I'd like to agree with you, but no, that's just a snapshot. Every generation has its Beatles, its Bob Marley, its Madonna. For the kids of today, the current stars are just as big as these stars were for us. Every generation has its heroes, which it believes future generations will never be able to match, but that's nonsense. And it's a good thing, to be honest.
Their pa rt sent chills. Bruce's voice is so strong and powerful and Stevie's is unmatched. I love Dionne Warwick's part as well. Michael ❤. Bob Dylan was hesitant in how to do his part, really needed guidance and it came out beautifully.
To say that this was star studded would be the biggest understatement. Many of the participants weren't just stars of their time, they are icons of modern music for all time! I was 22 when this came out.
There is an excellent documentary ( 'The Greatest Night in Pop' ), a kind of "making of" from the early planning of the song to the recording session the whole night until the early morning. Worth watching.
I never hesitate watching reactors to this song. Seeing all those great artists together is always wonderful. Check out those in the chorus as well - Bette Midler, Harry Belefonte next to Dan Aykroyd in the back (even tho he wasn't a musician.) My 2nd child was born in '84, so I am quite a bit older than you fellows. I see someone has posted all the soloists for you, but the chorus was made up of a lot of great artists!
i can’t watch it without a smile 🤷🏻♂️ just one legend after another AND the impact this short time of their lives made on the rest of some peoples lives is cool ✌🏼
The highlight/genius of this song is dueting Stevie and Bruce. Combining Stevie's melodic exuberance and Bruce's soulful grit made for a moment in music that joined everyone's styles and tastes in a way that blurred any lines of division and united everyone under a flag of musical togetherness. This song is a masterpiece of selflessness and opportunity that will likely never happen again.
Who’s who; Soloists (in order of appearance) • Lionel Richie • Stevie Wonder • Paul Simon • Kenny Rogers • James Ingram • Tina Turner • Billy Joel • Michael Jackson • Diana Ross • Dionne Warwick • Willie Nelson • Al Jarreau • Bruce Springsteen • Kenny Loggins • Steve Perry (Journey) • Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates) • Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis and the News) • Cyndi Lauper • Kim Carnes (one of her big hits was Betty Davis Eyes) • Bob Dylan • Ray Charles Chorus (alphabetically) • Dan Aykroyd. (the Blues Brothers from Saturday Night Live and the band’s live performances and movies) • Harry Belafonte • Lindsey Buckingham • Mario Cipollina (of Huey Lewis and the News) • Johnny Colla (of Huey Lewis and the News) • Sheila E. (Percussionist for Prince and singer in her own right) • Bob Geldof • Bill Gibson (of Huey Lewis and the News) • Chris Hayes (of Huey Lewis and the News) • Sean Hopper (of Huey Lewis and the News) • Jackie Jackson • La Toya Jackson • Marlon Jackson • Randy Jackson • Tito Jackson • Waylon Jennings • Bette Midler • John Oates (Hall & Oates) • Jeffrey Osborne • Anita Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters) • June Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters) • Ruth Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters) • Smokey Robinson
Wow… amazing information there… thank you, look at the list of names!! Amazing.. i don’t even know who some of them names are so… fair play! Thanks for the info :)
The soloists in order of appearance. Lionel Richie - 0:26 Stevie Wonder - 0:39 Paul Simon - 0:43 Kenny Rogers - 0:53 James Ingram - 0:59 Tina Turner - 1:06 Billy Joel - 1:13 Michael Jackson - 1:19 Diana Ross - 1:32 Dionne Warwick - 1:48 Willie Nelson - 2:02 Al Jarreau - 2:09 Bruce Springsteen - 2:15 Kenny Loggins - 2:21 Steve Perry - 2:28 Daryl Hall - 2:36 Huey Lewis - 2:48 Cyndi Lauper - 2:54 Kim Carnes - 3:02 Bob Dylan - 3:48 Ray Charles - 4:27
There were only 2 on the list that I just could not remember their names and you provided them. Thank-you for doing that. Much appreciated. You have a great day.
Bon Jovi would hit it big the next year, and motley crew and other rockets were part of a different one called Heat N Aid which was set up by Ronnie James dio, it was recorded in 1985 and released in 1986. Journey was the only band to have members in bith we are the world and Hear N Aid
There is a more "modern" version for Haiti. It has a lot of "today's" top artists. I found it funny when you mentioned it would be hard to get them together, I agree lol. Definitely check it out, I would love to see what you two think :)
Whitney came out in '85, she might not have been famous enough. There's also drama with Prince not wanting to do it because he didn't get something or other I think.
