1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: The Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio, 2 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to this Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: show that belts out the greatest hits of history every 4 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: day of the week. I'm Gabe Lucier and today we're 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: looking at the time when thousands of radio stations joined 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: forces with several dozen pop stars to combat world hunger 7 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: the only way they knew how. The day was April fifth, 8 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty five, more than eight thousand radio stations played 9 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,959 Speaker 1: the charity single We Are the World simultaneously. The popular 10 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,959 Speaker 1: song had been released one month earlier as a way 11 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: to raise money for famine stricken countries in Africa. As 12 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: an extension of those efforts, several American DJs came up 13 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: with a plan to broadcast the song in unison, and 14 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: eventually they convinced radio stations and more than two dozen 15 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: other countries to join in as well. The worldwide broadcast 16 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: took place on Good Friday at ten fifty am Eastern 17 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: Standard time. For the next seven minutes, radio stations all 18 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: over the globe set aside their usual programming in favor 19 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: of an impassioned plea from forty six celebrity singers, so 20 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: whether listeners lived in the American South or in Southeast Asia. 21 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,639 Speaker 1: If they turned on the radio at that exact moment, 22 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: there's a good chance they heard this. We can't go 23 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: off day change we are. That's great, big family, amos 24 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: and no love. It's true, we though we are. The 25 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 1: World project began with Calypso singer Harry Belafonte, who had 26 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: the idea of staging a benefit concert for Africa featuring 27 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: black musicians in late nineteen eighty four. He called talent 28 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: manager Ken Craigan in search of artists who might donate 29 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: their time for the potential event. Craigan liked the idea, 30 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: but suggested they could raise more money by releasing an 31 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: original song rather than mounting an elaborate concert. Bellefonte agreed, 32 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: so Craigan took out his rolodex and got to work. 33 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: He brought on one of his clients, Lionel Richie, to 34 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: help write the new song, as well as legendary producer 35 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: Quincy Jones to supervise recording. The Song's impressive roster of 36 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: talent grew organically from there, with one artist getting another involved, 37 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,239 Speaker 1: and so on and so on. Quincy Jones, for example, 38 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: enlisted the help of Michael Jackson, for whom he had 39 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: produced the hit album Thriller just a few years earlier. 40 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: Jackson and Ritchie wound up writing the new song together, 41 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: with Ritchie coming up with the we Are the World, 42 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: we Are the Children line and Jackson writing most of 43 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: the other lyrics. Jones, Jackson, and Ritchie had more than 44 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: enough talent between them to produce a hit charity single 45 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: on their own, but in order to have the biggest 46 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: impact possible, they assembled just about every other famous voice 47 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: of the era to help sing it. The all night 48 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: recording session was held at A and M Studios in 49 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: Los Angeles on January twenty eighth, nineteen eighty five. The 50 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: date had been specially chosen as it was the same 51 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: night the American Music Awards were being held downtown. That 52 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: ensured most of the artists would already be in town 53 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: for the awards and could simply pop into the studio 54 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: afterward to record their parts of the track. That said, 55 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: Quincy Jones still knew that wrangling that many stars for 56 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: a single recording session was not going to be easy. 57 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: They only had a limited amount of time to cut 58 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: a record that would hopefully save millions of people's lives. 59 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: There was no room in the schedule for temper tantrums 60 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: or posturing, and to make the message perfectly clear, Jones 61 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: posted a sign on the front door of the studio 62 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: warning the artists to quote check your egos at the door. Thankfully, 63 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: most of the singers did just that. They knocked out 64 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: their performances, sometimes in a single tank, and left with 65 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: their egos intact. No one even objected to crediting the 66 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 1: song to a supergroup rather than to individual artists. As 67 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: a result, the song was attributed to USA for Africa, 68 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: which stood for United Support of Artists for Africa. It 69 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 1: was certainly more practical than listing everyone who had contributed vocals. 70 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: For example, here are just the stars who sang solos 71 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: on the track. Lionel, Ritchie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, 72 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: James Ingram, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, 73 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, al Jero, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, 74 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cindy Lauper and Kim Carnes, 75 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: Bob Dylan and Ray Charles also sang backup, and many 76 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: other artists lent their voices to the song's chorus, including 77 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: Bett Midler, Smokey Robinson, the Pointer Sisters, and Harry Belafonte. 78 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: Even comedy actor dan Ackroyd was featured in the chorus 79 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: as a kind of representative of the movie industry, but 80 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: since he was one of the Blues Brothers, I guess 81 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 1: it kind of makes sense. In a testament to the 82 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: talent involved, The entire project, from conception to recording, was 83 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: finished in just over a month. The resulting single was 84 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: released on March seventh, nineteen eighty five, and went on 85 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: to become one of the best selling records of the year. 86 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: We Are the World was also promoted with a music video, 87 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: a VHS tape, and loads of other products, including books, buttons, posters, 88 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: and T shirts. The proceeds from those sales amounted to 89 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: over sixty million dollars, all of which was later distributed 90 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: to Ethiopia, Sudan and other impoverished nations. Although it wasn't 91 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: a hit with critics, the song was also recognized with 92 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: several awards, including Grammys for both Song of the Year 93 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: and Record of the Year. The song was dismissed by 94 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: some as hokey and self indulgent, but its simple message 95 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: of unity still managed to strike a chord with many listeners. 