Newsgroups: alt.music.peter-gabriel Subject: FAQ THE PETER GABRIEL FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about the artist Peter Gabriel v.1.1 ABOUT THIS FAQ: This FAQ was compiled for the Usenet newsgroup alt.music.peter-gabriel, where discussion of Peter Gabriel and his music is always welcome! This document was compiled by Mickey McCarter , so feel free to send whatever comments, corrections, or additions you may have to him. Peter Gabriel is a musical genius, whose career has spanned more than 20 years, first as a member of the band Genesis, then later, and certainly more visibly, as a solo artist of incredible passion. Note that this FAQ deals primarily with Peter's solo career, although it does its best in places to make proper references to his time as lead singer of Genesis. It is our hope that this FAQ may do some justice in answering some of the Frequently Asked Questions about this man and his work. DISCLAIMER: No part of this FAQ may be used to make a profit in any form. This document may be distributed freely as long as it remains unaltered. The music of Peter Gabriel referred to within is copyrighted by Peter Gabriel, and much of his catalogue is available courtesy of Geffen Records. CONTENTS: This FAQ is divided into the following main and sub-groups, each dealing with a subject which is often the point of a Gabriel-related question: Part One (A) Just For Starters -1] Discography -2] PG Info via Internet -3] PG Outside Internet Part Two (B) Music -1] Album Names -2] Genesis -3] Solsbury Hill -4] Family Snapshot -5] Games Without Frontiers -6] Shock the Monkey -7] Plays Live -8] Sledgehammer -9] Passion 10] US 11] Kate Bush Part Three (C) Man -1] Early Details -2] Genesis -3] Solo -4] Private Life -5] Now (D) Miscellaneous -1] Film Soundtracks -2] Theme Park -3] Xplora -4] Tours ************************************************************************ ** (A) Just For Starters -1] Discography a--- Hi there and welcome to the first section of the Peter Gabriel FAQ. Perhaps the most requested item one could place in a document like this is a discography of Peter's work. Well, there is such a doc out there, but it's length is tremendous as the list of music to which Peter Gabriel has contributed is impressive. This discography was compiled by John Underwood, and the latest version of it is available by e-mailing a request to him at junderw@cs.clemson.edu This same discography is now also avaiable at the following ftp/www sites, list provided by John Underwood himself: ftp ftp.acns.nwu.edu: *** Peter Gabriel Mailing List archives, etc. *** cd /pub/gabriel get discography via World Wide Web: *** hypertext version, but out of date *** http://www.acns.nwu.edu/gabriel/discog.html ftp ftp.uwp.edu: *** currently has the _old_ discography, not mine *** cd gabriel.peter get discog It should be noted that the focus of this discography is Peter's solo career and not his time with Genesis. b--- While tracking down John Underwood's discography is strongly advised due mostly to its incredible thoroughness, here is a brief listing of Peter's major albums for those of you who may be just getting into his music. If you're looking to make a first Peter Gabriel purchase, of these you are likely to have heard more of his two latest albums 'SO' and 'US'. Some of his earlier solo efforts are considered to be among his more meaningful, but many consider his third, fourth, and fifth albums to be the best collection and representation of his work. Brief Listing of PG's Albums (as compiled by Mickey McCarter) ---------------------------- Peter Gabriel I ("Car") : 1977 Atco 1. Moribund the Burgermeister 2. Solsbury Hill 3. Modern Love 4. Excuse Me 5. Humdrum 6. Slowburn 7. Waiting for The Big One 8. Down the Dolce Vita 9. Here Comes the Flood Peter Gabriel II ("Scratch") : 1978 Atlantic 1. On the Air 2. D.I.Y. 3. Mother of Violence 4. A Wonderful Day In A One Day World 5. White Shadow 6. Indigo 7. Animal Magic 8. Exposure 9. Flotsam and Jetsam 10. Perspective 11. Home Sweet Home Peter Gabriel III ("Melt") : 1980 Geffen 1. Intruder 2. No Self Control 3. Start 4. I Don't Remember 5. Family Snapshot 6. And Through the Wire 7. Games Without Frontiers 8. Not One of Us 9. Lead a Normal Life 10. Biko Security : 1982 Geffen 1. The Rythm of the Heat 2. San Jacinto 3. I Have the Touch 4. The Family and the Fishing Net 5. Shock the Monkey 6. Lay Your Hands On Me 7. Wallflower 8. Kiss of Life So : 1986 Geffen 1. Red Rain 2. Sledgehammer 3. Don't Give Up 4. That Voice Again 5. In Your Eyes 6. Mercy Street 7. Big Time 8. We Do What We're Told 9. This is the Picture (cd) Shaking the Tree : 1990 Geffen (Greatest Hits Compilation) 1. Solsbury Hill 2. I Don't Remember 3. Sledgehammer 4. Family Snapshot 5. Mercy Street 6. Shaking the Tree 7. Don't Give Up 8. San Jacinto 9. Here Comes the Flood 10. Red Rain 11. Games Without Frontiers 12. Shock the Monkey 13. I Have the Touch 14. Big Time 15. Zaar 16. Biko Us : 1992 Geffen 1. Come Talk to Me 2. Love to be Loved 3. Blood of Eden 4. Steam 5. Only Us 6. Washing of the Water 7. Digging in the Dirt 8. Fourteen Black Paintings 9. Kiss that Frog 10. Secret World -2] PG Info via Internet Another favorite topic is where can I find Peter's lyrics et al. on the Internet? Below is a list of some of the PG stuff that Internet has to offer: a) FTP via anonymous ftp, one can find the following - 1) lyrics cs.uwp.edu located in the directory path pub/music/lyrics/g/gabriel.peter ftp.acns.nwu.edu located in the directory path pub/gabriel/lyrics 2) discography ftp.acns.nwu.edu located in the directory