'We Are The World' Documentary, 'The Greatest Night in Pop,' Debuts on Netflix Jan. 29

Netflix has announced a brand-new documentary on USA for Africa's "We Are The World." Featuring behind-the-scenes footage and new interviews with some of the participants, including Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Ritchie, Huey Lewis and the engineers, crew and contributors who made that night happen, The Greatest Night in Pop will premiere Jan. 19 at the Sundance Film Festival, and will stream on Netflix on Jan. 29.

Directed by Bao Nguyen (Be Water), the film offers a deep dive into the making of the superstar-enhanced charity single that had enough power and goodwill behind it to catapult to the top of the charts. But for a few individuals in the know back then, assembling the song and the artists was never a sure thing.

The backstory: inspired by Band Aid's 1984 Ethiopian famine relief single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" musician and activist Harry Belafonte wanted to contribute in the same fashion. He contacted uber-manager Ken Kragen (who represented Lionel Ritchie and Kenny Rogers) in late December 1984 to see if he could help. Kragen jumped at the chance. He wanted to commemorate the vision of his late friend and client Harry Chapin, who had tragically perished in a 1981 car crash, but was also known for his humanitarian aid to help end world hunger.

What then for a song? Kragen wanted the pairing of Ritchie and Stevie Wonder, with Quincy Jones producing. Already a legend in the industry and also as the collaborator with Michael Jackson for his work on Off The Wall and Thriller, Jones somehow dropped a bombshell after a few well-placed calls: Jackson not only wanted to help, but offered to write the song with the pair.

Kragen continued making phone calls left and right with some indifference from multiple artist managements on the other end. But the linchpin was Bruce Springsteen. When Jon Landeau, Springsteen's manager, explicitly told him this would save lives, the Boss jumped on board. And so did everyone else.

However, Wonder checked out of the songwriting process, leaving Jackson and Ritchie to hammer out the tune. At Jackson's home, the inspiration for creation was listening to national anthems... even though the appearance of Jackson's python Crusher scared the bejesus out of Ritchie at one session.

After some tinkering in the studio with Jones as Jackson lay down a guide vocal, the song went out on cassettes to the performers with the explicit instructions "Please do not make copies, and return this cassette the night of the 28th." The night of January 28 was chosen for one reason: Ritchie was hosting the American Music Awards and a good amount of musicians would be there or conveniently nearby to record at A&M Studios (now the Jim Henson Company Lot). Well, except Springsteen. That morning he got on a plane in Syracuse, NY, having completed the current leg of his Born in the U.S.A. tour the previous evening and flew the 3,000 miles for this event.

The round-up of singers as an ensemble presented Jones with some issues, namely personality conflicts. Waylon Jennings got cranky over Jackson proposing faux Swahili and left and changing one word for the forty-six to sing in unison caused some rumblings. But after all the "chopping wood," as Jones described it, was done, the soloists stepped up to their respective mics. And the rest is music history.

The single was released on March 7, 1985 and became the fastest-selling pop single in the U.S. and the eighth-best-selling single of all time. Raising $63 million, it also helped inspire that summer's worldwide concert event, Live Aid.