We Are the World: YouTube Edition
I was ambivalent about the We Are the World remake for a variety of reasons, and wondered right away why David wasn’t involved — had he been asked? Was he passed over? Scheduling conflict? After a torrent of ambivalence met the release of the piece, I decided it was probably better that he hadn’t been one of the artists after all.
This version is to my mind more moving than the professional remake. The young, unfamiliar faces with remarkable vocal talent will remind many of the welcome surprises of Idol, and somehow the “we” in We Are the World attains a rather more collective commonality in the hands and hearts of the these uncelebrated artists.
Bonus: The adorable boy who opens the piece (much sweeter and more appealing than Justin Bieber, IMO) has a track on his own YouTube channel that all of you are likely to recognize…
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Well, dang it, Rascal. This brings tears to my eyes.
These kids are so talented and you are right, they seem more like a “we”, a group of regular people (highly talented) who cared enough to put together this beautiful video.
And when I heard the young Troy Sivan singing Somebody Out There, it just wrenched my heart. Although it kinda makes me ache with the need to hear David, again. Gonna have to go listen to David’s version to get my fix.
No contest! This version by those fresh faces is much more moving than the celebrity remake.
olemr2001: Why is that? It is so true, and if someone put this out there, I think they could make a ton of money in contributions for this cause. I haven’t looked at the video on youtube, but I think it is a charity effort, too. I’ll have to go check that out.
Hi! I saw this version last friday, i think too is Great, very creative the way they do it, and the voices..well too much talent, i agree with olemr2001 this version is much more moving than the remake.
And i agree too about the opener kid,A lot more charming than JB and his voice is incredible; i remember him from last year, someone post the song in a forum, by that time he was in LA recording, i guess he’s from Australia? (if i’m not wrong?)
And Malie7 , not they are making the call the buy the ‘remake’one. but they are smart enough to add the link to his owns YTB channels…..cool because some of them deserve some attention.
BTW, me too i was in conflic with myself ha, ha, about the fact David wasn’t in the Remake, but seeing the results and not loving some aspects of the song,i’m more relaxed about that. Now i only want that the latino version gonna have a better production and voices combinations that the english one of course i Hope David has his solo part (yeah i know a little selfish form my part but..) and that was almost confirmed yet from the tweets and Billboard News?
http://www.billboard.com/news/50-latin-stars-gather-to-record-somos-el-1004070117.story#/news/50-latin-stars-gather-to-record-somos-el-1004070117.story
”Although the artists who had solo lines -- among them Gloria Estefan, José Feliciano, Chayanne, Thalía and Fonsi -- pre-recorded their parts earlier during the week inside the recording studio, most (for a total of more than 50) nevertheless showed up for the taping of the video. Among those absent was Pitbull, who had a prior engagement but who recorded his a rap lines prior.”
I guess is what David did thursday
Hope is true
I love this version; it’s very inspiring and has a global feel. For some reason, the remake doesn’t hold my interest but this one does. I like the young guy who sings Michael Jackson’s lines and the one who does Bob Dylan’s. Actually, I really like all of them.
I think the remake made a mistake resurrecting Michael Jackson. In the video, Janet looks very depressed paired with her brother’s image.
Rascal -- thanks for posting that. Very poignant. There’s a wonderful mix of beautiful faces and really heart-felt singing. I agree that it has the AI charm of “welcome surprises.”
I tried to listen to the cute little guy singing David’s song, but I couldn’t get past the first few notes. Sorry -- David owns that song lol!
Test
Yay, I’m in. Hey all. I finally decided to post after years (2?)of lurking.
After watching the “We Are The World” remake, I’m glad David has no association with it. It was a mess. The poor sales reflects the general public’s take on it. The video posted by Rascal above is more honest,IMO.
The Spanish version is a breath of fresh air from so many versions posted on YouTube. I’m happy David was tapped to take part on it. Can’t wait to see/hear the finished product.
Dallas, wow 2 years of lurking?!! LOL. Welcome!
I completely agree this unvarnished version sounds and feels honest. Like David’s singing, I actually hear the words more. In the remake, some of the artists make it bearable to listen, but for the most part it sounds like a “hot mess” as HG would say (Soul David post). This collaboration by the young artists has a strong feeling of cohesiveness missing in the remake, not just musically but in spirit.
I am so very happy for David that he ended up being part of a brand new version of WATW, a Spanish one! It’s great how things always work out for David
Can’t wait for March 1st.
twitvids of David singing Crush in LA with Jess Cates, Eman, and Dave Hodges:
http://www.twitvid.com/96EDA
http://www.twitvid.com/17F7B
Oh what an ending!!! I miss him! It’s torture to have to wait for the next live show. Lucky people who were in LA tonight.
Thanks for pointing us to this video Rascal. It was very moving. I think there was something about the contrast between the professional microphones against the every day background of their bedroom walls, living rooms, etc., that made it so poignant. Singing is obviously everything to these young performers and the message of this song seems to mean much more to them than to some of the big name artists.
Watching them sing also made me imagine David belting out some song into a microphone in his room back home while dreaming of sharing his voice and music one day.
