On May 20 and 21, 1985, Ronnie James Dio gathered 40 musicians from the hard rock/heavy metal world as Hear 'n Aid at A&M Records Studios and recorded "Stars." The song was arranged and produced by Dio himself. Since the song was written by 3/4 of Dio, it sounds like a Dio song, very close to that of "Rainbow In The Dark" both musically and lyrically. It's a heavy song with some great vocal performances, amazing fretboard guitar solos, and a chorus that will stick in your head like flies on shit.
The "Stars" 12" single contained a (7:20) full version on the A-side and a (5:10) edited version on the B-Side as well as "The 4 1/2 Minute News", a segment that contained interviews from those musicians who participated in the project. Never before in the hard rock/heavy metal industry had such a project been put together for a well worthy cause.
What makes the song "Stars" such a gem are the various artists who contributed to the album and how each plays their part in the song both on the vocal level and instrumental level. The highlight for me is the guitar solo, which is actually 13 solos , broken down into 6 parts. The following is a list of all of the musicians that contributed to the project:
Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne/Whitesnake), David Alford (Rough Cutt), Carmine Appice (King Kobra), Vinny Appice (Dio), Jimmy Bain (Dio), Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult), Mick Brown (Dokken), Vivian Campbell (Dio), Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot), Amir Derakh (Rough Cutt), Ronnie James Dio (Dio), Don Dokken (Dokken), Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot), Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), Craig Goldy (Dio/Guiffria), Chris Hager (Rough Cutt), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.), George Lynch (Dokken), Yngwie Malmsteen, Mick Mars (Motley Crue), Dave Meniketti (Y & T), Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Vince Neil (Motely Crue), Ted Nugent, Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Jeff Pilson (Dokken), Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (Blue Oyster Cult), David St. Hubbins (Spinal Tap), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot), Claude Schnell (Dio), Neal Schon (Journey), Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt), Derek Smalls (Spinal Tap), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden), Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), Geoff Tate (Queensryche), Matt Thorr (Rough Cutt).
The following is a breakdown of who sings where and who plays what:
Ronnie James Dio: "Who cries for the children? I do."
Dave Meniketti: "Some time in the night, when your're feeling the cold."
RJD: "Take a look at the sky above you."
Rob Halford: "Those are faces in the light, if the story were told."
RJD: "They are calling you, calling you."
RJD: "We are magic in the night."
Kevin Dubrow: "We are shadow we are light."
Dave Meniketti: "We are forever you and I."
CHORUS with vocal lead Rob Halford: "Were stars. Were stars."
Eric Bloom: "We can be strong, we are fire and stone."
Paul Shortino: "And we all want to touch a rainbow."
Geoff Tate: "But singers and songs will never change it alone, so we are calling you, calling you."
Don Dokken: "We're the beating of a heart. The beginning we're the start."
Paul Shortino: "Forever we will shine."
CHORUS with vocal leads by Shortino, Dokken, Dio and Tate: "We're Stars. We're Stars. We're Stars. We're Stars."
GUITAR SOLOS (12 Bars each)
1st solo: Craig Goldy/Eddie Ojeda
2nd solo: Vivian Campbell/Brad Gillis
3rd solo: Neal Schon/George Lynch
4th solo: Yngwie Malmsteen/Vivian Campbell
5th solo: George Lynch/Carlos Cavazo
6th solo: Brad Gillis, Craig Goldy, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser
Kevin DuBrow: "We are magic in the night"
Rob Halford: "We are shadow, we are light"
Geoff Tate: "We are forever you and I"
CHORUS with vocal leads by Meniketti, Bloom, Halford, closing solo by Neil Schon: "We're stars. We're stars.". etc"
All guitar melody lines on choruses were played by Adrian Smith and Dave Murray
Stars
Hear 'n Aid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who cries for the children?
