An impressive collection of superstar musicians have banded together to record a new version of the 1985 charity song "We Are The World" to aid victims of the recent Haiti earthquake.
Lil Wayne, Brian Wilson, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Lady GaGa are among the artists to join Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Usher, Wyclef, Jay-Z, Tony Bennett, Enrique Iglesias and more for a total of 75 singers who contributed.
The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones, who returned to the role for the new version. The new recording was made at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood the same spot as the original.
An unprecedented number of chart-topping pop musicians gathered at A&M the night of Jan. 28, 1985, just after the American Music Awards, to record the song. It featured 45 music superstars, including Jackson, Richie, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Cyndi Lauper. (Watch the video for "We Are The World")
The record raised more than $30 million for USA for Africa, a nonprofit organization founded by the singers to fund hunger relief in African nations. The new version of the song is set to debut on US TV network NBC on February 12, while a video will be put together by director Paul Haggis, who filmed the recording session.
After the recording, baby-voiced Lil Wayne admitted, "I don't know how to sing."
He expressed pride in being a part of the new song but criticized the response to the 2005 disaster in New Orleans, when Hurrican Katrina devastated the area.
"I think it's amazing what's been done for Haiti, but I think it's amazing what hasn't been done for New Orleans," he said.
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell's Haiti single, featuring Robbie Williams and Take That, Susan Boyle, Cheryl Cole and Alexandra Burke, has hit the airwaves. Hear the song, a cover of REM's "Everybody Hurts," right here:
