We Are The World documentary on Netflix

[TooOldToCare]

There was a lot of common knowledge here and a so-so documentary, but it had some cool insider info I had not seen in the 39 years since the song was released. I knew it was done in one day, but I did not know they pulled an all-nighter after the American Music Awards broadcast. It was also interesting to see the insecurities of many mega-pop stars of the mid-80s. I always knew Bob Dylan was "eccentric," but to see how out of his element he was and what it took to make him feel more comfortable was cool. And despite whatever the real story is on MJ, that guy was a genius who played no instruments, composed everything in his head, and hummed his ideas.

At 97 minutes, it was too long, but it was more BTS than the video of the making of... that was released in the 80s. It also seems like they had to leave out some specific major pieces, particularly Ray Charles and James Ingram, maybe because they did not gain permission from their respective estates. Not sure.

It also made me go back and read the lyrics (which were mediocre despite how iconic the song has become over the years).

[alleyrulez]

saw it, loved it.

Sheila E. was used, as a way to try and get Prince to come in. she's still not happy about it, all these years later.

I had no idea that Waylon Jennings was involved with this, briefly. as per Wikipedia, "he left the studio because of a dispute over the song's lyrics that were to be sung in Swahili." you'd think that his buddy Willie would have been able to rein him back in.

[Jason Jennifer Leigh]

Anything else worth watch on Netflix this month?

[TooOldToCare]

I started a 3 season series called Loudermilk. If you're an Office Space fan, you'll like this dark comedy. Same actor, Ron Livingston plays a sobriety counselor who also is in his sobriety

[TooOldToCare]

saw it, loved it.

Sheila E. was used, as a way to try and get Prince to come in. she's still not happy about it, all these years later.

I had no idea that Waylon Jennings was involved with this, briefly. as per Wikipedia, "he left the studio because of a dispute over the song's lyrics that were to be sung in Swahili." you'd think that his buddy Willie would have been able to rein him back in.

Yeah. Never knew either of those stories. I guess the MJ and Prince feelings were a real thing.

[DemonFilth2001]

I started a 3 season series called Loudermilk. If you're an Office Space fan, you'll like this dark comedy. Same actor, Ron Livingston plays a sobriety counselor who also is in his sobriety

Great show. Watched all 3 seasons in a week.

[TooOldToCare]

I started a 3 season series called Loudermilk. If you're an Office Space fan, you'll like this dark comedy. Same actor, Ron Livingston plays a sobriety counselor who also is in his sobriety

Great show. Watched all 3 seasons in a week.

We've been savoring it and stretching it out since it's so good. I laugh every episode. Great writing.

[Mister Freeze]

Just watched it last night. Some thoughts...

1. They really needed Lionel Richie or someone to respond to what Shelia E. said about feeling used to score Prince.

2. I needed more of an explanation for why Madonna wasn't there. Some executive glossed over it, saying it was between her or Cyndi Lauper, which doesn't make sense. I know they were compared to each a lot around that time, but wouldn't you want both? I could get it if she just wasn't around. But they showed her at the AMA show the same night while Huey Lewis was next to her talking about it. So it's not like she didn't know.

3. The same executive said she "wanted" Dan Aykroyd. Why? I'm guessing they originally envisioned more movie stars sprinkled in there. Eddie Murphy was asked, but turned it down and regretted it later. (Not mentioned in the doc.)

4. I would LOVE to see this version of Michael Jackson a lot more. The dude in his prime, singing a cappella and in full creative mode. Too often, we saw the manufactured, full-production, lip-syncing version with fans crying, etc.

5. Could've used a few more interviews. Billy Joel is the best storyteller in that room and was barely mentioned, let alone interviewed.

6. Looking back, the song is a little better than I remembered. (It eventually got lumped together with "Voices That Care," etc., and paled in comparison to "Do They Know It's Christmas".) But it holds up well and was totally the right song for this project. What's even more obvious... the solo vocalists NAILED their parts in the end.

7. I'm shocked they ended up with a decent take from Al Jarreau the way that was going.

8. I'm tempted to add Quincy Jones to the "Alive or dead?" thread.

[Jason Jennifer Leigh]

Waylon Jennings said screw this.

Too much time spent on Bob Dylan, it needed more Micheal Jackson.

