All for the Cause

In the wake of disaster, who reacts with a speed, power, and fury that no government or charitable organization could ever equal? Who’s PR posse punches the clutch and shifts into 5th before even the President’s people can dig up a bewildered child, an eyedropper, and a photographer? Sure, we may sigh with sympathy upon reading devastating headlines and send money to a charitable organization, but only the proper spokesperson can move us... to collectively... burst into song.

I was floored upon reading that Prince hastily recorded not one, but TWO songs for Katrina relief just 5 days after the storm hit New Orleans (less time than it took Sean Penn to get down there with his leaky boat). Meanwhile, Jacko is still collecting a high-profile cast for his Katrina charity single. It sure ain’t 1985 anymore, but in the coming weeks pop music’s A-listers will prove whether a modern-day charity celeb coagulation a-la-USA For Africa is still possible.

Below is a truncated history of charity song superhits (a more extensive list is here):

India-Pakistan War Refugees
- “Bangla Desh” by George Harrison, The Concert for Bangladesh, 1971

Ethiopian Famine Relief
- “Do They Know It’s Christmas” (real audio, click to hear the song played backwards from an archive of Mark Allen's show) written by Bob Geldof for Band Aid, Ethiopian famine relief, 1984 (Band Aid II took place in 1989, Band Aid 20 in 2004)
- “We Are the World” (click to download a teensy snippet in MP3, courtesy of Brian Turner) USA For Africa, famine relief, 1985
- “Tears Are Not Enough” Northern Lights (Canada), 1985
- “Stars” Hear ‘N’ Aid (heavy metal supergroup), 1985
- “Everybody Wants to Run the World” Tears for Fears, Sport Aid, 1986
- “Running All Over the World” Status Quo, Sport Aid, 1986

Apartheid
- “Sun City” (real audio, from an archive of Evan "Funk" Davies' show) Artists United Against Apartheid (incl. Steve Van Zandt, Bob Dylan), 1985

Disadvantaged Children
- “Perfect Day” (real audio, from an archive of Strength Through Failure with Fabio) by Lou Reed for Children in Need, 1997

AIDS
- “That’s What Friends Are For” Dionne (Warwick) and Friends, 1985
- “What’s Going On” Christina Aguilera, JLo, Britney, Bono, etc., 2001
- “The World Is Ours” Missy Eliot and Justin Timberlake, 2004

Bosnia
- “The Little Ones” Cat Stevens, 1998

Sept. 11
- “What More Can I Give” by Jacko, never released (producer made gay porn)
- “El Ultimo Adios” Christina Aguilera, Gloria Estefan, John Secada, et al., 2001
- “Freedom” Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, etc., 2001

Poverty/Hunger (G8 Summit)
- “Every Bomb You Make” (adaptation of "Every Step You Take") by Sting, at Live 8 concert, 2005

Hurricane Katrina
- “SST” by Prince, 2005
- “Brand New Orleans” by Prince, 2005
- “From the Bottom of My Heart” MJ, 2005

Venture below the fold for a grip of (un)savory celebrity PSA MP3s and other tripe...

Save the Children (1986)
Barry Gibb's PSA (MP3), why am I deeply offended by Mr. Disco's use of the term "little people"?
Cary Grant's PSA (MP3), great example of inappropriate background music (at least he took the cigar out of his mouth)

PETA
Nina Hagen and Lene Lovich "Don't Kill the Animals" PSA (MP3)
Nina growls for PETA (MP3)

Selective Service
Riders in the Sky PSA (MP3) Cowboy up, soldier.

National Arbor Day Foundation
John Denver "Plant A Tree" (MP3) It's a song, it's a PSA, it's a psahng.
Charlton Heston, Lloyd Bridges, John Denver, Eddie Albert PSA (MP3) Never would have pegged most of these guys as tree-huggers...

AIDS
Niki Rios "Thank You Magic Johnson" (MP3) Station Manager Ken directed me to this mysterious cassette single from 1991; Niki was 9 years old at the time.

We won't even get started on charity concerts here, but do read Dave the Spazz's hilarious review of the latest televised Katrina benefit event.

Comments

[jima]

My personal favorite moment in charity song history is the final paragraph from the Life magazine article on USA For Africa, as pictured at the top of the article (and quoted on this page of the Steve Perry fan club Website).

"Lionel Richie's house. Lionel has been sleeping since 10:00 a.m. The phone rings. It's Steve Perry, calling from his L.A. hotel room. Perry says he just had to call somebody. Lionel asks him what's wrong. Perry says that he slept well. He got up and ordered room service. They brought him breakfast. He sat down. He pulled the silver cover off the food. And then he started crying."

And then, of course, he ate the food, his tears lightly salting the meal.

[Krys O.]

The Concert for Bangladesh was created due to the famine and drought in the emerging independent country of Bangladesh.

[Joseph B]

THat happens to be the finest George Harrison Record in my book (Bangladesh Concert)

[Jeremy]

I saw "The Concert for Bangladesh 1971" (2 DVD set) for the first time while I was in a store today. It's been 34 years since the concert. Are profits from the sales of the DVD going to charity in Bangladesh still or just into the pockets of the artists and producers?

[Tanvir]

India-Pakistan War Refugees
- “Bangla Desh” by George Harrison, The Concert for Bangladesh, 1971

hi, i m from Bangladesh.....u got the wrong information about that concert....in 1971 the war was "Bangladesh vs Pakistan" not india vs pakistan.....for more info or detail info please mail me.....today is 26th march, 2006.....in this day on 1971 our war was started.....on 25th march, 1971....Pakistan army killed 100,000 Bangladeshi ppl in 1 night.....finally we win on 16th December, 1971......please contact me for more detail info.....thnx

N.B. Thnx to all American people and George Harrison.....who helps for independent of Bangladesh