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Why was Madonna not in "We are the world"?


Guest jamesshot

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Guest Pud Whacker
:thumbsup: That's right---in my opinion, Madonna's involvment would have overshadowed the whole project :-)

reason number 54 why they didnt invite her. they were so jaded.

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Guest valhum
:thumbsup: That's right---in my opinion, Madonna's involvment would have overshadowed the whole project :-)

Agree with this one too.

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I have heard everything from "she wasn't invited" to "she turned the offer to appear on the song down flat".

Anyone know for sure?

maybe her ego said no!?

besides wasn't cyndi lauper asked instead??

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her and cyndi had the same amount of hits and time in the public eye.

Cyndi was bigger in the UK before 85. It was only as LAV took off here that M became big and Cyndi's fame waned. Borderline didn't chart so she did seem a one hit wonder. So, to me it would have been no surprise to see Cyndi on the single but not Madge although I remember being disappointed by the time it was released as M seemed the biggest thing in the world by April!

*clutches Crazy For You shaped picture disc*

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Guest jamesshot
the producers didnt want her there. the dude was saying, "shes only a dancer" and dick clark fought long and hard to get her on there. and thank god he did. another example of when she left her contemporaries in the dust.

it was at that moment when the disco tart turned into a stadium rock star. after getting a taste of that audience, her next tour was done at stadiums.

Dick Clark saw the potential in her. He has always been one of her best advocates. Thank God for Dick! ( In more ways than one)

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Guest Pud Whacker
Cyndi was bigger in the UK before 85. It was only as LAV took off here that M became big and Cyndi's fame waned. Borderline didn't chart so she did seem a one hit wonder. So, to me it would have been no surprise to see Cyndi on the single but not Madge although I remember being disappointed by the time it was released as M seemed the biggest thing in the world by April!

*clutches Crazy For You shaped picture disc*

we are the world was the american version of band aid.

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I have always thought that she wasn´t invited because they thought she was just a one hit wonder.Remember, Cindy was the one that was supposed to be there to last, during the first months of 1985 people thought she was just a beautiful girl that couldn´t even sing the songs...but it would have been great to see her with all the US royalty of the 80s.

And Prince said he was too shy to be there with all these famous people...

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Guest sbloomz
She's the only part of the song that stood out. Everyone else is being so serious and downbeat and depressing and then she comes in. Cyndi is the ONLY reason to ipod the song IMO. The rest of it is an embarrassing collision of 80's egos. Or do you hate her because she was Madge's only true "rival" at the time like you hate Prince for being Michael's rival at the time? LOL

Do They Know It's Christmas shits on We Are The World, but Cyndi alone makes WATW listenable, at least for those ten seconds.

We Are the World is a much better song musically and lyrically than Do you Know it's christmas. Critics in general agreed, a quote from Robert Christagu - 'We Are the World" is a good (maybe great) record where Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was a bad (or terrible) one'. And it has much better singers.

And for people calling it shit, Madonna couldn't write a melody as good.

Madonna wasn't invited because she wasn't that big and because of material girl. A singer with a hit song glorifying vanity and commerialism is not a good image for a charity single aiming to raise money for famine relief.

And Cyndi Lauper was good but Steve Perry, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Sprngstein, and a few others were better.

Edited by sbloomz
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Guest ursaminorjim
We Are the World is a much better song musically and lyrically than Do you Know it's christmas. Critics in general agreed. And it has much better singers.

And for people calling it shit, Madonna couldn't write a melody as good.

Madonna wasn't invited because she wasn't that big and because of material girl. A singer with a hit song glorifying vanity and commerialism is not a good image for a charity single aiming to raise money for famine relief.

:blink:

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And YES, she was invited!!

It was widely reported back in 1985 that she was *not* invited. The "notable absences" were Prince and Madonna. Prince got drunk somewhere between the American Music Awards ceremony and the recording studio (this did *not* go down well at all) and Madonna simply wasn't invited, which was seen as a huge snub back in the day. The question was asked quite loudly because at the time, she had the biggest selling album and single in the world, so it was odd that she wasn't there.

