This Netflix documentary is an interesting look at the making of "We Are The World," the USA for Africa song designed to help ease the famine in Ethiopia.

Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins and a few of the behind the scenes folks provide the commentary.

Well worth the time if you remember that era, and perhaps even if you don't. My main takeaways:

* The filmmaker kinda throws Waylon Jennings and Al Jarreau (both now deceased) under the bus, for different reasons. A little unfortunate but I suppose you have to have the bad with the good.

* America had some pretty powerful pop stars during the '80s. Amazing that they all came together like that but when Quincy Jones or Michael Jackson called, you answered. I'm not sure you could pull that off today.

* It's not mentioned in the documentary, but Tom Bahler, who had the task of choosing which vocalists sang what lines, was one of the vocal arrangers and voices behind the Partridge Family as a member of the Ron Hicklin Singers.

* Even big-time singers get nervous in front of their peers.

I had forgotten radio stations played the song at the same time. It was such a a huge event. I was in the middle of being a student at A&M. The only way to access music was radio stations and MTV. The biggest stars of the time. Michael Jackson story with the snake is hilarious. Huey Lewis is so down to Earth. Too bad Prince didn't make it. He was definitely a strange genius.

Although we'd seen a lot of the footage over the years, there was some fun new stuff shown.
Things we noted -
MJ came off looking good - skipped award show, got there early to make sure they got it right.
Diana Ross came out looking great - not at all the diva you would expect.
Bob Dylan can't sing and even he knows it.
Stevie Wonder sings Bob Dylan better than Bob Dylan.
The room was in awe of Steve Perry's voice.
They totally used Sheila E to get to Prince but it didn't work.
Wondered it 40 years ago and still wonder now - what the heck was Dan Aykroyd doing there?
Even the biggest stars in music need bathroom breaks.

"Michael Jackson story with the snake is hilarious"

"I've seen this horror movie and it's not good for the brother ".....

Big Al 1992 said:

---

Although we'd seen a lot of the footage over the years, there was some fun new stuff shown.
Things we noted -
MJ came off looking good - skipped award show, got there early to make sure they got it right.
Diana Ross came out looking great - not at all the diva you would expect.
Bob Dylan can't sing and even he knows it.
Stevie Wonder sings Bob Dylan better than Bob Dylan.
The room was in awe of Steve Perry's voice.
They totally used Sheila E to get to Prince but it didn't work.
Wondered it 40 years ago and still wonder now - what the heck was Dan Aykroyd doing there?
Even the biggest stars in music need bathroom breaks.

---

Do you even Blues Brothers, bro?

Cyndi Lauper showed she can sing with the best of them.

Prince confirmed Prince is about Prince.

Just finished it and thought Aykroyd there was odd too, and even odder that he is listed as an artist in the end credits. So I looked it up and he was just there by accident:

Quote:

---

"My father and I were interviewing business managers in LA, and we walked into this office of a talent manager, and realized we were in the wrong place. I was looking for a money manager, not a talent manager. I had managed myself at that time and always have. But he said, 'So long as you are here, would you like to come and join this 'We Are the World' thing?' I thought, how do I fit in here? Well, we did sell a few million records with the Blues Brothers and, in my other persona, I am a musician, so I showed up and was a part of it, but it was totally by accident."

---

It way better than the "ain't gonna play Sun Citaaaay" crap song

I liked when Paul Simon saw all the talent in the room and said "if a bomb drops on this place John Denver is back on top."

Watched this yesterday and loved it. Engrossing from beginning to end.

I was shocked to see Waylon there. And then they explained why no one knew he was ever involved. The look on his face when he bailed was priceless.

Sheila E. was one of the most talented people in that room. Too bad she got used that way.

A guitar solo by Prince would have improved that song.

A lot of various takes can be found online, so I'm glad they focused more on the stories, and they got a lot of them.

I thought they did it the next day and not in one night right after the AMA's. This was their after party.

I had never heard about Stevie's "Swahili" idea that probably took them off track for over an hour.

