Lionel Richie was on Watch What Happens Live tonight. Andy Cohen asked him about some of the details around "We Are the World," arranging voices so they were in a chord or section that suited their voice best, and finding really recognizable voices. Also, a great snip about Ray Charles and Billy Joel, plus Lionel at MJ's house and a strange noise (coming from something else and Lionel).

Then he talks about Prince, where Prince was and the real reason Prince didn't show up. Which, frankly, sounds absolutely plausible. He also makes a note that "Prince, Michael and I were all friends, and we wanted to make this a united front." However, it was Lionel and Quincy et al who said "no" to Prince's request in the recording.

And don't go attacking Lionel over this. He has no reason to lie about Prince. Remember, the grieving widow Sheila was in Lionel's band around the time she started hanging with Prince on the regular. (We already knew who Sheila was when my aunt went to see Lionel in concert, and Sheila was his drummer.) So there had to be some cross over there in meeting, etc. And we know Lionel and MJ knew each other from way, way back.

Watch the video.

TrivialPursuit said:

Lionel Richie was on Watch What Happens Live tonight. Andy Cohen asked him about some of the details around "We Are the World," arranging voices so they were in a chord or section that suited their voice best, and finding really recognizable voices. Also, a great snip about Ray Charles and Billy Joel, plus Lionel at MJ's house and a strange noise (coming from something else and Lionel).

Then he talks about Prince, where Prince was and the real reason Prince didn't show up. Which, frankly, sounds absolutely plausible. He also makes a note that "Prince, Michael and I were all friends, and we wanted to make this a united front." However, it was Lionel and Quincy et al who said "no" to Prince's request in the recording.

And don't go attacking Lionel over this. He has no reason to lie about Prince. Remember, the grieving widow Sheila was in Lionel's band around the time she started hanging with Prince on the regular. (We already knew who Sheila was when my aunt went to see Lionel in concert, and Sheila was his drummer.) So there had to be some cross over there in meeting, etc. And we know Lionel and MJ knew each other from way, way back.

Watch the video.

Any idea what was Prince's request was?

brokenhearted1972 said:

thebanishedone said:

brokenhearted1972 said:

Any idea what was Prince's request was?

To play guitar solo instead of singing

-

Is that so ?

How do you know that ?

Lionel said he only wanted to be 'recorded' in a seperate room, which they found not fitting in the idea of the project.

-

Vannormal said:

thebanishedone said:

brokenhearted1972 said: To play guitar solo instead of singing

-

Is that so ?

How do you know that ?

Lionel said he only wanted to be 'recorded' in a seperate room, which they found not fitting in the idea of the project.

-

When his manager Bob Cavallo called up Jones to lobby for Prince to do just that, he says that Q's angry response was "I don't need him to fucking play guitar!" Cavallo told Prince that if he was going to skip the session, he needed to claim illness, and that no matter what, he couldn't go out to party after the AMAs, because the publicity would be terrible if people knew he had blown off the charity gig. Prince did, in fact, head out to a club on Sunset Boulevard, where his bodyguard got into a fracas and ended up in jail; on a night where music's biggest stars were visibly selfless, Prince was the one who stood out as selfish. He ultimately told his side of the story in the song "Hello," the B-side to "Pop Life."

Prince had, of course, been approached to participate, but he passed and proposed a different kind of contribution to the project.

“I was with Prince one day at his home studio, just the two of us,” says Susan Rogers, who engineered Purple Rain and Prince’s next few albums, “and he got a call from Quincy Jones asking him to come be part of ‘We Are the World.’ I only hear Prince’s side of the conversation—I was in the control room waiting—but he declined it. It was a long conversation, and Prince said, ‘Can I play guitar on it?’ And they said no, and he ultimately said, ‘Okay, well, can I send Sheila?’ And he sent Sheila. Then he said, ‘If there’s going to be an album, can I do a song for the album?’ And evidently they said yes.”

At the awards show, it was a whirlwind of logistics and scheduling; everyone was buzzing about what was planned for later in the evening.

“They kept us so cloistered that a lot of information never would get to us,” says [Revolution keyboard player Lisa] Coleman, “so I don’t remember even knowing about ‘We Are the World’ until that day, when everybody was talking about it backstage. Like, ‘We’ll see you tonight, right?’ And I was like, ‘What are they talking about?’”

“Prince was pissed,” says Wendy Melvoin. “He was like, ‘I don’t want to see any of you there, you’re not allowed to go there.’”

Until the last minute, Prince’s managers were still trying to persuade him to show up for the session.

