We Are the World

==Recording==
[[File:We Are The World Cyndi-Glenn Francis.jpg|thumb|[[Cyndi Lauper]], studio badge, and the sweatshirt given to all attendees at A&M Studios in Hollywood, California on January 28, 1985]]

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 Studios|Lion Share Recording Studio]]. The studio, on [[Beverly Boulevard]] in Los Angeles, was filled with session musicians, technicians, video crews, [[retinue]], assistants, and organizers as the celebrity musicians entered. Jones hired session musicians to lay down the backing tracks: [[John Robinson (drummer)|John "JR" Robinson]] on drums, [[Louis Johnson (bassist)|Louis Johnson]] on bass, and pianist [[Greg Phillinganes]]. (These three first played together on "[[Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough]]" produced by Jones for Jackson.) Richie sat down at the piano to teach everyone the song. When it was time to roll tape, Robinson cleared the room of non-musicians, and the backing tracks were recorded.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://slapklatz.com/endorsers/john-jr-robinson/stories-behind-the-biggest-hits/ |title=Behind 10 of JR's biggest hits |author=Gunnar "funkpost" Kristiansen |date=November 16, 2017 |website=SlapKlatz |access-date=July 15, 2020}}</ref> After this, a vocal guide of "We Are the World" was recorded by Richie and Jackson, mixed with the instrumental tracks, and duplicated on tape for each of the invited performers. The guide was recorded on the sixth [[take]], as Jones felt that there was too much "thought" in the previous versions.<ref name="breskin 2">Breskin, p. 2</ref>

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 was concerned that 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". 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 ''choice'' we're making.'"<ref name="breskin 3">Breskin, p. 3</ref> Around 1:30&nbsp;am, the four musicians ended the night by finishing a chorus of melodic vocalizations, including the sound "sha-lum sha-lin-gay".<ref name="breskin 3"/> Jones told the group that they were not to add anything else to the tape, and said: "If we get too good, someone's gonna start playing it on the radio."<ref name="breskin 3"/>

On January 24, 1985, after a day of rest, Jones shipped Richie and Jackson's vocal guide to all the artists who would be involved the recording. Enclosed in the package was a letter from Jones imploring the artists not to share the tape or make copies. He wrote: "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, <nowiki>''</nowiki>this<nowiki>''</nowiki> was your contribution."<ref name="breskin 3"/>[[File:We Are The World Glenn Francis.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Back of the "We Are the World" sweater autographed by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie]]
Ken Kragen chaired a production meeting at a bungalow off [[Sunset Boulevard]] on January 25, 1985. There, his team discussed where the recording sessions should take place. Kragen was concerned that a leak of the location would trigger a paparazzi frenzy and drive the celebrities away.<ref name="breskin 3" /> Jones was concerned about which performers would sing which solos, saying that so much talent on hand made the task like "putting a watermelon in a Coke bottle".<ref name="breskin 3"/> The following evening, Richie held a choreography session at his home, where it was decided who would stand where.<ref name="breskin 3"/>

The final night of recording was held on January 28, 1985, at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood.<ref name="The pop life; artists join in effort for famine relief">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/27/arts/the-pop-life-artists-join-in-effort-for-famine-relief.html?&pagewanted=all|title=The pop life; artists join in effort for famine relief|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=February 27, 1985|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref><ref name="breskin 3"/> Jackson arrived at 8&nbsp;p.m., earlier than the others, to record his solo section and record a vocal chorus alone.<ref name="breskin 3"/> He was joined by the remaining USA for Africa artists, who included [[Ray Charles]], [[Billy Joel]], [[Diana Ross]], [[Cyndi Lauper]], [[Bruce Springsteen]] and [[Tina Turner]], and Jackson's siblings [[Jackie Jackson|Jackie]], [[La Toya Jackson|La&nbsp;Toya]], [[Marlon Jackson|Marlon]], [[Randy Jackson (The Jacksons)|Randy]] and [[Tito Jackson|Tito]].<ref name="breskin 5 6">Breskin, pp. 5–6</ref> Many of the participants came straight from an [[American Music Award]]s [[American Music Awards of 1985|ceremony]] that had been held that night.<ref name="tara 342"/> 

