Eric Clapton, Van Morrison team up for anti-lockdown song
What's the story
The coronavirus pandemic has uprooted what lifestyle has stood for, and a huge chunk belongs to the entertainment domain. Music is an inseparable part of it and musicians across all pay scales and influences have been badly hurt as pubs, concert halls, auditoriums remain shut. This has prompted guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton and Brown Eyed Girl hitmaker Van Morrison to stand up for them.
Release
The song will be available for download from Dec 4
The duo will release a blues song titled Stand and Deliver that helps Morrison's Save Live Music campaign earn non-profit revenue. The song is written by Morrison and performed by Clapton. Stand and Deliver will be available on iTunes, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Spotify for streaming and download from December 4. Morrison had tweeted a snippet of the catchy song last week.
Twitter Post
This is the announcement made by the duo
💥 NEW TRACK RELEASE 💥
— Save Live Music (@Save_LiveMusic) November 27, 2020
In a bid to save live venues and support musicians, @vanmorrison and @EricClapton are releasing a new single, ‘Stand and Deliver’
Download the exclusive track on December 4th to #SaveLiveMusic
Available on @AppleMusic @AmazonMusicUK @Deezer @Spotify pic.twitter.com/ehDdKGhoL0
Development
Reaction to the anti-lockdown song was mixed, as expected
Morrison's tweet evoked mixed reactions among sympathizers, music lovers, and people concerned about public health and thus, supporting the government's decision. Some defended the song by upholding its spirit to stand up 'individually', while others called the legends out for promoting a song against the UK government's initiatives to address public health at times when coronavirus has taken over 57,000 lives in the country.
Details
Performing for musicians' livelihood: Noble cause, not-so-noble attack
Proceeds from this song will be sent to his Lockdown Financial Hardship Fund to financially support musicians struggling due to job loss because of widespread shutdowns. The song expands Morrison's catalog of anti-lockdown songs released in September-October, namely Born To Be Free, As I Walked Out, and No More Lockdown. Through the tunes, Morrison has promoted the unpopular opinion of criticizing public health measures.
Perspective
"We must stand up, live music might never recover"
"We must stand up... because we need to find a way out of this mess. The alternative is not worth thinking about. Live music might never recover," said Clapton. "People should have the right to think for themselves," remarked Morrison. UK Music says the pandemic has axed £900 million of the £1.1 billion live music was to contribute to the UK economy this year.