“At the American Music Awards, he keeps telling me the only thing he’ll do is play guitar,” says Bob Cavallo, one of Prince’s managers at the time and a producer of the Purple Rain movie. “So I call Quincy, and he says, ‘I don’t need him to f****** play guitar!’ and he got angry.

I said, ‘All right, I don’t know, he’s not feeling well’—I start this whole campaign that he’s getting the flu."

I tried to tell them that I didn't want to sing
But I'd gladly write a song instead
They said okay and everything was cool
Till a camera tried to get in my bed

Hello, my bed, hello, hello

TrivialPursuit said:

Lionel Richie was on Watch What Happens Live tonight. Andy Cohen asked him about some of the details around "We Are the World," arranging voices so they were in a chord or section that suited their voice best, and finding really recognizable voices. Also, a great snip about Ray Charles and Billy Joel, plus Lionel at MJ's house and a strange noise (coming from something else and Lionel).

Then he talks about Prince, where Prince was and the real reason Prince didn't show up. Which, frankly, sounds absolutely plausible. He also makes a note that "Prince, Michael and I were all friends, and we wanted to make this a united front." However, it was Lionel and Quincy et al who said "no" to Prince's request in the recording.

And don't go attacking Lionel over this. He has no reason to lie about Prince. Remember, the grieving widow Sheila was in Lionel's band around the time she started hanging with Prince on the regular. (We already knew who Sheila was when my aunt went to see Lionel in concert, and Sheila was his drummer.) So there had to be some cross over there in meeting, etc. And we know Lionel and MJ knew each other from way, way back.

Watch the video.

I don't believe the part about Prince Michael and Lionel bring 'friends' who wanted to make this a united front.

Prince never wanted anything to do with it

Then Michael follows up a few years later to try to get Prince on BAD

Then in 1996 Quincy pressures Prince onstate to sing We Are the World. Prince just sucked on a lollipop.


You came in for double heat over the L.A. incident because it happened the night of the "We Are the World" recording. In retrospect, do you wish you had shown up?
No. I think I did my part in giving my song [to the album]. I hope I did my part. I think I did the best thing I could do.

Thanks 4 sharing the video

OldFriends4Sale said:

Vannormal said:

-

Is that so ?

How do you know that ?

Lionel said he only wanted to be 'recorded' in a seperate room, which they found not fitting in the idea of the project.

-

When his manager Bob Cavallo called up Jones to lobby for Prince to do just that, he says that Q's angry response was "I don't need him to fucking play guitar!" Cavallo told Prince that if he was going to skip the session, he needed to claim illness, and that no matter what, he couldn't go out to party after the AMAs, because the publicity would be terrible if people knew he had blown off the charity gig. Prince did, in fact, head out to a club on Sunset Boulevard, where his bodyguard got into a fracas and ended up in jail; on a night where music's biggest stars were visibly selfless, Prince was the one who stood out as selfish. He ultimately told his side of the story in the song "Hello," the B-side to "Pop Life."

-

Hahahahaa. Sounds so 'brat' Princey to do. LOL

I did not know or read that (yet).

Great story thanks.

-

Actually a pitty he didn't playd a guitar solo on that song.

Honestly. That would've been just great.

His guitar could cry the hell out of this cheesy but great song.

-

[Edited 4/30/21 5:49am]

Glad to this day that Prince stayed away from this virtue signaling nonsense.

I believe there's an underlying reason Prince didn't want to participate: his small stature in comparison to the other artists. They wanted him to stand next to Michael Jackson, who was 6 " or so taller than him.
Later in his career, he didn't seem to care. At times, he flaunted his size. But in the Purple Rain era? Nah.
That also explains the "can I play in anothe room" request.
No one's going to say that; all kinds of excuses were made.

His guitar would have definitely been a nice addition. Good intentions, but I was never a fan of that song.

Genesia said:

Hello is one of the most underrated tracks in his whole catalog

word.

laytonian said:

I believe there's an underlying reason Prince didn't want to participate: his small stature in comparison to the other artists. They wanted him to stand next to Michael Jackson, who was 6 " or so taller than him.
Later in his career, he didn't seem to care. At times, he flaunted his size. But in the Purple Rain era? Nah.
That also explains the "can I play in anothe room" request.
No one's going to say that; all kinds of excuses were made.

Ultimately, I don't think Prince would have felt socially comfortable in that situation - plus he's someone who was used to recording vocals on his own, so would felt even more self conscious.

thebanishedone said:

brokenhearted1972 said:

Any idea what was Prince's request was?

