Artists Come Together to Record Songs for Haiti Relief

Douglas Boultinghouse
Managing Editor

Courtesy of Wikipedia.com and Amazon.com

For Haiti- Single covers for “We Are The World” and “Everybody Hurts.”

   After a devastating earthquake shook the country of Haiti Jan. 12, music producers pulled several artists together to re-record classic songs of which proceeds would benefit the country.

   Simon Cowell, American and British reality television judge and music executive, arranged a cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” under the name “Helping Haiti.”

 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Disasters Emergency Committee and The Sun’s Helping Haiti Appeal.

   The song features over 20 artists including Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, Miley Cyrus, James Blunt, Jon Bon Jovi, Susan Boyle, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams and more.

   “Don’t let yourself go / Cause everybody cries / And everybody hurts ,” Carey sings.

   All of the artists join in a powerful chorus of “Hold on / Everybody hurts / You’ve got to hold on / You are not alone.”

   The production of the song remains simple and the artists’ voices blend well together.

   On the other side of the pond, here in the United States, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones produced an almost-seven-minute re-recording of Michael Jackson’s “We Are The World.”

   According to iTunes, proceeds of the song recorded as “We Are The World 25 For Haiti” go to the newly founded We Are The World Foundation which will directly benefit Haiti.

   As referred to in the songs title, the re-release marks the 25th anniversary of the song’s original release and even includes Jackson’s vocals blended with those of 80 other artists, including his sister Janet Jackson.

  Artists singing solos on the track include Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Josh Groban, Tony Bennett, Mary J. Blige, Barbra Streisand, Miley Cyrus, Enrique Iglesias, Usher, P!nk, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Celine Dion, Fergie, Nick Jonas, Toni Braxton and more.

   The song features an enormous chorus made up of artists such as Brandy, Julianne Hough, Keri Hilson, Rob Thomas, Jordin Sparks, Robin Thicke, Katharine McPhee, Jason Mraz and more.

   The song features powerful vocal performances from the vocal divas Hudson, Dion, P!nk and Blige. Surprisingly, Cyrus can be added to that list with possibly her best vocal performance.

   “Well, send them your heart / So they’ll know that someone cares,” she belts.

   While “We Are The World,” on a grand scale, brings more artists together than “Everybody Hurts,” it fights a battle known as over-production.

   Mixed into the song are newly written raps, wails and auto-tones performed by Kanye West, LL Cool  J, Wyclef Jean, Will.i.am and more.

   The lyrics of the rap are sentimental and are written specifically for Haiti. However, the song jumps from mid-tempo ballad into a rap almost sounding out of place.

   It would have been more appealing to release a two-track single. One track, the power ballad and the other, the inspirational rap themed to “We Are The World.”

   Listening to the two songs one right after the other, the simplicity of “Everybody Hurts” makes it stand out more than “We Are The World.”

   However, both songs support a much-needed cause, so purchasing them alone helps. Then after listening, the songs may give you or someone else the little bit of hope they were looking for.

©The Voice 2010