Y'all saw Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings was there but walked out. It was way late (they did not start recording until about 10:30 at night), and Stevie Wonder began to try to convince Lionel, Michael, and Quincy that everyone should sing a phrase in Swahili because this was for Africa. Michael Jackson did not want to go against Stevie, so he sang something in a foreign language (which never made it into the final cut). Waylon and some others took issue, feeling like it might make people think they were mocking Africa. People had trouble learning it; some were rather inebriated by that time. It got to be too much for Waylon, so he just walked off the set (which is common for him if he is being pushed to do something he does not think he should do), saying, "No good ol' boy sings in Swahili." This caused an argument because many others had issues with adding the phrase. It was finally decided that the song was, after all, sung to get Americans to buy it and support the relief effort; plus, there are many languages in Africa, and they could not include them all. There is an excellent documentary about how this all came to be (start to finish), who was involved, who did not show up, and the mini-dramas of dealing with so many singing stars.
The amount of talent shown in this video is crazy. All are top notch artists from many different eras & genres of music. Don't think something like this will ever happen again. Sadly quite a few artists that are featured are no longer with us.
There is a video about the making of this. There was a huge sign on the door when the artists entered the studio…” Leave your egos at the door.” Love this..great reaction guys !!
Netflix just recently produced a documentary about how this all came together, called “The Greatest Night in Pop.” Fascinating stuff, so see if you guys can access it in the U.K,
Huey got Prince's part. They waited for Prince, but he wanted the guitar solo, like you said and then he wanted to record by himself if he sang and that couldn't be accommodated.
“The Greatest Night in Pop” is a documentary about the actual making of the song. It is well worth watching. Prince showed up, but wouldn’t perform. He was just Prince being Prince.
Prince did not show up. Lionel called Prince to see if he'd join in. Prince asked if he could have a room just for himself. Lionel couldn't promise that, but said he'd have a spot next to Michael Jackson. Prince then said he'd do a guitar solo instead. Lionel then said he'd call Prince later.
The lady iun yellow is LaToya Jackson, Micheal's sister, and several of his brothers are in the chorus. Actors Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte and Bette Midler, all excellent singers, are in the chorus. Watch it again, with your "We are the World" Bingo card.
Fun Fact: "Do they know that it's Christmastime" inspired this? In fact: Phil Collins did the drums and the organizer of the British one Bob Geldof, is seen in the choir.
The music video was taped in 1985 after the American Music Awards and since there was so many big names participating, Quincy Jones had a sign taped to the door of the studio saying, "Check your egos at the door"
Prince was at the AMAs that night and agreed to show up only if he could perform by himself in a booth or something. Quincy and Michael said that was not in the spirit of the occasion so no Prince.
🤩👍💥💯🎼 Astoundingly superb group of iconic legends on that one magical night at studio in L.A. There´s recently released full lenght documentary of the particular evening/night which is well worth to watch. " The Greatest Night in Pop " - 2024 (Netfl1x production) Nice picked track ´gentle - men´ 🤘😎💙🎶 In the docu you´ll find out why Prince isn´t on board...
Thanks, guys.. Quincy Jones was amazing getting this together... it's great how many gave up their egos for this... My particular favorites are Bruce Springsteen & Stevie Wonder.. and of course, the best is Ray Charles! appreciate your reaction... (p.s. kudos to Cyndi Lauper)...
The difference between this song and most others with a ton of people is that this song is amazing and timeless with no cheese factor. You can tell that this was also written and produced by superstars. Lionel Ritchie, Micheal Jackson and Quincy Jones’s created this masterpiece. And they all got together after an awards show and everyone put their egos aside and worked together. They tried to get Prince to join but he wanted a private recording studio so they said no thanks.
I will add that Quincy Jones and his studio crew did the bulk of the organization and work, from arrangements to soloist selections, demo recordings and sending demos to everybody ahead of time, then all the post recording work to put out the song (and album I think). Huge job completed in a very short timeframe. 👏🏻
This was great. There were 3 different recordings that raised huge amounts of money. The UK produced Do They Know Its Christmas; the USA version was We Are The World and Canada produced Tears Are Not Enough. Thanks for reminding us of the good things artists have done and raised money to go towards world poverty. 👏👏🥰🇨🇦
Brit Pops React: As of this January 1985 "WE ARE THE WORLD" recording session, Whitney Houston was NOT a known name - success wise - to have even been considered or asked to take part here. Her first L.P. (ALBUM) "Whitney Houston" wasn't released until Valentine's Day, February 14, 1985.
Whitney didn’t break out until after this came out. Her Auntie, Dionne Warwick, was there, though. Prince only would do it he was given production control and they said no. So he’s not in it. Apart from Steve Perry, no rockers or heavy metal performers were asked. They got upset about it and made their own charity song called Stars. The project was called Hear n’ Aid, led by Ronnie James Dio. You should check it out.