[[Prince (musician)|Prince]], who would have had a part in which he and Michael Jackson sang to each other, did not attend.<ref name="We Are the World tune brings out the best of America's 46 stars">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CbMDAAAAMBAJ_2|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CbMDAAAAMBAJ_2/page/n15 16]|quote=jackson we are the world.|title=We Are the World tune brings out the best of America's 46 stars|date=February 18, 1985|magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref>  One newspaper said that Prince did not want to record with other acts;<ref name="Prince">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/20/wb.prince.bio/|title=Prince|date=December 20, 1999|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref> another report, from the time of "We Are the World"'s recording, suggested that he did not want to partake because the organizer, [[Bob Geldof]], called him a "creep".<ref name="Only a bad album could dethrone Prince">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ovILAAAAIBAJ&pg=5724,1518019&dq=we-are-the-world|title=Only a bad album could dethrone Prince|last=Parks|first=Kyle|date=April 5, 1985|newspaper=[[The Evening Independent]]|access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref> During the session, Richie spoke with Prince on the phone, and declined Prince's offer to play a guitar solo in a separate room.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sheila E. felt used by 'We Are the World' producers who wanted Prince |url=https://ew.com/sheila-e-felt-used-by-we-are-the-world-producers-who-wanted-prince-8551826 |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> Instead, Prince donated an exclusive track, "4 the Tears in Your Eyes", to the ''[[We Are the World (album)|We Are the World]]'' album.<ref name="Prince" /> Wonder asked [[Eddie Murphy]] to participate, but Murphy declined because he was busy recording his single "[[Party All the Time]]". Murphy later said after he "realized what it was, [he] felt like an idiot".<ref name="Murphy Kimmel">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfLjhW8eioc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/wfLjhW8eioc| archive-date=2021-11-14 | url-status=live|title=Eddie Murphy on His Return to Stand-up|date=October 24, 2019|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> More than 45 of America's top musicians participated,<ref name="We Are the World tune brings out the best of America's 46 stars" /><ref name="African relief">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1aMRAAAAIBAJ&pg=5792,5179525&dq=we-are-the-world|title=African relief|date=January 30, 1985|newspaper=[[The Gainesville Sun]]|access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref> and another 50 had to be turned away.<ref name="tara 342" /> A sign taped to the studio door read: "Check your ego at the door."<ref name="tara 343">Taraborrelli, p. 343</ref> Wonder greeted the musicians as they entered, and said that if the recording was not completed in one take, he and Ray Charles, two blind men, would drive everybody home.<ref name="davis 174">Davis, p. 174.</ref>

{{quote box|width=30%|quote=I think what's happening in Africa is a crime of historic proportions&nbsp;... You walk into one of the corrugated iron huts and you see [[meningitis]] and [[malaria]] and [[typhoid]] buzzing around in the air. And you see dead bodies lying side by side with the live ones&nbsp;... In some of the camps you see 15&nbsp;bags of flour for 27,500&nbsp;people. And it's that that we're here for.|source=[[Bob Geldof]], addressing his fellow USA for Africa musicians during one of the recording sessions of "We Are the World" on January 28, 1985.<ref name="breskin 6"/>}}

Each performer took their position at around 10:30&nbsp;p.m. and began to sing. Several hours passed before Wonder announced that he would like to substitute a line in [[Swahili language|Swahili]] for the "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound,<ref name="breskin 6">Breskin, p. 6</ref><ref name="They Were the World">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,309280,00.html|title=They Were the World|last=Cagle|first=Jess|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=July 11, 2009|date=January 24, 1992}}</ref> causing [[Waylon Jennings]] to leave.<ref name="breskin 6"/><ref name="They Were the World" /> A heated debate ensued, in which several artists also rejected the suggestion. The "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound ran into opposition as well and was removed. Jennings returned and participated in the recording. 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.<ref name="breskin 6"/>

In the early hours of the morning, two Ethiopian women, guests of Wonder, were brought in.<ref name="They Were the World" /><ref name="breskin 7">Breskin, p. 7</ref> They thanked the singers on behalf of their country, bringing several artists to tears.<ref name="They Were the World" /><ref name="breskin 7"/> Wonder attempted to lighten the mood, by joking that the recording session gave him a chance to "see" Charles, saying, "We just sort of bumped into each other!"<ref name="davis 174"/> Under the circumstances, the solo parts presented a variety of challenges, but were all successfully recorded that night.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-29 |title=The Greatest Night in Pop |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81720500 |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Netflix |language=en}}</ref><ref name="breskin 7"/> The final version was completed at 8&nbsp;a.m.<ref name="breskin 7"/><ref name="Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie's song earns millions for charity">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8rADAAAAMBAJ&q=jackson+%22we+are+the+world%22&pg=PA60|title=Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie's song earns millions for charity|date=April 8, 1985|magazine=Jet|access-date=July 11, 2009}}</ref>
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