We Are the World: Difference between revisions

 

==Recording==

 

The first night of recording, January 22, 1985, had tight security on hand, as Richie, Jackson, Wonder, and Jones started work on "We Are the World" at Kenny Rogers' [[Lion Share Studios|Lion Share Recording Studio]]. The studio, on [[Beverly Boulevard]] in Los Angeles, was filled with session musicians, technicians, video crews, [[retinue]], assistants, and organizers as the celebrity musicians entered. Jones hired session musicians to lay down the backing tracks: [[John Robinson (drummer)|John "JR" Robinson]] on drums, [[Louis Johnson (bassist)|Louis Johnson]] on bass, and pianist [[Greg Phillinganes]]. (These three first played together on "[[Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough]]" produced by Jones for Jackson.) Richie sat down at the piano to teach everyone the song. When it was time to roll tape, Robinson cleared the room of non-musicians, and the backing tracks were recorded.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://slapklatz.com/endorsers/john-jr-robinson/stories-behind-the-biggest-hits/ |title=Behind 10 of JR's biggest hits |author=Gunnar "funkpost" Kristiansen |date=November 16, 2017 |website=SlapKlatz |access-date=July 15, 2020}}</ref> After this, a vocal guide of "We Are the World" was recorded by Richie and Jackson, mixed with the instrumental tracks, and duplicated on tape for each of the invited performers. The guide was recorded on the sixth [[take]], as Jones felt that there was too much "thought" in the previous versions.<ref name="breskin 2">Breskin, p. 2</ref>