Showing posts with label Peter Gabriel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter Gabriel. Show all posts

Friday 8 March 2019

Don't give up - Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush / Big time - Peter Gabriel

During the past year I have 'sanitized' my collection of Kate Bush singles. The ones I had - and which were featured on this blog - were often damaged and/or in damaged sleeves. As a Kate Bush fan, that wouldn't do, so I have bought new copies of most of them by now. There's still a handful missing, but I am almost satisfied that I have good UK, Dutch and German copies of those singles now (and even a few French ones!).

While looking for the last few, I found this American single, featuring 'Don't give up', the famous duet with Peter Gabriel, backed with Gabriel's 'Big time'. It is a re-released 'oldies' single in the 'Back to back hits' series. No-one knows when this single was released, apparently. I couldn't resist buying this little gem.

My collection: 7" single no. 6003
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, March 2, 2019
Cost: 4 euro
Tracks: 'Don't give up' (Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush) / 'Big time' (Peter Gabriel)

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Games without frontiers - Peter Gabriel

Although I do have a single with Peter Gabriel's 'Games without frontiers' on it (see it here) I really wanted to have the original single as well. So here it is, in all its weird glory.

For me, this single is also a celebration of the fact that in six weeks I will get to see the backing singer on this track, Kate Bush, live. Will Peter Gabriel appear live on stage with her? There is no telling, but it would be quite a thrill if they were to perform this track - or that other immortal duet 'Don't give up' live together. We'll wait and see...

My collection: 7" single no. 5470
Found: Kringloop Hebbes, Den Haag, July 25, 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Games without frontiers' / 'The start I don't remember'

Friday 11 July 2014

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel

There was a bit of excitement recently when a compilation album of Eighties 12" remixes - you know the ones - suddenly included a rare remix. It was the dance mix by John Potoker of Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer', released only once previously on this limited edition 12" single. The regular 12" single simply contained the album version of the track, so this remix was a bit of a rarity.

Now that the track has finally been released on cd, it was time to dig out my own crackly vinyl copy, so you can listen to 'the real thing', so to speak. Music on vinyl is what it's all about, after all...

My collection: 12" single no. 652
Found: unknown
Cost: unknown
Tracks: 'Sledgehammer (dance mix by John Potoker)', 'Don't break this rhythm' // 'Biko (12" extended version)', 'I have the touch ('85 remix)'

Wednesday 15 June 2011

Solsbury hill (live) - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel released 'Peter Gabriel plays live' as his fifth album in 1983. The album was originally released as a double album and longplay cassette, with sixteen songs and a running time of over 80 minutes. It was eventually issued as a double CD set, and, in 1985, as a single CD version 'Plays Live – Highlights' with only twelve songs and some significant track time alterations.

This live version of 'Solsbury hill' was lifted from the album for a single release. It was not a hit, but apparently it inspired Sarah McLachlan to record a cover of this song a decade later.

My collection: 7" single no. 5157
Found: Chelsea Records, Antwerpen, June 9, 2011
Cost: 2 euro
Tracks: 'Solsbury hill (live)' / 'Kiss of life (live)'

Sunday 30 January 2011

Solsbury hill - Peter Gabriel

'Solsbury Hill' was written by Peter Gabriel after he left the and Genesis. Released as his debut single, it allegedly explains the reasons behind his departure, while also talking about a spiritual experience atop Solsbury Hill in Somerset.

The song has been used in a number of movies like 'Vanilla sky' (2001) and 'In good company' (2004). The song has been covered by various artists, such as Dave Matthews, Erasure, Sarah McLachlan, Saga, and Justin Hines.

My collection: 7" single no. 5017
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, January 29, 2011
Cost: 0,5 euro
Tracks: 'Solsbury hill' / 'Moribund the burgermeister'

Friday 19 March 2010

Shock the monkey - Peter Gabriel

I first heard Peter Gabriel's 'Shock the monkey' as part of a compilation album for Greenpeace, released in the mid-Eighties. That compilation was remarkable for its inclusion of Kate Bush's 'Breathing' - the single version no less.

I never actually knew 'Shock the monkey' was released as a single, but that's mostly because it was not a hit in the Netherlands. Released in September 1982, it reached number 58 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 4728
Found: Velvet Vinyl Outlet, Leiden, March 13, 2010
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Shock the monkey' / 'Soft dog (instrumental)'

Friday 23 October 2009

Don't give up - Peter Gabriel

The Italian promo single is a strange phenomenon. There are several in my collection, and without exception they are white label promos, released in a custom white sleeve, with two A-side tracks from different artists on them. In this case: 'Don't give up' by Peter Gabriel and 'In too deep' by Genesis.

I'm not up on Italian chart placings, but it's safe to assume that both singles were a hit in Italy. What's interesting about this single is that in a way it reunites the old line-up of Genesis. But that's a rather pointless observation. It's a nice collector's item for fans of Genesis, Peter Gabriel... and Kate Bush of course.

