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rock history as the model for every other superstar benefit concert of the last three
decades” (98). It also showed the world that Harrison was “more than willing to go
out on a limb for a cause in which he truly believed” (Giuliano 131). Despite
skeptical views, Harrison, one of the most spotlighted artists of the time, pulled out
one of the greatest moments in rock music history with a tremendous display of
humanitarianism that stemmed from the concem for others. The event spawned a
synergy effect uplifted by one of the most populär artists of our time and the
audience from all around the globe answering the call.
With this major event spearheaded by the ex-Beatle, several important
pattems have emerged throughout the 1970s when it comes to the involvement of
rock music in philanthropy is concemed. It was not just the changes within the music
industry that led to the prominence of charity concerts during the 1970s. Rather, it
was a combination of different social and cultural factors interwoven together.
First, the super-star format featuring some of the most well-known
performers of the era helped charity concerts and recordings become a new trend.
This is evidenced in several major events discussed in the chapter. For instance, The
Concert in Bangladesh featured a group of performers like Eric Clapton, Billy
Preston, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Badfmger, Ringo Starr, and, of course, George
Harrison, who made the first concert appearance since the break-up of The Beatles.
The successful “superstar” format of The Concert for Bangladesh was replicated in
The Music for as No Nukes Concerts (1979), featuring Crosby, Stills, and Nash,
James Taylor, Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band, Tom Petty
and the Heartbreakers, and The Doobie Brothers. It was followed by The Music for
UNICEF Concert (1979), featuring ABBA, Bee Gees, Olivia Newton John, John
Denver, Rod Stewart, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Donna Summer.
Second, these events also serve as a commodity but also a piece of history,
ultimately extending the cultural reach of the event while boosting overall revenues
on a long-term basis. The Concert for Bangladesh was made available as a triple-LP
box set and then as a film Version for everyone to enjoy. With music sales still
growing in the early 1970s, the record box set and the film were both critical and
commercial success. Ouellette and Cohen also posited that the star-studded package
“holds up well as a live greatest-hits collection” (70). More importantly, the success
of the album and the film which raked in “millions of dollars for UNICEF and raised
awareness for the Organization around the world, as well as among other musicians
and their fans” (De Curtis 98), helped people around the world become familiär with
the devastating Situation in Bangladesh and join the cause.
Third, the causes for aid and help expanded over the course of the decade.
What first began with a small concem for the crisis in Bangladesh later branched out
to other concems ranging from environmental issues to children’s welfare, and
human rights in general. Many issues were high on the rock musicians’ activism
agenda from this point on, and they were active from local to global issues, as
evidenced by Rock Against Racism (racism), Musicians United for Safe Energy
(environmental issues), and The Music for UNICEF Concert (children’s welfare).
The 1980s: The Epitome of Charity Rock