― AleXTC (AleXTC), Friday, 24 June 2005 11:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 24 June 2005 11:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pete Baumann, Friday, 24 June 2005 12:54 (eighteen years ago) link
Funny observation. They might as well describe the starving masses as having the blues.
― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 24 June 2005 12:57 (eighteen years ago) link
And, yeah, it's classic.
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 12:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Serge Teyssot-Gay, Friday, 24 June 2005 13:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:27 (eighteen years ago) link
Googling the lyrics, it's all I can do not to throw up just reading them:
There comes a time, when we hear a certain callWhen the world must come together as oneThere are people dying, and it's time to lend a hand.To life the greatest gift of allWe can't go on, pretending day by dayThat someone somewhere will soon make a changeWe are all part of God's great big familyAnd the truth, you know that love is all we needWe are the world, we are the childrenWe are the ones who make a brighter day so let's start givingThere's a choice we're makingWe're saving our own livesIt's true, we'll make a better day just you and me.Send them your heart, so they'll know that someone caresAnd their lives will be stronger and freeAs God has shown us, by turning stones to bread.So that we all must lend a helping hand.We are the world......When you're down and outThere seems no hope at allBut if you just believe there's no way we can fallWell, well, well, well, let's realiseThat a change can only comeWhen we stand together as oneWe are the world......
― Serge Teyssot-Gay, Friday, 24 June 2005 13:29 (eighteen years ago) link
But, seriously, a couple of the performers are really good (Charles, Cyndi, Daryl Hall, Kim Carnes) and the way the video's edited – the face-off between overemoting Broose and smoove Stevie – always gave me chills.
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:34 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.concertshots.com/September%2003/cs-KennyRogers10-Atlanta91303.JPG
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― Serge Teyssot-Gay, Friday, 24 June 2005 13:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link
(xxxpost)
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― Cyndi Lauper (miccio), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:45 (eighteen years ago) link
And that's it.
(Prince not participating was in retrospect a truly genius move, especially since it prompted the separate release of "4 the Tears In Your Eyes," an utterly wonderful song.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:48 (eighteen years ago) link
Michael Jackson......PRETENTIOUS, PRIMA DONNA ASSHOLE!
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Aaron A., Friday, 24 June 2005 13:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 24 June 2005 13:58 (eighteen years ago) link
Most cringe-worthy moment: Cyndi Lauper's unsolicited "aye-yai-yee-yai-yah!" melismatic vocal fart after her slavishly oversung verse.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 14:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 24 June 2005 14:03 (eighteen years ago) link
OTOH, the lyrics to "Do They Know It's Christmas" always creeped me out:
Where the only water flowingis the bitter sting of tearsAnd the Christmas bells that ring thereare the clanging chimes of doom
... that's some seriously bone-chilling stuff. "Clanging chimes of doom"? On a charity record?
― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 24 June 2005 14:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Friday, 24 June 2005 14:29 (eighteen years ago) link
The video is yes, a nice period piece.
― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:33 (eighteen years ago) link
"These NYCians are crazy!"
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 24 June 2005 15:59 (eighteen years ago) link
A menhir....yesterday.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 16:48 (eighteen years ago) link
http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~janl/ts/obelix.gif
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 24 June 2005 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 24 June 2005 17:57 (eighteen years ago) link
However, Dylan sucks!
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 24 June 2005 18:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 24 June 2005 18:07 (eighteen years ago) link
need a similar doc for the 2001 "What's Goin On" with Fred Durst rapping about suicide bombers
― waste of compute (One Eye Open), Monday, 5 February 2024 20:52 (one month ago) link
Is it as good as this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHT8V5OIkl4
― Beyond Goo and Evol (President Keyes), Monday, 5 February 2024 20:55 (one month ago) link
"What's Goin On" with Fred Durst rapping about suicide bombers"
why u tryna ruin universe with this "information" time to die
― a single gunshot and polite applause (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 03:48 (one month ago) link
Ultimate nightmare audio engineer scenario when it's 4am and there's some weird monitoring issue and Dionne Warwick is mad at you
Ok it was probably 4 am when I watched this and correct me if I'm wrong, but was it Dan Akroyd's reverb return in her headphone mix?? Please, let that be true.
― Reeves Gabrels' Funko Pop (majorairbro), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 03:55 (one month ago) link
Waylon Jennings once again raising the question, "Why not Waylon?"
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 04:26 (one month ago) link
hearing Huey Lewis stumbling through the solo he'd just been given to see if it was in his range was pretty cool.
the harmony frustration was also funny because unless you have perfect pitch, it's hard to just do on the spot (someone shoulda plunked out some notes on the piano).
documentary left out the bit where supposedly Cyndi had a manager go into the booth and say "the rockers don't like the song" to try to stir up trouble. I don't think Quincy remembers her contributions very fondly
― never trust a big book and a simile (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 6 February 2024 04:31 (one month ago) link
Enjoyed this in a Spinal Tap kind of way, which is perhaps not what the filmmakers intended. The hubris, false humility, and complete lack of self awareness of the pop stars of this era really is an astonishing thing to behold
― Paul Ponzi, Saturday, 24 February 2024 12:48 (one month ago) link
Do you mean *now* or then (the archive footage), or both?