To play guitar solo instead of singing

In correct. If you guys watched the linked video, you'd know.

jjam said:

laytonian said:

I believe there's an underlying reason Prince didn't want to participate: his small stature in comparison to the other artists. They wanted him to stand next to Michael Jackson, who was 6 " or so taller than him.
Later in his career, he didn't seem to care. At times, he flaunted his size. But in the Purple Rain era? Nah.
That also explains the "can I play in anothe room" request.
No one's going to say that; all kinds of excuses were made.

Ultimately, I don't think Prince would have felt socially comfortable in that situation - plus he's someone who was used to recording vocals on his own, so would felt even more self conscious.

I agree, outside of singing with people in his own camp during the 1978-1988 period, he wouldn't have been comfortable singing in that crowd of stars.

.

I need to back up on my other post.

.

So 1983 James Brown show, MJ, tries to outdo and trump Prince. He did that show. It wasn't Prince's element. Prince started out playing guitar. Which he should have stayed on then kicked a killer rock solo and let Big Chick carry him off. He tried to do his wicked Prince-like growless and screaches but it wasn't good and didn't he start taking clothes off?

.

The 1985 MJ tries to get Prince under one of his protects to sing. Prince just wants to play guitar if anything.

.

Then in 87/88 MJ tries to sing 'Your butt is mine...' as duet with Prince

.

I think I'm missing one more...

.

But then in 98/99 Prince says in an interview he doesn't understand why people bring him in comparison with MJ. That he is an ax man, and would be prefered to be compared to other ax men.

OldFriends4Sale said:

I don't believe the part about Prince Michael and Lionel bring 'friends' who wanted to make this a united front. You have no evidence otherwise, it doesn't mean they were fast friends, but to say they all hated each other is obtuse and an ignorant idea

Prince never wanted anything to do with it - You don't know that

Then Michael follows up a few years later to try to get Prince on BAD - not related

Then in 1996 Quincy pressures Prince onstate to sing We Are the World. Prince just sucked on a lollipop. - he wasn't part of the song, why would he sing it now; he was also defiant against anything corporate music

You came in for double heat over the L.A. incident because it happened the night of the "We Are the World" recording. In retrospect, do you wish you had shown up?
No. I think I did my part in giving my song [to the album]. I hope I did my part. I think I did the best thing I could do.

The best he could do is request to sing in a separate room or offer a consolation prize of playing guitar.

Thanks 4 sharing the video

Well, I guess Lionel Richie is just a big fat liar.

OldFriends4Sale said:

TrivialPursuit said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I don't believe the part about Prince Michael and Lionel bring 'friends' who wanted to make this a united front. You have no evidence otherwise, it doesn't mean they were fast friends, but to say they all hated each other is obtuse and an ignorant idea

Prince never wanted anything to do with it - You don't know that

Then Michael follows up a few years later to try to get Prince on BAD - not related

Then in 1996 Quincy pressures Prince onstate to sing We Are the World. Prince just sucked on a lollipop. - he wasn't part of the song, why would he sing it now; he was also defiant against anything corporate music

You came in for double heat over the L.A. incident because it happened the night of the "We Are the World" recording. In retrospect, do you wish you had shown up?
No. I think I did my part in giving my song [to the album]. I hope I did my part. I think I did the best thing I could do.

The best he could do is request to sing in a separate room or offer a consolation prize of playing guitar.

Thanks 4 sharing the video

Well, I guess Lionel Richie is just a big fat liar.

No, I think he is embelishing. I mean every account out of Prince's camp says Prince did not wanted to make a 'United Front' with the WATW event. I mean can you/anyone point out anything that agrees with what Lionel said? I'm really not fighting here, Has anyone, any Prince fan ever heard/read/thought/perceived that they were friends wanting to present a United Front?

.

I'm saying everything I/WE ALL have read says Prince didn't want anything to do with it. I mean if Prince did, he would have. Is that really a stretch to believe?

.

I'm not saying he should have sung it. I was bothered that Quincy tried to force this on 0+> in 1995

.

Their thing was to have everyone in the same space.

luv2tha99s said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I agree, outside of singing with people in his own camp during the 1978-1988 period, he wouldn't have been comfortable singing in that crowd of stars.

.

I need to back up on my other post.

.

So 1983 James Brown show, MJ, tries to outdo and trump Prince. He did that show. It wasn't Prince's element. Prince started out playing guitar. Which he should have stayed on then kicked a killer rock solo and let Big Chick carry him off. He tried to do his wicked Prince-like growless and screaches but it wasn't good and didn't he start taking clothes off?

