'We Are The World 25 for Haiti' Vs. The 1985 Original

By Mike Ryan Posted Feb 16th 2010 03:50PM

On Friday night, during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, a new version of 'We Are the World' was unleashed upon, well, the world, in an effort to raise money for Hatian earthquake relief. The original song, released in 1985, raised money and awareness for humanitarian aid in Africa. That original song went on to become a powerhouse of cultural significance. The new version? The cause is clearly just, but it's significance to popular culture remains to be seen. So, we decided to make a verse by verse comparison for each artist in the original version to those in the remake and see how they match up.

Original Version

New Remake

- Lionel Richie vs. Justin Bieber

Normally, we'd be a bit cynical here -- a 15-year-old teenage Canadian pop star taking over for Richie, who was riding high with 'Can't Slow Down' at the time of the original. But there is something haunting about Bieber's voice opening the song, plus Richie hand-picked Bieber to replace him. We were considering calling this a push until we also remembered Lionel was also directly involved in introducing the world to Nicole Richie.

Advantage: Bieber/2010

- Stevie Wonder vs. Jennifer Hudson

We'd be happy to hear Stevie Wonder sing the phone book, which we hear were actually quite useful back in 1985, so Hudson didn't stand much of a chance here. The Oscar-winning actress uses her "listen to my vocal range" singing voice, which reminds us of her attempt to stand out during Hollywood Week on 'American Idol.' She didn't get the memo that only Cyndi Lauper and Celine Dion were allowed to do that.

Advantage: Wonder/1985

- Paul Simon vs. Jennifer Nettles

Nettles' gritty voice hits the mark. Simon's performance was fine, but it's hard not to think that poor Paul is about to be eaten by a Sasquatch when Kenny Rogers enters the frame.

Advantage: Nettles/2010

- Kenny Rogers vs. Josh Groban

The aforementioned Sasquatch (the white shirt he's wearing doesn't help) lays down some "hey, this is important"-type vocals, while Grobin just sounds like he's singing in his ironic 'I'm F**king Ben Affleck' tone. It's now impossible to distinguish Groban's serious voice from his pretending-to-be-serious voice.

Advantage: Sasquatch/1985

- James Ingram vs. Tony Bennett

The biggest shock in this match-up is that Tony Bennett actually appears in the 2010 version. For that reason alone...

Advantage: Bennett/2010

- Tina Turner and Billy Joel vs. Mary J. Blige

Blige appears ready to attend a 'Watchmen' costume party immediately following the recording session. The interesting thing about Tina Turner, who looks ready to break into 'Private Dancer' right there (and it would have been glorious), is that she hands it off to Billy Joel. It seems an odd pairing until you remember that Turner appeared with Bryan Adams in a duet of 'It's Only Love' on his 'Reckless' album. After Adams, this duet with Joel seems a lot less odd.

Advantage: Turner and Joel/1985

- Michael Jackson vs. Michael Jackson

In the second most odd moment of the new 'We Are the World,' archive footage of Michael Jackson is used from the original -- with his sister, Janet, superimposed on to the screen. It is oddly reminiscent of Jim McMahon in 'The Superbowl Shuffle.' In 1985, Jackson was already starting to look a little different. In 2010, the 1985 version of Michael Jackson is a welcome sight.

Advantage: Jackson/2010

- Diana Ross vs. Barbra Streisand

Now this is interesting: Two dueling divas from, roughly, the same era. Ross makes no attempt to memorize the words, reading from her lyric sheet. Streisand looks way too happy to be there, even though she's probably not happy at all. If this is a true battle of divas, the winner has to be the one acting like a diva.

Advantage: Ross/1985

- Dionne Warwick vs. Miley Cyrus

Warwick, through the Psychics Friends Network, once envisioned that, someday, there would be a man who sang a country hit called 'Achy Breaky Heart.' And, she envisioned, one day, that man's daughter would some day sing her part in this tune.

