As Jumbo Slice noted here, all too often politicians get credit for shit that was actually due to rock musicians. Case in point: the Gulf War.
In 1991 a multi-musician/athlete/actor/carbon blob amalgamation recorded the track "Voices That Care," on behalf of our servicemen and women who were then stationed in Saudi Arabia. Days later, Operation Desert Storm kicked off and all kinds of ass-kicking descended upon Saddam Hussein and Co., who thereafter never caused any problems ever again.
George H.W. Bush got all the cred, but many veterans will tell you, without hesitation, that listening to "Voices That Care" made their bloodlust kick in, and led directly to glorious victory in the desert.
So here's the challenge: in the comments, try and name as many of the participants in this video as you can. Do not resort to Google or Wikipedia. I'll know if you do, and you will be disqualified and humiliated.
I'll wait a little bit and then post the answers. I'll do the first one for you: Ralph Tresvant (formerly of New Edition).
Celine Dion?! If we're going to war, she's about the last person I want on our side. The only people worse in battle than the French are the French Canadians. Back to my list...
ReplyDeleteJohn Fogerty, the dude from Chicago, Al Green?
Magic Johnson!
Good god, how can they let Michael Bolton in there? Were they trying to demoralize the troops?
Either Bell, Biv, or Devoe. I can't tell them apart.
Whoa, was that Mike Tyson?!
I'll stop now so others can apart in the game. Excellent video. It's clear this is why we won the first Gulf War. Just as "We Are The World" eradicated all hunger and poverty in Africa.
Holy shit, I can't stop watching this. It has to be the most bizarre collection of celebrities ever assembled. All in the name of making one incredibly terrible song.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing, whomever it was that let fucking Celine Dion in on this is a traitor and should have been executed as such. No Canadians allowed.
ReplyDeleteWatch those hands, Tyson.
ReplyDeleteDrat! I cannot open it.
ReplyDeleteNote: I once fell in a hotel lobby and BBD stopped to help me up. Well, one helped me up and the other two stood there. They are obviously dedicated to bettering mankind! That video is magic!
I am already obsessed with seeing this video.
Oh. My. God. I was so obsessed that I borrowed a colleague's computer and it was so worth it.
ReplyDeleteOf course, since it is full of pop stars and actors, I could name almost everyone. Once they panned across Fred Savage, I laughed so hard I cried.
My faves: Ahmad Rashad, "The Boz" with his arm around Lindsay Wagner, Alyssa Milano, blonde Cher, and Nelson. The lead singer of Warrant was a nice touch, too.
Orel Hershiser?! WTF?! And who was that guy at the end?!
No video is complete without Shatner.
PS: It is PETER CETERA, one of our greatest love singers EVER, not "that guy from Chicago."
I've always admired Savage's voice.
ReplyDeleteAlso, fair point about Jumbo re "that dude from Chicago." That phrasing is so ambiguous, I thought that he was originally referring to Chicago trombonist James Pankow. And then I thought, no, he must have meant Cetera.
Note also the solo from Kenny G.
I looked like Fred Savage as a kid and now I resemble Steve Guttenberg. I hope the real Fred Savage fared better than me in the looks department.
ReplyDeleteThe Boz's mohawk-mullet is tremendous.
SZ--did they try to smack it up, flip it and/or rub it down when they helped you up?
ReplyDeleteRandy Travis, Peter &Cetera, guy from Warrant(!), Luther Vandross, Donna Summer, Magic and Michael, Dominique Wilkins, Ahmad Rashad, David Robinson, Garth Brooks, Kathy Mattea, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson--yes!, Michael Bolton, the Pointer Sisters, Little Richard, Bobby Brown, the Fresh Prince, Mark Knopfler, Kenny G, Brooke Shields, Ali McGraw, Shatner, Marcus Allen, Brian Bosworth (??), Wayne Gretzky, Ted Danson, the Gambler, Kurt Russell, Dick Gere and Cindy Crawford, the Fonz, Mike Myers, Kevin Costner, Gary Busey about to explode, Meryl Streep, James Woods, Alyssa Milano, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Sally Field, Fred Savage, Downtown Julie Brown, Dudley Moore, John Lovitz, Jimmy Buffett, Mary Steenburgen, Harry Hamlin, Blair Underwood, Orel Hersheiser, some other guy from LA Law, Al Jerreau, Michelle Pffeifer, Chevy Chase, Steven Stills?, Lindsay Wagner, Janet Jones (Mrs. W. Gretzky), Marilu Henner, Sissy Spacek, Deborah Gibson, Alan Thicke (Canadian), Oprah, Don King, Mickey Dolenz, another guy from Warrant, Jon Bon Jovi, Clarence Clemons.