My collection: 7" single no. 1718
Found: Record fair, Amsterdam, September 19, 1992
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't give up' (Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush) / 'In too deep' (Genesis)

Thursday 10 September 2009

Don't give up - Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

'Don't give up' was not Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's first collaboration, but it is arguably their best. The song was recorded for Gabriel's 1986 album 'So'. The lyric describes the despair of a man who feels that the economic system has no place for him, seeking council and support from the words sung by Kate Bush. Godley & Creme directed two videos for the song: the first consisted of a single take of the singers in an embrace, as the sun enters total eclipse and re-emerges. The second featured Gabriel and Bush's faces superimposed over film of a town and its people in disrepair.

The single peaked at number 9 in the UK singles chart and number 4 in the Dutch Top 40.

My collection: 7" single no. 500
Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 3,5 guilders
Tracks: 'Don't give up' / 'In your eyes (special mix)'

Saturday 5 September 2009

Solsbury hill / Games without frontiers - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel released his debut solo single in 1977, after leaving the band Genesis, of which he had been the lead singer since its inception. Gabriel actually wrote the song to explain his reasons for leaving the band. The single reached number number 13 in the UK and number 11 in the Dutch Top 40.

On the other side of this 'Old gold' re-release single is the 1980 single 'Games without frontiers'. This track features Kate Bush on backing vocals: she sings 'Jeux sans frontières' (It took me some years to find that out...). The lyric of the song is a critique of nationalism and war, which the song portrays as essentially childish. This single was Gabriel's second hit, peaking at number 4 in the UK singles chart.

My collection: 7" single no. 1022
Found: London, October 17, 1989
Cost: 50p
Tracks: 'Solsbury hill' / 'Games without frontiers'

Monday 17 August 2009

Kiss that frog - Peter Gabriel

'Kiss that frog' was the fourth single taken from Peter Gabriel's 1992 album 'Us'. Produced by Peter Gabriel and Daniel Lanois, the track was a bit of a messy affair, reminiscent of earlier singles by Gabriel, but not quite as effective.

The single only managed to reach number 46, and as a result, no further singles were taken from the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 2039
Found: HMV, London, October 22, 1993
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Kiss that frog (edit)' / 'Kiss that frog (Mindblender mix - edit)'

Thursday 25 June 2009

Steam - Peter Gabriel

'Steam' was released as the second single from Peter Gabriel's 1992 album 'Us'. Peter Gabriel has said that the song is about a relationship in which the woman is sophisticated, bright, cultured, and knows everything about anything and that the man knows nothing about anything, except, he does know about the woman, and she doesn't know much about herself.

In a way, 'Steam' does take the listener back to the sound of 'Sledgehammer', and the video even reminds of that video as well. It became Gabriel's last top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at number 10. In the Netherlands, the single reached number 16.

My collection: 7" single no. 2242
Found: February 18, 1995
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Steam' / 'Games without frontiers (Massive/DB mix)'

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Lovetown - Peter Gabriel

The soundtrack of the motion picure 'Philadelphia' contained a famous Bruce Springsteen track, 'Streets of Philadelphia'. But strangely enough it is less well known that the soundtrack also contained a new Peter Gabriel track, entitled 'Lovetown'.

That's unfortunate, because the track is simply mesmerizing. The single only managed a number 47 placing in the UK, and did not chart in most other territories. The B-side was taken from Peter Gabriel's then-current album 'Us'.

My collection: 7" single no. 2506
Found: Record fair, October 30, 1995
Cost: 5 guilders
Tracks: 'Lovetown' / 'Love to be loved'

Thursday 21 May 2009

Big time - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel's song 'Big time' is often compared to his previous hit 'Sledgehammer', because both tracks are uptempo, both come from the same album 'So' (1987) and both were promoted by music videos that used several animation techniques. Still, 'Big time' was not the big hit 'Sledgehammer' was. In the Netherlands, 'Big time' peaked at number 24 and in the UK it reached number 13. It was the first Peter Gabriel single that was also released on the new cd-single format.

The song deals with a man's efforts to achieve success - but his vision of success is quite peculiar and naive.

My collection: 7" single no. 524
Found: Free Record Shop, Den Haag, 1987
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Big time' / 'Curtains'


Tuesday 28 April 2009

Biko - Peter Gabriel

'Biko' was originally recorded in 1980 on Peter Gabriel's third solo album. The song was about Stephen Biko, a noted black South African anti-apartheid activist. Biko had been arrested by the South African police in late August 1977. After being held in custody for several days, he was interrogated in room 619 of the Walmer Street prison in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. Following the interrogation, during which he sustained serious head injuries, Biko was transferred to a prison in Pretoria, where he died shortly afterwards, on September 12, 1977.

'Biko' was re-released in 1987 to draw attention to Sir Richard Attenborough's film 'Cry freedom'. This live version was recorded at the Blossom Music Centre, Cleveland, 27th July 1987.

