USHER FIX

Despite some big-name detractors, “We Are the World: 25 for Haiti” debuts at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart just days after the all-star charity single premiered during the televised opening of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The song, a remake of the Michael Jackson- and Lionel Richie-powered original, was only bested by Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok,” which tops the chart for the ninth straight week.

The “WATW” remake produced by RedOne and featuring the collective Artists for Haiti — a group that comprises a number of musicians and actors, including Jamie Foxx, Justin Bieber, Pink, Usher, Kanye West and Celine Dion, among others — is the latest charity effort to rise on the charts.

The new “We Are the World” video was helmed by Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis, who described the shoot as “chaos” but noted it was a remarkable experience.

“You hear these stories about people checking their egos at the door, and it really is true,” Haggis told MTV News. “They came and stood forever and were glorified extras a lot of the time. They just stood in the corner and waved. It was hot and it was crowded. When there’s chaos, there’s friction. Where there’s fiction, there’s drama, and I knew I’d have fun things to shoot. Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much drama as I expected. People really got along very well.”

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The names are different this time around. Lil Wayne, Barbra Streisand, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers are in the cast; Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Cyndi Lauper aren’t. But the purpose of the new “We Are the World” recording remains the same: to harness the music industry’s star power for charity.

The video for the new “We Are the World” — recorded Feb. 1 at the same Hollywood studio where the first “We Are the World” was created, in 1985 — will debut tomorrow during NBC television’s 7:30 p.m.-midnight coverage of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. After that, downloads will be available at World25.org and iTunes.com, with proceeds going to Haitian earthquake relief.

The original “We Are the World” raised more than $63 million for famine relief in Africa. “While the need to assist Africa continues, today the country of Haiti is suffering immeasurably from the destruction due to the recent earthquake and is in immediate need of relief that will last long after the television cameras have left,” said Quincy Jones, who executive-produced the new recording, along with Lionel Richie and Wyclef Jean. “As artists, we have joined together on this 25th anniversary and in the spirit of ‘We Are The World’ to help meet that need.”

Reportedly, the new “We Are the World” will include a segment where some of the late Michael Jackson’s vocals from the original recording are used, along with new vocals by his sister Janet. (Michael Jackson co-wrote the song with Richie.)

The song’s lineup includes Jennifer Hudson, Usher, will.i.am., Kanye West, Celine Dion, Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Rob Thomas, Jamie Foxx, Carlos Santana, Sugarland, Enrique Iglesias, Zac Brown, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Brian Wilson, Pink, Musiq Soulchild, Snoop Dogg, Akon, Jordin Sparks and dozens more. For a complete list, visit the song’s official web site, World25.org.

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Grammy’s “Earth Song” MJ Tribute Rehearsals

Usher At Annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party

Usher At The Grammys

Usher At Post Grammy Party Hosted By Antonio “LA” Reid (Cecconi’s Restaurant)

Usher (“We Are The World 2″)

Click on February 1 & 2 on the mini-calendar on the far right to see the original posts/pics.

Twenty-five years after the iconic charity single “We Are The World” was recorded at A&M Studios by the likes of Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, and Ray Charles, a new bunch of stars united to re-record the song.

“We Are The World 25 Years For Haiti” was given a bit of a new spin by today’s hottest recording stars like Celine Dion,  Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Pink, and Trey Songz.

In all, over 80 artists participated in the recording session that took place Monday, February 1 in Hollywood, CA at the very same studio the original was recorded (Jim Henson Studios). Original producer Quincy Jones was responsible for bringing it all together, and one of the song’s co-writers, Lionel Richie, was back for the new song, this time with his daughter Nicole Richie and granddaughter Harlow Madden.

 Along with recording the track, a video for the song was shot, in 3-D reports MTV.com, and will be released on February 12. ”The experience was out of this world,” said Bieber, who sang Lionel Richie’s original opening line.

According to a press release from the organizers, both the new version of “We Are the World” and the accompanying video will be available for purchase through a consortium of on-line and retail partners, with all proceeds going directly to the earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti through the We Are The World Foundation, a newly created not-for-profit organization made up of board members Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Wyclef Jean, Paul Haggis, Randy Phillips and Ambassador Louis Moreno of the Inter-American Development Bank.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

Sources: 1 , 2, & 3

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Video of Original Recording Session  

Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie will re-record We Are the World with some of world’s top recording artists next month to raise money for Haiti, Billboard.com reports. 

The single will be recorded in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, following the Grammy Awards weekend, and will also mark the 25th anniversary of the original recording.

The song, co-written by Richie and Michael Jackson, and co-produced by Jones, in 1985, raised money for Africa and led to the Live Aid charity concert. The long and diverse list of more than 40 singers included Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Bette Midler, Waylon Jennings, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen.

This time, Usher, Natalie Cole and John Legend have been invited to take part in a “supergroup” recording. Billboard says the 2010 roster may also include Wyclef Jean, Sting, Fergie, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake among others.

Sources: 1 & 2