Singing in Harmony For a Good Cause

One of the redemptive things that has emerged from the tragedy in Haiti is the outpouring of love and support from so many around the world. From millions of people donating $10 by texting on their cell phone to star-studded telethons, people from all walks of life have rallied to support those who have been hit hardest.

It was interesting to read that there's going to be an update to the "We Are the World" all-star smash hit that was produced and sung in support of famine victims in Africa way back in 1985. My brother and I loved the song and we must have replayed the vinyl single a million times, and watched the VHS copy of the music video (basically video of a recording session) that we recorded from "Entertainment Tonight" over and over again.

It was a brilliant composition from Quincy Jones, and the lineup has, for the most part, stood the test of time. Lionel Ritchie led off, and then he was followed by other legends such as Paul Simon and Kenny Rogers with Michael Jackson batting cleanup and singing the first chorus. Every performer that had a solo was a great choice, culminating with Ray Charles bringing it home. The British predecessor to "We Are The World", otherwise known as "Do They Know It's Christmas?" doesn't escape criticism in that respect, as noted by the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons:

Not only does Paul Young bat leadoff, they go back to him for another solo in the middle! Paul Young! They had the lead singer of the hottest band at the time (Duran Duran's LeBon), the best singer of the entire decade (Sting) and a budding superstar (Bono) ... and they kicked things off with Paul Young? Who was in charge of Band Aid, Bob Geldof or Jimy Williams? I was trying to think of a sports equivalent of this -- like John Starks getting named to the '92 Dream Team, then starting over MJ and Drexler -- but it's impossible. It's too ludicrous. You can't come up with the sports equivalent of Paul Young getting the nod over Bono, Sting and Simon LeBon. I watched this clip 10 times in two weeks and still couldn't figure it out.

Anyway, I can only hope that the new version of "We Are the World" does as well as it's predecessor, in terms of raising much needed aid for the earthquake victims, as an enduring example of how good music can unite people together in a worthy cause, and as a benefit song where people twenty years later aren't wondering "why in the world did he get the solo?" or worse yet, finding a place in American cultural ridicule alongside "Hands Across America".