The Empty Chair (song)

Last updated

"The Empty Chair"
Single by Sting
from the album Jim: The James Foley Story and 57th & 9th
Released23 December 2016
Genre Classical
Length3:17
Label
  • The Rumor Mill
  • UMG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Audio
"The Empty Chair" on YouTube

"The Empty Chair" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Sting. Co-written by Sting and American record producer J. Ralph, the song was released as the lead single from the soundtrack album of 2016 documentary film Jim: The James Foley Story . [1] [2]

Contents

"The Empty Chair" was nominated for the 2017 Academy Award in the Best Original Song category. [3] Both Sting and J. Ralph have previously received nominations in the same category; Sting was nominated three times before while J. Ralph had two previous nominations. [4]

Sting recorded a separate version of the song with a guitar, instead of piano, for his studio album 57th & 9th . [5]

Inspiration

The song is written for the film Jim: The James Foley Story which tells the life story of American photojournalist James "Jim" Foley who was kidnapped in Syria and subsequently beheaded by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Sting, who wrote the song with J. Ralph, discussed the inspiration behind "The Empty Chair" during an interview with Billboard: [2]

The stakes are higher when you're writing about a person who really existed, a person with family and friends you want to honor. I'm glad I found the metaphor of the empty chair. I said no at first [when Ralph asked]. I said 'This is beyond my powers.' I curated the song from what [Jim's] family and friends said about him. It's their song.

Live performances

Sting performed a solo acoustic guitar version of "The Empty Chair" during the 89th Academy Awards ceremony aired live on February 26, 2017. [4] Sting also sang the song in November 2016 at Bataclan, a theatre in Paris, in an exclusive concert to commemorate the 2015 terrorist attack. [5]

Related Research Articles

The Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film is an award for documentary films. In 1941, the first awards for feature-length documentaries were bestowed as Special Awards to Kukan and Target for Tonight. They have since been bestowed competitively each year, with the exception of 1946. Copies of every winning film are held by the Academy Film Archive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academy Award for Best Original Score</span> Motion picture award for music

The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer. Some pre-existing music is allowed, though, but a contending film must include a minimum of original music. This minimum since 2021 is established as 35% of the music, which is raised to 80% for sequels and franchise films. Fifteen scores are shortlisted before nominations are announced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Newman</span> American musician (born 1943)

Randall Stuart Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his non-rhotic Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs, and various film scores. His hits as a recording artist include "Short People" (1977), "I Love L.A." (1983), and "You've Got a Friend in Me" (1995) with Lyle Lovett, while other artists have enjoyed success with cover versions of his "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (1966), "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (1968) and "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1972).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Krauss</span> American musician

Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at 14. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987. She was invited to join Union Station, releasing her first album with them as a group in 1989 and performing with them ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Connection</span> 1979 song originally appearing in the Muppet Movie

"Rainbow Connection" is a song from the 1979 film The Muppet Movie, with music and lyrics written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. The song was performed by Jim Henson – as Kermit the Frog – in the film. "Rainbow Connection" reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1979, with the song remaining in the Top 40 for seven weeks total. Williams and Ascher received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 52nd Academy Awards.

<i>Chaos and Creation in the Backyard</i> 2005 studio album by Paul McCartney

Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is the thirteenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, released on 12 and 13 September, 2005. Some 18 months in the making, the album was produced by Radiohead and Beck collaborator Nigel Godrich at George Martin's suggestion.

Josh Ralph, known professionally as J. Ralph, is an American composer, producer, singer/songwriter and social activist who focuses on creating awareness and change through music and film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shake It Up (The Cars song)</span> 1981 single by the Cars

"Shake It Up" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fourth studio album of the same name (1981). It was released on November 9, 1981, as the album's lead single. Although appearing for the first time in 1981, it was actually written years earlier by the band's songwriter and lead singer Ric Ocasek. The song became one of the Cars' most popular songs, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in early 1982. With the track "Cruiser" as its B-side, it reached number 14 on the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Stand Alone (Godsmack song)</span> 2002 single by Godsmack

