In 1985, the greatest American music artists of a generation came together to record a song. The goal was to put down a track featuring the likes of Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, and Ray Charles, which could sell millions of copies and raise some much-needed funds for charity.
The song was ‘We Are the World’. The charity was USA for Africa.
Due to the sheer number of musicians involved, as well as the colossal level of talent, the song had to be recorded in one night – directly after the American Music Awards. It was a high pressured feat, where egos had to be left at the door, and everything had to run as seamlessly as possible.
A new documentary film titled The Greatest Night in Pop, charts the events surrounding that recording session. Directed by Bao Nguyen, the docu-film is available to stream on Netflix from today, and offers up an insightful look at a music milestone.
Featuring a wealth of footage from 1985, as well as modern-day input from Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Loggins, Huey Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Sheila E., and Dionne Warwick, The Greatest Night in Pop is a fascinating film about a unique moment in time. The documentary looks at the sheer madness of getting so many super stars together in one place, as well as all the backstage efforts it took to bring the project together.
From an initial idea by Harry Belafonte, through to the writing sessions between Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and the recording session on January 28th, The Greatest Night in Pop covers all the important details and more. It showcases key players such as producer Quincy Jones and fundraiser Ken Kragen, features fun little stories about the night, and becomes a whirlwind of a docu-film.
Perhaps most important of all, it highlights what can be achieved when everyone is pulling in the same direction. We Are the World was one of those fairly rare instances when huge celebrities shrugged off the glitz and glamour to work together, and The Greatest Night in Pop captures this perfectly.
If you grew up during the 1980s, you’ll recall it was a fantastic era for music. The decade had so many high-profile artists, all at the top of their game, producing tracks that we still listen to today.
Unfortunately, some of these artists are no longer with us, and try as we might, we’ve yet to find a way to turn back the clock to return to that golden era of music. However, The Greatest Night in Pop is in essence a little time machine which offers audiences the opportunity to at least revisit the mid-‘80s for a delightful 97-minutes.
And it’s 97-minutes well spent. Heck, where else are you going to hear stories about Stevie Wonder singing in Swahili, Cyndi Lauper’s disruptive jewellery, or Michael Jackson’s pet snake terrifying Lionel Richie?
That last one isn’t a euphemism, by the way, it is instead an amusing anecdote in what is simply a superb documentary. The Greatest Night in Pop brings together many of the people who were involved in We Are the World and acts as a reminder that even celebrities can be normal people… sometimes.
It also offers up the opportunity to relive a momentous occasion. An occasion which was arguably more exciting than the song itself.
Whether you’re craving a hit of ‘80s fun, you’re curious about the production of We Are the World, or you simply want to see footage of icons like Willie Nelson, Steve Perry, and Hall & Oates doing their thing, The Greatest Night in Pop has you covered. This is an excellent docu-film guaranteed to hit you square in the nostalgia zone, and will no doubt inspire you to dig out all your old LPs.
We may not be able to relive the 1980s, but we can certainly revisit it. And if you wish to revisit it in style, then The Greatest Night in Pop is an excellent way to do it.
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