Madonna is mentioned briefly and there are rumors about why she wasn't there, but I wished they had included an "official" reason. Was she not invited? Was she on tour? Did she turn it down?

And the 80's are known for its "me" greedy generation. Hard to imagine today's pop stars doing something like this.

Well worth the time even if you weren't around back then.

The only thing that has ever come close to We are the World.

Watched this yesterday and it was outstanding.

No way this could ever get done today. One thing about the footage that stood out was the fact that nobody was on their phones and there was no distractions and no leaks., otherwise it would have never got done in the time allowed.

Waylon Jennings refusing to entertain the idea of singing Swahili and peacing out was hilarious.

Bob Dylan so uncomfortable he looks like he's about to off himself but gets it done.

The fact that Prince is invited and doesn't show up. Also the deal about Sheila E being used just to get to Prince.

Amazing they were able to pull all this off in the time allowed.

No better example of group dynamics than the cluster f of Stevie Wonder trying to inject Swahili into the song.

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

---

Watched this yesterday and it was outstanding.

No way this could ever get done today. One thing about the footage that stood out was the fact that nobody was on their phones and there was no distractions and no leaks., otherwise it would have never got done in the time allowed.

Waylon Jennings refusing to entertain the idea of singing Swahili and peacing out was hilarious.

Bob Dylan so uncomfortable he looks like he's about to off himself but gets it done.

The fact that Prince is invited and doesn't show up. Also the deal about Sheila E being used just to get to Prince.

Amazing they were able to pull all this off in the time allowed.

No better example of group dynamics than the cluster f of Stevie Wonder trying to inject Swahili into the song.

---

Were you expecting something different in a video from 1985?

Saying no way it gets done in 2024. Would have been immediately leaked plus the distraction of phones.

I still prefer "Do they Know it's Christmas?" by Band Aid.

EclipseAg said:

---

Prosperdick said:

---

I liked when Paul Simon saw all the talent in the room and said "if a bomb drops on this place John Denver is back on top."

---

That line has been attributed to other folks as well, but whoever said it was throwing salt on the wound, because Denver -- who was a big advocate for ending hunger -- wanted to participate but was turned down by Ken Kragen.

According to Kragen, some people involved in the project worried that Denver's participation would hurt the song's credibility as a pop/rock anthem since his career was in decline and his image was too folksy.

---

That doesn't make any sense to me. As if someone is going to listen to the song and say "Wow what a great song, except for that John Denver guy is in it."

Was a great documentary and amazing that all that B-roll footage had been sitting somewhere for decades.

And lol at the camera guy that thought it was a paid gig the whole time, but at the end of the day didn't care when found out it was all volunteer.

Also the lengths they went to keep the studio confidential pointing out that if all these people showed up and it was a **** show outside they would bail.

It'd be fun to think what an all star group of Americans would look like today.

Tailgate88 said:

---

EclipseAg said:

---

Prosperdick said:

---

I liked when Paul Simon saw all the talent in the room and said "if a bomb drops on this place John Denver is back on top."

---

That line has been attributed to other folks as well, but whoever said it was throwing salt on the wound, because Denver -- who was a big advocate for ending hunger -- wanted to participate but was turned down by Ken Kragen.

According to Kragen, some people involved in the project worried that Denver's participation would hurt the song's credibility as a pop/rock anthem since his career was in decline and his image was too folksy.

---

That doesn't make any sense to me. As if someone is going to listen to the song and say "Wow what a great song, except for that John Denver guy is in it."

---

At the time, John Denver, Barry Manilow, the BeeGees, and others were the butt of jokes. That's no longer true today for the most part.

We watched it on Friday night and I was thinking about Willie's lines as I was singing it to myself on Saturday morning and thought, "Wait a second, God never turns a stone into bread in the Bible." Just a public service announcement that you shouldn't get your bible info from Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, nor Willie Nelson.

Y'all right, the guy that did the vocal arrangements was a true genius.