Plans are afoot for a “trendy reimagining” of the 1985 basic “We Are the World” — dubbed “We Are the World NOW” — as a multi-country, stay recording and televised music occasion. Within the phrases of the undertaking’s producer, Jeffrey Weber: “We’re taking “We Are the World NOW” to the world.”
Separate recordings of the tune can be produced in Korea, China, Japan, Australia, England, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and a number of African international locations. Extra international locations could also be introduced later.
The unique 1985 recording of the humanitarian anthem “We Are the World,” by USA for Africa, was designed to alleviate hunger on the African continent. With “We Are the World NOW,” “a proportion of the income from the sale of the recordings and related merchandise can be break up between a famous charity in every nation dedicated to ending world starvation and a third-party charity dedicated to the identical targets on a world foundation,” in response to a press release.
“We Are the World” — co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones — was a world smash in 1985. It topped the Billboard Scorching 100 for 4 weeks and went on to win Grammys for report and tune of the yr. “We Are the World 25″ — a canopy model by one other all-star grouping, Artists for Haiti — reached No. 2 on the Scorching 100 in 2010, although it didn’t have anyplace close to the identical cultural influence as its predecessor. That one was produced by Jones, Richie, RedOne, Mervyn Warren, Patti Austin, Humberto Gatica, Wyclef Jean and Rickey Minor.
Weber says that he has not but linked with Richie, the Jackson property or Jones concerning the undertaking. He wouldn’t want permission, past a obligatory license, to cowl the tune, however provides, “As soon as there’s a broadcaster in place, we must strike a deal for publishing rights to the unique tune with Lionel in addition to the Jackson property if the undertaking had been to be proven on any system that has a visible picture, reminiscent of a DVD, tv, pc display screen, movie show, and many others.”
The undertaking’s creator and government producer is Sunny Ogbamichael, a Korean entrepreneur. “By no means earlier than in our historical past are we, as a individuals, extra divided on so many ranges,” she stated in a press release. “We’re divided socially, economically, racially, religiously and politically. In what I hope can be a unifying effort, we’re producing reimagined and modernized variations of the tune, ‘We Are the World,’ in over a dozen international locations, whereas aligning with indigenous charity companions devoted to ending world starvation.”
Pre-production is ready to start on July 1, at which period Weber will begin to collect musicians and singers from every nation. The primary recording session is anticipated to be in Seoul, South Korea within the first quarter of 2024.
Every nation’s session can be recorded stay, however not on the identical day.
Weber says the “We Are the World NOW” stay occasion sequence can be recorded in over a dozen international locations: “We’re assembling the best native arrangers, musicians and vocalists in every nation to report up to date variations of the tune within the language of every nation and incorporating the indigenous devices of every nation. The undertaking can be recorded stay, in world-class studios in every nation.”
To help the assorted arrangers in every nation, Weber will initially report a contemporary tackle the unique tune that may be augmented by the arrangers in every nation or used for example for every nation’s chosen arranger to create their very own association. Weber’s recording will characteristic a band that Weber has assembled, together with Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr), Matt Bissonette (Elton John), Tariqh Akoni (Josh Groban), Dapo Torimiro (John Legend) and Troy Laureta (Ariana Grande). The tune will even characteristic rappers, together with Prodigal Sunn (Wu-Tang Clan, Sunz of Man) and Anacron.
“I anticipate that every nation’s arranger could have a unique method to what a contemporary model of the tune can be,” says Weber. “I’m going to go away the association as much as every arranger, however if you add the indigenous devices to the combo, it guarantees to be attention-grabbing, no less than. I do anticipate rap to be part of a few of the variations. We can be doing a symphonic model of [the arrangement] in China which can be organized and performed by Christina Liang.”
Weber has labored as a live performance, occasion and music pageant producer and has additionally produced a whole bunch of albums. He teamed with Morgan Ames to provide the album Diane Schuur and the Depend Basie Orchestra, which was a double Grammy winner in 1988 for greatest jazz vocal efficiency, feminine (for Diane Schuur) and greatest instrumental association accompanying vocals (for arranger Frank Foster).
Grammy and Emmy-winning engineer, Clark Germain, will report and blend the whole undertaking. Germain gained a Grammy in 2004 for greatest jazz instrumental album, particular person or group for his work on Wayne Shorter’s Alegría. He gained an Emmy in 2017 as a scoring mixer on Amazon’s Mozart within the Jungle, which was awarded excellent sound mixing for a comedy or drama sequence (half-hour) and animation.
Broadcast and distribution companions for “We Are the World NOW” have but to be finalized.