Our Pleasure Cheryl, it was a really good one… and growing up with Band Aid in the UK it was great to see the famous US stars and co out doing their part and to see of the faces in there prime! Great shout! Thanks :)
What a magical time that was back then! I remember when this came out, it was a huge hit then and still appreciated to this day. If I remember correctly Prince was asked if he wanted to be a part of this and he had some problem with the fact that Michael Jackson was a big part of the whole thing. something to do with him possibly being over shadowed by MJ. No room for egos in this situation for sure. Thanks for the reaction, I enjoy watching you two!
Thanks mamabears34 :) your the type of subscriber that we like watching the channel and getting involved :) thanks for watching … and totally agree… egos… show them the door!
You could do a series of reactions to the singers in this video, and it would keep your channel going for a long time! Even if you only did one song from each artist, lol.
Band Aid, We Are the World, and Live Aid were all part of the same effort to raise money and awareness of a famine in Africa. This recording was made the night and into the following morning of the 1985 American Music Awards ceremony which had been broadcast live earlier in the evening from Los Angeles and which had been hosted by Lionel Richie who himself was an award winner during the shie. That date was chosen because it was one of the few dates on the calendar when ALL of these artists just happened to all be in the same city at the same time anyway.
Jeffrey Osborne, Al Jarreau, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Carnes, Hall&Oates, Pointer Sisters, Jackson 5, Kenny Kragen, Harry Belafonte, , James Ingram, Lindsey Buckingham, Huey Lewis and the News, Smokey Robinson, Greg Phillinganes, Bette Midler, Waylon Jennings, and several well-known musicians on instruments were among those performing on this recording.
I can hear this a millions times and it still emotionally moves me. They CHOSE people with stellar voices in particular. Someone like Madonna got snubbed as they say she was never considered strong vocals. Prince was supposed to be there but didn't show up (?). It turned out monumental.
Thanks for the suggestion Cheryl. It has been many years since I watched this. Just as impressive now as it was then. Great reaction guys. Nice to see some of these nostalgic videos.- Hawk
It's been a long time since I watched this. I believe if I remember correctly Canada and Australia did a fundraising as well for Africa. All of these artists weren't paid either. They just wanted to help. The pairing of the soloists was phenomenal as well. Phil Collins was on percussions as well. Dan Aykroyd was there because of the Blues Brothers That money then and now(it still raises money) made such an impact.
Prince was on tour and couldn't attend. The Netflix special is great.....Stevie had to help Bob Dylan with his part by singing like Bob - imitating his voice.
Actually Prince was in town. He wanted a guitar solo in a separate room buy himself. They negotiated back and forth with him through the evening until it was too late and they gave Huey Lewis his part.
@@Sooze35 It's actually quite sad that Prince wouldn't allow himself to be part of this. I read that Lionel kept calling him all night trying to at least get him in the Studio to no avail. It would have been epic had he participated.
There is a video of this song that shows the name to each artist. I love this song ! So sad some of the artists have passed away. Love your show ! Stay awesome 😊
All of the artists were assembled from the Grammy Awards that year. Some didn’t participate because of being directed to “leave their egos at the door “. Many sang chorus, and didn’t have solo bits.
Dan Ackroyd-back row in shades-was working in a neighbouring studio and asked to take part.Prince WAS asked,but sulked about his placing and pulled out🎩
Netflix released a documentary this last year about this song and the recording and filming. It was fascinating. It's called "The Greatest Night in Pop" Highly recommend. You mention that Prince wasn't there. In the documentary, the covered that. They really wanted him there, but he declined. He gave them a "maybe" but never showed.
The documentary on the making of this is so cool. I can't remember where I saw it--it was Netflix or HBO Max or something like that. So good to know the history behind it.
According to Nile Rodgers in a recent interview, Madonna was not offered a solo (they went with Cyndi Lauper instead) so she decided not to participate. She could have hung out with Bette M. in the chorus and had a great time while being part of something special. Nile’s impression was that her voice wasn’t considered unique enough or something.
Here's a list in order of appearance: Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, MJ, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al, Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen (The Boss), Kenny Logins, Stever Perry (Journey), Darryl Hall (Hall & Oats), Huey Lewis, Cindi Lauper, Kim Karns, Quincy Jones, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles.
I remember I was in junior high when this came out and it was the first song I ever danced to with a boy. My junior high crush. There is also a SNL Spoof from then. Musicians for Free-Range Chickens haha
I recognize everyone in the video,this was so special for all these unselfish artists to give their time to a very important cause at the time,just incredible! There is no way this would happen now.Thanks for request Cheryl and great reaction guys!