96 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: Radio stations across the US were flooded with requests to 97 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: play the song again and again. That was no less 98 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: true in Rome, Georgia, which was actually home to two 99 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: radio stations, w ro O m AM and w kcx FM. 100 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: On March eighteenth, both Rome stations inadvertently played We Are 101 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: the World at the exact same time their respective DJ's, 102 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: Bob Wolf and Don Briskar, were so amused by the 103 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: happenstance that two days later they convinced more than two 104 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: hundred others stations in the South to play the song 105 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: at the same time. Among the participants was Jim Michelson, 106 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: the program director of kza N in Ogden, Utah. He 107 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: had already started floating the idea of a global broadcast 108 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: and quickly teamed up with Wolf and Briskar to make 109 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: his dream a reality. The whole reason why we want 110 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: this done, Mickelson told the press, is to expose as 111 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: many people as possible, not only in the United States, 112 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: but across the globe, and hopefully it'll stir their emotions 113 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: and bring to light the fact that there is a 114 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: problem of hunger, both in Ethiopia and here in the 115 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: United States. The radio industry and the radio medium is 116 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: very powerful and we want to do our part. By 117 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: the time of the Good Friday broadcast, stations in more 118 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: than twenty five countries had agreed to participate. The cable 119 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: channel MTV also joined in, as did many stations on 120 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: the Voice of America and Armed Services radio networks. More surprisingly, 121 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: the song was also broadcast by Muzach, a company which 122 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: supplied instrumental background music to one hundred and ten thousand offices, shops, 123 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: and factories across the US. Musach had only broadcast the 124 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: sound of a human voice one time before, when it 125 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: announced the release of American hostages from Iran in nineteen 126 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: eighty one. Company spokesman Charles Furlong commented on the decision 127 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: to play the charity song, saying quote, we saw this 128 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: as a way to double or triple the number of 129 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: people it can reach. He wasn't just blowing smoke either. 130 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: At the time, Muzak's broadcasts reached roughly eighty million Americans 131 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: each day. The worldwide broadcast was heavily promoted ahead of 132 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: the event, causing many people to clear their schedules so 133 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: they could tune in. President Ronald Reagan was airborne when 134 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: the big moment came, but at his request, the song 135 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: was still played through the radio on Air Force One. Meanwhile, 136 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: back on the ground, some radio stations encouraged listeners to 137 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: gather in public while the song played. In Richmond, Virginia, 138 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: nearly a thousand people turned out to hear the song 139 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,319 Speaker 1: broadcast from outside city Hall, and in New York City, 140 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: several hundred people gathered on the steps of Saint Patrick's Cathedral. 141 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: They let out cheers when the song started and sang 142 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: along throughout, even pointing their index fingers to the sky 143 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: during the line we stand together as one. Then when 144 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: the song ended, they kept singing the chorus anyway without 145 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: the music. The simulcast of We Are the World was 146 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: so well received that it was repeated on the next 147 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: Good Friday that saw the more remarkable when you can 148 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: say the song was never intended to have staying power. 149 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: It was written with a specific time and goal in mind, 150 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: but it wound up outliving both. USA for Africa was 151 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: a supergroup turned nonprofit, but it didn't rest on the 152 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: success of We Are the World. Instead, the organization got 153 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: to work on a follow up project for nineteen eighty six. 154 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: It was called Hands Across America, a nationwide event in 155 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: which millions of well meaning people joined hands to form 156 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: a human chain across the country. It was supposed to 157 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: raise awareness of hunger and homelessness, this time not in 158 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: Africa but in the United States. Michael Jackson had continued 159 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: to serve as a board member of USA for Africa, 160 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: and he actually proposed reusing We Are the World as 161 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: the official theme song of Hands Across America. In the end, though, 162 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: the other board members voted down the idea, choosing instead 163 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 1: to create a new song for the event titled What 164 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 1: Else Hands Across America. Jack was so put off by 165 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: that decision that he resigned from the board of directors, 166 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 1: leaving the new song without any superstar recording artists or 167 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: industry names to help sell it. USA for Africa managed 168 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 1: to pull off the event regardless, ultimately raising another forty 169 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:20,359 Speaker 1: million dollars or so to feed the hungry. The organization 170 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: continues to operate today too, nearly forty years later, but 171 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: it's worth noting that it's largely funded by royalties from 172 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: We Are the World, Hands across America not so much. 173 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: I'm Gabelusier and hopefully you now know a little more 174 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. You can learn 175 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: even more about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, 176 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: and Instagram at TDI HC Show, and if you have 177 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 1: any comments or suggestions, you can always send them my 178 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: way by writing to this day at iHeartMedia dot com. 179 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler May's and Ben Hackett for producing the show, 180 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 1: and thanks to you for listening. I'll see you back 181 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: here again tomorrow for another day in history class.