That's What Friends Are For

"That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded in 1982 by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the film Night Shift, but it is better known for the 1985 cover version by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. This recording, billed as being by "Dionne & Friends", was released as a charity single for AIDS research and prevention. It was a massive hit, becoming the number-one single of 1986 in the United States, and winning the Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Song of the Year. It raised over $3 million for its cause.

For other uses, see That's What Friends Are For (disambiguation).

"That's What Friends Are For"
Song by Rod Stewart
from the album Night Shift
Released1982
GenrePop
Length3:54
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)

Personnel

Dionne Warwick cover
"That's What Friends Are For"
Single by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder
(as "Dionne & Friends")
from the album Friends
B-side"Two Ships Passing in the Night"
ReleasedOctober 1985[1]
Recorded1985
Genre
Length4:15
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Burt Bacharach
  • Carole Bayer Sager
Dionne Warwick singles chronology
"Run to Me"
(1985)		 "That's What Friends Are For"
(1985)		 "Whisper in the Dark"
(1986)
Elton John singles chronology
"Wrap Her Up"
(1985)		 "That's What Friends Are For"
(1985)		 "Cry to Heaven"
(1986)
Gladys Knight singles chronology
"Till I See You Again"
(1985)		 "That's What Friends Are For"
(1985)		 "Send It to Me"
(1986)
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Part-Time Lover"
(1985)		 "That's What Friends Are For"
(1985)		 "Go Home"
(1985)

A one-off collaboration headed by Dionne Warwick and featuring Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder was released as a charity single in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1985. The song was written in the key of E♭. It was recorded as a benefit for American Foundation for AIDS Research, and raised over US$3 million for that cause. Warwick, who had previously raised money for blood-related diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, wanted to help combat the then-growing AIDS epidemic because she had seen friends die painfully of the disease.[2]

Elton John played piano and Stevie Wonder played harmonica; the two had previously worked together on 1983's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues".

Clockwise from left, Gladys Knight, Carole Bayer-Sager, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John, "That's What Friends Are For", 1985

In the United States, the song held the number-one spot of the adult contemporary chart for two weeks, the number-one spot of the soul chart for three weeks, and the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, all in January - February 1986, and became Billboard's number one single of 1986. It was certified Gold on January 15, 1986 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was the final US number one for all but John (John would have two more US number-ones during the 1990s). Due to Stevie Wonder's involvement, it also holds the distinction of being the last number-one song for anyone who had topped the charts before the British Invasion (Stevie Wonder's first number 1 hit, "Fingertips", came in 1963).

Outside the United States, the song topped the charts in Canada and Australia and reached the top 10 in Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and Sweden. On the UK Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 49 and climbed to its peak of number 16 three weeks later, staying at that position for another week before descending the chart. It remained in the UK top 100 for a further five weeks, totaling 10 weeks on the chart altogether.

The Dionne and Friends version of the song won the performers the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, as well as Song of the Year for its writers, Bacharach and Bayer Sager. This rendition is also listed at number 75 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of all time.[3]

Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder performed the song live together for the first time in 23 years at the 25th Anniversary AmfAR Gala in New York City on February 10, 2011.[4]

Personnel

Weekly charts
Chart (1985–1986) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 10
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[8] 1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[9] 19
France (IFOP)[10] 79
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 3
Norway (VG-lista)[15] 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[16] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 11
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[21] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 1
West Germany (Official German Charts)[23] 36

Year-end charts
Chart (1986) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[24] 12
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[26] 28
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[27] 17
US Billboard Hot 100[28] 1

All-time charts
Chart Position
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 78

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[30] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[31] Gold 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

1990 benefit concert

On March 17, 1990 an AIDS benefit titled That's What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th Anniversary Concert was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One month later, CBS aired a two-hour version of the concert on television. The celebrity guests and Arista label performers were: Air Supply, Lauren Bacall, Burt Bacharach, Eric Carmen, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Clive Davis, Taylor Dayne, Michael Douglas, Exposé, Whoopi Goldberg, Melanie Griffith, Hall & Oates, Jennifer Holliday, Whitney Houston, Alan Jackson, Kenny G, Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, Milli Vanilli, Jeffrey Osborne, Carly Simon, Patti Smith, Lisa Stansfield, The Four Tops, and Dionne Warwick. "That's What Friends Are For" was the finale song sung by Warwick and cousin Houston before being joined on the stage by the other guests of the event. Over $2.5 million was raised that night for the Arista Foundation which gave the proceeds to various AIDS organizations.

References
  1. "That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick And Friends Featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight And Stevie Wonder / Two Ships Passing In The Night - Dionne Warwick". 45cat. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  2. "That's What Friends Are For". Washington Post. 1988. So working against AIDS, especially after years of raising money for work on many blood-related diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, seemed the right thing to do. 'You have to be granite not to want to help people with AIDS, because the devastation that it causes is so painful to see. I was so hurt to see my friend die with such agony,' Warwick remembers. 'I am tired of hurting and it does hurt.'
  3. Greatest of All-Time – Hot 100 Songs Billboard.com
  4. Heyman, Marshall (February 11, 2011). "Superstar 'Friends' Reunite". The Wall Street Journal.
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. "Ultratop.be – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0625." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  8. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9353." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  9. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 3 no. 1. January 6, 1986. p. 15. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  10. "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par W". Infodisc. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – That s What Friends Are For". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  14. "Charts.nz – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  15. "Norwegiancharts.com – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". VG-lista. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  16. "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs T-V". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  17. "Swedishcharts.com – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  18. "Swisscharts.com – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  20. "Dionne Warwick Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  21. "Dionne Warwick Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  22. "Dionne Warwick Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  23. "Offiziellecharts.de – Dionne & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  24. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  25. "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  26. "End of Year Charts 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  27. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1986". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  28. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 27, 1986). "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. 98 (52): Y-21.
  29. "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  30. "Canadian single certifications – Dionne Warwick & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". Music Canada. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  31. "American single certifications – Dionne Warwick & Friends – That's What Friends Are For". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 8, 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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