.

The 1985 MJ tries to get Prince under one of his protects to sing. Prince just wants to play guitar if anything.

.

Then in 87/88 MJ tries to sing 'Your butt is mine...' as duet with Prince

.

I think I'm missing one more...

.

But then in 98/99 Prince says in an interview he doesn't understand why people bring him in comparison with MJ. That he is an ax man, and would be prefered to be compared to other ax men.

That JB show is funny cuz P threw his glove into the audience and someone threw it back at him lol.

Ahhh hah I forgot about the glove thrown back lol He was really out of his element in that time. I wonder how that event effected events in connection to this WATW event

Vannormal said:

thebanishedone said:

brokenhearted1972 said: To play guitar solo instead of singing

-

Is that so ?

How do you know that ?

Lionel said he only wanted to be 'recorded' in a seperate room, which they found not fitting in the idea of the project.

-

yap,sorry for the late replay,but i see other fellow orgers answered in details.

and i'm not kind of guy who likes to share non fact based stuff

OldFriends4Sale said:

.

I'm not saying he should have sung it. I was bothered that Quincy tried to force this on 0+> in 1995

.

Their thing was to have everyone in the same space.

When I first saw this I thought someone had superimposed P's image onto the video, like no way was P that bold he would try what comes off here as a stunt.

Clearly a parody of the fact he didn't turn up for that song's recording. So he could have refused to turn up on stage and that would have been inconspicuous, nobody would remember it.

He's a Dolphin!

Quincy could cut off all his fins, but to his ways he would not bend!

I can understand why he would have been scared by a studio production he had zero control over, singing lyrics he had no control over. I think we could all see him wanting to avoid a situation where he'd have to offend someone, or refuse to get paired up with Hall and Oats or Phil Collins, or whoever. He was at his most guard point for his image, and to not be able to put the right reverb on his voice or a variety of anxiety causing situations might have just been too much for him.

lavendardrummachine said:

I can understand why he would have been scared by a studio production he had zero control over, singing lyrics he had no control over. I think we could all see him wanting to avoid a situation where he'd have to offend someone, or refuse to get paired up with Hall and Oats or Phil Collins, or whoever. He was at his most guard point for his image, and to not be able to put the right reverb on his voice or a variety of anxiety causing situations might have just been too much for him.

It's literally what ever other artist in the room had to deal with, yet they showed up.

He'd have to offend someone? Okay then.

PS: Phil Collins wasn't part of USA For Africa. And what's wrong with Hall and Oates? (Answer: nothing)

TrivialPursuit said:

Genesia said:

Glad to this day that Prince stayed away from this virtue signaling nonsense.

So am I....to this day, I still hate that sappy, self-righteous crap song.

FrankieCoco1 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

It's literally what ever other artist in the room had to deal with, yet they showed up.

He'd have to offend someone? Okay then.

PS: Phil Collins wasn't part of USA For Africa. And what's wrong with Hall and Oates? (Answer: nothing)

Phil Collins was on the UK Band Aid single, “Do they know it’s Christmas?”, which led to the USA charity song. Phil sang and played the drums on it. Plus he appeared at both the UK and USA Live Aid concerts, getting a Concorde from London to America. Anyway, Prince’s vocal recording technique, as shown in the many recent interviews with engineer’s, was to be at the mixing desk, requesting to be left on his own. His natural reticence Of talking and mixing with people he barely knew, prevented him from feeling comfortable in situations like the recording of We Are The World. Such insecurities nowadays would likely be accommodated but in the 80’s wasn’t understood. Prince did what he felt comfortable with, giving a song.

There's a few different reasons he would not want to go sing next to Micheal in that session on camera. But the fact that he ALWAYS cut vocals alone in the studio really is enough. He knew it'd be better if he played guitar. They would have sold more copies if Quincy would have just let him. He would have tore that cheesy chord structure up! Probably would have been a flash of something amazing in there that would've made all the guitar heads listen through that song just to hear it.

I didn't understand back then what the big deal was for him. Now I feel like I do.

FrankieCoco1 said:

Phil Collins was on the UK Band Aid single, “Do they know it’s Christmas?”, which led to the USA charity song. Phil sang and played the drums on it. Plus he appeared at both the UK and USA Live Aid concerts, getting a Concorde from London to America.

I'm aware of how all that played out. I was a teenager and in the middle of watching it all happen.