I do
Dave Meniketti (Y&T):
Some time in the night
When you're feeling the cold
Ronnie James Dio:
Take a look at the sky above you
Those are faces in the light
If the story were told
Ronnie James Dio:
They are calling you, calling you
Yeah
We are magic in the night
Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot):
We are shadow, we are light
Dave Meniketti:
We are forever you and I
Chorus (vocal lead: Rob Halford):
We're stars
We're stars
Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult):
We can be strong
We are fire and stone
Paul Shortino (Quiet Riot, Rough Cutt):
And we all want to touch a rainbow
Geoff Tate (Queensryche):
But singers and songs
Will never change it alone
We are calling you, calling you
Don Dokken (Dokken):
We're the beating of a heart
The beginning we're the start
Paul Shortino:
Forever we will shine
Yeah
Chorus (vocal leads: Paul Shortino, Don Dokken, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate):
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
Guitar solos:
1st solo: Craig Goldie/Eddie Ojeda
2nd solo: Vivian Campbell/Brad Gillis
3rd solo: Neal Schon/George Lynch
4th solo: Yngwie Malmsteen/Vivian Campbell
5th solo: George Lynch/Carlos Cavazo
6th solo: Brad Gillis/Craig Goldie/Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser
Kevin DuBrow:
We are magic in the night
Rob Halford:
We are shadow, we are light
Geoff Tate:
We are forever you and I
Chorus (vocal leads: Dave Meniketti, Eric Bloom, Rob Halford)
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars, yeah
We're stars
We are shadow, we are light
We're stars
We are magic in the night
We're stars, oh yeah
We're stars
We're stars
We are magic in the night
We're stars
We are shadow, we are light
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
We're the magic
We're stars
We're stars
We're the beating of a heart
We're stars
Forever we will shine
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
We're stars
The lyrics of Hear 'N Aid's song "Stars" are an anthem for hope, unity, and strength. The song starts with Ronnie James Dio asking who cries for the children, and then Dave Meniketti sings about feeling cold in the night. Dio then urges the listener to look at the sky and see the faces in the light, who are calling for them. This leads to the chorus, where they all declare themselves as stars, representing both the magic and the beating of a heart, urging everyone to rise up and shine forever.
The lyrics of "Stars" come from a place of deep compassion and concern for society. The songwriters are aware of the darkness in the world and the pain that people endure but want to remind them that they have the power to shine through it. They urge the listener to have hope and unity since they can achieve anything by supporting each other. The song lyrics and approach are aimed at empowering the listener, making them aware of their strength as a collective.
The song's message of hope and togetherness helped to raise funds for famine relief in Africa. The track brought together well-known heavy metal vocalists, including Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, Paul Shortino of Rough Cutt, and Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot. The song is a collaborative effort and features an impressive guitar solos section, with six of the greatest guitarists of 1980s rock performing up to 30 seconds of lead guitar each.
Line by Line Meaning
Who cries for the children?
Who speaks up for and supports the children in need?
I do
I am someone who speaks up for and supports the children in need.
Some time in the night
At some point during the night.
When you're feeling the cold
When you feel alone or in a difficult place.
Take a look at the sky above you
Look upwards and see the potential and beauty in the world.
Those are faces in the light
The stars you see in the sky are a representation of people.
If the story were told
If we could see the full picture.
They are calling you, calling you
The stars are reaching out to us and inspiring us.
We are magic in the night
We are capable of amazing things even in dark times.
We are shadow, we are light
We represent both the darkness and the light in the world.
We are forever you and I
We will always be connected to each other.
We're stars
We are important and bright individuals.
We can be strong
We have the ability to be powerful and make a difference.
We are fire and stone
We embody both passion and resilience.
And we all want to touch a rainbow
We all long for something beautiful and unique.
But singers and songs
Although we can express ourselves through art and music...
Will never change it alone
...they alone cannot bring about true change.
We are calling you, calling you
We are still inspiring and reaching out to people.
We're the beating of a heart
We represent the core of what makes us human.
The beginning we're the start
We are the beginnings of something great and important.
Forever we will shine
We will continue to be bright and powerful throughout time.
We're stars, yeah
We are amazing individuals who can shine brightly.
We are magic in the night
Even in dark times, we can still create amazing things.
We're stars, oh yeah
We are vibrant and make a true impact.
We're the magic
We are unique and special.
We're the beating of a heart
We remind others of what makes us human and connect us to each other.
Forever we will shine
We will always be bright and powerful.
We're stars
We are important and bright individuals.
