Jersey Artists For Mankind's single version
Now we've been looking away
Try to look away no more
Because the shadows of the hungry and hurt
They someday pass over our door
Don't have to put your ear to the ground to hear it shaking
You don't have to put your hand on my heart to feel it breaking, yeah yeah
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for all and forever to change it
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for the children
The cries of a hungry child
The saddest sound of all
But the silence of uncaring hearts
Echoes around the world
Don't have to put your ear to the ground to hear it shaking
Don't have to put your hand on my heart to feel it breaking, yeah
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for all and forever to change it
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for the children
For the children
[Bruce Springsteen guitar solo]
Whoa whoa, we've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for all and forever to change it
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for the children
Ohh, we've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for all and forever to change it
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for all and forever to change it
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change the world
Together we can make it
Better for all and forever to change it
We've got the love and we've got the power
Here in our hearts to change...
[Fades out]
WE'VE GOT THE LOVE is a song written by Joel Krauss and Bobby Bandiera and released by Jersey Artists For Mankind (a.k.a. J.A.M. '86) as a single in 1986. Bruce Springsteen contributed guitar solo to the recording of the song. The above lyrics are for Jersey Artists For Mankind's single version of WE'VE GOT THE LOVE as released in 1986.
Jersey Artists For Mankind, Inc. (or J.A.M.) was a non-profit organization of mostly Jersey Shore musicians benefiting local charities. It started out in 1985 and the concept was inspired by the work of the super group USA For Africa and their charity single WE ARE THE WORLD.
In the summer of 1985, Ed Testa wrote SAVE LIFE, SAVE LOVE, and then Joel Krauss (of the Jersey Shore Band Beyond the Blue) and Bobby Bandiera (guitarist for the Asbury Jukes) wrote WE'VE GOT THE LOVE. They figured J.A.M. would record these two songs quickly, release them independently and capitalize on the concern for hungry people initiated earlier that year by USA For Africa. But because it was summer, those who had voiced their support of the project were on tour, in the recording studio working on their own projects, or busy with Jersey Shore club dates six nights a week. In other words, few musicians were actually available to work on the J.A.M. songs. Lee Mrowicki, a DJ at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ and one of the founders of J.A.M. and a main coordinators of the J.A.M. record, told Backstreets magazine, "So the project was put on hold and there was a feeling that it might be too late to do anything in terms of recording."
Mrowicki, Testa, and Krauss kept a flame under the project and in November things started coming together. Tim Ryan, who had a wealth of experience in arranging songs, was asked to produce the record. Ryan, in turn, contacted Garry Tallent to assist in production. "After I got off the road, I sat around the house doing absolutely nothing for three weeks," Tallent told New Jersey Monthly. "Then Tim called and asked if I'd help out I was enjoying being lazy and secretly hoped the songs were going to be terrible, so I could decline to work on them. But they were great, and before long, I was spending a lot of my time in the studio."
Tallent's involvement in J.A.M. meant the project would take on a sense of seriousness. Because of him, Max Weinberg, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons, and Bruce Springsteen entered the picture. Southside Johnny and some Asbury Jukes members volunteered their services. So did Carolyn Mas, Glen Burtnick, John Eddie and a slew of lesser known local musicians. According to Brucebase, Springsteen's guitar solo was recorded around February 1986 at Shorefire Studios in Long Branch, NJ.
The idea behind J.A.M. from the very beginning was to use a cross-section of artists, not just those with names and record deals. Thus, it was decided to invite a representative from virtually every band in New Jersey to come to The Stone Pony and help out with the choruses of the two songs — the basic tracks were already recorded. More than 450 Jersey singers and musicians made it to The Stone Pony. Upon entering the club, singers signed in, signed a release form, and were given sheet music containing only the choruses for the two songs. A brief rehearsal preceded the actual recording. The session, which took place on 13 Jan 1986, was broken up into two parts. One was held for all singers and musicians under 21-years-old. And then later in the evening when alcohol was available, the over-21 artists sang their parts. It was the largest gathering of New Jersey rock artists ever.
At that time there was no record contract, and privately, some J.A.M. members wondered if all their time and effort would ever be put to good use. Most of the major labels passed on the project. New Jersey's JEM Records finally offered to distribute the single, and it looked like that was the way it was going to be. But then Arista Records suddenly became interested, and in what seemed like no time, J.A.M. had a major record company to release the single. More important, though, was that Arista had an option in the contract to release two albums by J.A.M., one being a compilation of mostly live material, courtesy of the J.A.M. Band and special guests, and the other being a Christmas album. Arista gave J.A.M. a $10,000 advance which the organization promptly turned over to the Community FoodBank Of New Jersey.
