Peter Gabriel Tells Oscar Producers to Shove It
Filed under: Music Minute > Awardz
Peter Gabriel was asked by Oscar producers to perform the Academy Award-nominated song he penned for the movie Wall-E, Down to Earth, but the music man said hellz no after finding out that he'd only have 60 seconds as part of a medley of other nominees to do his thing.
Here's his diplomatic statement he sent to the show organizers:
"I was delighted when "Down to Earth" was nominated for an Oscar. I was also pleased to have been asked to perform the song in the Oscar ceremony. However, in recent discussions with the Producers, it became clear that despite there being only three nominees, only 60-65 seconds was being offered, and that was also in a medley of the three songs. I don't feel that is sufficient time to do the song justice, and have decided to withdraw from performing.
I fully respect and look forward to the Producers' right to revamp the show. Even though song writers are small players in the film making process, they are just as committed and work just as hard as the rest of the team and I regret that this new version of the ceremony is being created, in part, at their expense."
I still very much look forward to attending the ceremony."
Kill it with kindness!
[Image via WENN.]
firstt
This guy makes great music.
First!
omg big tard it takes agges to logg…
anyway way to go gabriel
lame
HELL YEAH!
Fuckin' Oscars… You do not give Gabriel only 60 seconds to perform his music.
If Springsteen were nominated there would be no 60 second rule. Especially if there are only 3 songs. Last year there were 3 just from one movie I think. Good for Peter Gabriel…maybe they'll change the rule before next week. Anyway, still love the Oscars.
I like to shove it.
first of, his songs SUCKS (it pales compared to the movie and soundtrack), secondly I doubt he spent as many years developing his shitty song in comparison with the more than 3 years Pixar and Disney spent animating the film. So… like we really care
He's right. It's insulting to the song writers. Movies are made up of many different elements and the music is so important. Go Peter!:)
He is absolutely right… it's so disrespectful for musicians to give them 60 sloopy seconds to perform and right after judge their songs… it's wrong!
Well they can always count on famewhore B to perform his song… remember those Oscars where she sang 3 songs??? How ridicolous!
Not sure why Springsteen is not nominated. That is better then any of the nominations. But Peter is right 60 or 65 seconds is a waste of time and insulting. Why bother. Also if Springsteen was nominated then they would all get 3 minutes.
You GO peter gabriel! one of my MOST FAVORITE musicians EVER - i have been a fan since genesis and have seen you live many times - the Greek Theater being the most amazing….you give 'em what for - music is CRUCIAL to movies - it creates the scene sets the mood invites the emotion….
Holy shit is that fucking Peter Gabriel in the photo? He looks like shit.
Re: ydur –
Shows what little you know about music…
He's been around longer than Pixar.
WHAT?! A medley of the songs?? I was really looking forward to the live performances of these nominated songs, AR Rahman is so amazing, I can't believe they're cutting down the most entertaining part of the awards show! Fuck you, oscars.
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i get him confused with phil collins….and I don't like wall e
imdb.com/name/nm0006718/
ya gotta click it before you lick it or
copy pasty facey …you know you want to
DUMBSHITS!
PRODUCERS FUCK IT ALL UP!
OK, A FEW ARE GOOD.
BUT THAT'S ALL.
MAYBE 3.
Music is life….There is nothing small about it…..even when they put on hold on the phone…there is some type of music…in elevators there is music…imagine if there was no music??????………
He handled it brilliantly. From the title of this piece I was afraid he went off on a rampage or something. There is class in Hollywood.
Hey! I totally agree with the man and god bless him for standing up for his belief / music / at least he isn't selling his soul for the anticipation of an award? So no the Oscars (which is geo-politcal and now he's been black-listed whether he realizes it or not / and so has been the movie), but at least he's not going to be part of the 30-second 'broadway musical that is every skit between one award to the next in 'primetime! He got paid for his music (of which I have never been a fan and I hated such 'crap in the early days of "MTV, but he had multi-coloured ideas and video was a canvas for such ideas long before rap/gansta/hiphop bought out 'MTV. So he rode a wave I didn't like coming, but at least he stands at a great wave "Darkness before my eyes" (Tollken) before my eyes (his birth/the beginning of the end of 'MTV), but I have to admire the man for not conforming to the 60-seconds of disaster that is any act/performance/that is what that worthless/geo-political 'so-called awards show is about. Having said that; I hope (fingers crossed) that Robert Downey Jr. wins for "supporting actor", because I know Ledger won last-month/but he's dead/and anyone can put on clown makeup and act crazy, but how many of us could pretend to be an Australian, pretending to be a Black man, and (if you don't already know it's Robert Downey Jr.), not realize it and just assume it's a real Black man playing the part in the movie ('Tropic Thunder)…
Quite right Peter. We would be happy if you sang for an hour not a minute
Peter Gabriel is that dude! Red rain one of the best songs ever! Fux wit it!
Hmmm. Well, of the Oscar-nominated films, they only show short clips during the Oscar program and not the entire film. The film-makers don't complain that only showing a short portion does not do their films justice. At least sixty seconds would be about a third of the song. The movie clips don't show even a third of the films.
Re: Alisa-Chan – Yur right:) I hadn't thought of it in that light, But what are they to do other than to give accridantion (don't know how to spell it) showing less than the whole of the piece (movie/song), so I've changed my mind and agree with you:)…Having said that; i do wish they'd stop with the musical productions and the cheezy dancing and just stick to awards and speeches of the winners (but if they did they'd have more time to play actual scenes and the whole of performances that got us thinking they (the actors / musical soundracks) were worthy of an award in the first place!!!
Re: sandman45 – I get what you are saying about Peter - but he was around WAY before MTV - Sledgehammer was probably his fourth re-invention of his style. Anyway - what a cool and intelligent response to the Oscar people - he is class, and I adore him anyway
Gabriel is a genius! Good for him for being so diplomatic and staying true to his high standards! Kanye should take note….this is the way you do it!
I have to agree with Gabriel. To be nominated for best song Oscar but simultaneously reduced to a short sound byte is like showing part of a finished painting, or showing one room of your house to a buyer. Artists see a song as a finished work of art, and it is against a creator's ethics and integrity to chop it up.
Oscar night IS very long, but editing THERE is not ok with Gabriel. It's his choice.
Further, if they want to use 60 seconds of each song, it's a bit insulting and dehumanizing to ask a musician of Gabriel's stature to get set to perform live, only to play sixty seconds of a song he wrote, and then cut to someone else.
If they want to string a 3 oscar song medley together on tape, fine, but don't expect the artists to stand up there in person and do 1/4 of their song like they are 1/3 of a commercial.
go go wall e
Only 60 seconds for a song? All the award winners take much more time than that just to thank every person in there life. Where's the justice in that?
yOU GO ol'DUDE!!!!
Sooooo, um, what's with the copyright infringement…anyone recall a little WELL-KNOWN movie called Short Circuit? Or perhaps its sequel? Um, anywaaaaay…