This is all in Spanish and don’t have much time to translate:
A sneak peak of the Somos Ul Mundo recording session — funny that David seems to be the only one holding the music sheet in that side of the group, haha
There is another and longer vid but suddenly it became unavailable for viewing. Hope to capture it tonight — David has more exposure there.
VERMEER -- am with you, breathing a sigh of relief that David was not part of the 1st remake. There is no contest when compared to the original. And the vid that RASCAL posted above is indeed more moving. The only 2 things I could appreciate in the 1st remake is the particip[ation of Barbra and when I regard that vid as a time marker in music history. It shows the genre that has the strongest (and SOOOOON to fade) influence in that period. Other than that, I’d settle for sponge bob’s incantation!
DALLAS -- how the heck did you manage to remain lurking for 2 years!? You have some mad skills for control, esp with all the squeeing last year. Glad that you de-lurked. Hope to see you post more often.
Gotta go. CYL y’all
Ok, here are the lyrics of the spanish-remake of WATW
Canción por Haití (Somos El Mundo)
El día llegó
No hay momento que perder
Hay que buscar unir el mundo de una vez
Tantos necesitan un nuevo amanecer
Hay que ayudar
Tenemos el deber
No hay que esperar
Que sea el otro el que va actuar
Cuando el dolor a tu puerta pueda tocar
Al estar unidos no hay nada que temer
Para triunfar
Tenemos que entender
Coro:
Somos Amor, Somos el Mundo
Somos la luz que alumbra con ardor, lo más oscuro
Llenos de esperanza
Podemos rescatar
La fe que nos puede salvar
Juntos tu y yo
De Corazón
Que sepan que importantes son
Que su pesar sentimos todos también
Y que no están solos
Queremos ayudar
Con compasión, firmeza y hermandad
Coro:
Somos Amor, Somos el Mundo
Somos la luz que alumbra con ardor, lo más oscuro
Llenos de esperanza
Podemos rescatar
La fe que nos puede salvar
Juntos tu y yo
Cuando alguna vez te canses de luchar
Es que aquí estaré a tu lado sin dudar
Te daré mi mano para juntos aprender
La manera de poder vencer
Source: Univision
I wonder which verse is David’s solo? YAY!
Dallas: Welcome! So glad you decided to unlurk!
#14 Thank you JR for the lyrics. I had been waiting to see how the sentiments and spirit of the song would translate. What can I say, but that the integrity and emotion of the song were, to my mind, beautifully translated!
Also, it will include different genres (I think that was what I heard Emilio Estefan say) as did the remake. My hope is that it will flow better and that the solos chosen are excellent vocalists.
Another point that one of the female artists made was that hopefully the song will be produced in other languages. I guess we will see how this project is received. I have high hopes.
Dallas-Happy to see another de-lurker stepping into the waters.
RAM -- yes I ‘heard’ the same thing re diff genres worked into the arrangement. I understand that Pit Bull (who was also one of the performers & honorees during the ALMA Awards) will sing the rap or reggaetton part. He wasn’t available for the Friday session so his part was recorded separately.
Can’t wait for March 1!
Vermeer, Marlie7, RAM, Jackryan and all, Thanks for the warm welcome.
Yup! I was there during the early days of NotingDavid. I was there during the brief transition from ND to JustDavid and followed you all through this site.
I love the posters here. Smart and funny, a great combination. I am inspired by Tibi. I am not so fluent with English but it didn’t stop Tibi from sharing her thoughts, and what an intelligent insights she has.
I will be posting more now especially that the 2nd album is just around the corner.
Squeee fest is in order. Woot!
JWipe captured the audio of Crush in its entirety from last night at The Mint in LA. How does David do this??? I am in awe all over again, with tears in my eyes. He is so good, so amazing!!! and funny “I don’t normally look this bad…” oh David!
Welcome, Dallas!
I just now got time to watch the video of WATW that Rascal posted. I was very moved! And then I saw Remake With The Stars and… not so much.
It’s great to see all the celebrities band together for a cause, but the marching orders were wrong. This is a lesson that, while celebrities can inspire giving, celebrity alone does not mucho money make.
My feelings on the rap were not so much about rap per se, but about staying faithful to the flow of the song. The second half of the song really should be about “We Are the World,” but musically this was much more about a set of individuals then a cohesive whole. It tried too much to be different, and while experimentation and modernization are welcomed, it compromised the best qualities of the original. I’m wondering if the eclectic nature of the production had something to do with singers’ agents making conditions -- all speculation on my part, btw.
If response to that has been mixed, hopefully this will influence how they produce the Spanish version. I actually have a feeling I’m going to be disappointed again (lol) but I’m sure David’s part will be smooth as buttah.
I’m very excited that this might be a “Contigo Two” for some people -- this will give Davíd (not David -- notice the spelling
) wide exposure among different audiences, both within and outside the Spanish speaking world. I think it’ll be a wake up call for more people who otherwise would think less of him. Also very glad for David that he has this opportunity to help Haiti once more.