The single, featuring WE'VE GOT THE LOVE on the A-side and SAVE LIFE, SAVE LOVE on the B-side, was released on 16 May 1986 in the United States, followed couple of weeks later by a 6-track EP that includes four additional remixes of the A-side. The single was also issued in Canada, Europe, Australia, and reportedly South Africa. A 3-track EP that includes one additional remix of the A-side was also released in Europe and Austria, and maybe in South Africa. See the "Official Releases" section below for more details.
A music video for WE'VE GOT THE LOVE was directed and produced by Jon Small. It was filmed on 26 and 27 Apr 1986 on location at various food banks and soup kitchens throughout New Jersey. The video features many of the performers heard on the record, but not Bruce Springsteen.
The single did rather well in the UK, where it was released in late June and made it to #95 on the UK Singles Chart for one week (the week of 05 Jul 1986), but it failed to get much attention in the United States apart from in Jersey.
At first the record drew a lot of attention and was critically successful. But then came reports that despite interest in the record at home, it was difficult to find in record stores. According to Mrowicki, there were problems with distribution. "Our weakness is that most of the people involved are artists, not businessmen," he told Backstreets. We trust that Arista is doing the best job it can in getting the record out to the people who want to buy it."
According to Arista, the record was distributed to all parts of the United States, but in many places, like the West Coast, airplay was practically non-existent. "We promoted it like any other record," a spokesperson for the record company said. "But as much as we believed in the record, I think a lot of other people felt saturated with charity records. We can't force record stores to stock a record that isn't moving." The two albums that were part of the deal with Arista never came into fruition.
According to the record's back sleeve, all artists' royalties from the sale of the record were donated to Jersey Artists For Mankind, Inc., who in turn distributed monies it received from the sale of the record to community food bank programs throughout the United States and to hunger-related charities throughout the world. In fact, the concept was to distribute the money, or most of it, in the areas where the revenues were raised. For example, record royalties from the sale of the record in the United Kingdom were donated to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a charity campaigning and working in child protection in the UK and the Channel Islands.
The below credits are taken from the U.S. 6-track EP sleeve.
WE'VE GOT THE LOVE
Written by Joel Krauss and Bob Bandiera
Produced by Tim Ryan and Garry Tallent
Engineered by Jan Topoleski
Mixed by Bob Clearmountain
Vocal solos: Joel Krauss, Harry Filkin, George Theiss, Southside Johnny Lyon, Nils Lofgren, Glen Burtnik, Lance Larson, Vincent Daniele, Bob Bandiera, J.T. Bowen, Ricky Collins, Carolyne Mas, Vinnie Talerico
Instrumental solos: Bruce Springsteen, David DiPietro, Garry Grant, Clarence Clemons
The J.A.M. Band
Bob Bandiera: guitar
Ernest "Boom" Carter: percussion
David DiPietro: guitar
Harry Filkin: guitar
Bob Hammerstone: guitar
Ed Iglewski: bass
Kevin Kavanaugh: keyboards
Joe Norosavage: synthesizers
Tim Ryan: strings
Joe Sweeney: guitar
Max Weinberg: drums
The J.A.M. Horns
Frank Elmo: sax
Mac Gollehon: trumpet
Richie LaLamba: trombone
Tom LaBella: sax
Ron Lankone: fluegelhorn
Ed Manion: sax
Pete Maurer: trombone
Mike Spengler: trumpet
The J.A.M. Singers
Karl Frey, Alice Leon, Lonesome Bob, Patti Maloney, George Meyer, Jim Monoghan, Wayne Oliver, Gary Shaffer, Deena Shoshkes, George Signore, Mark Tornillo, Ben Vaughn, Charlie Warwick, and featuring the 450 Voice J.A.M. '86 Choir
Recorded at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
U.S. Extended Remix, U.S. Dubtramental
Remixed by Arthur Baker at Shakedown Sound Studios
Remix engineered by Jay Burnett
European Radio Remix, European Extended Remix
Additional recording by Rob and Ferdi Bolland at Bullet Sound
Remix arrangement and production by Rob and Ferdi Bolland for FFR Productions/Le Disque B.V., Hilversum, Holland
Project Supervisor: Evert Wilbrink
Production Coordinator: Frits Hirschland
WE'VE GOT THE LOVE was released on 7" single and 12" EP in North America, Europe, and Australia as far as it's known. It was no included on any album and was never reissued on CD.
As far as it's known, Bruce Springsteen has never performed WE'VE GOT THE LOVE live.
Thanks Rick Pearce, who participated in the recording of the record's choruses, for the sheet music scan. Some of the above information about the making of the record is taken from issue #18 (Fall 1986) of Backstreets magazine.
Please contact me if you have scans for or info about any official release containing WE'VE GOT THE LOVE that's not mentioned on this page. Billboard reported in its 10 May 1986 issue that Arista was going to release the record in South Africa too. I also need scans for the following releases:
Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of WE'VE GOT THE LOVE on this website:
WE'VE GOT THE LOVE [Jersey Artists For Mankind's single version]
