I met Danny Schmidt at The Sisters Folk Festival nine years ago. He had invited me to attend, though I am sure he forgot it right away. I know I surprised him. My first words to him as he passed by to play a set in a tented area were “The Longhorns suck” which brought the Look of Death for Danny was and is a fervent Texas Longhorn fan, him having grown up in Austin and all. I realized my mistake right off. He had no idea who I was, having never seen me before. And it wasn’t his best day.
It’s been one of those weeks. It started out promisingly, with great plans for every day of the week. I was sure that by today, I’d have a clean house, an empty inbox, and even maybe lose ten pounds.
Quick! Without searching, answer a few questions. Who recorded We Are the World? Who benefited? Who wrote it? Was there a B-side? Were there other projects similar? Does anyone care? Did anyone care?
For those born after the fact, it may surprise you to know that plenty cared. Over 20 million people worldwide bought the record. I mean, Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, the writers of the song, were huge at the time. So were producers Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, though Jones significantly more than Omartian.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 