@@karenarp6299 Actually,he can not be seen at 9:20,the camera pans to Lindsay , goes off the top row and whoever is to his right is not visible from any clips I have seen.I watched it a couple more times and there wasn't an image of that top side where Lindsay was that I could see.
Fun fact, the Stevie Wonder/Bruce Springsteen duet was a re-record. Quincy Jones wanted to re-do that part of the song, but since the recording was done right after the Grammys, everyone had gone home and the only two left in town were Wonder and Springsteen. If you notice, they're wearing different clothes from their solos in the beginning.
These are BIGGER stars than today's will EVER be.
Truth.
There was so much talent in the room that there was no room for egos
Well said that man!
100% ALL OF THEM!!! 👊🐾🐾
I'd like to agree with you, but no, that's just a snapshot. Every generation has its Beatles, its Bob Marley, its Madonna. For the kids of today, the current stars are just as big as these stars were for us. Every generation has its heroes, which it believes future generations will never be able to match, but that's nonsense. And it's a good thing, to be honest.
All these people suddenly discovering “We Are the World” makes me feel so old. 😮 😂
Lol me too.
I wasn’t even alive when this song came out, and I feel the same way. Lol
But you're young!
Same, and I was born in 2000 lmao
Yes but at least all this people could sing not like todays auto tune crap music I never listen garbage fake crap
Stevie and Bruce.....the duet you never knew you needed. ❤❤❤
Their pa rt sent chills. Bruce's voice is so strong and powerful and Stevie's is unmatched. I love Dionne Warwick's part as well. Michael ❤. Bob Dylan was hesitant in how to do his part, really needed guidance and it came out beautifully.
I have to give Bruce Springsteen a lot of credit. He had just come off his concert tour, so I know he had to be very exhausted.
Indeed! best part imho
5:42 I still get goose bumps, 40 years later when Cindy goes off!
And Cyndi is still rocking with us til' today! 😬
Whitney wasn't there because her first album dropped that year. She wasn't the treasure at the time that she became. Good reaction! Cheers
Quincy Jones put a sign above the door it said "Leave Your Egos at the Door"❤❤
To say that this was star studded would be the biggest understatement. Many of the participants weren't just stars of their time, they are icons of modern music for all time! I was 22 when this came out.
I think it doesn't matter what color you are or where you come from we all need to love and take care of each other
Quincy and Lionel putting Tina Turner and Billy Joel together was gold! All the duet parts were spot on.
There is an excellent documentary ( 'The Greatest Night in Pop' ), a kind of "making of" from the early planning of the song to the recording session the whole night until the early morning. Worth watching.
I never knew that they had done the chorus first and then the verses and solos after. When you watch the video, it seems so seamless.
I never hesitate watching reactors to this song. Seeing all those great artists together is always wonderful. Check out those in the chorus as well - Bette Midler, Harry Belefonte next to Dan Aykroyd in the back (even tho he wasn't a musician.) My 2nd child was born in '84, so I am quite a bit older than you fellows. I see someone has posted all the soloists for you, but the chorus was made up of a lot of great artists!
i can’t watch it without a smile 🤷🏻♂️ just one legend after another AND the impact this short time of their lives made on the rest of some peoples lives is cool ✌🏼
The highlight/genius of this song is dueting Stevie and Bruce. Combining Stevie's melodic exuberance and Bruce's soulful grit made for a moment in music that joined everyone's styles and tastes in a way that blurred any lines of division and united everyone under a flag of musical togetherness.
This song is a masterpiece of selflessness and opportunity that will likely never happen again.
Who’s who;
Soloists (in order of appearance)
• Lionel Richie
• Stevie Wonder
• Paul Simon
• Kenny Rogers
• James Ingram
• Tina Turner
• Billy Joel
• Michael Jackson
• Diana Ross
• Dionne Warwick
• Willie Nelson
• Al Jarreau
• Bruce Springsteen
• Kenny Loggins
• Steve Perry (Journey)
• Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates)
• Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis and the News)
• Cyndi Lauper
• Kim Carnes (one of her big hits was Betty Davis Eyes)
• Bob Dylan
• Ray Charles
Chorus (alphabetically)
• Dan Aykroyd. (the Blues Brothers from Saturday Night Live and the band’s live performances and movies)
• Harry Belafonte
• Lindsey Buckingham
• Mario Cipollina (of Huey Lewis and the News)
• Johnny Colla (of Huey Lewis and the News)
• Sheila E. (Percussionist for Prince and singer in her own right)
• Bob Geldof
• Bill Gibson (of Huey Lewis and the News)
• Chris Hayes (of Huey Lewis and the News)
• Sean Hopper (of Huey Lewis and the News)
• Jackie Jackson
• La Toya Jackson
• Marlon Jackson
• Randy Jackson
• Tito Jackson
• Waylon Jennings
• Bette Midler
• John Oates (Hall & Oates)
• Jeffrey Osborne
• Anita Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters)
• June Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters)
• Ruth Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters)
• Smokey Robinson
Wow… amazing information there… thank you, look at the list of names!! Amazing.. i don’t even know who some of them names are so… fair play! Thanks for the info :)
These Legends are equal to any of the best stars of today. You just were not around then to realize how truly great they were!