"I Stand Alone" is a song by the American rock band Godsmack. It was released to radio in February 2002 as the lead single from the Scorpion King soundtrack. It would reappear on Godsmack's third studio album, Faceless, the following year. It won a 2002 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for "Song of the Year From a Movie Soundtrack."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Finally Found Someone</span> 1996 single by Bryan Adams and Barbra Streisand

"I Finally Found Someone" is a song by American singer Barbra Streisand and Canadian singer Bryan Adams. The power ballad was part of the soundtrack of Streisand's 1996 self-directed movie The Mirror Has Two Faces and was nominated for an Oscar. Several versions of a CD single were issued on its initial release. One contains a rare Spanish-language version of her 1976 song "Evergreen", as well as Adams' previous single "Let's Make a Night to Remember". Another version includes three solo recordings by Adams from his most recent album.

"My Funny Friend and Me" is a song by English musician Sting. It was written by Sting and David Hartley for Walt Disney Pictures' 40th animated feature film The Emperor's New Groove. When the film began development in 1994 under the title Kingdom of the Sun, Sting was hired to write the film's songs. Released in November 2000, the track reached 24 on the American Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles chart, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001.

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film. The performers of a song are not credited with the Academy Award unless they contributed either to music, lyrics, or both in their own right. The songs that are nominated for this award are typically performed during the ceremony and before this award is presented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Til It Happens to You</span> 2015 single by Lady Gaga

"Til It Happens to You" is a song produced and performed by American singer Lady Gaga. She co-wrote the song with Diane Warren for the 2015 documentary film The Hunting Ground, which deals with campus rape in the United States. The song had leaked onto the Internet through an unofficial recording made at the film's premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. It was later released by Interscope Records to digital retailers on September 18, 2015. The director and producer of the film had looked for someone influential to write a song for it, and music supervisor Bonnie Greenberg contacted Warren, who was interested. She wrote the song with Gaga and producer Nile Rodgers accompanied them during the recording, providing his suggestions.

<i>57th & 9th</i> 2016 studio album by Sting

57th & 9th is the twelfth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter Sting, his first rock album in 13 years, released on 11 November 2016. The album sold over 600,000 copies worldwide in 2016 and contains "The Empty Chair" which earned Sting his 4th nomination for Best Original Song at the 89th Academy Awards.

<i>Watani: My Homeland</i> 2016 British film

Watani: My Homeland is a 2016 documentary short film directed, produced and written by Marcel Mettelsiefen. The film follows the story of a family's escape from Syrian Civil War, and their attempt to start a new life in Germany.

<i>Jim: The James Foley Story</i> 2016 American film

Jim: The James Foley Story is a 2016 American documentary film about the life of journalist and war correspondent James "Jim" Foley, directed by Brian Oakes. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016, and on HBO on February 6, 2016.

Dan Krauss is an American film director and cinematographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystery of Love</span> 2017 single by Sufjan Stevens

"Mystery of Love" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens and produced by Thomas Bartlett. It was self-released digitally, under license to Madison Gate Records and Sony Classical, on 1 December 2017. Luca Guadagnino, director of the 2017 film Call Me by Your Name, approached the singer to contribute to the film as a narrator, but Stevens declined and agreed to record an original song instead. Stevens was granted full creative control during the songwriting process and received inspiration from the film's script and André Aciman's novel of the same name. An acoustic song, the lyrics describe romance and allude to the relationship between film characters Elio and Oliver. They also make several references to the state of Oregon, birds, and Christianity.

<i>Crip Camp</i> 2020 documentary film

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution is a 2020 American documentary film directed, written and co-produced by Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht. Barack and Michelle Obama served as executive producers under their Higher Ground Productions banner.

References

  1. Grobar, Matt (24 November 2016). "Sting And J. Ralph On The Life Of James Foley And The Meaning Of "The Empty Chair"". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Newman, Melinda (24 January 2017). "Sting Hopes to 'Shine More Light' on 'Jim: The James Foley Story' Documentary With Oscar Nomination". Billboard. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  3. "Oscar Nominations 2017: See the Full List". Vanity Fair . 24 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Watch Sting's Poignant 2017 Oscar Performance of 'The Empty Chair'". Rolling Stone . 26 February 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 Keegan, Rebecca (17 February 2017). "The Quiet Oscar Contender That's Taking On La La Land". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 29 June 2017.