Googling By Numbers

I was so excited to hear that they’re making a new single of “We Are The World” to raise money for Haiti’s earthquake victims.

All of today’s biggest stars getting together to sing for charity, just like they did 1985.

But then I read the list. And it just doesn’t have the same ring… not even close.

I may not have been alive back when they recorded “We Are The World” the first time round. But that’s not the point.

The celebrities that sang that weren’t just celebrities, they were talented celebrities…it seems like a foreign concept these days doesn’t it?

Talented…and…. a celebrity… in the same sentence! IMPOSSIBLE.

But I digress.

I check out who made the 2010 cut for “We Are The World” and I’ll be honest, ol’ Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie were scraping the bottom of the barrel when they put this together.

Yes, the remaining Jacksons have somehow managed to stay off the drugs long enough to make a reappearance in the record. But that’s a given… they’d starve without their annual let’s-profit-off-our-more-famous-but-now-deceased-brother’s fame (although LaToya is a notable absence… is she too kooky even for the Jackson family?).

But that’s it. Nobody from the original cast made it. Not Willie Nelson. Not Diana Ross (what would Michael say?) . Not Cindy Lauper or Bruce Springstein.

I don’t get it… they’re all still alive Quincy, so what gives?

Now I’m going to hazard a guess and say Quincy thought nobody would want to hear these old folks sing.

We modern listeners want fresh new faces… hip, young, cool celebrities.

So he picked Vince Vaughn,  Miley Cyrus and the Jonas brothers…(who are, by the way, selling mobile phone covers ‘for charity’ on their website).

ummmm???????????????????

I know Dan Aykroyd was in the original but Vince Vaughn? He can’t act and that’s his day job… why the hell would you let him sing? And by including Miley, does it mean you’ll never record the song “live” Quincy?

But it gets worse.

Nicole Richie is part of the 2010 team… ahem Lionel? And so are the Madden brothers… ahh Lionel it’s getting kinda obvious.

Then there’s T-Pain (who knew he could sing?), Enrique Inglesias (but not his dad?), LL Cool J (ladies do love him), Tony Bennett (how come he gets to be in it but not Bette Midler?) and the list goes on and on.

All I can say is the whole thing feels so scammy.

Obviously they’re going to make a SACK of money but it just doesn’t have the same feel.

Quincy, Lionel, I think you picked the 2010 “We Are The World” team according to their level of fame and not their talent.

And, by all means, it was a brilliant way to make more money.

But like Jordin Sparks said, the 1985 version had a “huge impact” on my life even though I wasn’t alive (why do celebs always say that?) and I just don’t think this new one will have the same effect.

Here’s a list of most of the 100 2010 “We Are The World”celebs:

Carlos Santana, Orianthi, Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Sugarland, Adam Levine, Jason Mraz, Earth Wind & Fire, Natalie Cole, The Jonas Brothers, T-Pain, Brian Wilson, Justin Bieber, Nicole Scherzinger, India.Arie, Julianne Hough, Mary Mary, Melanie Fiona, BeBe Winans, Mya, Tyrese Gibson, Anthony Hamilton, Raphael Saadiq, Gladys Knight, Keri Hilson, Joel and Benji Madden, Heart, Brandy, Pink, Musiq Soulchild, Miley Cyrus, Akon, Jordin Sparks, Celine Dion, Rob Thomas, Katharine McPhee, Jeff Bridges, Randy Jackson, Patti Austin, Kid CuDi, Usher, Will.i.am, Kanye West, LL Cool J, Issac Slade (of The Fray), Snoop Dogg, Nicole Richie, Trey Songz, Ethan Bortnick, Taryll Jackson, Taj Jackson, TJ Jackson, Vince Vaughn, Drake, Freda Payne, Faith Evans, Robin Thicke, Rashida Jones, Barbra Streisand, Jimmy Jean Louis, Enrique Iglesias, Zac Brown, Lil Wayne, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Sean Garrett, Harry Connick Jr., Al Jardine, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (Bizzy Bone) and A.R.Rahman

Watch what Lionel and Quincy had to say: