Peter Gabriel (1977 album)

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Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel (self-titled album, 1977 - cover art).jpg
Studio album by
Peter Gabriel
Released25 February 1977 (1977-02-25)[1]
RecordedAutumn 1976[1]
StudioThe Soundstage, Toronto, Canada
Morgan Studios, London
Olympic Studios, London[1]
Genre
Length41:42
LabelCharisma (UK)
Atco (US, Canada)
ProducerBob Ezrin
Peter Gabriel chronology
Peter Gabriel
(1977) 		Peter Gabriel
(1978)
Singles from Peter Gabriel
  1. "Solsbury Hill"
    Released: 21 March 1977 [3]
  2. "Modern Love"
    Released: 20 June 1977 [4]

Peter Gabriel is the debut solo studio album by English progressive rock singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel and the first of four with the same eponymous title. Released on 25 February 1977, it was produced by Bob Ezrin. Gabriel and Ezrin assembled musicians, including guitarist Robert Fripp, and his future King Crimson bandmate Tony Levin on bass. On the album's release, Gabriel began touring with a seven-piece band under his own name. The album went to No. 7 in UK and No. 38 in the US. This album is often called either Peter Gabriel I or Car, referring to the album cover by London artist Peter Christopherson. Music streaming services currently refer to it as Peter Gabriel 1: Car. Gabriel's first solo success came with the album's lead single "Solsbury Hill", which Gabriel has said is about "being prepared to lose what you have for what you might get ... It's about letting go."[5]

Although mainly happy with the music, Gabriel felt that the album – particularly "Here Comes the Flood" – was overproduced. Piano-only or piano with synth versions of that song appear on Robert Fripp's Exposure and his appearance on Kate Bush's December 1979 BBC Two TV special (in which Gabriel and Bush also duetted on Roy Harper's "Another Day").[6] A third such version appeared on the 1990 compilation album Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats. Gabriel often performs the song live, accompanied by only himself on keyboard, either in German or English, depending on the audience.[7] The song was debuted during an appearance on Thames Television's Good Afternoon in the summer of 1976.[6]

Direct Disk Labs released a half-speed-mastered version of the album, from the original master tapes. It has a longer version of "Slowburn" (5:16 instead of 4:36) with the song's introduction intact. All other versions of this album have the introduction (with a full band) edited out.

Background[]

During The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour, Gabriel announced to his Genesis bandmates that he had decided to leave the band,[8] citing estrangement from the other members and the strains on his marriage. Nonetheless, he saw his commitment through to the conclusion of the tour. The breaking point came with the difficult pregnancy of Gabriel's wife, Jill and the subsequent birth of their first child, Anna. When he opted to stay with his sick daughter and wife, rather than record and tour, the resentment from the rest of the band led Gabriel to conclude that he had to leave the group.

In a letter to fans, delivered through the music press at the end of the tour, titled Out, Angels Out, Gabriel explained that the "vehicle we had built as a co-op to serve our song writing became our master and had cooped us up inside the success we had wanted. It affected the attitudes and the spirit of the whole band. The music had not dried up and I still respect the other musicians, but our roles had set in hard."[9]

Gabriel then closed the letter: "There is no animosity between myself and the band or management. The decision had been made some time ago and we have talked about our new direction. The reason why my leaving was not announced earlier was because I had been asked to delay until they had found a replacement to plug up the hole. It is not impossible that some of them might work with me on other projects."[9]

Gabriel's Genesis bandmate Phil Collins, who replaced him in the band as lead vocalist, later remarked that the other members "were not stunned by Peter's departure because we had known about it for quite a while". The band continued without Gabriel, starting with their next studio album, 1976's A Trick of the Tail.[10]

Recording, release and promotion[]

Peter Gabriel was recorded at The Soundstage in Toronto with producer Bob Ezrin in the autumn of 1976,[1] with additional sessions at Morgan Studios and Olympic Studios, in London, England.

"Bob Ezrin was suggested. For my part, I didn't feel I could be an Alice Cooper, but I made him listen to the extracts of what I had done and he liked them – or, rather, he liked what I liked. We understood each other. We talked. There was an excellent rapport immediately – a human rapport – and that was what I was looking for above all ... I tried to achieve a combination of Bob and me as producers. He controlled the American rhythm sections and I handled the more European things. And, on the album, Bob dominated the very rock passages which I wasn't used to producing, and I led the quiet parts – things I'd done in Genesis." – Peter Gabriel[11]

Gabriel and Ezrin assembled musicians for the sessions including guitarist Robert Fripp of King Crimson, bass player Tony Levin (later of King Crimson), drummer Allan Schwartzberg, percussionist Jimmy Maelen, guitarist Steve Hunter, keyboardist Jozef Chirowski and Larry Fast on synthesizers and programming.

