jonski43 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 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. as a child i was much more attracted to the english acts than american. BOY GEORGE!!! I said Cyndi was bigger in the UK pre 85 so I could understand why she was picked. Madonna might have looked like a Cyndi clone with the punky outfits. As it happens, Cyndi Lauper's career nosedived very quickly in the UK. I think she only had a couple of hits. True Colours didn't go Top 40 and she never really bothered the charts again. 85 Madonna went stratospheric in the UK with 8 top five hits so I was disappointed she didn't make WATW but in hindsight, it isn't really her thing. Then again, if I had the choice between her singing on WATW or singing Imagine and Hey You! I would pick WATW every time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Pain Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Maybe she weren't the world? :rotfl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest joliepast Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 hey good point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Yeah, apart from the lyrics. "Well, tonight thank God it's them insteeeeead of yooooooou..." Do They Know Its Christmas is the worst song ever. I even parodied the fucking thing and that takes effort. Neut - you are seriously the bigggest cry baby of this board. get a grip babe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddysMuff Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Yeah, I don't understand how "Do They Know It's Christmas" is any better than "We Are the World". Both are god awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afrolito Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 The snobs need to stop. Both songs are abominations, with Do they know it's christmas? having a slight lead in shittiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IJustFuctMadonna Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Years later, people will look at that 1980s let's get together and save the fucking world by recording a fucking song shit and Madonna's lack of participation will be seen as revolutionary. She was ahead of her time by not being a part of that sludge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pud Whacker Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Yeah, I don't understand how "Do They Know It's Christmas" is any better than "We Are the World". Both are god awful. boy george and marilyn. that was all i needed in 1984 - with madonna, of course. boys voice and marilyn walking in with a fur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jamesshot Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I mean, really. "Do they know it's Christmas"........What? A lot of them aren't even Christians. LOL. It was audacity at it's most glorious. Only the English..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etips Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I like "We Are the World" twice as much as I do "Do They Know It's Christmas." WATW may be corny, but DTKIC is corny, weird...and seasonal. But anyway, I always assumed that Madonna just wasn't asked to participate; either because they didn't take her seriously enough to invite (I notice Cher wasn't there either, maybe they thought women with trampy images would hurt the wholesomeness of the song)...or because she hadn't made enough of a commercial impact by the time the whole thing was being planned and it just slipped their mind to ask her. Either way, with her becoming one of the biggest recording stars of that same year, her absence makes WATW seem less thorough. At any rate, getting together in a room with Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, Harry Belafonte, Huey Lewis and the Pointer Sisters to lend her vocals to a 'star-studded' charity song doesn't seem like something Madonna would do anyway, not even back then. She'd just write a check to the charity sponsoring it and be done with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky guy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I don't really know WATW that much, and I don't really want to after hearing the chorus. DTKIC? is shit too, but it's ALL about Bananarama showing up in shit clothes because they didn't know it was being filmed and just generally coming over as totally uninterested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laisla Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 madonna is special person i am glad that she was not in WATW in 1985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyHigh76 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I guess they couldn't invite everybody.There's alot of big name artists who weren't a part of it.. Aretha Franklin---The Queen of Soul James Brown Donna Summer---It's odd that she wasn't invited,since Quincy Jones produced an album for her just a few years earlier.One of the songs from that album--"State Of Independence",with its all-star choir--inspired "We Are The World". Pat Benatar---at the time,she was one of the biggest female pop/rock artists Cher Mick Jagger---A year earlier,he recorded a duet with Michael ("State Of Shock") so he was obviously friends with Michael. Patti LaBelle Luther Vandross---by 1985,he was the king of R&B. I guess they decided on a specific number of artists and once they agreed to do it,there wasn't any more room to invite others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jamesshot Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 So 4 pages and we are still no closer to finding out if M was asked or wasn't asked or turned it down. Sheesh. Alot of good you loons are! Someone tweet Guy O. Dammit. We need to know this before we can move forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBrightside Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 She wasn't invited it was reported at the time .. she was big but not thought " credible " to MJ /Ritchie .. at