No one had heard the song Alone Yet Not Alone when it received an Academy Award nomination for best song. Now plenty of people have heard about the song, but probably still not heard the actual song. It comes from the movie of the same name and was written by Bruce Broughton who used to be the head of the music branch of the Academy. He sent an e-mail to everyone on his e-mail list asking for their support. The song made the cut. Then big record labels started getting angry because big names like Beyonce and Taylor Swift didn't make the cut. There is nothing like sales for getting to perform a song during the telecast watched by a billion people across the planet. The next thing you know the song's nomination was rescinded. The problem for the big record labels is they still won't get one of their singers in because the Academy didn't replace the song with another.
Yes, this guy used an e-mail list and former position to get some buzz for his song. Is it any different though then studio heads sending out gifts and whatever else it takes to get a nomination? It is all about who you know to get a nomination. There are so many songs up for consideration and the voters don't listen to them all. They usually vote by the biggest name to have a song. It is tough for a no namer to get nominated.
A consolation is that the video for the song now has 500K views and will probably make money.
FaceBook is blowing up over this - apparently, it's a Christian song in a Christian-themed movie, so everyone is saying it's removed because Hollywood hates Christians.
ReplyDeleteMore info:
ReplyDeleteIn a statement sent to EW, Broughton characterized this as an unfair action orchestrated by much more powerful and influential rivals: “I’m devastated. I indulged in the simplest grass-roots campaign and it went against me when the song started getting attention. I got taken down by competition that has months of promotion and advertising behind them. I simply asked people to find the song and consider it.”
The song is not without its own interesting backstory. The performer, evangelical Christian author and radio host Joni Eareckson Tada, is a quadriplegic, which obviously adds an emotional element to the recording. And Broughton does have past Oscar cred: he has a previous nomination from 1985 for his score to the western Silverado.
Awesome song, can't wait to see this movie now!
ReplyDeleteI get that Oscar campaigns are a thing and Harvey Weinstein makes blood oaths in exchange for statues, but emailing Academy members is pretty patently transparent. Remember when the Golden Globes were a complete joke? Okay, even *more* of a joke than they are now? They've come a long way since Pia Zadora's win and Sharon Stone's hand-written thank-yous but it has been a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteSure, the Academy probably took action because the big record labels spoke up, but if this song had won (or siphoned votes off a lead contender), it would only be a matter of time before it imploded on them.
I hope Karen O wins!
ReplyDelete@derek is she nominated for Moon Song? That's my commuting jam.
DeleteHe send emails to his whole list serve? I'd do the same if it was my song.
ReplyDeleteProbably has nothing to do with Christianity and all to do with business as outlines by Enty. That being said if it was a popular song backed by industry and same conduct by former academy official no one would care and they would probably only been warned not to do it again.
ReplyDeleteI would love a big, no-holds barred book about the whole awards nominations/campaigning & all the goings on behind the whole thing. A complete tell-all with all the gritty crap that Hollywood doesn't want you to think about. We all know it goes on but I want the full details, exactly how it works & why.
ReplyDeletePrice Waterhouse: The TRUE Hollywood Story
DeleteThis had nothing to do with Beyonce or Taylor Swift. Did either of them even write a song for a movie this year? Huh?
ReplyDeleteLovely song! Let it Go from Frozen should win anyway (imo), so even though the nomination is removed for some BS reason, it results in more publicity for the song.
ReplyDelete@Kristin yup--can't wait to see what she wears!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful song, but agree that the song from Frozen is going to win.
ReplyDeleteI am glad they got rid of it! The movie and the song are racist racist racist (FYI: http://nativeappropriations.com/2014/01/they-give-out-oscars-for-racism-now.html )
ReplyDeleteWow, @iLikeToBake, thanks for leading me down a rabbit hole! Apparently the movie also has ties to the quiverfull movement that also has ties to the reinstitution of slavery. Yikes.
Deleteoh please those Disney songs are CRAP...(although it will probably win cause they ALWAYS do). I remember Bjork had this amazing song she was nominated for with Dancer in The Dark and she lost to this hokey song from Toy Story---just goes to show how outta touch The Academy Awards are with artistic merit
ReplyDeleteYes, Taylor Swift wrote Sweeter Than Fiction for the movie One Chance. She wants every award out there. And she was butthurt when she didn't win for that song for Hunger Games that was in no way integral to the movie, wasn't a lead-in song, wasn't even the first or the second song once the credits started rolling. She deliberately creates certain songs as award bait (falls into a certain category, or sings with someone just so it can fall into another, etc).
ReplyDeleteSounds like a smart girl
DeleteBeautiful beautiful song.
ReplyDeleteIf Hollywood hates God, then how come when almost everyone who wins an Oscar...they always Thank God.
Did he email the entire Academy. I thought only the music branch only voted in the music categories. Poor Bruce. he was the original composer for Home Alone in 1990 but he got pushed out in favor of John Williams. Could have made millions.
ReplyDeleteBruce Boughton is an *active* member of the Academy's Board of Directors. He was not using his "former" position, as he is still in a position of power with AMPAS. It was utterly inappropriate for him to email voters in support of his song.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the song sucks, but that's another matter.
All the Oscars are is advertising -- all of these Awards shows, but Oscars are the most blatant -- so i see no reason to judge this dude for promotion; that's the sole purpose of the Oscars
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
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