I’ve started watching the 3rd season of Loudermouth … but that’s about it, I think I’ve watched everything good on there.

[Jason Jennifer Leigh]

I thought it was interesting they chose Lauper over Madonna … Jackson,Madonna, Prince and Lionel on the same song would’ve been even more epic.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Maybe it was because she couldn't sing... I'm sure that she needed a LOT of work in the studio to sound good and they didn't have that kind of time. Can see her being self-aware enough to realize that too.

[Mister Freeze]

Fun facts...

1. Madonna had the #1 song in the U.S. ("Like a Virgin") when "We Are The World" was recorded.
https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1985-01-26/

2. Madonna's "Crazy For You" knocked "We Are the World" out of the #1 spot a few months later.
https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1985-05-11/

[Rocker4Real]

A Voices That Care doc would be entertaining for me. I wanna know if it was Jani's idea to take off his John Lennon glasses and look into the camera during the video.

[alleyrulez]

I started a 3 season series called Loudermilk. If you're an Office Space fan, you'll like this dark comedy. Same actor, Ron Livingston plays a sobriety counselor who also is in his sobriety

YES!

God, I loved this one. it will be a crime if Netflix doesn't pick it up for a fourth season.

[FreddyFender]

2. I needed more of an explanation for why Madonna wasn't there. Some executive glossed over it, saying it was between her or Cyndi Lauper, which doesn't make sense. I know they were compared to each a lot around that time, but wouldn't you want both? I could get it if she just wasn't around. But they showed her at the AMA show the same night while Huey Lewis was next to her talking about it. So it's not like she didn't know.

https://youtu.be/S7_WsodBNUE?si=ioxOgpZ7w5KFfEzx

They simply didn't want her around.

Don't forget that Madonna was looked at as being pretty trashy when she came out. Wouldn't surprise me if a number of people involved took offense to her name and image and left her out because of that.

[ParaDime77]

The two things that blew me away:

- Stevie Wonder creating an instant melody for Bob Dylan as Dylan would sing it himself. Absolutely fucking genius.

- The power and range of Cyndi Lauper’s voice in the section with Huey and Kim Carnes. She was so young and talented.

[TooOldToCare]

I started a 3 season series called Loudermilk. If you're an Office Space fan, you'll like this dark comedy. Same actor, Ron Livingston plays a sobriety counselor who also is in his sobriety

YES!

God, I loved this one. it will be a crime if Netflix doesn't pick it up for a fourth season.

Just finished it last week. Loved it. But I think it’s over. Netflix passes on the good stuff but puts out garbage.


S3 was 2020, so that’s the last of Sam, Ben, and Claire. I’ve been finding some Loudermilk rabbit holes on YouTube and watched a Brian Regan stand-up last night. I'm a big Office Space and Ron Livingston fan, so checking out some of his movies. Up next, Shanghai la Suite.

[Sleek]

My main thing with tho doco is...liiiike...okay. So you have the cream of the bullshit pop world in 1985. They START recording at 10pm, and go past dawn, right?

...and the only thing they mention is that Al Jarreau got a bit tipsy.

I meaaaaannnn...THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MOUNTAINS OF BLOW AT THAT FUCKING THING. I would imagine Quincy had a goddam salad bowl full waiting for those jagoffs when they showed up. SEVERAL of them are visibly gacked off their tits in the video, but nope, no mention ~just poor Al Jarreau who had a little too much wine.

Kind of weird how there was not even ONE hard rocker there. I mean, you can say they were going for something specific, but with Willie, Waylon and the Jazz guys, it seems that was not the case.

I would have expected at least DLR would have gotten a call.

They also don't mention Crazy Girls being across the street. I would be pretty surprised if nobody ran across the street on a break to do some big gaggers off a stripper's ass.

...maybe that's where Waylon really went.

[Rocker4Real]

My main thing with tho doco is...liiiike...okay. So you have the cream of the bullshit pop world in 1985. They START recording at 10pm, and go past dawn, right?

...and the only thing they mention is that Al Jarreau got a bit tipsy.