Advantage: Cyrus/2010

- Willie Nelson vs. Enrique Iglesias

Nelson once sang a duet with Enrique's father Julio called 'To All the Girls I've Loved Before.' That has little to do with this comparison, but the fact that Nelson gave an honest rendition with this man's father on a song with lyrics like, "To all the girls I once caressed/And may I say I've held the best..." speaks volumes.

Advantage: Nelson/1985

- Al Jarreau vs. Jamie Foxx

Jaime Foxx has an Oscar for playing Ray Charles (hold this thought) while Al Jarreau sang the theme song to the Bruce Willis television show 'Moonlighting.'

Advantage: Jarreau/1985

- Bruce Springsteen vs. Wyclef Jean

The Boss, in all of his 'Born in the U.S.A.' glory, overdoes his part to the point where he sounds like he's passing a kidney stone. (Full disclosure: We love Springsteen, just not on this song.) Springsteen is from New Jersey; Jean is from Haiti and sings a lyric in Haitian Creole.

Advantage: Jean/2010

- Kenny Loggins vs. Adam Levine

Neither artist really stands out on their given part, though Loggins did sing the theme song to 'Caddyshack,' so...

Advantage: Loggins/1985

- Steve Perry vs. Pink

Poor Pink. It's not an easy task to take over for the Journey front man who's been immortalized in every karaoke bar in the world. Plus, Perry once sang a duet with Kenny Loggins called 'Don't Fight It' ... and Loggins sang the theme song to 'Caddyshack.'

Advantage: Perry/1985

- Daryl Hall vs. BeBe Winans

Both give soulful renditions. We can't help but think John Oates always got the worst of this Hall & Oates "duo." Name one song that Oates sang. How is this a true duo? John Oates is at the 1985 recording, so why doesn't he get to be front and center with Hall? We feel Hall was in a position to pull some strings for his "partner" and chose not to do so.

Advantage: Winans/2010

- Huey Lewis vs. Usher

Poor Lewis and Usher. They were both given the thankless role of being the warm-up act for human dynamos Cyndi Lauper and Celine Dion, respectively.

Advantage: Push

- Cyndi Lauper vs. Celine Dion

It's shocking how similar these two are in their respective videos. Shocking because, in human history, it's not often these two show up in the same sentence. Both nail the "Whoa, Whoa, whoa!" and both clinch their fists in triumph or, possibly, agony. Dion was given her own room. Lauper was perched between Lewis and Kim Carnes. The look on Carnes' face is priceless. "I have to follow, that?"

Advantage: Lauper/1985

- Kim Carnes vs. Fergie

Just like Huey Lewis and Usher, these two are only here so Lauper and Dion can catch their individual breaths and belt out one more "Yeah!"

Advantage: Lauper and Dion

- Bob Dylan vs. Lil Wayne

The biggest surprise when comparing these two versions is that Dylan and Lil Wayne sound eerily similar. But Dylan didn't need an electronic voice manipulator.

Advantage: Dylan/1985

- Ray Charles vs. LL Cool J., Will.i.am, Snoop Dog, Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz, Iyaz, Kanye West.

After hearing the most shocking change between the two songs, somewhere, in this studio, Jaime Foxx had to be shaking his head while thinking, "You know, this rap just isn't quite right." He was probably also thinking his version of Charles, that won him an Oscar, may have proved the better choice here.

Advantage: Charles/1985

- The Hollywood Representative: Dan Aykroyd vs. Vince Vaughn

When the original 'We Are the World' was released, no one could quite figure out what the hell Dan Aykroyd was doing there. Vince Vaughn has taken the 2010 WTF? baton and -- according to exasperated Twitter users -- far exceeded any confusion Aykroyd could have hoped to accomplish. Both were representing the Hollywood community. Aykroyd had just come off the sucess of 'Ghostbusters' and was a 'Blues Brother' with John Belushi; Vaughn had just come off 'Couples Retreat' and was a 'Swinger' with Jon Favreau.

Advantage, for sheer "what the hell?": Vaughn/2010

Final Score:

We Are the World 1985: 13

We Are the World 2010: 10

'We Are the World' Raises Profits, Eyebrows

Tags: we are the world, we are the world 25 for haiti

Comments

(277)

Thursday 18 February

By rachelhope26

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LMAO I have to agree on that one!! I cringed during the entire song!

