So, I made it, after a LONG Monday when I couldn’t upload this:
This video is the original (and regularly bought through iTunes) out from the celebratory edition of the longtime classic “We Are The World”, originally recorded on January 28th, 1985 and published a month and half later, on March 7th, 1985.
I edited the credits at the end mantaining only the artists’s ones and the publishers’, plus of course the links to donate for the charity and the iTunes logo, to shorten it from 13 minutes and counting to less than 10
This version, first of all, is a very good remake.
The critics I have heard about this version, for the most part, made me laugh a bit, for how much they totally misunderstood either the spirit of the song and charity and (or) the “myth” surrounding the original recording.
Lots of the critics come out from people who were loving another line up, the old line up, or no line up at all.
This song would have been remade anyway, it was a longtime project to remake it, as you can read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World_25_for_Haiti.
The way they have remade it is really contemporary and current. Just like it was logic for it to be.
I know.
I wouldn’t have either included Bieber, Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.
Actually not either Isaac Slade and Nicole Sherzinger, cos all those five fail to have the multiple Grammies wins ALL of the other soloists have on their credit (which should be enough testiìfying they are more than allowed to stay there, right?), and I would have loved to see in their spaces Rob Thomas (who couldn’t have his actually planned solo due to conflicted scheduling), John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston and Maxwell or Jason Mraz – whom would have all being very dignified to appear there, actually, being all great vocalists with a strain of Grammy wins – now also Mraz has them -), BUT on the other hand this is charity, and like it or not, the little tweens will make the kids buy the single TONS and MILLIONS of times more than any other performer on this rerecording (or on the older, actually), and that’s make their presence VALUABLE for the cause a lot, in the end.
It’s clear why they’re in: to cash it in. And as the outcome has to be for charity, let’s be honest: they are good for the cause hence they are good for the song.
I got even to say that (shame on me for admitting) Miley Cyrus sounds better here than she ever did on any of her “stuff”.
She’s the current Britney. The reason why We Are The World 25 was a Twitter trending topic are she and Bieber, let’s face it.
I loved the rap part, I am the hugest hater of AutoTune but if you gotta to paint current music, 90% of hip hop songs have it since 3 years AND then it’s better to have Lil Wayne, T-Pain (whom invented its rise) and Akon vocoding themselves than Rihanna who uses it cos she can’t catch a note otherwise, right?
It’s funny to read the critics: the original version, now so praised, was a huge debate and lots dissed it when it first came out, for lots of reasons that are smilar to those nowadays running (pick up choices for solos, refusals to show off – see Prince – people not being there – Madonna – the level of songwriting, the contemporarity of it, the lack of rock’n'roll… the hate of those NOT being there…): read this freely here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World
It HUGELY makes me laugh to hear Jay Z comment then: http://hiphopwired.com/2010/02/15/jay-z-disses-%E2%80%9Cwe-are-the-world%E2%80%9D-remake/
The man who’s got a career by stealing everyone’s melody on his “samples” and who is responsible for the whack “Stranded”, the man whose concept of vocals include Queen of AutoTune Rihanna, is pontificating about what’s “untoucheable”?
PLEASE.
What an hypocrit.
He’s just jalous Beyonce was banned from the Jackson’s family due to disrespect on Janet and Michael. That’s it.
All other people who might have been missed here, and whom I absolutely feel no lacking of (those I miss are the ones listed up),were already on other Haiti charitable projects so no big deal there.
And by the way, if you compare for instance the lacklustre version of Justin Timberlake of “Halleluya” and compare it with the amazing rendition KD Lang did of the amazing classic on the Olympic Winter opening ceremony the other day, you really realize no one is missing in this We Are The World 25 version…
I don’t see any adding to the power of Jennifer Hudson or Celine or Barbra or Groban voices, truly. As for rock gods… Santana covers it pretty darn well, just like Bruce did on the original.
All that said, I also think the original is a gem and no one wants to debate that. It-s one of my longtime favourite classic, and sure it-s the BEST of the two versions. Like it ALWAYS happens with covers, actually.
But this is a very good remake and it will make a new generation of people hopefully fall in love with the beautiful meaning the song keeps carrying on.
So buy it and be good.
People in the chorus are these (and by the way, in the original too there were actors and actresses and socialites.. again this is all a remake of the original thing, in a contemporary way):
* Patti Austin
* Bizzy Bone
* Ethan Bortnick
* Jeff Bridges
* Zac Brown
* Brandy
* Kristian Bush
* Natalie Cole
* Harry Connick Jr.
* Hayden Panettiere
* Kid Cudi
* Faith Evans
* Melanie Fiona
* Sean Garrett
* Tyrese Gibson
* Anthony Hamilton
* Keri Hilson
* Julianne Hough
* India.Arie
* Randy Jackson
* Taj Jackson
* Taryll Jackson
* TJ Jackson
* Al Jardine
* Jimmy Jean-Louis
* Joe Jonas
* Kevin Jonas
* Gladys Knight
* Benji Madden
* Joel Madden
* Katharine McPhee
* Jason Mraz
* Mýa
* A. R. Rahman
* Raphael Saadiq
* Trey Songz
* Musiq Soulchild
* Jordin Sparks
* Robin Thicke
* Alex Williams
* Rob Thomas
* Vince Vaughn
* Ann Wilson
* Brian Wilson
* Nancy Wilson
all artists are listed at the end of the song crediting, anyway.
Enjoy this all, with lyrics old and new, and notes.
Now a little twist and some gossip updates…
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