The new music documentary on Netflix, The Greatest Night in Pop, reveals some major behind-the-scenes details about the creation of the famous charity song “We Are The World.” The American supergroup USA For Africa was established in order to raise money for African victims of famine, including legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and more. “We Are The World” was composed by iconic producer Quincy Jones and was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
The Greatest Night in Pop offers an immersive behind-the-scenes look into the creation of the unprecedented single, which became the ninth best-selling physical single of all time upon its 1985 release. The song came together following the impact of the UK supergroup Band Aid and their charity holiday song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and the initial efforts of Harry Belafonte and Ken Kragen to unite the best artists in the United States. While the song is immensely well-known, charting on various charts around the world, several unknown facts about the song’s creation were revealed in the new documentary.
Related
Every Singer & Musician Featured On 1985’s “We Are The World” & What The Supergroup Achieved
“We Are The World” was a groundbreaking single from the American supergroup USA For Africa, including several of the most prolific artists of the era.
10 Huey Lewis’ Solo Was Originally Meant For Prince
Prince was not a part of “We Are The World”
One of the major reveals in the Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop is how much interest there was for Prince to get involved. Prince was one of the most popular artists at the time but declined to get involved directly despite some lyrics being specifically written for him. Those lyrics ended up going to Huey Lewis towards the end of the song. Lewis was a prominent singer and songwriter known for his band Huey Lewis & The News who also contributed as part of the chorus in “We Are The World.”
9 Michael Jackson’s Pet Snake Terrified Lionel Richie
Jackson has many different animals in his home
Early on in The Greatest Night in Pop, Lionel Richie reminisced on the early stages of the writing process with pop star Michael Jackson. He recalled going over to Michael’s studio at his house for the first time, which had various odd animals living all around it. Just as Richie and Jackson were starting to get the foundation for the chorus of “We Are The World” down, Richie discovered that Michael’s snake had been quietly present in the room. Michael took this as a good sign that the snake enjoyed their singing, indicating that they were on the right track as songwriters.
8 Sheila E. Felt That She Was Used To Entice Prince
People kept asking her if Prince could come
Sheila E. was a longtime partner and musical collaborator with Prince who was excited to be a part of the USA For Africa effort. Eventually, as the recording session went on in The Greatest Night in Pop, Sheila E. started to get the feeling that she was only invited as a link to get Prince involved in the project, considering that she was not given a solo part on “We Are The World.” Despite her personal disillusionment, Sheila E. stayed the course of the recording process and became a part of the groundbreaking song.
7 Stevie Wonder Helped Bob Dylan Nail His Solo Part
Dylan wasn’t used to working in such a busy environment
Bob Dylan looked particularly out of place in The Greatest Night in Pop, which is ironic considering his status as an iconic figure whom many artists in the room, including Bruce Springsteen, looked up to. During the chorus parts, Dyaln notably looked completely lost and wasn’t singing along with the group. When it became Dylan’s turn to sing his solo part, Stevie Wonder, who had a brilliant musical mind and ability to mimic voices, helped Dylan feel comfortable nailing his part and even got him to smile wide by the end of the process.
Related
How Much Money USA For Africa’s “We Are The World” Song Ended Up Raising
“We Are The World” was one of the fastest-selling pop records ever made, raising much more than its original $50 million goal upon its 1985 release.
6 Many Of The Stars Almost Didn’t Make It To A&M Studios In LA
The biggest headache was getting everyone there
Many of the members of USA For Africa nearly didn’t make it to the one-night-only recording session, with several people making extraordinary efforts to get there in time. Most of the stars had attended the American Music Awards hosted by Lionel Richie that night and were able to make the brief drive down the street to the studio. Others, such as Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen, were in different parts of the country earlier that day but were still able to make it in time for the historic recording session.
5 Diana Ross Got Emotional After The Recording Session Ended
She also fangirled over meeting Daryl Hall in person
By the time “We Are The World” was recorded in March 1985, Diana Ross had become one of the biggest Motown and R&B singers in the country. This still didn’t prevent her from fangirling over meeting Daryl Hall while recording at A&M Studios as depicted in The Greatest Night in Pop. Ross was also the last person to leave the recording session into the early hours of the morning, getting emotional because she didn’t want the magic of the night to already be over.
4 Waylon Jennings Walked Out In The Middle Of The Recording
Jennings disagreed with a proposal to sing in Swahili
While it was known that country singer Waylon Jennings walked out of the “We Are The World” recording session prior to the release of the Netflix documentary film, The Greatest Night in Pop reveals new details about the infamous moment. When Stevie Wonder proposed the idea to include some of the lyrics in Swahili, Jennings took that as his cue to leave, claiming that a “good ol’ boy” like him would not be caught singing in that language. Richie recalls overhearing Jennings’ frustration and knew that they lost him at that moment.
Related
Waylon Jennings’ Exit From “We Are The World” Explained (& What Happened To The Country Singer After)
Country star Waylon Jennings was the most controversial member of the USA For Africa supergroup who walked out over a dispute with Stevie Wonder.
3 Stevie Wonder Was Asked To Co-Write “We Are The World”
The song was already written when Wonder joined
Lionel Richie had initially reached out to see if Stevie Wonder wanted to co-write the song with him before “We Are The World” had ever been made. Stevie told Richie that he would get back to him but waited too long without responding, forcing Richie to reach out to Michael Jackson instead. Wonder eventually got on board and became one of the main reasons for the overall success of the recording session, but he missed the opportunity to help create the historic single from the ground up.
2 Paul Simon Took A Humorous Jab At John Denver
Simon helped brighten the mood late into the session
Legendary singer/songwriter tried to lift the spirits of the tired and hungry supergroup as the session carried on into the early morning. Kenny Loggins, a legendary singer and songwriter himself, recalls Paul Simon making a funny joke at the expense of John Denver, known best for his 1971 hit “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, saying “Wow, if a bomb lands on this place, John Denver’s back on top.” This helped lighten the mood as recalled by Loggins in The Greatest Night in Pop.
1 Cyndi Lauper’s Jewelry Caused A Technical Difficulty
There was debate about whether to bring on Lauper or Madonna
Cyndi Lauper was brought onto “We Are The World” despite there being initial suggestions to invite pop icon Madonna instead. While the nervous Lauper was recording her solo part, there was an unusual technical difficulty resulting in a strange loud noise that occurred every time she approached the microphone. It was eventually discovered that Lauper’s large earrings and jewelry were causing feedback in the recording, marking one of the most humorous reveals in The Greatest Night in Pop.