The soloists in order of appearance.
Lionel Richie - 0:26
Stevie Wonder - 0:39
Paul Simon - 0:43
Kenny Rogers - 0:53
James Ingram - 0:59
Tina Turner - 1:06
Billy Joel - 1:13
Michael Jackson - 1:19
Diana Ross - 1:32
Dionne Warwick - 1:48
Willie Nelson - 2:02
Al Jarreau - 2:09
Bruce Springsteen - 2:15
Kenny Loggins - 2:21
Steve Perry - 2:28
Daryl Hall - 2:36
Huey Lewis - 2:48
Cyndi Lauper - 2:54
Kim Carnes - 3:02
Bob Dylan - 3:48
Ray Charles - 4:27
informative, ty.
Wow! Great information… thank you!
You’re on fire with that list!!… was that a copy paste! lol :) … if not then amazing! 🤩
@BritPopsReact 😁
Copy and paste.
Work smarter, not harder.
There were only 2 on the list that I just could not remember their names and you provided them. Thank-you for doing that. Much appreciated. You have a great day.
Bon Jovi would hit it big the next year, and motley crew and other rockets were part of a different one called Heat N Aid which was set up by Ronnie James dio, it was recorded in 1985 and released in 1986. Journey was the only band to have members in bith we are the world and Hear N Aid
There is a more "modern" version for Haiti. It has a lot of "today's" top artists. I found it funny when you mentioned it would be hard to get them together, I agree lol. Definitely check it out, I would love to see what you two think :)
Whitney came out in '85, she might not have been famous enough. There's also drama with Prince not wanting to do it because he didn't get something or other I think.
They recorded it in one night, so they took the artists that could be there that night. Best musical collab ever!
Y'all saw Willie Nelson; Waylon Jennings was there but walked out. It was way late (they did not start recording until about 10:30 at night), and Stevie Wonder began to try to convince Lionel, Michael, and Quincy that everyone should sing a phrase in Swahili because this was for Africa. Michael Jackson did not want to go against Stevie, so he sang something in a foreign language (which never made it into the final cut). Waylon and some others took issue, feeling like it might make people think they were mocking Africa. People had trouble learning it; some were rather inebriated by that time. It got to be too much for Waylon, so he just walked off the set (which is common for him if he is being pushed to do something he does not think he should do), saying, "No good ol' boy sings in Swahili." This caused an argument because many others had issues with adding the phrase. It was finally decided that the song was, after all, sung to get Americans to buy it and support the relief effort; plus, there are many languages in Africa, and they could not include them all. There is an excellent documentary about how this all came to be (start to finish), who was involved, who did not show up, and the mini-dramas of dealing with so many singing stars.
Great info thanks!🤩
The amount of talent shown in this video is crazy. All are top notch artists from many different eras & genres of music. Don't think something like this will ever happen again. Sadly quite a few artists that are featured are no longer with us.
There’s an excellent documentary about this video. The stars aligned and these stars appeared. It also identifies the people you didn’t recognize.
I just watched the making of this.
It was not as flawless as it seems here. So kudos to all involved. Especially those who were not featured.
There is a video about the making of this. There was a huge sign on the door when the artists entered the studio…” Leave your egos at the door.” Love this..great reaction guys !!
3:34 That lady singing with Willie, whose voice made you start, is Dionne Warwick. She's Whitney Houston' aunt.
She is Whitney's first cousin, their mothers were sisters.
@@daleb1279LOL I was coming to say exactly what you said.
Netflix just recently produced a documentary about how this all came together, called “The Greatest Night in Pop.”
Fascinating stuff, so see if you guys can access it in the U.K,
OUTSTANDING documentary!
@@davidrichards6509 I have to watch it again!
I do recommend... It was something really heart worming
Whitneys 1st album was 1985, so she wasn't well known at the time of this. & Prince declined to participate. 🙄🤷♀️
Prince wanted to do a guitar solo he couldn't leave his ego at the door like the sign said
Actually, that was Dionne Warwick singing with Willie Nelson.
Huey got Prince's part. They waited for Prince, but he wanted the guitar solo, like you said and then he wanted to record by himself if he sang and that couldn't be accommodated.
