a supergroup of Latin musicians billed as "Hermanos del Tercer
Mundo", or "Brothers of the Third World". Among the supergroup
of 62 recording artists were Julio Iglesias, Jose
Feliciano and Sergio Mendes. Their famine relief song was
recorded in the same studio as "We Are the World". Half of the
profits raised from the charity single was pledged to USA for
Africa. The rest of the money was to be used for impoverished
Latin American countries.
The 20th anniversary of "We Are the World" was celebrated in
2005. Radio stations around the world paid homage to Michael
Jackson, Lionel Richie and USA for Africa's creation by
simultaneously broadcasting the charity song. In addition to
the simulcast, the milestone was marked by the release of a
two-disc DVD called
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song. Ken Kragen
asserted that the reason behind the simulcast and DVD release
was not for USA for Africa to praise themselves for doing a
good job, but to "use it to do some more good [for the original
charity]. That's all we care about accomplishing." Harry
Belafonte also commented on the 20th anniversary of the
song. The entertainer acknowledged that "We Are the World" had
"stood the test of time"; anyone old enough to remember it can
still at least hum along.
The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie ·
Tribute to Uncle Ray ·
With a Song in My Heart ·
Stevie at the Beach ·
Up-Tight ·
Down to Earth ·
I Was Made to Love Her ·
Someday at Christmas ·
Eivets Rednow ·
For Once in My Life ·
My Cherie Amour ·
Signed, Sealed & Delivered ·
Where I'm Coming From ·
Music of My Mind ·
Talking Book ·
Innervisions ·
Fulfillingness' First Finale ·
Songs in the Key of Life ·
Hotter than July ·
In Square Circle ·
Characters ·
Conversation Peace ·
A Time to Love
Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius ·
Stevie Wonder Live ·
Natural Wonder
Journey through the Secret Life of Plants ·
The Woman in Red ·
Jungle Fever
Looking Back ·
Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium ·
At the Close of a Century ·
The Definitive Collection ·
The Complete Stevie Wonder
"Fingertips - Part
2" ·
"Uptight (Everything's
Alright)" ·
"Blowin' in the
Wind" ·
"A Place in the
Sun" ·
"I Was Made to Love
Her" ·
"For Once in My
Life" ·
"Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" ·
"My Cherie
Amour" ·
"Yester-Me, Yester-You,
Yesterday" ·
"Never Had a Dream Come
True" ·
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered
I'm Yours" ·
"Heaven Help Us
All" ·
"If You Really Love
Me" ·
"Superstition" ·
"You Are the Sunshine of My
Life" ·
"Higher
Ground" ·
"Living for the
City" ·
"He's Misstra Know it
All" ·
"You Haven't Done
Nothin'" ·
"Boogie On Reggae
Woman" ·
"I Wish" ·
"Sir Duke" ·
"Send One Your
Love" ·
"Master Blaster
(Jammin')" ·
"I Ain't Gonna Stand for
It" ·
"Lately" ·
"Happy
Birthday" ·
"That Girl" ·
"Do I Do" ·
"Ebony and
Ivory" ·
"Ribbon in the
Sky" ·
"I Just Called to Say I Love
You" ·
"Part-Time
Lover" ·
"That's What Friends Are
For" ·
"Go Home"
Discography ·
Syreeta Wright ·
KJLH ·
Motown ·
Soul music
"Nel blu dipinto di blu
(Volare)" ·
"Mack the
Knife" ·
"Theme from A Summer
Place" ·
"Moon River" ·
"I Left My Heart in San
Francisco" ·
"Days of Wine and
Roses" ·
"The Girl from
Ipanema" ·
"A Taste of
Honey" ·
"Strangers in the
Night" ·
"Up, Up and
Away" ·
"Mrs. Robinson"
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine
In" ·
"Bridge over Troubled
Water" ·
"It's Too
Late" ·
"The First Time Ever I Saw
Your Face" ·
"Killing Me Softly with His
Song" ·
"I Honestly Love
You" ·
"Love Will Keep Us
Together" ·
"This
Masquerade" ·
"Hotel
California" ·
"Just the Way You
Are"
"What a Fool
Believes" ·
"Sailing" ·
"Bette Davis
Eyes" ·
"Rosanna" ·
"Beat It" ·
"What's Love Got to Do with
It" ·
"
We Are the World
" ·
"Higher Love" ·
"Graceland" ·
"Don't Worry, Be
Happy"
"Wind Beneath My
Wings" ·
"Another Day in
Paradise" ·
"Unforgettable" ·
"Tears in
Heaven" ·
"I Will Always Love
You" ·
"All I Wanna
Do" ·
"Kiss from a
Rose" ·
"Change the
World" ·
"Sunny Came
Home" ·
"My Heart Will Go On"
"Smooth" ·
"Beautiful
Day" ·
"Walk On" ·
"Don't Know
Why" ·
"Clocks" ·
"Here We Go
Again" ·
"Boulevard of Broken
Dreams" ·
"Not Ready to Make
Nice" ·
"Rehab" ·
"Please Read the
Letter"
"Use Somebody"