This Thursday, January 28, would mark the silver anniversary of the 10-hour recording of the charity song “We Are The World” – one of the best selling singles of all time which raked in US$64 million in aid for then famine-struck Ethiopia.
Who would ever imagine that on its 25th birthday, composer/arranger/producer Quincy Jones would call for a reunion, not for the sole purpose of celebrating a quarter-of-a-century milestone, but for the rebooting of the relief fund – this time for Haiti?
Days after an intensity 7.1 temblor reduced most buildings of Port-au-Prince into rubble and debris, killing thousands including Filipinos who were on a peacekeeping mission, Quincy called for the re-recording of the song on February 1, right after the annual Grammy Awards, in the hope of raising again aid to a country that has constantly been shaken by catastrophes of sorts.
It would be difficult to explain to today’s Internet gen how the song marked my generation with that noble work through global cooperation, which somehow saved lives and restored hope to ailing Ethiopia. There are plenty of songs today that have already pushed for such a theme. Back then, that was something new in our age. Waters not much treaded, so to say.
I can’t help from getting nostalgic over those days of youth now long gone past when we would just hang out at the public plaza, with only one variety store that had the capacity to offer what for us that time was source of “real value for entertainment” – the jukebox. For three 25-centavo coins, we would take turns in keying over and over again J1 to unleash the heart and soul of “We Are The World” forever stamped on that 45rpm vinyl.
Dunno if it would be appropriate to celebrate the reunion of dozens on cast – plus new faces this time but minus Michael Jackson who co-wrote the song with Lionel Richie. Especially now that it still is for much needed support to a country stricken not only by depression but the social ills that make it one of the poorest among Caribbean island-nations, and in fact long-time-ago susceptible to tremors with its poor building construction standards.
But true, indeed, that when you’ve witnessed how singers who profess to be artists and entertainers have slaughtered your fave songs that moment they did a remake/revive/rehash/cover version of such, you can’t help from feeling violated.
If there’s one song that I would want protected from so many versions – lousy renditions – then this is it!
If these artists would really want to give, why not source out the funds directly from their gross? What is one percent taken from their income, huh?
Besides, I’m pretty sure they won’t do any justice to the song despite the fact that it’s up for the noblest of all goals and that is to sell hope. If there’s one sensible thing they could do now, that would be coming up with a fresh material.
Honestly! This new crop of artists needs to mark this generation with its own brand of charity song. Save the classic.