We are the World is available at amazon.com

Harry Belafonte originally wanted to put together a benefit concert featuring black musicians to raise money for Africa. Ken Kragen (who became president of the originization United Support of Artists for Afica) thought an American version of "Band Aid" would be a better idea. Ken Kragen is an owner of a personal management and television production company. One of his clients was Lionel Ritchie, so he called him with the idea. Lionel's wife talked to Steve Wonder's wife and arranged to line him up for the song.

Quicy Jones was lined up as the producer, and Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie were the song writers. The recording took place on the night of the American Music Awards, January 28th, 1985. This was the perfect way to assure that most of the artists would all be free on a single date.

The instrumental tracks were recorded ahead of time and sent out to the interested musicians. With each tape, he sent a letter that stated they should "check their ego at the door." When they arrived in the studio, there was a piece of tape on the floor for each person to stand on, arranged around six microphones in a semi-circle.

800,000 copies arrived in stores on Tuesday, March 7th 1985. There were sold out by the first weekend. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 on March 23rd, at number 21. At the time it was the highest debuting single since John Lennon's "Imagine" and was number one in three weeks, which at the time was the fastest rising chart-topper since Elton John's "Island Girl" in 1975. It was the eighth consecutive year the Lionel Ritchie had written a number one song. It won Grammys in 1985 for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Dan Aykroyd also sings on We Are the World. You can see him in the top row in the video. Dan Aykroyd was in the Blues Brothers was a band before it was a SNL sketch (and then a movie), hence he was a musician. VH-1's "Pop-Up Video" states he's there to represent the American film industry,

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• Dan Aykroyd
• Harry Belafonte
• Lindsey Buckingham
• Kim Carnes
• Ray Charles
• Bob Dylan
• Sheila E.
• Bob Geldof
• Hall and Oates
• James Ingram
• Jackie Jackson
• LaToya Jackson
• Marlon Jackson
• Michael Jackson
• Randy Jackson
• Tito Jackson
• Al Jarreau
• Waylon Jennings
  "Pop-Up Video" stated that he left the recording session due to a dispute over the lyrics.
• Billy Joel
• Cyndi Lauper
• Huey Lewis and the News
• Kenny Logins
• Bette Midler
• Willie Nelson
• Jeffery Osborne
• Steve Perry
• The Pointer Sisters
• Lionel Richie
• Smokey Robinson
• Kenny Rogers
• Diana Ross
• Paul Simon
• Bruce Springsteen
• Tina Turner
• Dionne Warwick
• Stevie Wonder
• Michael Boddicker - Synthesizers, Programming
• Paulinho da Costa - Percussion
• Louis Johnson - Bass
• Quincy Jones - Producer
• Michael Omartian - Keyboards, Producer
• Greg Phillinganes - Keyboards
• John Robinson - Drums

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I get a lot of requests for the lyrics. The first set is without the performers next to each line, the second set has each performer next to their respective part.

"We Are The World", U.S.A. for Africa

There comes a time when we need a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big family
And the truth - you know love is all we need

( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
so let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

Well, send'em you your heart
So they know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us
By turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand

( REPEAT CHORUS )

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, let's realize
That one change can only come
When we stand together as one

( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )

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To this day I just love to hear "We Are The World" - the melody is so simple but beautifully arranged and produced by Daddy Q. Okay, so it woud not hit the top 40 in the 90's, but re-produce it and replace the singers with those like Puff Daddy, R. Kelly, Mariah Carey, Madonna, etc, and chances are it's going all the way to the top! Here's a list of the singers next to their lyric from the 1985 version. . .

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, somehow 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 )
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'll make a better day just you and me (Michael Jackson/Diana Ross)

Well, send'em you 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 Jurreau)

( REPEAT CHORUS )
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 Logins)
There's a choice we're making we're saving our own lives (Steve Perry)
It's true we'll make a better day just you and me (Daryl Hall)

When you're down and out 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's realize that a change can only come (Cyndi Lauper)
When we (Kim Carnes)
stand together as one (Kim Carnes/Cyndi Lauper/Huey Lewis)

(REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )

(additional ad-lib vox by Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, James Ingram)

Sent by Chris Sammond