Kanye West records vocals for charity single ‘We Are the World’

Kanye West records vocals for charity single ‘We Are the World’

Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Eminem and Bono are among stars who have recorded vocals for charity single ‘We Are the World’.

The song, originally a hit in 1985 for an all-star line-up led by its writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was re-recorded by some of the world’s biggest stars including Jay-Z, Barbara Streisand, Pink, Celine Dion and Jennifer Hudson to raise money for earthquake-stricken Haiti.

Natalie Cole, Justin Bieber, Usher, Wyclef Jean, Josh Groban and the Jonas Brothers were also included in the line-up, which totalled over 75 artists at final count.

Producer Quincy Jones, who was also behind the 1985 version of the song, said: “It’s the 25th anniversary and it’s perfect timing. It’s not an accident, man. That’s God. It will be ‘We Are the World’ for Haiti.”

RedOne, who also helped produce the track hopes the song will make a difference.

He said: “I’m so delighted and so happy to get a dream call from Quincy Jones and Randy Phillips and Lionel Richie. I know Lionel has been asked like 150-something times to redo ‘We Are the World’ and he said no to everything until this Haiti thing happened. The moment he saw that it happened he was like, OK, ‘We Are the World.’ And to be one of the people they called to have fresh input to the song, to help produce the song — I have no words.”

An anniversary version of the track had rumoured to have been planned for some time, but following the earthquakes which hit the Caribbean nation last month, it was decided to change the direction of where the money raised from sales would be sent.

The original single was the brainchild of Quincy, Lionel and Michael and featured a host of world famous performers, including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper and Billy Joel.

It raised $63 million for the USA for Africa campaign.

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