And Whitney's Mama sang concert back up vocals for Elvis
@davidtullis2810 huge HUGE ego for such a small man. He earned & deserved all the hype, but his ego & attitude made it a difficult balance. 😒🤨
“The Greatest Night in Pop” is a documentary about the actual making of the song. It is well worth watching. Prince showed up, but wouldn’t perform. He was just Prince being Prince.
That really was a great documentary....
Prince did not show up. Lionel called Prince to see if he'd join in. Prince asked if he could have a room just for himself. Lionel couldn't promise that, but said he'd have a spot next to Michael Jackson. Prince then said he'd do a guitar solo instead. Lionel then said he'd call Prince later.
Nobody gives credit to the Pointer Sisters in the middle, that led the chorus.
There’s a documentary on Netflix about the making of this and how it all came about- I think it’s called the greatest night in pop
The lady iun yellow is LaToya Jackson, Micheal's sister, and several of his brothers are in the chorus. Actors Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte and Bette Midler, all excellent singers, are in the chorus. Watch it again, with your "We are the World" Bingo card.
Excuse me ... "all excellent singers"? Harry Belafonte and Bette Midler WERE "singers" LONG before they were ever "actors".
Fun Fact: "Do they know that it's Christmastime" inspired this? In fact: Phil Collins did the drums and the organizer of the British one Bob Geldof, is seen in the choir.
American artist’s Kool and the Gang preformded on “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, but didn’t have solos.
@@heidifedor I did not know that! Learn something everyday!
@@heidifedor as well as Jody Watley (of Shalamar fame and solo hits)
...from an era when artists cared about others than themselves.
There's a documentary out on the making of this song and all the behind the scenes - it's fascinating and you guys should check it out!
Came in here to say this...really fascinating!
On Netflix
The documentary has n Netflix is awesome.
I loved that documentary with Jane Fonda ❤
The music video was taped in 1985 after the American Music Awards and since there was so many big names participating, Quincy Jones had a sign taped to the door of the studio saying, "Check your egos at the door"
Prince was at the AMAs that night and agreed to show up only if he could perform by himself in a booth or something. Quincy and Michael said that was not in the spirit of the occasion so no Prince.
🤩👍💥💯🎼
Astoundingly superb group of iconic legends on that one magical night at studio in L.A.
There´s recently released full lenght documentary of the particular evening/night which is well worth to watch.
" The Greatest Night in Pop " - 2024 (Netfl1x production)
Nice picked track ´gentle - men´
🤘😎💙🎶
In the docu you´ll find out why Prince isn´t on board...
Thanks, guys.. Quincy Jones was amazing getting this together... it's great how many gave up their egos for this... My particular favorites are Bruce Springsteen & Stevie Wonder.. and of course, the best is Ray Charles! appreciate your reaction... (p.s. kudos to Cyndi Lauper)...
What is amazing is that the secret is still not being openly said. Come closer and I'll tell you----the "song" was a complete piece of merde.
Quincy wouldn't let Prince do his own thing so Prince bowed out.
The difference between this song and most others with a ton of people is that this song is amazing and timeless with no cheese factor. You can tell that this was also written and produced by superstars. Lionel Ritchie, Micheal Jackson and Quincy Jones’s created this masterpiece. And they all got together after an awards show and everyone put their egos aside and worked together. They tried to get Prince to join but he wanted a private recording studio so they said no thanks.
I remembered watching this LIVE! It was amazing then and even better now!!❤🎉
Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson were certainly instrumental in organising this, but Harry Belefonte was the driving force behind it
I will add that Quincy Jones and his studio crew did the bulk of the organization and work, from arrangements to soloist selections, demo recordings and sending demos to everybody ahead of time, then all the post recording work to put out the song (and album I think). Huge job completed in a very short timeframe. 👏🏻
@@pretzel_cat brilliant 👏
Prince was offered and refused claiming he doesn't perform with other artists.
Wow, I can’t believe you’re that young, you were three years old in 85, that makes me feel old, wow thanks a lot😊
This was great. There were 3 different recordings that raised huge amounts of money. The UK produced Do They Know Its Christmas; the USA version was We Are The World and Canada produced Tears Are Not Enough. Thanks for reminding us of the good things artists have done and raised money to go towards world poverty. 👏👏🥰🇨🇦
What can you say "some of the greatest stars that ever lived."
Brit Pops React: As of this January 1985 "WE ARE THE WORLD" recording session, Whitney Houston was NOT a known name - success wise - to have even been considered or asked to take part here.
Her first L.P. (ALBUM) "Whitney Houston" wasn't released until Valentine's Day, February 14, 1985.
