EARLY AWARDS SET THE TONE FOR ‘WORLD’-CLASS GRAMMYS

Thirteen months after a host of pop’s biggest stars recorded a song that would trigger worldwide concern for famine victims in Africa, that record--”We Are the World”--was back in the pop spotlight Tuesday.

As fans outside and inside the Shrine Auditorium cheered their favorite singers, the Manhattan Transfer, Phil Collins, Tina Turner and the Judds scored early victories in the 28th annual Grammy Awards ceremony.

Still, “We Are the World” was clearly the center of attention as the nationally televised program got under way at the Shrine--which is located about a dozen miles from the Hollywood studio where the record was made.

“We Are the World” picked up two Grammys--best pop group vocal and short video--as winners in 57 of the evening’s 71 categories were announced to the black-tie audience before the 5 p.m. telecast began.

But the crowd had to wait till the end of the three-hour telecast itself to learn whether “We Are the World” would sweep by winning in its other three nominated categories: record, album and song.

If victorious in either the record or album competition, “World” would be the first charity-oriented recording to win in one of the Grammy’s two top pop categories since the “The Concert for Bangladesh” was named best LP in 1973.

The answer in the song category came during the telecast’s first hour as Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the co-writers of “We Are the World,” stepped to the stage to accept the statuette.

“First, I’d like to thank God,” Jackson said. After pausing briefly, he added, “I’d like to thank (Him) for picking Lionel and myself to write ‘We Are the World.’ ”

The “World” single was considered an odds-on favorite to win in the best record field, where it was pitted against Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer,” Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” and Huey Lewis & the News’ “The Power of Love.”

“We Are the World,” however, was a definite long shot in the album category, where it was up against Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms,” Sting’s “The Dream of the Blue Turtles,” Phil Collins’ “No Jacket Required” and Whitney Houston’s debut LP, “Whitney Houston.”

Collins’ victory--over Sting and Stevie Wonder, among others--in the male pop vocal area set up speculation that he might have enough support to also capture best album honors.

Manhattan Transfer’s “Vocalese” album figured in three of the early Grammy awards and was eligible for two more during the televised portion of the program.

Jon Hendricks and Bobby McFerrin won best male jazz vocal performance honors for their contributions to “Another Night in Tunisia,” a track from “Vocalese.” The Transfer itself was cited for best jazz vocal by a group, while Cheryl Bentyne and McFerrin were named best vocal arrangers for their work on “Tunisia.”

Jan Hammer picked up two Grammys (pop instrumental performance and composition) for his “Miami Vice Theme,” while the Winans’ “Tomorrow” album also registered two Grammy wins. Marvin Winans was judged best male soul gospel singer, while the Winans won best soul gospel group vocal.

Other key winners in the non-televised portion of the evening were Tina Turner (female rock vocal), Don Henley (male rock vocal), Aretha Franklin (female R&B; vocal), the Commodores (group R&B; vocal), Cleo Laine (female jazz vocal), Wynton Marsalis (solo jazz instrumental), Rosanne Cash (female country vocal) and the Judds (group country vocal). “Beverly Hills Cop” was judged best sound-track album, while “West Side Story” was declared top cast show LP.

The “We Are the World” single, which featured such singers as Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and Diana Ross, both shaped and defined the Pop-as-Benefactor syndrome that was a dominant theme of pop music in 1985.

While project catalysts Harry Belafonte and Ken Kragen (manager of Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers), were inspired by London-based rocker Bob Geldof’s actions in organizing a 1984 British charity recording called “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” the “World” single and album stirred the pop imagination and conscience even more dramatically.

Indeed, it was the success of “We Are the World”--which raised more than $40 million for famine relief--that enabled Geldof to mobilize the forces required to put on the landmark Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia last summer.

The spirit of “We Are the World” and Live Aid was also picked up by a variety of other groups, including the April 9 “Cantare, Cantaras” recording, which was aimed at raising funds for health and nutrition concerns in South and Central American countries, and last fall’s Farm Aid concert, which focused attention on financially-troubled U.S. farmers.

The session that produced “We Are the World” included some of the most honored performers in all of pop--all told, they have received more than 110 Grammys in past ceremonies.

The total was led by producer Quincy Jones’ 16 Grammys--the second-highest number of awards by a non-classical artist. Close behind are the 15 Grammys that have been picked up by Stevie Wonder and the 14 by Paul Simon (for both his solo recordings and his work with former partner Art Garfunkel). Ray Charles and Michael Jackson have both received 10 awards.

In addition, Billy Joel and Willie Nelson have won five Grammys each, while Al Jarreau, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick had earned four each before Tuesday’s program.

One of the common complaints against the Grammys over the years is that the voters recognize commercial, “safe” acts and ignore rock’s challenging new forces. Among those who have were woefully under-acknowledged: Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Phil Spector, the Who, David Bowie, Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Randy Newman and Neil Young.

But the 6,000 members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have a way of making up for the oversights--the lifetime achievement awards. The Grammy voters may have missed honoring the Rolling Stones in the years when that English band’s music really mattered, but the academy was scheduled to pass out the lifetime achievement award to the Stones on Tuesday.

Eric Clapton was scheduled to present the award in London in a ceremony shown live on the U.S. telecast via satellite. Clarinetist-bandleader Benny Goodman and classical guitarist Andre Segovia were also honored with lifetime achievement awards.

Past lifetime achievement recipients include Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Irving Berlin, Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, Charlie Parker, Arturo Toscanini and Leonard Bernstein.

In addition, George and Ira Gershwin were to be honored Tuesday with a Trustees award. Barbra Streisand was expected to present the award to Mrs. Ira Gershwin.

Five records were also slated to be added to the Grammy Hall of Fame, which is designed to salute noteworthy recordings released before the academy was formed in 1958. This year’s honored records ranged from the 1938 pop jewel “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” featuring Ella Fitzgerald and the Chick Webb Orchestra, to the 1956 rock classic “Blue Suede Shoes,” written and recored by Carl Perkins.

Also honored: “Bach: Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord” by Wanda Landowska, “Cool Water” by the Sons of the Pioneers and “Tea for Two” by Art Tatum.

Kenny Rogers hosted the TV show, which was to include live performances by such performers as Sting, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Milsap and the Five Satins.