the time there was a vindication feeling when Crazy For You knocked it out of #1 ... see i'm old ( i remember this) facts are not from WIKI. LOL as for the rest of this thread to the this day Do they Know its Christmas is one of my fave songs ever ... maybe its US thing or an age thing .. but that song its Christmas classic !!! to this day I watch the the making of DTKIC EVERY CHRISTMAS since 1984! its a crowd pleaser its like saying you hate 'Let It Be' ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Vavance Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Let's make the world go round is a better song, than both of these pieces of shit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glittercandy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Aside from Band-Aid and Usa for Africa, the heavy metal bands made Hear N Aid, a song called "we're stars" for africa. Worst thing ever-hilarious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s@ndz Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I guess they couldn't invite everybody.There's alot of big name artists who weren't a part of it.. Aretha Franklin---The Queen of Soul James Brown Donna Summer---It's odd that she wasn't invited,since Quincy Jones produced an album for her just a few years earlier.One of the songs from that album--"State Of Independence",with its all-star choir--inspired "We Are The World". Pat Benatar---at the time,she was one of the biggest female pop/rock artists Cher Mick Jagger---A year earlier,he recorded a duet with Michael ("State Of Shock") so he was obviously friends with Michael. Patti LaBelle Luther Vandross---by 1985,he was the king of R&B. I guess they decided on a specific number of artists and once they agreed to do it,there wasn't any more room to invite others? You forgot the BIGGEST, grandest female recording star EVER prior to the advent of Madonna: BARBRA STREISAND. Well, I guess it was understandable why she wasn't there: She was/is TOO grand and too much of a diva to mesh with everyone; the next thing they'd know, she'd be telling MJ or anyone involved what to do and how to sing their parts. lol (* btw, why do people keep on thinking that Cher was ever a huge recording star? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ursaminorjim Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (* btw, why do people keep on thinking that Cher was ever a huge recording star? ) Because at various moments throughtout her career, she has been! Obviously, she doesn't shift huge amounts of records in the grand scheme, but when she does have a hit, it tends to be enormous and omnipresent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loomer Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Aside from Band-Aid and Usa for Africa, the heavy metal bands made Hear N Aid, a song called "we're stars" for africa. Worst thing ever-hilarious. That HAS to be a pisstake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoyToy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 she was too busy shaving her armpits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanster Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Someone tweet Guy O. Dammit. We need to know this before we can move forward. good idea! but either way surely by now it would have been well documented? talking of managers...Freddy DeMann would have been hers? had he long gone by then from being MJ's?? did he and MJ camp part amicably i wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanster Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 ^^ re being reported either way.... only reference able to find via wikipedia, so hardly 100%.... "Madonna was asked to take part, but she declined because of commitments for tour preparations." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s@ndz Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Because at various moments throughtout her career, she has been! Obviously, she doesn't shift huge amounts of records in the grand scheme, but when she does have a hit, it tends to be enormous and omnipresent. And those moments would be... a moment. I think ONLY Believe fits the "enormous" or "omnipresent" bill. I don't know if any of us here was around to know if "I Got You Babe" or "Gypsies.." were. And I doubt they were enormous. Same, I think, of her other supposed "hits". I heard a lot of "After All" on radio here in our country but I think it was only Top 10 in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carta Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 As has been stated by several people, Madonna was simply not asked to participate. It was widely reported at the time and it was seen as a snub. Cyndi was much bigger than Madonna throughout 1984 - she four Top 5 singles (#2, #1, #3 and #5) and a #4 album, whereas in the same period, Madonna had peaked at #16, #10 and #4 (with her first #1 to follow just a couple of weeks later) and had a #8 album. Cyndi had also just been nominated for a Grammy when WATW was recorded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyHigh76 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Even if she wasn't invited,I don't see that as being a "snub".As I said earlier,there are ALOT of major artists who weren't asked.They couldn't invite everybody! Pat Benatar,Debbie Harry,Donna Summer,Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin weren't there,and some of these ladies were more popular than the artists who DID appear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapple Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 it wasnt even michaels idea even though sharpton says it was... Harry Belafonte originally wanted to put together a benefit concert featuring black musicians to raise money for Africa. Ken Kragen (who became president of the originization United Support of Artists for Afica) thought an American version of "Band Aid" would be a better idea. Ken Kragen is an owner of a personal management and television production company. One of his clients was Lionel Ritchie, so he called him with the idea. Lionel's wife talked to Steve Wonder's wife and arranged to line him up for the song. Quicy Jones was lined up as the producer, and Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie were the song writers. The recording took place on the night of the American Music Awards, January 28th, 1985. This was the perfect way to assure that most of the artists would all be free on a single date. The instrumental tracks were recorded ahead of time and sent out to the interested musicians. With each tape, he sent a letter that stated they should "check their ego at the door." When they arrived in the studio, there was a piece of tape on the floor for each person to stand on, arranged around six microphones in a semi-circle. 