I meaaaaannnn...THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MOUNTAINS OF BLOW AT THAT FUCKING THING. I would imagine Quincy had a goddam salad bowl full waiting for those jagoffs when they showed up. SEVERAL of them are visibly gacked off their tits in the video, but nope, no mention ~just poor Al Jarreau who had a little too much wine.

Kind of weird how there was not even ONE hard rocker there. I mean, you can say they were going for something specific, but with Willie, Waylon and the Jazz guys, it seems that was not the case.

I would have expected at least DLR would have gotten a call.

They also don't mention Crazy Girls being across the street. I would be pretty surprised if nobody ran across the street on a break to do some big gaggers off a stripper's ass.

...maybe that's where Waylon really went.

They said Van Halen was on tour at the time.

[Sleek]

Technically, yeah, but it was with Sammy. Dave was just hanging around.

[BernieTaupson]

Technically, yeah, but it was with Sammy. Dave was just hanging around.

We Are The World was recorded January 28 1985. Sam wasn’t in VH yet.

And VH weren’t on tour either, last show they did was September 1984.

Awesome documentary, wish it was even longer. The fact that they pulled it all together in one night is incredible. The one thing they didn’t mention was Ray Charles’ adlibs at the very end of the song. He didn’t seem to be there anymore when they were doing the solo lines and then the adlib parts at the end, wonder if he came back later with Quincy and they punched him in after the fact?

Edit : just rewatched the video. He’s in different clothes for his adlibs at the end and you can’t see any of the other celebs in his shots. I’d say they were recorded another day.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Show of hands - who thinks that DLR would do anything for free?

[BernieTaupson]

He would have 100% done it for free to be in the room with all those legends. Street cred.

Anyone else piss themselves every time they showed Dan fuckin Ackroyd? What a goofball nerd, why was he even there?

No one seems to be able to say for sure if Waylon Jennings is actually on the song or not. He was credited on the cover of the single with all the names, but then in the credits of the song on the documentary he wasn’t included.

[Sleek]

Technically, yeah, but it was with Sammy. Dave was just hanging around.

We Are The World was recorded January 28 1985. Sam wasn’t in VH yet.

And VH weren’t on tour either, last show they did was September 1984.

Hm yeah. I looked on setlist and saw March gigs, but it was '86.

The single was released in March so...there was my confusion.

[BernieTaupson]

When is the HEAR N AID one coming out? They could totally do one, depending on how much footage they shot on the day. They wouldn’t have been working with an unlimited budget like We Are The World.

[dmbrocker]

When is the HEAR N AID one coming out? They could totally do one.

How about a Northern Lights one for the Canucks to chronicle the making of "Tears Are Not Enough"? Were Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Geddy Lee, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot gacked out of their gourds, too? Or will they just claim Anne Murray had "too much wine"?

[Bono Nettencourt]

He would have 100% done it for free to be in the room with all those legends. Street cred.

Anyone else piss themselves every time they showed Dan fuckin Ackroyd? What a goofball nerd, why was he even there?

Reread Sleek's 1st post.

[DemonFilth2001]

When is the HEAR N AID one coming out? They could totally do one.

How about a Northern Lights one for the Canucks to chronicle the making of "Tears Are Not Enough"? Were Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Geddy Lee, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot gacked out of their gourds, too? Or will they just claim Anne Murray had "too much wine"?

Never heard that one. Was Canada's best band ever, Triumph, involved?

[dmbrocker]

When is the HEAR N AID one coming out? They could totally do one.

How about a Northern Lights one for the Canucks to chronicle the making of "Tears Are Not Enough"? Were Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Geddy Lee, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot gacked out of their gourds, too? Or will they just claim Anne Murray had "too much wine"?

Never heard that one. Was Canada's best band ever, Triumph, involved?

No, but Rik Emmett was asked according to Wikipedia. Unfortunately, Triumph's touring schedule said nope. Leonard Cohen got the invite too, but was busy performing in Denmark. At least we got Mike Reno from Loverboy on this one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJN3u1wAWIk

[Fat_Elvis]

I needed more of an explanation for why Madonna wasn't there.

Lionel was on Kimmel recently and basically said there were only so many lines for people to sing and they wanted the voice to be immediately recognizable and they thought Lauper fit that more than Madonna. Not sure if that's the real story or revisionist history. He went on to say he regrets not having her on it now.