“We Are The World”, the song co-composed by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie for Bob Geldof’s Africa aid, should sound like an homage to “Bridge Over Trobled Water”. The song was produced by Quincy Jones and was the American counterpart to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, for which British artists came together at Christmas 1984 to raise money for Ethiopia.
Musicians as diverse as Bob Geldof, Cindy Lauper, Ray Charles and Kenny Loggins, as well as actor Dan Aykroyd, cavorted in front of the microphone. If Sting had been American, he would certainly have been found in the choir. With Bob Geldof, founder of Band Aid, they secured at least one Irishman in the singing team. Michael Jackson saved almost a complete verse in the song, which was just over seven minutes long, and it was right at the beginning; Afterwards there is a bit of a crowd, everyone is a little stressed. Dylan drowns, Willie Nelson sings with the greatest dignity, Bruce Springsteen and Lauper express themselves.
Despite the serious occasion, the “USA For Africa” music video became the model for countless parodies after 1985. Whenever it becomes necessary to make fun of particularly committed, singing celebrities, one resorts to the tracking shot that calmly and soulfully moves from row to row of people with headphones nodding to each other. The Simpsons did this quite amusingly when it came to hiring musicians like Sting (who dubbed himself) to raise money to save Bart who fell into the well.
Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie shouted “We Are The World” and everyone came? No, Prince didn’t want to. He said he didn’t feel comfortable in the atmosphere. However, it cannot be ruled out that he simply wanted to refuse to cooperate with Jackson’s project, his strongest competitor. With “4 The Tears In You Eyes,” Prince contributed at least one song to the album “USA for Africa” – only to get upset about the celebrities’ “self-portrayal” in the later self-released single B-side “Hello.”
No matter: “We Are The World” landed, as expected, at number one on the US Billboard charts. He stayed there for three weeks until he was replaced by Madonna’s “Crazy For You”.
The donated proceeds from “We Are The World” were reportedly more than $100 million. Band Aid culminated in the two Live Aid concerts in July 1985 in London and Philadelphia.