It doesn’t even matter what you think of this song – just watching how it come together is awesome.
Witnessing the behind the scenes interactions and seeing living legends do their thing, oftentimes imperfectly, is worth totally worth a view even if you’re not even a huge music lover. Great mix of talent a personalities.
20 favorite moments:
1. Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder’s playfulness between takes
2. Tina Turner and Billy Joel harmonizing
3. Willie Nelson harmonize with Diane Warwick
4. Bruce Springsteen being 10x louder than anyone else.
5. Joking around that they need to take Michael Jackson out of there
6. James Ingram forgetting his line, then hiding behind Kenny Rogers “That someone, somewhere seeva vuuu zhaaaa..”
7. Seeing many of these legends in their prime like Tina Turner and Michael Jackson.
8. Paul Simon’s disbelief that the producers want him to sing from the same mic as Stevie and Lionel, who both look a full foot taller than him (“I’m a point guard playing against a bunch of centers.”)
9. Noise made during takes by the crew, to Quincy Jones displeasure.
10. Kenny Rogers off key harmonization and his self depreciating humor.
11. Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie out on the floor doing their thing.
12. Wonder, Paul Simon and Kenny Rogers talking how to best re-arrange the harmonies.
13. Ghostbusters reference
14. Actual pantyhose pop stoppers on the mics
15. The “bridge people” and the perseverance of Huey Lewis
16. Michael Jackson wallflowering over Huey Lewis’ shoulder
17. Cindy Lauper’s noisy jewelry (“Am I stil clinking?”)
18. Steve Perry and others hearing weird “conversation”-like harmonics from Cindi Laupers mic.
19. Paul Simon being too burnt out to tell anybody anything.
20. Cindy Lauper showing Kim Carnes an invisible gum chewing technique for vocals.