My collection: 7" single no. 2711
Found: House of Rhythm, London, July 3, 1996
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Biko' / 'No more Apartheid'

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Red rain - Peter Gabriel

'Red rain' was the third single released from Peter Gabriel's multimillionselling album 'So' (1987) . The song is a combination of several inspirations. The lyric directly reference a recurring dream Gabriel was having where he swam in his pool drinking cold red wine. According to the sleeve notes from the remastered version of 'So', it is also a reference to acid rain.

The single peaked at number 46 in the UK singles chart, which meant that it did considerably less well than the previous two singles 'Sledgehammer' and 'Don't give up' (the duet with Kate Bush).

My collection: 7" single no. 3629
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 18, 2009
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Red rain' / 'GA-GA I go swimming instrumental'

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Walk through the fire - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel contributed the track 'Walk through the fire' to the soundtrack of the 1984 movie 'Against all odds'. It's interesting to note that other Genesis members contributed to the soundtrack as well: Mike Rutherford contributed the song 'Making a big mistake' and Phil Collins recorded the well-known title track.

It's interesting how little is known about this track by Peter Gabriel: I couldn't find any background information about it on the web. I did find out that it peaked at number 69 in the UK. So not a big hit, then.

My collection: 7" single no. 2481
Found: Beanos, East Croydon, London, October 29, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Walk through the fire' (Peter Gabriel) / 'The race' (Larry Carlton)


Thursday 5 March 2009

Digging in the dirt - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel released his sixth studio album 'Us' in 1992, six years after his previous album 'So' . The first single was 'Digging in the dirt', an intricate song but a slightly understated affair after all the bombast of 'Sledgehammer' and 'Big time'. The song was an exploration of the issues in his personal life at the time - the end of his relationship with Rosanna Arquette, his desire to reconnect with his daughter and even the self healing he was looking for in therapy. On the B-side there was a beautiful silent version of the album's next single, 'Steam'.

'Digging in the dirt' peaked at number 24 in the UK and number 30 in the Netherlands. I bought this single on discount and found a nice boxed edition of the cd-single years later.

My collection: 7" single no. 1787
Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, November 14, 1992
Cost: 4 guilders
Tracks: 'Digging in the dirt' / 'Quiet steam'


Wednesday 25 February 2009

No self control - Peter Gabriel

If you think Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush worked together for the first time in 1986 when they recorded 'Don't give up', you wouldn't be alone in thinking that. But in reality, they got together as early as 1979, when Kate Bush recorded a television special for UK television. They sang 'Another day' together, and Gabriel performed 'Here comes the flood' solo in this special.

In 1980, Peter Gabriel recorded his third solo album. Kate Bush provided backing vocals on the tracks 'Games without frontiers' and 'No self control'. It might be a coincidence, but both tracks were released as a single in 1980. Being a Kate Bush fan, I had to have these singles, so I was very glad when I found a reasonably good copy of 'No self control' in 1995.

My collection: 7" single no. 2341
Found: Record Exchange, London, June 26, 1995
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'No self control' / 'Lead a normal life'
Download: Album 'Peter Gabriel [3]', including both tracks

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer' will always be remembered mostly because of this video. It was directed by Stephen R. Johnson. Aardman Animation and the Brothers Quay provided claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation that gave life to images in the song. In 1987, it won nine MTV Video Music Awards, a record which still stands today. It ranked at number four on MTV's 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made (1999). MTV later announced that 'Sledgehammer' is the most played music video in the history of the station.

The lyric of the song contains thinly-veiled sexual innuendo, which was common in soul music from the 1960's, which the song was influenced by. The lyrics include phallic references such as a steam train, bumper cars, a Big Dipper (roller coaster) and a fruit cage. It also includes references to the sexual reproduction of plants, mentioning pollination, fruit and bees.

I bought this single a decade after it came out. At the time of its chart ascent, the song was played so often on radio and television that I thought I would never play this record anyway. And I was right. I still haven't played it much.

My collection: 7" single no. 2832
Found: Record Exchange, London, February 8, 1997
Cost: 1 pound
Tracks: 'Sledgehammer' / 'Don't break this rhythm'
Download: here

Monday 9 February 2009

Blood of Eden - Peter Gabriel

'Blood of Eden' was originally written for the Wim Wenders movie 'Until the end of the world' (1991). Peter Gabriel performed the track solo. This version was not included on the soundtrack cd. (You can hear the solo version of Blood of Eden here.)

A year later, 'Blood of Eden' reappeared as a track on Peter Gabriel's album 'Us'. This time, it was performed as a duet with Sinéad O'Connor. It was this version that got a single release. It reached number 43 in the UK singles chart in 1993.

My collection: 7" single no. 1881
Found: April 10, 1993
Cost: 6 guilders
Tracks: 'Blood of Eden' / 'Mercy street (William Orbit remix)'
Download: here

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