You know--from just a quick once over.
I am a tremendous loser.
^^^^^^^^^^^wow
ReplyDeleteTyson was standing next to Debbie Gibson. She since went on to change her name to "Deborah" and she ditched the teenybopper sound. Later she posed for Playboy.
Yes--who is the bald guy singing at the end? I figure its the dude who wrote the song, but I am clueless. Is it KC, as in KC and the Sunshine Band?
ReplyDeleteWait, Oprah was there too?! Is she the other person Tyson has his arms around? Please say it's so...
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who the guy at the end is. He looks like Dan Deacon though.
ReplyDeleteRick, they were very polite! One helped me up, another asked if I was okay, and the other one stood there. I have the scar on my knee as a souvenir.
ReplyDeleteAnd you forgot Nicolette Sheridan. And the LA LAW guy is Michael Tucker.
Its nice to hear that all of that "Do Me" money didn't go to their heads. I was at a Taco Bell once and Boyz II Men totally pushed to the front of the line. So not all of the East Coast Family was polite, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteThere was zero percent chance I could ever remember Michael Tucker's name. Was that Nicolette Sheridan in the Dodgers hat?
Oprah may be Nell Carter....
Yes. Nicolette Sheridan was dating Harry Hamlin at the time. She is right in front of him. Look closely and you can see her making googly eyes at ol' Bolton.
ReplyDeleteOkay, here are the VTC participants, according to Wikipedia:
ReplyDeleteLead Vocalists:
Michael Bolton
Garth Brooks
Bobby Brown
Peter Cetera
Celine Dion
Kenny G
Amy Grant
Jani Lane (Warrant)
Little Richard
Kathy Mattea (nice one, Rick)
The Nelson Twins
Pointer Sisters
Brenda Russell
Will Smith ("rapping")
Randy Travis
Ralph Tresvant
Luther Vandross
Warren Wiebe--this is the retarded-looking gentleman at the end
Choir Members:
Marcus Allen
Paul Anka
Catherine Bach
Deborah Benson-Wald
Brian Bosworth
Downtown Julie Brown
Jimmy Buffett
Gary Busey
Nell Carter
David Cassidy
Peter Cetera
Chevy Chase
Candy Clark
Clarence Clemons
Kevin Costner
Cindy Crawford
Billy Crystal
Ted Danson
Rick Dees
Micky Dolenz
Clyde Drexler
Sheena Easton
Sally Fields
Richard Gere
Deborah Gibson
Whoopi Goldberg
Wayne Gretzky
Harry Hamlin
Mariel Hemingway
Marilu Henner
Orel Hershiser
Al Jarreau
Magic Johnson
Tommy Lee Jones
Michael Jordan
Carol Kane
Joanna Kerns
Don King
Mark Knopfler
Martin Kove
Jon Lovitz
Ali MacGraw
Gael MacGregor
Melissa Manchester
Peter Max
Alyssa Milano
Dudley Moore
Jeffrey Osborne
Donny Osmond
Michelle Pfeiffer
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Ahmad Rashad
Helen Reddy
David Robinson
Paul Rodriguez
Kenny Rogers
Kurt Russell
Katey Sagal
Fred Savage
Jane Seymour
William Shatner
Nicollette Sheridan
Brooke Shields
Sissy Spacek
Stephen Stills
Meryl Streep
Linda Thompson
Tiffany
Michael Tucker
Mike Tyson
Blair Underwood
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Lindsay Wagner
Dominique Wilkins
Billy Dee Williams
Warrant
Paul Williams
Henry Winkler
James Woods
Gary Wright
>> "Warren Wiebe--this is the retarded-looking gentleman at the end"
ReplyDeleteYa know, it only took 22 years, but I think we've finally found Herb