Rebuild L.A.’s Anthem--’Stand and Be Proud’--Makes Debut

Rebuild L.A.’s official anthem made its radio debut late Wednesday afternoon when 27 stations across Southern California simultaneously broadcast the 4 1/2-minute song, titled “Stand and Be Proud.”

A 90-second video of the song--recorded and videotaped June 6 at the Hollywood Bowl--features about 2,000 singers, including 1,400 members of local choirs, and musicians from the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. It will be shown as a trailer in 19 AMC theaters around Southern California.

Proceeds from record and video sales will go to Rebuild L.A., the post-riot urban revitalization group, to foster economic development in Los Angeles.

“This is a project about ordinary people banding together for an extraordinary purpose,” event producer Larry Winokur said. “We had over 30 choirs participating from community and religious groups around the city. Blacks, Koreans, Latinos are all standing and being proud together.”

In addition to airing locally at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday on 27 local radio stations--including all-news, oldies, urban contemporary, Spanish-language and alternative rock stations--the song also was broadcast on stations in 20 cities across the country, according to Doug Haverty, spokesman for Scotti Bros. Records, which is distributing a cassette of the song.

“Stand and Be Proud” was written by Sue Shifrin and David Cassidy, the former Partridge Family lead singer. The son was recorded at A & M Records and Warner Bros. in four days. Recording time was donated by the studio, as were most of the musicians’ fees, Winokur said.

The lyric encourages listeners to “stand and be proud of who we are. . . . Now it’s time to dry the tears/Through the ashes hope appears. . . .” The chorus also is sung in Spanish.