The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) * * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Bao Nguyen

Featuring:  Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick, Sheila E., Bruce Springsteen, Humberto Gatica, Quincy Jones

We Are the World has been both praised and derided as the quintessential 80's song, when pop musicians not only made hit albums, but raised money for causes such as Ethiopian famine.   The UK beat America to the punch with Do They Know It's Christmas in late 1984.  Harry Belafonte brought the idea to powerful show biz giant Ken Kragen to have American artists sing their own song to raise money to provide relief for starving Africans.  As The Greatest Night in Pop opens, Kragen was able to convince Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson to write the song which would become We Are the World and to record it with a group of superstars in one night-long session in January 1985. 

In the days before cell phones were in widespread use, Kragen had to invite numerous superstars to participate in the recording.  While Jackson and Richie wrote the song, Kragen determined that the night of The American Music Awards (which Richie was hosting) on January 28, 1985 would have many of the artists in attendance.  It had to be that night and that night only.  Jackson and Richie, who encountered numerous pets in Jackson's home including a snake, finished the song only one week prior to recording.

The Greatest Night in Pop is a document of a tense, wearying, but ultimately triumphant creation of one of the biggest-selling singles of all time.   The recording didn't start until around 10pm and the race was on to finish the chorus, individual verses, and fills before dawn.   The singers were exhausted, especially Richie and Bruce Springsteen, who flew in from Buffalo one night after completing the first leg of his Born in the U.S.A. tour.  Spurred on by Bob Geldof, whose Do They Know It's Christmas? was the precursor of famine-relief songs and eventually Live Aid, the USA for Africa group of performers fought their way through to deliver a powerful song which raised millions for the cause.  

The night wasn't without issues.  Prince, who was begged to attend by Richie and others, didn't appear after his idea of playing a guitar solo in another room was nixed.   Sheila E. felt for a while that she was only invited in the hopes it would cause Prince to attend.  Waylon Jennings briefly left the studio after Stevie Wonder suggested singing lyrics in Swahili.   Bob Dylan was apparent in his discomfort while singing among all of these other superstars.   Some recording equipment either failed or went on the fritz, causing delays.   These troubles were managed and navigated by Quincy Jones, who produced the single and acted as the glue (along with Richie) to keep things together and moving forward.

I have to admit that I listen to We Are the World after watching The Greatest Night in Pop and understand it differently.   The documentary isn't a glorification of these artists and saying what great people they were,  It was instead a moving and riveting film about a group of different musicians and singers coming together for a purpose which would ultimately save and improve lives.  When Lionel Richie finally made it home after a busy, wearying 24 hours, he was exhausted, but proud and exhilarated.   When the final product was released in late March, we knew why.