THE GOOD ‘HANDS’ PEOPLE LOOK AGAIN TO RADIO

A rush shipment of 7,500 promotional copies of the “Hands Across America” theme song went out to about 8,000 radio stations Wednesday, just in time for a national Good Friday morning simulcast of the record.

USA for Africa President Ken Kragen said the Hands Across America organization will attempt to duplicate last year’s surprise publicity coup when thousands of stations simulcast the original African famine anthem, “We Are the World,” on Good Friday.

The plan is to encourage stations to repeat that simulcast this year and, hot on the heels of that airing, debut this year’s American homeless/hungry tune, “Hands Across America.” In Los Angeles, the dual simulcast is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. Friday.

“We’re trying to make it available for all stations in the country to play it,” said Hands Across America spokesman Dave Fulton. “EMI America was talking about increasing it (the number of promotional copies of the single) from 7,500 to 10,000 so we could get it to everyone.”

There are about 9,000 AM and FM radio stations licensed in the United States, but Fulton said the simulcast would be considered a success if the two songs were played back to back on just half of them.

“I would love to have 5,000 stations do it,” he said.

“Hands Across America” is the theme of the national charity hand-holding event scheduled for May 25. USA for Africa, which raised $44.5 million last year for African famine victims on the strength of “We Are the World” revenues, hopes to raise $100 million for America’s homeless through pledges for participation in the Memorial Day weekend event and sales of the new record, which has been heard by only a handful of celebrities and reporters until now.

Composed by a trio of New York City advertising jingle writers, it was originally performed last January by several dozen celebrities and residents of the southern San Joaquin Valley town of Taft. Their hand-to-hand performance on the main street of Taft was videotaped and edited into a music video that was to have aired during half time on NBC’s Super Bowl XX telecast on Jan. 26.

But the video was scratched at the last minute after pop star Michael Jackson objected that the new song upstaged “We Are the World,” which he co-authored with Lionel Richie. The 27-year-old pop superstar contended that “We Are the World” was a gift from God and ought not to be downplayed in favor of the new song.

The Good Friday debut of “Hands Across America” marks something of a compromise in that the original CBS Records all-star version of “We Are the World” will be broadcast before “Hands Across America.” Affiliates of the United Stations network plan to carry the simulcast a step further by following both songs with a recording of “America the Beautiful.” In addition, the flip side of the 7-inch single version of “Hands Across America,” which EMI America will begin marketing on behalf of USA for Africa in early April, also will feature “We Are the World.”

Unlike the Jackson-Richie anthem that was performed by 45 well-known pop stars, there are no name artists on the “Hands Across America” recording. Several members of the group Toto did instrumental tracks and a chorus of studio session singers calling themselves the Voices of America sang the lyrics.

Proceeds from record sales will be funneled into the massive Hands Across America project, which envisions a single line of some 6 to 10 million Americans holding hands from Los Angeles to New York City for one hour during the Memorial Day weekend. Handholders are expected to pledge $10, $25 or $35 for the opportunity to stand in the line.

USA for Africa officials will not discuss how many pledges have been made so far. Instead, they reflect USA for Africa President Kragen’s optimism that a flood of requests will come in during the last few weeks before May 25, the day of the event.

“Our basic statement is the same,” Kragen told The Times. “We’re not making any statement (on pledges and signups to stand in the Hands Across America line) until May 1.”

Kragen said several million sign-up forms for Hands Across America will be distributed through Coca-Cola Bottling Co., McDonalds and other retail outlets within the next few weeks to take advantage of the release of the new song.

Since January, the Hands Across America organization has concentrated efforts on opening state offices, organizing volunteers and securing corporate sponsors. The “big push” will not begin until three to four weeks prior to the actual event, Kragen said.

He did say that more than 100 miles of the 4,000-mile-long line have been sold a mile at a time to individuals and corporations. About 1,320 people take up a mile, making the minimum cost of a single mile $13,200 or $10 for each person in the line. It was reported at a press conference last January that rock star Prince bought the first mile.