From time to time the Sherby57 team dust off our tuxedos and golden envelopes and present a deserving individual with the Sherby57 Special Acheivement Award aka The SSAA. It is 11 years since the 1996 Brit Awards, when one man stood up against a crime against music (and humanity). The first offical SSAA goes to…
…Jarvis Cocker for his brave attempt to end Michael Jacksons performance of the dreaded Earth Song. It is generally thought that it was a protest at the inappropriate nature of the performance. Indeed a quote from Cocker himself reveals:
”My actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing… I just ran on the stage… I didn’t make any contact with anyone as far as I recall.”
However surely part of it is that he knew that whoever was watching would have the “song” imprinted on them for life (in the same way that a duckling follows the first thing it sees). Who else would risk imprisonment to save us from this fate? Maybe Gandhi or someone like that.. but you wouldn’t expect it from a pop singer.
There is the downside that following the debacle, Earth Song went back up the charts and became Jacksons biggest UK hit (It spent 6 weeks at #1!!!). But you can’t fault the effort. Jarvis we salute you.
Watch it here (if you can take hearing that song again!):