― piscesx, Saturday, 24 February 2024 14:59 (one month ago) link
I think I watched half of it. "Quincy Jones is a genius, one of the most respected musicians, producers and arrangers of all time!" (Quincy immediately signs off on this POS song.)
The doc does represent some sort of empty victory. Yes, it is very hard to wrangle a roomful of cats, but in the end, simply wrangling said cats shouldn't be the lasting achievement. It's very much akin to SNL's original sin. "Sure, we would be better if we had more time, but look what we cranked out in less than a week!"
I do appreciate top-of-the-world Lionel Ritchie as referee, shooting down the stupidest of bad ideas from people not used to be being told "no."
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 24 February 2024 15:13 (one month ago) link
I'm not sure how anyone could write a song intended for these singers and about feeding the hungry that wouldn't come out like "We Are the World."
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 24 February 2024 15:15 (one month ago) link
There's not much arguing in the British Band Aid docu footage, but i suppose you can argue that they hadn't been up all night*, as it was recorded on a Sunday morning.
*except Status Quo obvs.
― piscesx, Saturday, 24 February 2024 15:24 (one month ago) link
xpost It's kind of a cart before the horse situation, because yeah, writing a good song for 50 famous singers is an insurmountable challenge. Of course, other tribute songs that had more time and just as many voices didn't necessarily fair better, as we have discussed on ILX. That Spirit of the Forest song, Sun City, the all Canadian one ...
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 24 February 2024 15:27 (one month ago) link
simply wrangling said cats shouldn't be the lasting achievementI guess the song did raise a significant amount of money, right? Anyway it’s obv not the greatest song, but I don’t think the doc was insisting that it is… it’s just fascinating to see the cats being wrangled, I took that as the main point.
― Sony's Sports Walkman Universe (morrisp), Saturday, 24 February 2024 15:57 (one month ago) link
It made a lot of money for sure, though it's hard to get a good accounting for exactly how much was made and how it was spent.
It is some kind of achievement to devise a canvas for all these people at once, most of whom would probably have come up with a better song on their own but none of whom likely could have come up with something like "We Are the World" (for better or for worse) with 50 collaborators in so short a span.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 24 February 2024 16:18 (one month ago) link
Right, it’s a “functional” song, I don’t think anyone put it on just to enjoy it… the goal was something they could all sing and that would sound “good” and serve its purpose.
― Sony's Sports Walkman Universe (morrisp), Saturday, 24 February 2024 16:23 (one month ago) link
Springsteen said something very similar in the doc, sorta gently equivocating about how the "aesthetic" of the song is almost beside the point
― Paul Ponzi, Saturday, 24 February 2024 19:08 (one month ago) link
It could be like Voices That Care, gooey faux-Gospel pro war bullshit
Still kinda agitated that some aging punks didn't release their own response "Voices That Don't Give a Shit"
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal), Saturday, 24 February 2024 19:49 (one month ago) link
We are the World vs Dear Mr Jesus
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal), Saturday, 24 February 2024 19:50 (one month ago) link
Some non-aging punks in the form of FNM did come up with "We Care a Lot" as a response though!
― doleful lundgren (Matt #2), Saturday, 24 February 2024 20:26 (one month ago) link
And I love them forever for it
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal), Sunday, 25 February 2024 03:37 (one month ago) link
Except better
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 25 February 2024 03:44 (one month ago) link
I love how Mystery Train jokingly refers to "Voices That Care" as "We Are The War."
― birdistheword, Sunday, 25 February 2024 03:51 (one month ago) link
(And surprised that Meryl Streep and Sissy Spacek were in the chorus.)
― birdistheword, Sunday, 25 February 2024 03:53 (one month ago) link
Really liked the doc, but can anyone tell me why Dan Aykroyd was there to begin with? Was Blues Brothers that big to warrant his presence with the rest of these legends? And wtf, how have I been misspelling this dude's name for 30 years
― octobeard, Sunday, 25 February 2024 07:39 (one month ago) link
This was less than a year after Ghostbusters (at the time the-highest-grossing comedy ever) so that would explain it.
― birdistheword, Sunday, 25 February 2024 07:45 (one month ago) link
Here’s what he said in 2009 (it doesn’t make much sense):
Speaking of iconic images, you were in the ensemble for the Live Aid, "We Are the World video." How did you snag that gig?Totally by accident. My father and I were interviewing business managers in LA and we walked into this office of a talent manager, and realized we were in the wrong place. I was looking for a money manager, not a talent manager. I had managed myself at that time and always have. But he said, so long as you are here, would you like to come and join this "We are the World" thing.I thought how do I fit in here? Well, we did sell a few million records with the Blues Brothers and in my other persona I am a musician, so I showed up and was a part of it but it was totally by accident.
