How was a song born?
like a baby.
Or in the case of "We Are The World" like a baby weighing 50 tons of ego who gathered together for one night where they released the unforgettable eighties hit, except for the Israeli "One Nation with One Song".
The docu "Pop's Big Night" on Netflix reveals the economy of egos that producers Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie had to manage.
He sheds light, partial but fascinating, on the war effort to manage the celebrities who took part in the production who were the music elite of the eighties: Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Cyndi lauper.
When Paul Simon surveyed the whole room he laughed: "If a bomb lands on this place, John Dunbar goes back to being the No. 1 star."
The music video conveyed perfect harmony, but it was far from the truth.
"The Big Night of Pop", photo: Netflix
In the atmosphere of "together we will win" they tried to win the event.
"Put your ego outside the door", they posted at the entrance to the studio.
It's not just that this little note becomes the founding idea of the film, it's nice to see how much ego and passive-aggressiveness did manage to get into the studio that magical night.
The boomers among us will die for the glimpse into the management of the event and get real magic moments, in one of which Stevie Wonder takes Dylan aside to the piano because the latter is unable to sing, or rather read, his lines.
"The Big Night of Pop", photo: Netflix
It's neither the best music docu nor the best charity song, partly because Ritchie produced the film and retained its stars, leaving the viewer with a taste of "Where's the Juice?"
- But he will do your heart good.
"Pop's Big Night", Netflix
Full disclosure: the writer is sometimes a panelist on Channel 14 and here 11.
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