Back in the mid-1980s, Ethiopian famine relief became an important cause. Musicians united under various collectives to record charity singles to raise money to feed the hungry. Between 1983 and 1985, Ethiopia experienced the last of many famines that had ravaged the country’s population since 1961.
Videos by American Songwriter
Western musicians were compelled to help out. First came the Band-Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in December 1984. Then it was America’s turn with USA for Africa’s “We Are The World” (March 1985). And then Canada’s Northern Lights delivered “Tears Are Not Enough” (May 1985). Artists as esteemed as Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, George Michael, Joni Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, and many many others contributed to these efforts. Thus they collectively sold millions worldwide, and reportedly raised millions upon millions of dollars in total at the time.
Metalheads Have Hearts, Too
Conspicuously absent from these projects were members of the hard rock and metal community. Metal was popular at the time. But its practitioners were often stigmatized by outsiders as loud, buffoonish, and irredeemable. Plenty of hard rockers were smart and had a heart, though. And this came through when the Hear ‘N Aid collective united to record the song “Stars.” The charity single would be included on an album of the same that featured live and rare tracks from various bands.
Former Dio and current Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell recently spoke of the project to Guitar Interactive magazine. Campbell was in the studio with Ronnie James Dio and his band recording the Sacred Heart album in L.A. in 1985. During an interview with KLOS radio in L.A., the DJ asked them why no one from USA for Africa invited the hard rock world to the We Are The World sessions. No one had a good answer.
“There was no real industry recognition, even though it was a very, very popular cultural force and sold in multi-millions,” recalled Campbell to Guitar Interactive. “But the industry was yet to really fully recognize it as being legit. And so anyway, we were joking about this, and it was Jimmy who — he was a funny guy — and Jimmy right off the bat said, ‘Yeah, we should do one. We should call it Hear ‘N Aid.’
“We were all, like, ‘Hahaha.’ We fell off our stools. And then we went back to our apartment and Jimmy said, ‘Well, do you wanna actually do this?’ [And I said] ‘Really? I mean, do we have time for this?’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ So Jimmy and I wrote the song. We didn’t write the lyrics. We put the music together. We thought, ‘We’re not gonna get this off the ground without Ronnie. We need some clout. We need the name.’”
Who You Gonna Call?
It took a couple of weeks of pushing Dio, who had been going through some rough times personally. Eventually they were able to coax him into conjuring some of his signature lyrics, which eventually started like this:
Who cries for the children? I do…
Sometime in the night, when you’re feeling the cold
Take a look at the sky above you
Those are faces in the light, if the story were told
They are calling you, calling you
Campbell further explained that he had a publicist friend with an extensive Rolodex who gave him the contacts to reach out to people. He cold called people he didn’t know to explain the concept of this charity record and how they would cover expenses and get some sponsorship.
“So that was my life for weeks, every day going into a whole different world for me, just getting on the phone and calling people,” said Campbell. “’Hi, Neal Schon. Love your Journey stuff. Is there any chance you could…?’ ‘Who else is doing it?’ And the same old thing—nobody wants to commit until [other big names are involved].
“But I was able to throw Ronnie’s name there. I said, ‘Well, Ronnie’s doing it.’ ‘Oh, okay.’ And calling up studios, like A&M studios, ‘Hey, is it possible we can get a day free in the studio? It’s for charity.’ ‘Hey, American Airlines, is there any way we can…?’ ‘Hey, Holiday Inn, can you…?’ It was something I’d never done before, but I spent weeks and weeks and weeks doing it. And so it all came together, and it was just bonkers that it did.”
The Stars of “Stars”
The song “Stars” was recorded on May 20 and 21, 1985, and 40 artists from the metal community – including members of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Blue Oyster Cult, Dokken, even mockumentary stars Spinal Tap – gathered at A&M Records Studios in Hollywood, California to record the anthem. It was epic, and on the days of recording Dio took charge and created a sense of camaraderie that united everyone involved.
“Stars” ran for 7 minutes and including not only an impressive array of lead vocalists – Dio, Rob Halford, Paul Shortino, Dave Meniketti, Don Dokken, Geoff Tate, Eric Bloom, and Kevin DuBrow – and 30 backing singers, but a two-and-a-half minute solo section of top-notch guitar slingers improving their parts. These included Campbell, Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, Craig Goldy, Eddie Ojeda, Brad Gillis, Neal Schon, Carlos Cavazo, and Buck Dharma. Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray and Adrian Smith laid down the rhythm guitar tracks. Dio members provided keyboards (Claude Schnell), bass (Jimmy Bain), and drums (Vinny Appice). Quiet Riot’s Frankie Banali also played drums.
A Stirring Anthem
The finished song was a stirring, impassioned anthem calling for unity and aid. It was highly memorable. For metal fans, hearing and seeing all those singers and musicians was inspiring. On top of the video for the song, they also created a behind-the-scenes documentary. While the initial estimate for money raised was about $1 million, Wendy Dio more recently estimated that the project raised $3 million for famine relief. (However, due to various legal negotiations with labels and managers, the song and album were not released until early 1986.)
Wendy Dio explained recently on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” that Stars only came on out vinyl and cassette. She’s planning on getting it reissued on CD. She would also like to add some new material from contemporary bands. Some unseen and unheard behind-the-scenes footage from the vaults might surface as well. Ronnie James Dio’s Stand up and Shout Cancer Fund, which is dedicated to supporting cancer prevention research, would get the money. The organization also raises awareness, and educates the public that early detection and prevention saves lives. The famed singer passed away from stomach cancer in 2010.
No Ego
“I can honestly say though that there were no ego clashes on the day, zero, and no-one making diva demands from anyone at the studio,” Don Dokken recalled to Classic Rock in 2022. “That came as a pleasant surprise, and I think it was a testament to the respect everyone had for Ronnie.”
Dokken added, “It was cool to take part in the Hear ’N Aid record. I remember some people acting all shocked that guys in hard rock and heavy metal bands actually cared about anyone but ourselves, like we were all monsters with nothing but drugs, girls and money on our minds. That says more about those people than it does about us. It’s one moment in hard rock history that we can all be proud of.”
Photo by Pete Cronin/Redferns