"I was uncertain of what I could or couldn't do so went with some of Bob Ezrin's choice of musicians (including Tony Levin) and invited Robert Fripp and Larry Fast to cover my more soundscape orientated / European ambitions. Although it was mainly recorded in a snowy couple of weeks in Toronto I remember the sessions as fast, exciting and hot. Many of the backing tracks were put down live, working to the limitations of the 16-track tape machine. It was a fun, intense and scary session, with a great band – who later came out to tour with me."– Peter Gabriel[12]

The album was released on 25 February 1977 on Atco (US & Canada) and Charisma, reaching No. 7 in the UK and No. 38 in the USA.

The first single taken from it, "Solsbury Hill", became a Top 20 hit in the UK and reached No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] The second single, "Modern Love", did not chart.

After Peter Gabriel's release, Gabriel assembled a touring band, consisting of Fripp (occasionally using the pseudonym "Dusty Rhodes", and sometimes performing from offstage) and Hunter on guitar, Levin on bass, Fast on synthesisers, Schwartzberg on drums, Phil Aaberg on keyboards and Jimmy Maelen on percussion. The first leg of his debut solo tour, entitled "Expect the Unexpected", started on 5 March 1977 in the United States and continued until April. The UK portion of the tour concluded on 30 April. A second leg assembled a different band, which included Sid McGinnis on guitar, Levin on bass, Jerry Marotta on drums and Bayette on keyboards. The "Sightings in the Test Area During Autumn" leg began on 30 August and saw the band play throughout England and Europe before concluding on 1 November 1977.

The album received the prize of the French Académie Charles Cros.[14]

Cover art[]

The photo on the cover is of Peter Gabriel sitting in the front passenger seat[nb 1] of a 1974 Lancia Flavia, owned by Storm Thorgerson, co-founder of Hipgnosis and the cover's designer. For the shoot, which took place in Wandsworth, the car was sprayed with water from a hose. The black-and-white image was then hand-coloured, and reflections modified using a scalpel, by artist Richard Manning.[15][16]

Because Gabriel's first four albums were not titled (only numbered), the photograph has been used by fans and online music services to assign the record the simple title of Car.

An alternative proposal was to feature a photograph of Peter Gabriel wearing contact lenses intended to give his eyes the appearance of metallic ball bearings; this was relegated to the inner sleeve instead.[16]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4.5/5 stars[17]
Chicago Sun-Times3/4 stars[18]
Classic Rock9/10[19]
Entertainment WeeklyA[20]
Q3/5 stars[21]
Record Mirror4/5 stars[22]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3/5 stars[23]
Sounds5/5 stars[24]
Uncut7/10[25]
The Village VoiceB+[26]

Rolling Stone critic Stephen Demorest described Peter Gabriel as "a grab bag collection of songs that bear little resemblance to one another" and called it "an impressively rich debut album".[27] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice found it "a lot smarter" than Gabriel's past work in Genesis, and despite noting that "every time I delve beneath its challenging textures to decipher a line or two I come up a little short", felt that the album was "worth considering".[26] Nick Kent, writing in NME in 1978, said that Peter Gabriel was "a fine record with at least one 24-carat irresistible classic in 'Solsbury Hill' and a strong supporting cast of material that, all in all, in a year besmeared with great albums was, in retrospect, sorely underrated."[28]

Track listing[]

All songs written by Peter Gabriel, except where indicated.

Original order[]

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Moribund the Burgermeister" 4:20
2."Solsbury Hill" 4:21
3."Modern Love" 3:38
4."Excuse Me"Peter Gabriel, Martin Hall3:20
5."Humdrum" 3:25
Side Two
No.TitleLength
6."Slowburn"4:36
7."Waiting for the Big One"7:15
8."Down the Dolce Vita"5:05
9."Here Comes the Flood"5:38

1977 US and Canada cassette release track order[]

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Moribund the Burgermeister"4:20
2."Solsbury Hill"4:21
3."Slowburn"4:36
4."Waiting for the Big One"7:15
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Modern Love"3:38
2."Excuse Me"3:20
3."Humdrum"3:25
4."Down the Dolce Vita"5:05
5."Here Comes the Flood"5:38

Personnel[]

