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"We Are the World" is a 1985 song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie , produced and conducted by Quincy Jones and recorded by a Supergroup of popular musicians billed as USA For Africa . "We Are the World by U.S.A. For Africa" (notes), Songfacts, 2002, webpage: Songfacts-1560 . The Charity Single was intended to raise funds to help Famine-relief efforts in Ethiopia , which experienced Unusual Drought in 1984 /1985. HISTORY Harry Belafonte initiated the idea for a fundraising effort. His manager, Ken Kragen , suggested the multi-artist approach, inspired by the success of the British supergroup Band Aid and their 1984 fundraising single " Do They Know It's Christmas? " The performers gathered at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood, California , on January 28 , 1985 . Kragen selected the night of the American Music Award s to ensure as many artists as possible could attend. Jones famously advised them, in his written invitation, to "check your egos at the door." In all, 45 musicians attended the recording session, including Bob Geldof , who had arranged the Band Aid effort in the United Kingdom. Lead vocals were rotated among 21 of the performers, including Lionel Richie , Stevie Wonder , Paul Simon , Kenny Rogers , James Ingram , Michael Jackson , Diana Ross , Tina Turner , Billy Joel , Willie Nelson , Dionne Warwick , Steve Perry , Bruce Springsteen , Al Jarreau , Huey Lewis , Cyndi Lauper , Bob Dylan , Kim Carnes and Ray Charles (see list, below). Columbia Records donated their manufacturing and distribution costs to the effort. "We Are the World" hit stores on Tuesday, March 5 , 1985 , and all 800,000 copies sold out before the end of the weekend. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number twenty-one. On April 5 ( Good Friday in that year), more than 5,000 Radio Station s played the song at the same time. It became the United States’ number one single on April 13 and held the position for four weeks. The song went on to win four 1986 , Record Of The Year , and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group . Ultimately, the single sold 7.5 million copies in the US. It was released on an album, '' We Are The World '', which sold over three million copies. In addition to "We Are the World," the album included previously unreleased songs by Tina Turner , Prince , Springsteen, Rogers, Chicago , Huey Lewis And The News , Steve Perry , and The Pointer Sisters . It also included another famine relief fundraising song, " Tears Are Not Enough ", which was performed by Canadian supergroup Northern Lights . Including revenues from the single, the album, the video and related merchandise, "We Are the World" raised over $63 million for famine relief. "USATODAY.com - Moments of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" (news), ''USA Today'', 2006-07-27, webpage: USAT-MTVcover . Lionel Richie stated that "We Are the World" had 11 lawsuits brought up against the song (claiming others had written the song). "Lionel Richie: Soul Invictus, Pt 2" (interview), Chuck "Jigsaw" Creekmur, webpage: AllHipHop-A354 : Lionel Richie states "We Are the World" had 11 lawsuits. On concert video at Texas stadium. SELECTED VOCALISTS
ARTISTS AND LYRIC FORM The song lyrics are under copyright from 1985; however, some excerpts can be explained in technical analysis, under the 1961 fair-use citation of the US Copyright Act (title 17, U. S. Code). "U.S. Copyright Office - Fair Use" (legal notes), cites US Copyright Act (title 17, U. S. Code), Section 107, U.S. Copyright Office, webpage: CRgov-f1102 . The 1961 Report of the Register of Copyrights on the General Revision of the U.S. Copyright Law cites examples for fair-use excerpts: "quotation of excerpts in a review or criticism for purposes of illustration or comment; quotation of short passages in a scholarly or technical work, for illustration or clarification of the author's observations." Below are partial lyrics from ''We Are the World'', noting each lead singer's role in the performance. Each lead singer appeared in a close-up view, coming to a microphone in time to sing a phrase, with the effect of each celebrity being shown in a reveal. The melody has 3 melodic sections A/B/C, with "B" as the chorus section, in the form A-A-B A-B C-B (below, omitted words are shown as "..."): :: ''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, somewhere 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 sung solo ) :: ''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 make a better day just you and me.'' -Michael Jackson & Diana Ross :: ''Well, send 'em 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 Jarreau :: ( CHORUS again sung solo ) :: ''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 Loggins :: ''Oh, there's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives'' - Steve Perry :: ''It's true we make a better day, just you and me.'' - Daryl Hall :: ( interlude break in melody ) :: ''When you're down and out and 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 us realize, oh, that a change can only come'' - Cyndi Lauper :: ''When we'' - Kim Carnes :: ''Stand together as one.'' -Kim Carnes & Huey Lewis :: ''(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)'' -Cyndi Lauper :: ( CHORUS rerise ) :: ''We are the world, we are the the children...'' "There's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives, it's true we make a brighter day, just you and me. :: ''There's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lives its true we make a better day, just you and me'' - Bob Dylan :: ''Alright now, let me hear you'' - Ray Charles (very reverently observed by the other musicians) :: remainder omitted due to copyright restrictions . During the performance, the solo portions, sung by the lead singers, allowed their distinctive, famous voices to be heard individually, or in pairs, for several minutes, before the entire group sang the third repetition of the chorus verses. Note the dramatic effect of delaying the entire group singing, until many of the celebrity singers had each been revealed in solo parts, through 2 repetitions of the "We are the world" chorus section. The singing by the full group was even delayed until ''after'' the interlude/break in the melody, sung by Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis , Kim Carnes , with Cyndi Lauper building the Crescendo into the entire group singing "We are the world, we are the children...." CULTURAL REFERENCES Direct references Television
Linda Evans , Limahl , Bruce Boxleitner , Larry Hagman , Lorenzo Lamas , Sabrina , Pat Sharp , Bo Derek , Samantha Fox , Eric Heiden , Keshia Knight Pulliam , Aileen Quinn , Duane Loken , Pamela Sue Martin , Richard Chamberlain , Peter Shilton , Michael Winslow , Sir Cliff Richard , Gary Burghoff , Eddie Edwards , Mark Hamill , Richard Kiel , Glenn Medeiros , Kim Wilde , Mel Smith , Al Corley , Andrew McCarthy , Stephanie Powers , Sandra Kim , Nik Kershaw , Andrew Sachs , Alphaville , Louis Gossett Jr. , Ian Rush , The Bangles , Lee Curreri , Tony Hadley , Richard Clayderman , Bananarama , Cutting Crew , Billy Lovelady , Opus , Tiffany , Katrina & The Waves , Tanita Tikaram , Robert Guillaume , and more... Music
=Tsunami relief
=Commercial exploitation
Charity song references The following cultural references do not directly parody or mention "We Are the World," but are arguably inspired by the charity song trend of which "We Are the World" was a part:
RECORDING SESSION DETAILS
: Both Patti LaBelle and Prince participated in the 1985 television broadcast performance of "We Are the World" from the Apollo Theatre , and many of the above names participated in the performance of "We Are the World" at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia in July of 1985.
SEE ALSO
NOTES REFERENCES 1 Interview with Quincy Jones for official video (1985). 2 http://religion.netscape.com/story/2007/06/25/god-hates-the-world EXTERNAL LINKS
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