Let me start by saying I absolutely stand behind why this song was written, and fully support any effort to alleviate suffering around the world. And I hope this song did some good for Ethiopia back in 1985. But it didn’t do anything good for music, or your ears.

This was Swedish Metal Aid. Sweden’s musicians wanted to join in the musical movement to help out starving Africans, specifically the Ethiopian famine that was the biggest story of the day back in 1985.

In fact it was (probably) Sweden’s biggest musical stars in 1985, Joey Tempest and Kee Marcello from Europe, who wrote and produced this song. But it wasn’t a highlight in their career. I mean its called Give A Helpin’ Hand for pete’s sake! Even the title is as cheesy as you could get, and that’s talking about the freakin’ 80′s! But somehow, in Sweden at least, it sold 50,000 copies, so...good job?

Here’s the video, if you can handle it. Honestly it has a real Children Of The Corn feel...for a charity song. Also, many of the singers can’t sing! This is really, really, bad.

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