Btw I just watched some of Troye Sivan on YouTube. Nice, but doesn’t blow me away -- I’m waiting for his voice to mature before I pass final judgment.
Just wanted to mention that I think he’s a huge admirer of Davíd -- first of all, he sang SOT, but second you can also find vids of him singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Imagine in the style of Eva Cassidy. Kid has similar influences.
Dallas # 18 Welcome!! , and thanks for you words!! Perseverance is the only way to do better i guess ha, ha.
I Agree with the no association of David with the ‘remake’ . The intentions were good, but they loose the focus taking in consideration only the commercial succes of the song,(To read Quincy J explanation of why JB and others were include in the projet) over the quality ( i mean oututune? serious?), losing in the way the real importance of ‘THAT’ piece….So sad , but i guess the all situation shows the way this business work today
. BTW i didn’t knew the sales were low at this point….too bad and too early anyways.
Ronaldsf #20 I’m excited about the Latino version, but i don’t gonna lie…i’m scary too about the final product. Since ‘Pitbull’ is there i guess that will be a little rap too, but who knows if that working better in the Latino version since like i said in IDF , the latino rap and the US rap are different. I will be disappointed if they cut David’s part (i mean maybe even upset) now that we have the confirmation about a solo part.
Ronaldsf #21 About Troye Sivan , i think he’s more charming and talented than Justin B, but i agree his voice need time to mature already and about his influences i don’t think they are the same that David, but David himself is his influence lol…just my observation.:)
BTW this is the video of ‘Cantare Cantaras’ the latino equivalent of WATW 25 years ago…if the do something like that i will be happy …sure the singers on the video were already legends by then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOsRUGdegdc -- Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUn2eRZxSNY Behind escenes, hope they gonna do something like that with this projet
Bye!!
Note : for real we need some emoticons here lol.
vermeer #19 -- thanks for that. I love the thought of David singing with these musicians in a small venue. David went so quickly from obscurity to huge venues. This is the missing piece in his music education: hanging out with serious musicians and playing the small places -- jamming -- learning from each other.
{{ vermeer }}
Dallas -- delurkers FTW!
davidfanLIZ #24
”David went so quickly from obscurity to huge venues. This is the missing piece in his music education: hanging out with serious musicians and playing the small places – jamming – learning from each other.”
Great observation!!
VERMEER – thanks for bringing the twitvid of David’s impromptu performance with Hodges etc, the CRUSH writers. I posted my comment in the other thread in keeping with the retro theme.
A MUST HAVE FOR YOUR AUDIO COLLECTION
The complete recording of Crush @ TheMint:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ihsmzanvo9c
You know, this is just a neat little pop song but in this version – with him at helm – gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. David managed to gobsmacked me again and again.
Here is a pic to go with it so you can appreciate why he said what he said during his spiel LOL!
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zmz2mgkgggz
He is just soooooooooooooooo good here. The ending … wow.
Listen.now. gooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Univision featured another peek at the Somos El Mundo gathering
David comes in at 2:58
This was not available yesterday, in my sphere. There are two more vids which hopefully will come live tonight, then I can capture them
Again, for Somos-El-Mundo related vids & pix — you can find them here: http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=b168764a61c78fdf67cd7f7bd65f7eefc4482e19df1254ead6f20ee4ff677d52
JR, I love how they included the clip of David mouthing off the names from the original WATW
We all know that if David were tested by any news station on his knowledge of music facts, that he would get a 4.0. I love how he yells “Si Bruce Springsteen!” even though he’s already clearly more than answered the question lol
davidfanLIZ #24
”David went so quickly from obscurity to huge venues. This is the missing piece in his music education: hanging out with serious musicians and playing the small places – jamming – learning from each other.”
——--
So true. A little over a year ago, David is an outsider. I assume he went to these recording sessions with Jeff in tow. He was young, inexperienced and extremely shy.
Look at him now, he is one of the boys. He should hang out more with these industry people, you know learn some swag, lol.
I know some here would disagree.”He does not need to learn the swag from anyone, he already has it”, lol. But for me, he may have it but he needs a little polishing. Heh.
New VLOG!
HAIRCUT
Some girls have all the luck, WOW!
David sings happy bday to CLC0291
CLC0291 says:
I won a contest and the prize was a phone call from David Archuleta! He called me and we talked about some sweet stuff! He’s so nice! and then at the end he sang happy birthday to me because my birthday was last week :] totally made my day!
It seems YT cut the 1st 15-30 secs of the vid I uploaded on Somos El Mundo -- a sneak peek. I fixed it so here is the more complete vid:
Then I captured David’s segment from the Sneak Peek video I uploaded 2 days ago (received requests to do so LOL), so here you go!
And since am in the mood for it and have the time (!), I screencapped David’s segment 2nd vid in post #33 -- check ‘em out in my folder and look for the files with filenames “Somos El Mundo Red Carpet Screen Caps…”
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=b168764a61c78fdf67cd7f7bd65f7eeff440bc8a53b92c584ca8d2a77d7aad89
Just look at that face, those eyes…
http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=ktm3jnmyjye
LOL, I think I may have to write Dr. FF. Help!