By Ariana

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OMG...especially when Lil Wayne got up to "sing"...there is really no talent these days. :(

By Kim

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LOL, John. Right On!

By Ray

I totally agree,that rap crap isn't music Michael would've deleted that part.

Friday 19 February

By Jeff

I agree also listening to the original gives me goose bumps every time I hear it... The new version makes me want to stick something sharp in my ears and eyes !!!

By Michael

That was too funny! Good one, honestly.

Tuesday 16 February

By klpdavies

wyclef was an embarrasment & the rap sequence was awful. this should be added to the list of worst remakes...EVER!!!!

Wednesday 17 February

By P in Canada

OMG! I agree! That's crap rap part was awful!!! Poor Michael, what a disgrace.

By Leah

Well, at least they got someone who could sing to take Steve Perry's part. I agree, they should have just redid the song with all the originals rather than remake a classic song that had nothing wrong with it in the first place. It would have been awesome to see all the originals 25 years later, reunited and singing again, except of course, those who are no longer with us. A NEW song for Haiti should have been written then recorded.

By jcancro

call me cynical; I would like to know how much the artists donated. We can all buy their music and donate that way. I have chosen to donate through a faith based organization with 3 hospitals in Haiti...fully operational and 100% of the money gets to the source.

By Commentary

I donated money through itunes

By grammerman

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I can't believe that they couldn't correct the grammar after 25 years. The correct phrase should be "...just you and I", not
"...just you and me". I understand fudging to achieve rhyming,
but this error replaces the pair of words "lives" and "I" with the words "lives" and "me". When you know what is right it is
painful to hear the inharmonious pairing over and over and over...

By JMom

This is grammatically correct...you wouldn't say 'It's true, I'll make a better day, just I." You would say 'It's true, I'll make a better day, just me!' Sorry to burst your grammar bubble!

By grammarman

The easiest grammar test to determine proper usage:

"You and I make a better day" or "You and me make a better day"?

It's a much more obvious choice when it is worded as above but the principle is the same (really).

By Kathy

I like the older version better.. but I was really happy that they added Michael in the new version.. RIP Michael.. You are truly missed..

By shakin head

its a sahme they cant do something like this for the starving & cold children and elderly people right here in their own country this was mostly for the attention to themselfs

By susanboylesthebest

IF SUSAN BOYLE WOULD OF BEEN INCLUDED THE VIDEO BY NOWWW WOULD OF HAD OVER 5O MILLIONS VIEWS ON YOUTUBE ALONE AND WOULD OF BEEN SOLD MILLION AND MILLIONS OF COPIES IN A JUST FEW MONTHS. SAD.... TO MANY EGOS HERE. IN THE WAY... IF MICHAEL WOULD OF BEEN ALIVE.... NONE OF THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE.

none of those artists in the new version as cool as they think they are .... cant and will never sell what susan boyle sold in less than 4 months.....over 8,000,000 (million) in 4 months never ! ! !

By mattddavis

I enjoyed it. Didn't care for the rap part too much but I guess it relates to today's world so I am not surprised. At least it isn't 100% rap like most things are. And Snoop was in it so it was ok in my book! I loved how Michael still was in his parts and his sister was part of it. I thought I read somewhere Michael's kids were going to be part of it. Anyone know if they were? I didn't see them in the group but it moved so fast I even missed Vince Vaughn apparently. The original is better, but I think the new one is a great tribute to the original and breathes new life into a great song. I will buy it to help Haiti. They should re-sell the original too. I will buy both.

Also, I do not think Miachael would have hated the idea of a remake, but I do believe he would have written another masterpiece and the song wouldn't have had to be remade. Too bad he isn't here now :(

By Marsha

I question the masterpiece part of your statement. Not everything he touched turned to gold. He got a lot of artist together for a song he wrote for Katrina victims but not much was said about that. I didn't even know about it until I was searching everything Michael on youtube after his death. With that said, I still like Mike.

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