We Are The World — One Night, 46 Stars
A&M Studios, Hollywood, January 28, 1985
A&M Studios, Hollywood, January 28, 1985
A&M Studios, Hollywood, January 28, 1985
Michael co-wrote We Are The World with Lionel Richie in a single sitting, then convinced 45 of the biggest American artists alive to walk into A&M Studios on one night — straight from the American Music Awards — and record it in eight hours. A sign over the studio door read: 'Check your egos at the door.'
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Michael co-wrote We Are The World with Lionel Richie in a single sitting, then convinced 45 of the biggest American artists alive to walk into A&M Studios on one night — straight from the American Music Awards — and record it in eight hours. A sign over the studio door read: 'Check your egos at the door.'
Quincy Jones produced. Lionel and Michael wrote the song over a marathon weekend at Michael's home studio at the Hayvenhurst house, finishing the melody and lyrics 48 hours before the session. The line-up included Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Steve Perry and many more. The session ran until 8 a.m. Bob Dylan was so paralysed by self-consciousness in front of his idols that Stevie Wonder had to sit at the piano and impersonate him to coach him through his solo line. The single was released March 7, 1985, sold over 20 million copies, and raised approximately $63 million for African famine relief — at the time the largest sum ever raised by a single piece of recorded music. The original handwritten lyric sheet is in the Library of Congress.
We Are The World — USA for Africa (1985 Music Video) — Watch Stevie Wonder coach Bob Dylan into character at 5:30.