USA for Africa – ‘We Are The World’

13 April 1985

Trivia question of the day: who is the only person who sang on Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ and on USA for Africa’s ‘We Are The World’? Answer at the end.

Band Aid was essentially a snapshot of the ’80s UK singles charts: there are no Beatles, Stones, Bowies or other heritage acts there. Its American counterpart, though, calls in the legends: Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Dionne Warwick are featured soloists, which in theory gives it much more pop-cultural and intergenerational heft, plus it has Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen as the two biggest stars in the world at that time. (Prince apparently didn’t like the song so didn’t take part, and Madonna hadn’t yet tipped over into megastar status.) So, given that ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ was also a hotch-potch that needed to manage egos and voices, how come ‘We Are The World’ is so rotten?

One reason is that, while ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ had the benefit of novelty, ‘We Are The World’ was conceived and made under the full glare of expectation; it was always going to be a more self-aware project. Some individual vocalists go in big, with scrunched faces and clenched fists. Springsteen is especially egregious here, and Cyndi Lauper could also have dialled it back a bit. Diana Ross is the only one of the soloists here whose contribution I enjoy and who seems to get it right.

Another reason is the song itself. No one would rate the Bob Geldof and Midge Ure songwriting partnership alongside Lennon and McCartney, Morrissey and Marr or even Tennant and Lowe, but in fairness they came up with a catchy tune and memorable, striking lyrics. By comparison, can you recall any lyrics from the verses of ‘We Are The World’? This is a song written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, and it’s every bit as saccharine and sentimental as their other big hits. No doubt the final song had to be sanded and blanded to assuage all egos and record company execs, but those two writers were never likely to go for the clanging chimes of doom or any equivalent of Bono’s Line.

And the answer to that trivia question? Bob Geldof sings in the chorus of ‘We Are The World’; you can see him in the video (below) in the back row, beside Harry Belafonte, standing right under the final ‘A’ of the ‘USA for Africa’ banner. No doubt he took it all in with the quiet satisfaction that his record was better.