I thought so… BP2 going off on one lol 😜
just think they put this song together and all of the singers in a couple of hours.
They released it at the same time on several thousand (8?) radio stations across the country.
Whitney didn’t break out until after this came out. Her Auntie, Dionne Warwick, was there, though.
Prince only would do it he was given production control and they said no. So he’s not in it. Apart from Steve Perry, no rockers or heavy metal performers were asked. They got upset about it and made their own charity song called Stars. The project was called Hear n’ Aid, led by Ronnie James Dio. You should check it out.
lol. Bruce isn’t a rocker?
Um, Dionne Warwick is Whitney's cousin. Dionne is 23 years older than Whitney.
Thanks for doing my request! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. Great reaction as always.
Our Pleasure Cheryl, it was a really good one… and growing up with Band Aid in the UK it was great to see the famous US stars and co out doing their part and to see of the faces in there prime! Great shout! Thanks :)
What a magical time that was back then! I remember when this came out, it was a huge hit then and still appreciated to this day. If I remember correctly Prince was asked if he wanted to be a part of this and he had some problem with the fact that Michael Jackson was a big part of the whole thing. something to do with him possibly being over shadowed by MJ. No room for egos in this situation for sure. Thanks for the reaction, I enjoy watching you two!
Thanks mamabears34 :) your the type of subscriber that we like watching the channel and getting involved :) thanks for watching … and totally agree… egos… show them the door!
@@BritPopsReact ♥
You could do a series of reactions to the singers in this video, and it would keep your channel going for a long time! Even if you only did one song from each artist, lol.
That’s a good idea Sylvanaire as to be honest there are a lot of names in don’t recognise but probably know some songs!
Band Aid, We Are the World, and Live Aid were all part of the same effort to raise money and awareness of a famine in Africa. This recording was made the night and into the following morning of the 1985 American Music Awards ceremony which had been broadcast live earlier in the evening from Los Angeles and which had been hosted by Lionel Richie who himself was an award winner during the shie. That date was chosen because it was one of the few dates on the calendar when ALL of these artists just happened to all be in the same city at the same time anyway.
Dionne Warwick is Whitney Houston's aunt, didn't know if you knew this. Really cool to see the time capsule of the stars there at that time.
Dionne and Whitney are first cousins, their mothers were sisters.
Didn’t know that Lynn but our tiny brains can thank you for the comment and fill another gap in our musical void :)
Hey! This one can cause tears. Beautiful xxx
I love this and I still have my USA ..for Africa sweatshirt .
You recognized Bruce Springsteen.
3:26 Dionne Warwick (Whitney Houston's aunt).
7:38 Harry Belafonte.
Jeffrey Osborne, Al Jarreau, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Carnes, Hall&Oates, Pointer Sisters, Jackson 5, Kenny Kragen, Harry Belafonte, , James Ingram, Lindsey Buckingham, Huey Lewis and the News, Smokey Robinson, Greg Phillinganes, Bette Midler, Waylon Jennings, and several well-known musicians on instruments were among those performing on this recording.
Jeffrey def deserves the first spot in that list!! My goodness. ❤
I can hear this a millions times and it still emotionally moves me. They CHOSE people with stellar voices in particular. Someone like Madonna got snubbed as they say she was never considered strong vocals. Prince was supposed to be there but didn't show up (?). It turned out monumental.
Well done gentlemen ! Thank you
Everyone who loves music really needs to see and listen to this. Epic! A wonderful collab. Great request!
Thanks Jamie!…. Yes brilliant!🤩
Thanks for the suggestion Cheryl. It has been many years since I watched this. Just as impressive now as it was then. Great reaction guys. Nice to see some of these nostalgic videos.- Hawk
It's been a long time since I watched this.
I believe if I remember correctly Canada and Australia did a fundraising as well for Africa.
All of these artists weren't paid either. They just wanted to help.
The pairing of the soloists was phenomenal as well.
Phil Collins was on percussions as well.
Dan Aykroyd was there because of the Blues Brothers
That money then and now(it still raises money) made such an impact.
Quincy Jones directing the choir always gets me. All these huge names coming together for a great cause. One of my favorite videos. ❤
The heavy metal guys got together, too. It’s called Hear ‘N Aid.
It was great then and great now. Wonder how many are still alive?
Prince was on tour and couldn't attend. The Netflix special is great.....Stevie had to help Bob Dylan with his part by singing like Bob - imitating his voice.
Actually Prince was in town. He wanted a guitar solo in a separate room buy himself. They negotiated back and forth with him through the evening until it was too late and they gave Huey Lewis his part.
@@Sooze35 It's actually quite sad that Prince wouldn't allow himself to be part of this. I read that Lionel kept calling him all night trying to at least get him in the Studio to no avail. It would have been epic had he participated.
