Behind the scenes of the music industry: a turbulent look at a unique night full of music legends

In our “recordJet selected” section, we present inspiring content from the vast expanse of the music universe once a month. From books and podcasts to events, people and special news – there’s something here for everyone. It’s couch weather again and the popcorn has just been made. All that’s missing is a turbulent look at a unique night full of music legends. When it comes to big music events, the Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” is a real highlight. This documentary is not only a look back at the legendary recording of the well-known song “We Are the World”, but also a fascinating journey through the musical era of the 80s and its protagonists.

Charity History Song – We are the World

“The Greatest Night in Pop” is dedicated to an extraordinary live event in which some of the biggest stars of the scene sang and produced the song “We Are the World” in just one night. On January 28, 1985, on the night of the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, this mammoth project was put together with around 50 US musicians. Sung, produced and filmed at the same time. The organizers, led by Lionel Richie, must have been aware that they would probably never get so many A-list musicians in the same city at the same time again. Because the cast list reads like a Who’s Who of the of pop history – Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan and many more. Incidentally, the song was written in advance by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson.

The concept behind it: The most famous artists of the time come together to record a song, the proceeds of which are to benefit those in need in Africa as part of a charity project. But how do you bring the biggest music stars of the time together in one room? The trick was to use the occasion of the evening to bring together as many artists as possible. They rented a studio near the awards show and chauffeured all the artists from the American Music Awards studios directly to the music studio. An ingenious concept, but the time pressure was enormous! The song had to be recorded in just one night.

The Recording Story: Behind the scenes

Around midnight on January 28, around 50 stars gathered at the microphone in the studio. Because the filming was so unscripted and the fact that 50 well-known artists recorded a charity song was an absolute novelty at the time, it makes the documentary even more intense, exciting and touching. Some artists suddenly showed something like stage fright, vanities came to light. Other artists asked other artists for an autograph during the breaks, because it turned out that the artist or artists:in was their absolute idol. Other artists were under the influence of substances.

One artist even left in the middle of the recordings. This documentary is unfiltered. That’s what makes it so special and what makes us, the editors, recommend it so highly.

Despite the initial uncertainty and tensions, some of whom did not know each other or were not really “green”, the atmosphere became more relaxed and the group soon felt like a gathering of old friends. This was also reported by some of the stars of the time in the newly recorded interviews, which were repeatedly faded in during the recordings from back then. Even though many of the big names were not present in the interview flashbacks, such as Michael Jackson or the recently deceased hit producer Quincy Jones, you can look forward to stories from Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and Dionne Warwick.

The Grammy hit

Their stories literally take us back to the night the song was written. It quickly becomes clear how chaotic the studio recordings were: For example, Lauper’s jewelry became a disruptive factor, or Huey Lewis struggled with a passage that was originally intended for Prince (who was the only superstar not to show up, which also ended up costing him career points). Producers Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian were the ones who tried to mold the unique voices into a harmonious whole. And they succeeded: The song ended up selling around 20 million copies and won a Grammy.

Conclusion:

Not only are the studio recordings of “We are the World” a highlight: for fans of the 80s, “The Greatest Night in Pop” is a true feast for the memory. The documentary is not only a tribute to a great charity project, but also an exciting insight into the genesis of one of the most famous songs of all time. An absolute must – for music lovers and history buffs alike!