If you ever need a pick-me-up, then just spin this feel-good cut of “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick and friends! The R&B legend teamed up with a star-studded lineup for a new charity performance on the hit, featuring Sam Smith, Cynthia Erivo, Gladys Knight, and last but not least, my man Kenny G! Kenny opened up the song with a gorgeous clarinet melody in his signature smooth style, and Warwick kept the good vibes coming with an opening verse that felt like a warm hug from an old friend.
The top comment noted that Warwick’s opening verse was “just full of love,” and they certainly got that right! Later in the song, it was Smith and Erivo’s turn to shine, with the pair trading soft and soulful verses over the classic hit. The big moment came at 3:09 when Knight held a high note, and then Smith and Erivo began singing over it together in a magical harmony. It’s not often you get this kind of vocal firepower on a song, and The Music Man has to say that this was the perfect choice for it!
Pianist Michael J Moritz Jr produced and tinkled the ivories on the recording, and it hit 1.8 million views on his YouTube channel. Fans were vibing to the collab, and added comments such as “I love Dionne’s effortless choices in her phrasings. It’s like she is telling us a story. A story full of life and love” and “Okay so when are Sam Smith and Cynthia Erivo doing a collab? That harmony is perfection.”
The most iconic performance of “That’s What Friends Are For” is surely Warwick’s rendition of it at the 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. This version, believe it or not, is even more star-packed than the recent YouTube collab, as it featured Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Dionne Warwick. Although he didn’t write it, it’s like the song was made for Wonder to sing, and he just sounds fantastic on it, while Houston just raises the roof with her soul power verse.
Warwick’s recent charity recording “That’s What Friends Are For” was for the Carousel of Hope Ball, which raised funds for type 1 diabetes research and treatment. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager penned “That’s What Friends Are For.” English rocker Rod Stewart was the first to record the ballad. However, Warwick’s 1985 charity single is the best-known version. The single, which raised funds for AIDS research and prevention, also featured Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder.