Stars gather to cover `We Are the World' for Haiti

My Way ^ | 2 Feb 2010 | SOLVEJ SCHOU

[SkyPilot]

The charity anthem "We Are the World" has been rerecorded by 80 artists who came together in the same Hollywood studio where the original was cut 25 years ago.

Pink, Natalie Cole, Kanye West, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Brian Wilson and others stood shoulder-to-shoulder on risers at Henson Recording studios Monday night to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief.

"This one, the enthusiasm, I've never seen anything like it," said Lionel Richie, who wrote the original with Michael Jackson and oversaw the new version with music mogul Quincy Jones, 76.

Jones, who produced the 1985 anthem, announced last week that he planned to redo the song to benefit recovery efforts after the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12.

"We Are the World - 25 for Haiti" will premiere this month during coverage of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on NBC, according to a release from promoter AEG Live.

On Monday, stars converged on Studio A in the afternoon and stayed several hours. Richie and Jones worked with a select number of soloists, including Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, later into the night.

At one point during a break, the musicians broke out into an a cappella version of "Lean on Me," a classic moment jump-started by singer Melanie Fiona leaning on another artist because her feet were tired.

Gesturing with her hands, and shifting her headphones from ear to ear, Barbra Streisand recorded her solo over and over, completely absorbed in the recording process and stopping only to correct her pitch.

Later, a who's who of rappers, including Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J and Wyclef Jean, recorded an interlude written by Black Eyed Peas frontman and producer will.i.am.

[political1]

Hey Metmom, There are two blind guys on the front row. Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder.

[dennisw]

lindsey buckingham on the left and harry belefonte on the right
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I see a dead ringer for Ritchie Havens or the real thing. Not Belephonte

[madamemayhem]

it’s belefonte. havens wasn’t involved.

[Canedawg]

I can’t believe it was 25 years ago.

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

[dennisw]

Post #18...that was the photo I was looking at...my mistake

[TankerKC]

...cindy lauper, ?, willie nelson...

?=Bruce Springsteen.

[madamemayhem]

okey dokey.

[TankerKC]

I only recognize the blind guy in the front row and have gone blank on his name.....

LOL. There are two: Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

[madamemayhem]

actually the ? was for the chick between springsteen and willie. somehow i managed to leave springsteen out of the list. oh well i never liked that guy anyway.

[TankerKC]

...has anyone ever figured out what the hell dan ackroyd was doing in there?

What, you didn't expect "Blues Brothers" representation?

[TankerKC]

actually the ? was for the chick between springsteen and willie.

Got it. I have no idea who that is...

[madamemayhem]

the official explanation is that ackroyd was representing the movie and television industries. and since he actually could sing it seemed to make sense in the drug and alcohol saturated 80’s.

[madamemayhem]

could be sheena easton. she is on the “official” list of participants. it doesn’t really look like her to me but bette midler is on the front row and it took me a while to figure out it was bette.

[Allegra]

My cousins invited us down to Philadelphia the day “Hands across America”. It was kinda fun but looking back kinda weird...lol. I bet most FREEPERS were part of it too but few will admit it :).

It didn't come through my town (Houston.) So, there was a "Hands Around Houston" thingie where we formed a circle around the city.

And yeah, I was in it.

[TankerKC]

I just looked at a couple of other versions of the pic on the net...that person has been photshopped in!

[madamemayhem]

well no wonder i couldn’t figure out who that is.

[metmom]

I only saw the one in the very front row. Now that you mention it< i noticed the other.

But I still wouldn’t tell you which one was which....

[Allegra]

? (who is the blimp)

Bette Midler?

[Overtaxed Patriot]

Name all the people in this photo.

They all look like a bunch of wax dummies. Especially Mike Jackson.

[madamemayhem]

yeah, i realized it was her a few minutes later. and i really do not remember her being that heavy.