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We Are the World is a much better song musically and lyrically than Do you Know it's christmas. Critics in general agreed, a quote from Robert Christagu - 'We Are the World" is a good (maybe great) record where Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was a bad (or terrible) one'. And it has much better singers.

And for people calling it shit, Madonna couldn't write a melody as good.

Madonna wasn't invited because she wasn't that big and because of material girl. A singer with a hit song glorifying vanity and commerialism is not a good image for a charity single aiming to raise money for famine relief.

And Cyndi Lauper was good but Steve Perry, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Sprngstein, and a few others were better.

"Material Girl" hadn't even been released as a single when they were planning "We Are The World". "Like A Virgin" was still her current single.

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Guest jamesshot
I have always thought that she wasn´t invited because they thought she was just a one hit wonder.Remember, Cindy was the one that was supposed to be there to last, during the first months of 1985 people thought she was just a beautiful girl that couldn´t even sing the songs...but it would have been great to see her with all the US royalty of the 80s.

And Prince said he was too shy to be there with all these famous people...

I do not recall people at that time thinking Madonna couldn't sing. Afterall, she gave a pretty good vocal performance at the VMA's. It was more they thought she was vulgar and going to be a one-hit wonder.

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Back then in early 1985 she was some girl who had turned from underground dance/disco singer to "teen" sensation, better known for a song about feeling like a virgin touched for the very first time, rolling around the floor on stage dressed up like a bride exposing her lingerie and showing off her belly button on a music video.

"Holiday", "Borderline", "Lucky Star" and "Like A Virgin" were big hits under her belt by then, but I guess she wasn't considered "charity single" material by the likes of the ever-so-shy-and-sort-of-a-prude Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.

It's kinda like being surprised if Bono wouldn't invite Lady GaGa for a charity single now.

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Personally, I'm glad M didn't do it. Yes, I guess it's something nice to say you were a part of, but when you look at it without nostaglia (which is what most of us look at it with, we were kids when it was out), it's truly the worst in 80's excess and ego. With Michael, Stevie, Springsteen, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Lindsey Buckingham, Dylan, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Cyndi and a handful of other, the project was loaded with a lot of unparalleled talent and should've been one of the best songs ever recorded just from all the names involved, but yet the final song couldn't have been more bland. I blame a lot of this on Lionel Richie being the co-songwriter. He had a few catchy songs in the day, but when you consider USA For Africa consisted of a few of America's all-time greatest living songwriters (Dylan!!! Simon!!! Springsteen!!! Stevie Wonder!!! Billy Joel!!!!), you wonder why MJ chose him to be the main collaborator instead. I know Lionel was red-hot in 84-85, but damn, he probably played a big part in making the song shit. Also, with all the talent involved, only Cyndi and Springsteen really got a chance to show off why audiences loved them, everyone else seemed to be so tiresome with the recording and it's probably because it was recorded so late at night.

It's good M and Prince (who did add "4 The Tears In Your Eyes" to the album) steered clear of the sessions because they sadly too wouldn't probably gotten lost in the blandness of it all.

As far as I know, MJ was the one who wrote the song and Lionel just changed a few bits here and there. It really sounds like something he'd do, no? Heal The World springs to mind...

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Guest bluejean

I really doubt she was asked but turned it down. At this early stage in her career surely Madonna would have jumped at the chance to sing on a charity single with Michael Jackson and the rest of them.

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As far as I know, MJ was the one who wrote the song and Lionel just changed a few bits here and there. It really sounds like something he'd do, no? Heal The World springs to mind...

the spanish King of pop has We are the world only sang by him, it´s quite strange

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Guest nothingfails0603
Back then in early 1985 she was some girl who had turned from underground dance/disco singer to "teen" sensation, better known for a song about feeling like a virgin touched for the very first time, rolling around the floor on stage dressed up like a bride exposing her lingerie and showing off her belly button on a music video.

"Holiday", "Borderline", "Lucky Star" and "Like A Virgin" were big hits under her belt by then, but I guess she wasn't considered "charity single" material by the likes of the ever-so-shy-and-sort-of-a-prude Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.

