Hmm, I totally agree with him on principle but at the same time, it’ll be a shame for him to not grace Oscar’s stage. Especially since he’s likely to win the award:
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.
The news first dropped at Peter Gabriel’s official website via video message, though Nikki Finke apparently thinks she had it as an exclusive.
Somebody call up Phil Collins…
Comments
23 responses to “Peter Gabriel pulls out of performing at the Oscars”
I had already posted this news before you on the article about Joaquin Phoenix On david Letterman .
Anyway , more BREAKING NEWS :
DAVE KARGER FROM ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY HAS POSTED
FINAL PREDICTIONS :
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director, Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: PenГ©lope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Animated Film: Wall-E
Foreign-Language Film: The Class
Documentary: Man On Wire
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Costume Design: The Duchess
Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Song: “Jai Ho,” Slumdog Millionaire
Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sound: The Dark Knight
Sound Mixing: The Dark Knight
Short: Spielzugland (Toyland)
Animated Short: Presto
Documentary Short: The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Your thought , do you agree with him ?
I mostly agree , but i think Slumdog will win Sound , Mickey will win best actor & WALTZ WITH BASHIR will win .
And Pete has likely cost WALL-E an Oscar win since the Slumdog noms otherwise would’ve split too many voters. Now I highly doubt they’ll vote for Gabriel, since The Oscars are all about politics. Oh well, he makes a valid point, it’s stupid to truncate the songs when they could simply eliminate at least 5 lame jokes from presenters to make time for all three songs.
Too bad this rule wasn’t around for the “Dreamgirls” trilogy. Or the “Enchanted” numbers.
I hope Peter wins anyway.
I don’t think it’ll have too much of an effect on the voting. Ballots are due back Tuesday.
i really hope it doesn’t
So Condon and Mark want a big, razzle-dazzle, show but don’t want the three songs to be performed in full? Can someone explain this logic to me?
A medley? I know Peter Gabriel has some world-music credentials, but I still can’t imagine how those three songs would work together.
I totally sympathise with Gabriel here. It’s demeaning, to say the least.
Question: Would they have limited The Boss to a minute of screentime?
This is seriously the final straw. Gabriel’s performance was one of the few things I was looking forward to. He is absolutely justified in his decision to not perform. No Dark Knight, no Springsteen, no Gabriel, no Oscars for me.
Exactly what I was thinking Josh. All three songs have the potential for amazing setups/performances, and meshing them up in a medley????
And another thing:
They have 2 less songs this year than normal, so the song segments was already going to be a bit shorter than usual. Makes no sense. I’m starting to dread this telecast.
Ummm, the song performances are one part of the show I usually look forward to the most (and thats usually FIVE song performances). I also like it when they play actual suites from the scores. It seems (to me) that music is part of what makes a show interesting. It shouldn’t be punishment to the viewer that they only picked three songs and thus couldn’t figure out a way to make the song category really work (as much as everyone is against the idea of Miley Cyrus or High School Musical getting nominated, it would have made some “unique” music moments).
So we have Queen Latifah (huh?) singing some long song but the nominated songs are cut to one minute a piece in a medley? Strange.
I’m with you Jake. After this boneheaded choice from the producers, I can’t watch this broadcast. I’m getting drunk with my buds on Oscar night and I’ll just look up the winners online.
So yeah, it sounds like Condon and company are taking a baseball bat to everything I ever liked about the Oscars in the name of being different.
Change is a two way street people. Everything I’ve read as an “improvement” is horrifying. I guess I’ll find the speeches I care about, if any, on video-streams the week after.
Patryk,
Don’t forget that the three nominated songs from “Dreamgirls” actually were performed in condensed form as a medley.
Each song from “Enchanted”, though, did have its moment in the sun.
I’m not sure another Oscar blogger’s predictions constitutes “breaking news,” HBK.
It was tacky when they did it to Elliott Smith and others 11 years ago, too.
Medleys are the bane of music. Does anyone like them?
Loser..!! Even a child now knows Jai ho is leading..this is a new drama to get sympathy votes..shame on him..let it be 65 sec or 65 min..if given chance enthrall audience and thats where true artist stands
This “new and improved Oscars” is slowly starting to take a downturn for me. Seriously, a medley? The three nominated songs are extremely incompatible. And sadly, this also probably means a minute of screentime for M.I.A, or none at all if she wishes her song not to be bastardised like Gabriel.
let them sing the songs as it is. this may be the only chance they get nominated for Oscars and give them their due time on stage.
Nicon, “Jai Ho” being the supposed leader has nothing to do with this. These people spent a lot of time and work making these songs, and to only perform a minute of it is ludicrous. Imagine if you were the songwriter/performer. Would you honestly be fine with just singing a minute of your song? Most songs, including the three nominated, are songs that honestly cannot be condensed to a minute or minute and a half. Gabriel’s move is dignified. I honestly don’t think he cares whether he wins or not. Plus, he just got two Grammys, so what is the Oscar loss going to do? Nothing.
They offer him 60-65 seconds to perform his song?
Well, if they really donВґt give a damn about the songs, why the hell arenВґt they dropping the song-category??
Does anyone REALLY thing Peter Gabriel of all people would want SYMPATHY votes? Make all the Phil Collins jokes you want, this is one guy who clearly isn’t awards minded.
That said, he’s right. The last time we had three nominations, they all got their due (and odd dance numbers). Hell, last year we had to suffer through EVERYTHING from Enchanted. Now we’re getting truncated numbers here? Just not right.
But, really, why can’t they find the time to let each song be performed properly?
This isn’t the first time they screw up with the song nominees. Remember the year they had BeyoncГ© sing all of them?