― Sony's Sports Walkman Universe (morrisp), Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:03 (one month ago) link
I bet he (and a few others there) fit in more than a few lines.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:08 (one month ago) link
Snarf.
The person who was there who I was looking for in the doc but didn't immediately see, and was kinda wondering if they would get as a talking head but didn't? Garry Trudeau. Really. Remember seeing news about it at the time (and he coordinated a comics-related effort later in the year), and per this thread, a run of strips resulted some time after the session:
1. Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau was allowed to witness the "We Are the World" recording sessions that produced the 1985 megahit to aid famine relief in Africa. Producer Quincy Jones corralled 45 pop stars into the studio, insisting everyone check their egos at the door.— Mark Stryker (@Mark_Stryker) June 13, 2021
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:19 (one month ago) link
And in case you're wondering if this is some weird urban legend, nope -- from a Chicago Tribune story in March 1985.
Although most of the musicians` guests watched the proceedings via a live video feed to A&M`s Chaplin Stage next door, there was one nonmusician in the recording studio. ”Doonesbury” creator Garry Trudeau spent the night in the studio watching and sketching, with the result being two weeks of USA for Africa-related ”Doonesbury” cartoons.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:23 (one month ago) link
we still need a 10-episode expose into this thing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un3TmvzoVYM
― scott seward, Monday, 26 February 2024 13:32 (one month ago) link
The Milli Vanilli guy was clearly lip-syncing.
― henry s, Monday, 26 February 2024 13:41 (one month ago) link
That one had a Chumbawumba parody
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDRG2s9GC_E
― Beyond Goo and Evol (President Keyes), Monday, 26 February 2024 14:59 (one month ago) link
I realize these clips were available for years, and also were only shown in a truncated form in the latest documentary, but ever since watching it I can't get Bob Dylan's goofy rendition of "it's a choice we're making, we're saving our own lies, it's true we'll make a better day, just you and me".
it just sounds Randy Newman singing it and getting punched while he farted
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal), Thursday, 14 March 2024 18:57 (two weeks ago) link
*lives
lol that was my generation's introduction to Bob Dylan
― President Keyes, Thursday, 14 March 2024 19:01 (two weeks ago) link
woulda been for me if my dad didn't routinely walk around the house singing "Like a Rolling Stone" and overemphasizing the "DIDN'T YEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW".
― CEO Greedwagon (Neanderthal), Thursday, 14 March 2024 19:06 (two weeks ago) link
As bad as it was, Dylan would hit lower lows as the decade wore on. I can't imagine anyone turning into a Dylan fan back then based on his "new" work.
― birdistheword, Friday, 15 March 2024 01:01 (two weeks ago) link
*raises hand* a friend who heard "Tight Connection to My Heart" was moved to hear the back catalog
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 15 March 2024 01:02 (two weeks ago) link
that "Let it Be" upthread is like a cluster bomb of wtf
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 15 March 2024 01:49 (two weeks ago) link
xp That's not a bad track - had they dropped a couple of the worst songs and reinstated "New Danville Girl," that would've been a pretty good album IMHO. Also forgot the Traveling Wilburys, that's a fun album. But Knocked Out Loaded, the Hearts of Fire movie, nearly all of Down in the Groove and the live stuff with the Grateful Dead are pretty awful.
― birdistheword, Friday, 15 March 2024 01:53 (two weeks ago) link
(Yes, "Brownsville Girl" is a different version of "New Danville Girl," and "Maybe Someday" is kind of catchy, but I still wouldn't play Knocked Out Loaded again.)
― birdistheword, Friday, 15 March 2024 01:56 (two weeks ago) link
A new all-star charity single based on Mark Knopfler's theme to Bill Forsyth's great film Local Hero, and naturally, it's all about guitarists, not singing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_KWnAoPckk
Benefits Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
The full list of contributors is: Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Richard Bennett, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, James Burton, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Cox, Steve Cropper, Sheryl Crow, Danny Cummings, Roger Daltrey, Duane Eddy, Sam Fender, Guy Fletcher, Peter Frampton, Audley Freed, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Keiji Haino, Tony Iommi, Joan Jett, John Jorgenson, Mark Knopfler, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Greg Leisz, Alex Lifeson, Steve Lukather, Phil Manzanera, Dave Mason, Hank Marvin, Brian May, Robbie McIntosh, John McLaughlin, Tom Morello, Rick Nielsen, Orianthi, Brad Paisley, Nile Rodgers, Mike Rutherford, Joe Satriani, John Sebastian, Connor Selby, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey (both on drums, of course), Sting (on bass), Andy Taylor, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Ian Thomas, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Steve Vai, Waddy Wachtel.
The sleeve has been designed by pop art icon and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band designer Peter Blake, whose collage shows all the contributors in front of Hank’s guitar store in London’s Denmark Street.
― birdistheword, Friday, 15 March 2024 21:49 (two weeks ago) link
Might be the last thing Jeff Beck ever recorded - he opens the record.
― birdistheword, Friday, 15 March 2024 21:50 (two weeks ago) link