It's kinda like being surprised if Bono wouldn't invite Lady GaGa for a charity single now.

true, but explain why Cyndi was invited? At this point in their careers, they were pretty much equals (tho Madonna would soon eclipse Cyndi). It would be like Bono snubbing Gaga but giving Katy Perry a spot.

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NOT to worry, she was to make her own trash song 20 years later! :clap:

Hey you, it's not so bad...

:lol: The worst of her career :lol:

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we are the world was the american version of band aid.

I have absolutely no idea what point you are trying to make there, matey. I am well aware that WATW was the American Version of Band Aid but why did you highlight the bit about Cyndi?

Honestly, I am clueless.

Looking at the list of those that took part, it really was adult MORsville. What about all those other top pop acts of the time? Rocksteady Crew, Maria Vidal, Animotion, Nu Shooz. Where were they too? Yes, they missed a lot of ground breaking artists in favour of the middle of the road mob.

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Guest Pud Whacker
I have absolutely no idea what point you are trying to make there, matey. I am well aware that WATW was the American Version of Band Aid but why did you highlight the bit about Cyndi?

Honestly, I am clueless.

Looking at the list of those that took part, it really was adult MORsville. What about all those other top pop acts of the time? Rocksteady Crew, Maria Vidal, Animotion, Nu Shooz. Where were they too? Yes, they missed a lot of ground breaking artists in favour of the middle of the road mob.

i think cause you said cyndi was bigger than madonna in 85. that didnt matter here in america.

i hate we are the world. i love band aid. :thumbsup:

as a child i was much more attracted to the english acts than american. BOY GEORGE!!!

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Why people keep comparing current Lady Gaga's success to that of Madonna in 1984. I think Madonna and Cindy were much ahead of the current Gaga's level by then. Maybe in 1983, not in 1984

I agree. In fact, I'd think Lady Ga Ga has made a much more quick impact than Madonna when it comes to first coming on the scene. Madonna's first album took a while to take off. LADY GA GA's album had a buzz months before the album was released and "Just Dance" was a big contributor.

If I was going to make any comparisons it would be that Lady Ga Ga is much more comparable to Cyndi Lauper than Madonna. Cyndi was much more eccentric with her look, style and music. I think the same of Lady Ga Ga. Also, Cyndi had a string of hits from her debut album like Lady Ga Ga.

Does that mean she will take on the world like Madonna did?? Nope!! Cyndi had a great start and stayed popular for much of the mid 80's. But her appeal started to wear off while Madonna's kept growing.

So I cannot compare Lady Ga Ga to Madonna. Give Lady Ga Ga a decade and see where she goes. If she continues to succeed with future albums, then we can talk. But she's going to have to evolve and not do the same shtick or she'll no longer interest people. She's got a great start though. I wish her luck and I love most of her songs.

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Guest nothingfails0603
I agree. In fact, I'd think Lady Ga Ga has made a much more quick impact than Madonna when it comes to first coming on the scene. Madonna's first album took a while to take off. LADY GA GA's album had a buzz months before the album was released and "Just Dance" was a big contributor.

If I was going to make any comparisons it would be that Lady Ga Ga is much more comparable to Cyndi Lauper than Madonna. Cyndi was much more eccentric with her look, style and music. I think the same of Lady Ga Ga. Also, Cyndi had a string of hits from her debut album like Lady Ga Ga.

Does that mean she will take on the world like Madonna did?? Nope!! Cyndi had a great start and stayed popular for much of the mid 80's. But her appeal started to wear off while Madonna's kept growing.

So I cannot compare Lady Ga Ga to Madonna. Give Lady Ga Ga a decade and see where she goes. If she continues to succeed with future albums, then we can talk. But she's going to have to evolve and not do the same shtick or she'll no longer interest people. She's got a great start though. I wish her luck and I love most of her songs.

Gaga's success wasn't out of the box tho. Just Dance was released in April of 2008 and was a dance hit that came and went six months before "straight people" jumped onboard. Granted, she still rose to fame faster than Madonna did, but she wasn't some Britney or Mariah type who was at #1 less than three months after the first song hit.

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