There is a video of this song that shows the name to each artist. I love this song ! So sad some of the artists have passed away.
Love your show ! Stay awesome 😊
Thanks as always Pam and for being part of our UA-cam Community! :)
Prince was invited to join, but he turned down the invitation. He did record a song for the Project.
A sign over the door as they walked into the studio - Ego's checked here
All of the artists were assembled from the Grammy Awards that year. Some didn’t participate because of being directed to “leave their egos at the door “. Many sang chorus, and didn’t have solo bits.
They recorded the same night as the Grammys, no other way to assemble so many!
There's a short vid going around now showing MJ with a WTF look on his face when cyndi lauper starts yelling.
And what’s really funny about that was that during rehearsal he kept trying to coax more out of her so I guess she delivered. 😂
You get M.J. and Bob Dylan performing in same song, a HOF kind of event
No Whitney, but her auntie was there... Dionne Warwick. ;-]
Cousin 😊
@@Justyna_N Indeed! I stand corrected. Thanks! 😃👍
The talent in that studio!!
A plethora of amazing voices.
Dan Ackroyd-back row in shades-was working in a neighbouring studio and asked to take part.Prince WAS asked,but sulked about his placing and pulled out🎩
Typical Prince reaction!
Wow… how did i miss dan ackroyd!… man!
Whitney Houston wasn't popular until late 1985. Bon Jovi also not to well know in January 1985
Amazing.
There’s a documentary on Netflix about this song and how it came about
Fabulous. I have watched it 3 or 4 times!!
And the making of this vid is brilliant, its on YT
Love this ❤
Imagine if we could bring humanity together.
Netflix released a documentary this last year about this song and the recording and filming. It was fascinating. It's called "The Greatest Night in Pop" Highly recommend. You mention that Prince wasn't there. In the documentary, the covered that. They really wanted him there, but he declined. He gave them a "maybe" but never showed.
There is an amazing new documentary on this on Netflix called The Greatest Night In Pop. Highly recommend.
Thanks for the request!! Thanks for the reaction! I'm thrilled that you both recognized so many music legends!!
The documentary on the making of this is so cool. I can't remember where I saw it--it was Netflix or HBO Max or something like that. So good to know the history behind it.
The documentary addresses why Prince wasn't there--they tried to get him there, and it is an interesting story on why he wasn't apart of this.
Lionel Richie recently said he regretted not including Madonna.
According to Nile Rodgers in a recent interview, Madonna was not offered a solo (they went with Cyndi Lauper instead) so she decided not to participate. She could have hung out with Bette M. in the chorus and had a great time while being part of something special. Nile’s impression was that her voice wasn’t considered unique enough or something.
There's a newer version of this, with newer artists of course. But this one is just the epitome ❤❤❤
Well did you see Dan Aykroyd in there? He was :)
Even then I couldn’t name quite all of them. I keep figuring out who more of them are every time I see it.
Here's a list in order of appearance: Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, MJ, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al, Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen (The Boss), Kenny Logins, Stever Perry (Journey), Darryl Hall (Hall & Oats), Huey Lewis, Cindi Lauper, Kim Karns, Quincy Jones, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles.
I remember I was in junior high when this came out and it was the first song I ever danced to with a boy. My junior high crush. There is also a SNL Spoof from then. Musicians for Free-Range Chickens haha
I recognize everyone in the video,this was so special for all these unselfish artists to give their time to a very important cause at the time,just incredible! There is no way this would happen now.Thanks for request Cheryl and great reaction guys!
Cheers Chuck….. something satisfying typing Cheers Chuck! lol 😝
@@BritPopsReact Cheers guys!
who was the guy in the very back to Lindsey Buckingham's right? He's the only one I don't know. At 9:20 of the video. Thanks
@@karenarp6299 Actually,he can not be seen at 9:20,the camera pans to Lindsay , goes off the top row and whoever is to his right is not visible from any clips I have seen.I watched it a couple more times and there wasn't an image of that top side where Lindsay was that I could see.
@@chuck4tnvols681 He's on the screen before Lindsey and right after the close up of Kenny Loggins.
Fun fact, the Stevie Wonder/Bruce Springsteen duet was a re-record. Quincy Jones wanted to re-do that part of the song, but since the recording was done right after the Grammys, everyone had gone home and the only two left in town were Wonder and Springsteen. If you notice, they're wearing different clothes from their solos in the beginning.
I think some of the pairings were inspired,esp Stevie Wonder and Springsteen
I wish Steve Perry had a longer solo. He made a song for this album and donated money. ❤
Love this song ❤
There is a doc about how it was made, a lot of artists turned down participation.