  • Peter Gabriel – vocals, keyboards, flute, recorder
  • Robert Fripp – electric guitar, classical guitar, banjo
  • Tony Levin – bass guitar, tuba, leader of the Barbershop Quartet
  • Jozef Chirowski – keyboards
  • Larry Fast – synthesizer, programming
  • Allan Schwartzberg – drums
  • Steve Hunter – acoustic guitar on "Solsbury Hill"; lead guitar on "Slowburn" and "Waiting for the Big One"; electric guitar, rhythm guitar; pedal steel
  • Dick Wagner – backing vocals, guitar on "Here Comes the Flood"
  • Jimmy Maelen – percussion, synthibam, bones
  • London Symphony Orchestra – orchestra on "Down the Dolce Vita" and "Here Comes the Flood"
  • Michael Gibbs – arrangement of orchestra

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[40] Gold 219,000[41]
Germany (BVMI)[42] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[44] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Being British, the car has the steering wheel on the right

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Mic, Smith (2002). Peter Gabriel (booklet). Peter Gabriel. Box, Wiltshire: Real World. p. 1.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Reed, Ryan (24 June 2013). "35 Years Ago: Peter Gabriel's Second Solo Album Released". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. ^ https://petergabriel.com/release/solsbury-hill/
  4. ^ https://petergabriel.com/release/modern-love/
  5. ^ Easlea, Daryl (2013). Without Frontiers: The Life & Music of Peter Gabriel. Music Sales Group. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-85712-860-7.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Smith, Mic (1990). "Peak Time Viewing: Peter Gabriel on British TV 1975–90". White Shadow. No. 3. p. 8.
  7. ^ youtube.com
  8. ^ Mankowitz, Gered (April 2007). "Help!". Mojo. No. 161.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Gabriel, Peter (August 1975). "Out, Angels Out – an investigation" (Press release). Archived from the original on 18 June 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
  10. ^ Welch, Chris (23 August 1975). "Peter Gabriel Quits Genesis". Melody Maker.
  11. ^ Best magazine (France), circa February 1977, as translated by Fred Tomsett in Gabriel fanzine White Shadow #2, circa 1989
  12. ^ email to petergabriel.com mailing list on the album's fortieth anniversary, 25 February 2017
  13. ^ https://www.billboard.com/music/peter-gabriel/chart-history/
  14. ^ http://mrprog.free.fr/pg1.htm
  15. ^ Manning, Richard. "Hipgnosis Album Cover Art". richardmanning.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b "Peter Gabriel 1 – Car". Real World Galleries. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  17. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Peter Gabriel [1] – Peter Gabriel". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  18. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (4 July 1993). "A Solo Discography". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  19. ^ Beaumont, Mark (2 October 2015). "Peter Gabriel: Vinyl Reissues". Classic Rock. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  20. ^ Brunner, Rob (12 July 2002). "Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel 1 / Peter Gabriel 2 / Peter Gabriel 3 / Security / Plays Live / Birdy / So / Passion / Us". Entertainment Weekly. pp. 84–85.
  21. ^ "Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel". Q. No. 191. June 2002. p. 137.
  22. ^ Evans, Jim (26 February 1977). "And lo, the angel cometh". Record Mirror.
  23. ^ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Peter Gabriel". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 319–20. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  24. ^ Charone, Barbara (19 February 1977). "Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel (Charisma)". Sounds. Retrieved 25 October 2020 – via Rock's Backpages.
  25. ^ Thomson, Graeme (November 2015). "Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel 1 ('Car') / Peter Gabriel 2 ('Scratch') / Peter Gabriel 3 ('Melt') / Peter Gabriel 4 ('Security')". Uncut. No. 222. pp. 88–89.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert (25 April 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  27. ^ Demorest, Stephen (5 May 1977). "Peter Gabriel". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  28. ^ Kent, Nick (10 June 1978). "Gabriel: The Image Gets a Tweak". NME.
  29. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 120. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  30. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  32. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  33. ^ "Charts.nz – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  34. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  35. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  37. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  38. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  39. ^ "Solsbury Hill" Official Charts Company
  40. ^ "Les Certifications depuis 1973" (in French). Institut français d'opinion publique. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  41. ^ Les Meilleures Ventes de CD / Albums "Tout Temps" at the Wayback Machine (archived 16 March 2020)
  42. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Peter Gabriel; 'Peter Gabriel - 1')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  43. ^ "British album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (4006)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2020.Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Peter Gabriel (4006) in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  44. ^ "American album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 25 July 2020.

External links[]

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