26 ANOS DE "WE ARE THE WORLD"

É... O tempo voa!
E já se passaram 26 anos da gravação de "We Are The World". A canção foi gravada em Janeiro de 1985 por alguns dos maiores nomes da música norte-americana, como Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, The Jacksons, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Cindy Lauper e Bruce Springsteen, com o objetivo de arrecadar dinheiro para o combate da fome na África.
Com produção e regência do mago Quincy Jones, "We Are The World" foi composta por Michael Jackson e Lionel Richie, e atingiu a marca de 7 milhões de cópias só nos Estados Unidos, tornando-se um dos singles mais vendidos de todos os tempos.
Foi uma sugestão do ator e cantor Harry Belafonte, influenciado pelo sucesso de "Do They Know It's Christmas?", projeto idealizado por Bob Gedolf (também pai do "Live Aid") que juntou grandes nomes da música britânica, como Sting, Bono, Phil Collins, Duran Duran, George Michael, Paul Young, David Bowie e Bowie George, para gravarem juntos em 25 de Novembro de 1984, o single que foi lançado no Reino Unido em 15 de dezembro, alcançando o primeiro lugar. A canção ainde teria outras duas versões, gravadas em 1989 e 2004, em ambas ocasições por grandes estrelas.
Veja a primeira versão de 1984:

No projeto "USA For Africa" participaram 45 músicos, sendo as vozes principais feitas por 21 cantores. Bob Geldof também foi convidado a participar, e acompanhou todo o processo.
Veja a lista completa dos músicos participantes:
Quincy Jines, Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Daryl Hall, James Ingram, Jackie Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson, Ray Charles, Tito Jackson, Al Jarreau, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis and the News, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, Steve Perry, The Pointer Sisters, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Michael Boddicker (Sintetizador, programação), Paulinho da Costa (percussão), Louis Johnson (baixo), Michael Omartian (teclados), Greg Phillinganes (teclados), e John Robinson (bateria).
O compacto foi sucedido por um álbum, "USA for África: We Are The World", que vendeu mais 3 milhões. O LP o LP também consta "Tears Are Not Enough", realizada pelos artistas canadenses, como Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young e Geddy Lee do Rush.
O projeto rendeu no total cerca de 55 milhões de dólares. Uma nova versão de "We Are The World" foi feita com o objetivo de ajudar as vítimas dos terremotos do Haiti em 2010, e também comemorou os 25 anos da versão original. O lançamento aconteceu no dia 12 de Fevereiro de 2010, na abertura dos Jogos Olímpicos de Inverno de Vancouver, no Canadá. A produção e condução ficaram a cargo de Lionel Richie e Quincy Jones, entre os cantores participantes estavam Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Pink, Usher, Justin Bieber, e Tony Bennett. Foi mantida um trecho da gravação de 1985 com a voz de Michael Jackson, numa homenagem póstuma a um dos compositores da canção.

Veja abaixo quem canta cada parte da versão original de 1985, e depois confira no video:

(Lionel Richie)
There comes a time when we hear a certain call

(Lionel Richie & Stevie Wonder)
When the world must come together as one

(Stevie Wonder)
There are people dying

(Paul Simon)
And it's time to lend a hand to life

(Paul Simon & Kenny Rogers)
The greatest gift of all

(Kenny Rogers)
We can't go on pretending day by day

(James Ingram)
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change

(Tina Turner)
We are all part of God's great big family

(Billy Joel)
And the truth, you know, love is all we need

Chorus:
(Michael Jackson)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Diana Ross)
There's a choice were making
Were saving our own lives

(Michael & Diana Ross)
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Dionne Warwick)
Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares

(Dionne Warwick & Willie Nelson)
And their lives will be stronger and free

(Willie Nelson)
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread

(Al Jarreau)
And so we all must lend a helping hand


(Bruce Springsteen)
We are the world, we are the children
(Kenny Logins)
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Steve Perry)
There's a choice were making
Were saving our own lives

(Daryl Hall)
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Michael Jackson)
When youre down and out, there seems no hope at all

(Huey Lewis)
But if you just believe there's no way we can fall

(Cyndi Lauper)
Well, well, well, well let us realize that a change can only come

(Kim Carnes)
When we

(Kim Carnes & Cyndi Lauper &Huey Lewis)
stand together as one

(Chorus)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

There's a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Bob Dylan)
Theres a choice were making
Were saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Chorus)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives

(Bob Dylan)
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Chorus)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Ray Charles)
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Stevie Wonder & Bruce Springsteen)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Stevie Wonder)
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Stevie Wonder & Bruce Springsteen)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Bruce Springsteen)
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Chorus)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(James Ingram)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

(Ray Charles)
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

(Chorus)
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me