800,000 copies arrived in stores on Tuesday, March 7th 1985. There were sold out by the first weekend. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 on March 23rd, at number 21. At the time it was the highest debuting single since John Lennon's "Imagine" and was number one in three weeks, which at the time was the fastest rising chart-topper since Elton John's "Island Girl" in 1975. It was the eighth consecutive year the Lionel Ritchie had written a number one song. It won Grammys in 1985 for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Dan Aykroyd also sings on We Are the World. You can see him in the top row in the video. Dan Aykroyd was in the Blues Brothers was a band before it was a SNL sketch (and then a movie), hence he was a musician. VH-1's "Pop-Up Video" states he's there to represent the American film industry, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapple Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 more info... This was a benefit single for victims of famine in Africa. It raised over $60 Million, which was distributed to Ethiopia, Sudan, and other impoverished countries. Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote this song. It was produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian. Jones produced Jackson's Thriller album, and Omartian had worked on many hit songs, including Sailing and "She Works Hard For The Money." This was inspired by Band Aid, the British group Bob Geldof put together the year before to record "Do They Know It's Christmas." Members of Band Aid included Bono, Phil Collins, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Sting. The single raised about $8 Million for famine relief. The project began as an idea Calypso singer Harry Belafonte had for a benefit concert featuring black musicians. Lionel Richie's manager, Ken Kragen, liked the idea of releasing a single and contacted Richie about the project, who agreed to help. After Belafonte and Richie, Stevie Wonder was the first star to agree to the project. From there, word got out and many members of the music industry signed on to help. This was recorded on January 28, 1985, the day of the American Music Awards. Since the artists were all in town for the awards, it was much easier to get them together to record the single. Taping was stopped when musicians complained about Cyndi Lauper making an "annoying noise" - her bracelets were rattling next to the microphone as she was singing. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL) Quincy Jones was responsible for managing the egos of all the stars. It went very smoothly considering some very famous people did not get to sing a line. Most of the singers knew Jones personally and respected his wishes that they check their egos at the door. Before the session began, Jones decided where everyone would stand. He put tape on the floor with each singer's name on it. Dan Aykroyd was in the chorus. He was a singer in the fictional band The Blues Brothers, but was invited to represent the movie industry. This won Grammys for Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year. The single exceeded expectations in terms of sales. 800,000 copies were originally shipped, and they sold out the first weekend. The recording session took 12 hours. Many of the artists exchanged autographs. As the music world came together in the spirit of giving, Bob Geldof organized Live Aid later that year. Live Aid was a benefit concert held simultaneously in Philadelphia and London. At the Philadelphia concert, Lionel Richie came out and led a performance of this as the last song of the show. Billy Joel (from Rolling Stone magazine, December 15, 2005): "Most of us who were there didn't like the song, but nobody would say so. I think Cyndi Lauper leaned over to me and said, 'It sounds like a Pepsi commercial.' And I didn't disagree." John Oates said of his memories of recording this: "It was really interesting and unique. Who knows, it may never happen again in history. You have some of the world's greatest singers in one room. We ran the song down once. The next thing you knew they ran the tape back and it was goosebump time. It was an amazing experience." (Courtesy: www.escape.com/~rockon/hall.html. Thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England) In his verse Willie Nelson misquotes the bible when he sings "As God has shown us by turning stones to bread." Matthew 4 tells us that the devil tried to get Jesus to turn some stones into bread, but the Son of God refused, saying, "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carta Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Even if she wasn't invited,I don't see that as being a "snub".As I said earlier,there are ALOT of major artists who weren't asked.They couldn't invite everybody! Pat Benatar,Debbie Harry,Donna Summer,Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin weren't there,and some of these ladies were more popular than the artists who DID appear. True, but at the time, it was considered a snub by the press, because Madonna was huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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