Prince declined to be involved in "We Are The World" due to its immense popularity and the lyrics specifically written for him.
The new music documentary on Netflix, The Greatest Night in Pop, reveals some significant behind-the-scenes details about the creation of the iconic charity song "We Are The World." The documentary features interviews with the legendary musicians who were part of the recording process, including Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and more. Through this captivating film, viewers can gain a profound appreciation for the selfless and powerful message of the song "We Are The World."
The Greatest Night in Pop offers an immersive behind-the-scenes look into the creation of the unprecedented single, which became the ninth best-selling physical single of all time upon its 1985 release. The song came together following the impact of the UK supergroup Band Aid and their charity holiday song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and the initial efforts of Harry Belafonte and Ken Kragen to unite the best artists in the United States. While the song is immensely well-known, charting on various charts around the world, several fascinating facts about the song's creation were revealed in the new documentary.
One of the major reveals in the Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop is how much interest there was for Prince to get involved. Prince was one of the most popular artists at the time, but he declined to get involved directly despite some lyrics being specifically written for him. Those lyrics ended up going to Huey Lewis towards the end of the song. Lewis was a prominent singer and songwriter known for his band Huey Lewis & The News who also contributed as part of the chorus in "We Are The World."Early on in The Greatest Night in Pop, Lionel Richie reminisced on the early stages of the writing process with pop star Michael Jackson. He recalled going over to Michael's studio at his house for the first time, which had various odd animals living all around it. Just as Richie and Jackson were starting to get the foundation for the chorus of "We Are The World" down, Richie discovered that Michael's pet snake had been quietly present in the room. Michael took this as a good sign that the snake enjoyed their singing, indicating that they were on the right track as songwriters.
Sheila E. was a long-standing partner and musical collaborator with Prince who was thrilled to contribute to the USA For Africa initiative. Despite her initial discouragement, she remained steadfast in her commitment to the recording process, ultimately becoming an integral part of the groundbreaking song "We Are the World."
Bob Dylan looked particularly out of place in The Greatest Night in Pop, considering his status as an iconic figure whom many artists in the room, including Bruce Springsteen, looked up to. During the chorus parts, Dylan notably looked completely lost and wasn't singing along with the group. When it became Dylan's turn to sing his solo part, Stevie Wonder, who had a brilliant musical mind and ability to mimic voices, helped Dylan feel comfortable nailing his part and even got him to smile wide by the end of the process.
Many members of USA For Africa nearly missed the one-night-only recording session due to various challenges, with several people going to great lengths to arrive on time. Despite the late hours, most of the stars, including Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder, made their way to the studio in time for the historic recording session.By the time "We Are The World" was recorded in March 1985, Waylon Jennings had already walked out in the middle of the recording session, expressing his disagreement with a proposal to sing in Swahili. This incident still didn't prevent him from fangirling over meeting Daryl Hall while recording at A&M Studios as depicted in The Greatest Night in Pop. Jennings was also the last person to leave the recording session into the early hours of the morning, getting emotional because he didn't want the magic of the night to already be over.
While it was known that country singer Waylon Jennings was involved in the recording of the song "We Are The World," new details have emerged from the upcoming Netflix documentary film, "The Greatest Night in Pop," which reveals that Jennings took his exit as a result of a disagreement with Stevie Wonder regarding the inclusion of some lyrics in Swahili.
Lionel Richie initially reached out to Stevie Wonder to co-write the song with him before "We Are The World" had ever been made. However, Stevie Wonder did not respond and waited too long without responding, forcing Richie to reach out to Michael Jackson instead. Jackson eventually joined the recording session and became one of the main reasons for the overall success of the recording.
Legendary singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins tried to lift the spirits of the tired and hungry supergroup as the session carried on into the early morning. Despite his own legendary status, Loggins recalls Paul Simon making a funny joke at the expense of John Denver, drawing laughter from the rest of the group.
Cyndi Lauper was invited to participate in "We Are The World" despite initial suggestions to invite pop icon Madonna instead. While Lauper was recording her solo part, a technical malfunction occurred, resulting in a strange and loud noise that occurred every time she approached the microphone. This humorous incident became one of the most memorable moments in The Greatest Night in Pop