Contributed by Aubrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KeremcanBuyuktaskin
Vocals
0:17 Ronnie James Dio (Dio)
0:48 Dave Meniketti (Y&T)
0:52 Ronnie James Dio
0:56 Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
1:01 Ronnie James Dio
1:11 Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot)
1:15 Dave Meniketti
Chorus
1:23 Vocal leads: Rob Halford
Vocals
1:32 Eric Bloom (Blue Öyster Cult)
1:36 Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt)
1:41 Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche)
1:51 Don Dokken (Dokken)
2:01 Paul Shortino
Chorus
2:07 Vocal leads: Paul Shortino, Don Dokken, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate
Guitar Solos (12 bars each)
1st solo
2:26 Craig Goldy (Giuffria)
2:35 Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister)
2:43 Craig Goldy
2:47 Eddie Ojeda
2nd solo
2:52 Vivian Campbell (Dio)
3:01 Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)
3:09 Vivian Campbell
3rd solo
3:18 Neal Schon (Journey)
3:26 George Lynch (Dokken)
3:35 Neal Schon
4th solo
3:43 Yngwie Malmsteen
3:52 Vivian Campbell
4:00 Yngwie Malmsteen
5th solo
4:09 George Lynch
4:18 Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot)
4:26 George Lynch
4:30 Carlos Cavazo
6th solo
4:35 Brad Gillis
4:43 Craig Goldy
4:52 Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (Blue Öyster Cult)
Vocals
5:11 Kevin DuBrow
5:15 Rob Halford
5:19 Geoff Tate
Drums
5:26 Vinny Appice (Dio)
5:29 Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot)
Chorus
5:33 Vocal leads: Dave Meniketti, Eric Bloom, Rob Halford
Outro solo
6:08 Neil Schon
Bass
0:14 Jimmy Bain (Dio)
Keyboards
6:34 Claude Schnell (Dio)
All guitar melody lines on choruses
5:01 Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
5:01 Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden
Written by
Jimmy Bain
Vivian Campbell
Ronnie James Dio
RIP
Ronnie James Dio
Jimmy Bain
Kevin DuBrow
Frankie Banali
@KeremcanBuyuktaskin
Vocals
0:17 Ronnie James Dio (Dio)
0:48 Dave Meniketti (Y&T)
0:52 Ronnie James Dio
0:56 Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
1:01 Ronnie James Dio
1:11 Kevin DuBrow (Quiet Riot)
1:15 Dave Meniketti
Chorus
1:23 Vocal leads: Rob Halford
Vocals
1:32 Eric Bloom (Blue Öyster Cult)
1:36 Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt)
1:41 Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche)
1:51 Don Dokken (Dokken)
2:01 Paul Shortino
Chorus
2:07 Vocal leads: Paul Shortino, Don Dokken, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate
Guitar Solos (12 bars each)
1st solo
2:26 Craig Goldy (Giuffria)
2:35 Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister)
2:43 Craig Goldy
2:47 Eddie Ojeda
2nd solo
2:52 Vivian Campbell (Dio)
3:01 Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)
3:09 Vivian Campbell
3rd solo
3:18 Neal Schon (Journey)
3:26 George Lynch (Dokken)
3:35 Neal Schon
4th solo
3:43 Yngwie Malmsteen
3:52 Vivian Campbell
4:00 Yngwie Malmsteen
5th solo
4:09 George Lynch
4:18 Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot)
4:26 George Lynch
4:30 Carlos Cavazo
6th solo
4:35 Brad Gillis
4:43 Craig Goldy
4:52 Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (Blue Öyster Cult)
Vocals
5:11 Kevin DuBrow
5:15 Rob Halford
5:19 Geoff Tate
Drums
5:26 Vinny Appice (Dio)
5:29 Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot)
Chorus
5:33 Vocal leads: Dave Meniketti, Eric Bloom, Rob Halford
Outro solo
6:08 Neil Schon
Bass
0:14 Jimmy Bain (Dio)
Keyboards
6:34 Claude Schnell (Dio)
All guitar melody lines on choruses
5:01 Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
5:01 Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden
Written by
Jimmy Bain
Vivian Campbell
Ronnie James Dio
RIP
Ronnie James Dio
Jimmy Bain
Kevin DuBrow
Frankie Banali
@bpsitrep
Thank you for that great list. Never knew who did what. Rock on ! 🤟
@KeremcanBuyuktaskin
@@bpsitrep You're welcome, very kind of you!
@leejy7937
B K Rock !
I really appreciate you ！
from jp
@juancarlosprevostzarate7077
@@KeremcanBuyuktaskin thank you so much!!!
@KeremcanBuyuktaskin
@@leejy7937 You're welcome, enjoy! 🤘
@themechaniacal1558
The level of talent here is off the chart. Hearing Rob Halford screaming in a controlled higher octave gave me chills. I often think about those times growing up in the '80s. Dude, I'd do it all over again.
@danielm8213
How was Blackie Lawless for WASP not singing a solo part, his voice legendary.
@axerenwick7764
Rob Halford was out of control GREAT!!!!!
@thedronedownunder3919
I was a crazy JP fan, but my fave voice of all this lot has to be Geoff Tate.