path pub/gabriel * usually not the latest version 3) pictures ftp.acns.nwu.edu located in the directory path pub/gabriel/pictures *most in gif format b) e-mail 1) Peter Gabriel Mailing List receive plenty of discussion of your favorite artist by subscribing to the PG e-mail list. subsciption and administrative address: listserv@listserv.acns.nwu.edu mailing the list: gabriel@listserv.acns.nwu.edu List Administrator, Joe Germuska j-germuska@nwu.edu 2) Genesis Discography a more-than-complete Genesis discography, which also includes some of Peter's post-Genesis work, is available through e-mail by the following method: email with the message get the.genesis.discography 3) Genesis Mailing List there is also a Genesis mailing list for the e-mail discussion of things relating to the band Genesis. The administrator of this list is Scott McMahan . Contact him for further information. -3] PG Outside the Internet Peter Gabriel fan mail can be sent to the following address: Peter Gabriel c/o The Box P.O. Box 35 Bath, Avon England BA1 1YJ The Box is a quarterly fanzine magazine that apparently deals with Peter, and subscription information and inquiries can be made by writing to the above address without the Peter Gabriel part. THE PETER GABRIEL FAQ Frequently Asked Questions about the artist Peter Gabriel v.1.0 CONTENTS: Part Two (B) Music -1] Album Names -2] Genesis -3] Solsbury Hill -4] Family Snapshot -5] Games Without Frontiers -6] Shock the Monkey -7] Plays Live -8] Sledgehammer -9] Passion 10] US 11] Kate Bush ************************************************************************ ** (B) Music -1] Album Names Those who have listened to Peter Gabriel have probably already realized that his first three solo albums are unnamed. They are referred to as PG I, PG II, and PG III, or 'Car', 'Scratch', and 'Melt' respectively (due to the pictures on their covers.) PG IV was given the name 'SECURITY' by Geffen Records, although in some areas it is still referred to as PG IV. 'SECURITY' was the first album Peter produced for Geffen after leaving Atlantic. Of course, after Geffen Records named his fourth album 'SECURITY', they expected him to name his fifth. The common tale that is told in regards to this is that the company called him up and said, "We need a name for the new album" to which Peter reportedly replied, "So?" Whatever the matter, 'SO' became the fifth album for Peter and was followed by 'US'. 'US' gets its name for being more of a personal album for Peter as he explores his feelings and relationships. Ross Peter informs me that the Japanese releases of Peter's albums often have different names completely than the English releases. For example, 'SO' is entitled 'PETER GABRIEL V'. -2] Genesis Peter started his musical career as the lead singer of Genesis in the late sixties. The other members of the band were Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Steve Hackett. Drummer Collins became lead singer after Peter left. Peter's work with Genesis is explored more fully in Genesis forums such as the Genesis Mailing List. For more on the impact Genesis had on Peter, see the (C2) in the next section of this FAQ. Musically, the biggest thing to come out of Peter's time with Genesis was the bizarre double album 'THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY' and perhaps the song 'Supper's Ready'. Martin Ingram provides this interview on how 'Supper's Ready' was written: TONY : "Suppers Ready was a combination of a lot of different ideas. Willow Farm was a song that Peter had written that started off with a guitar piece of mine. On the Apocalypse in 9/8 section, Mike, Phil and I were just jamming." PETER : "There was one particular incident that gave me the inspiration for Suppers Ready. There was this room at the top of Jill's parents house. This room was the coldest part of the house. I always used to get the shivers when I went in there. We had this strange evening up there which ended up with Jill feeling like she'd been possessed. I experienced some sort of evil at that point - I saw another face in her face. It was an experience I could not forget and was the starting point for a song about the struggle between good and evil. I ended up reading Revelations in the Bible which explains the apocalyptic bit at the end." STEVE : "I used to get a lot of freaked-out chicks saying "Steve, I actually saw God at the end." I'd say "You saw God. Great. I was trying to get the notes right ..." -3] Solsbury Hill Peter has written a number of songs that fans (especially new fans) have tried to interpret over the years. The earliest of this meaningful songs would probably be 'Solsbury Hill', which originally appears on PG I ('Car'). In his 1993 Prodigy session, Peter was asked the following by William Kent of Providence, RI: "Have always loved this song. I find a lot of religious themes in it...redemption, forgiveness, etc. Did you write SH with those themes in mind or am I reading something into it that isn't there? What was your inspiration for the song?" Peter replies: "[T]he lyrics came out of free-flow. I probably have some of these references in it. It is actually a hill near Bath where I used to live and would go walking and jogging regularly. I think there are religious references in here, too." -4] Family Snapshot 'Family Snapshot' from PG III ('Melt') is, chronologically, probably the most discussed song that comes next. From: djb@maths.bath.ac.uk Subject: Family Snapshot For those who were asking: Quoting "Peter Gabriel: An Authorized Biography" by Spencer Bright, Headline Book Publishing PLC, London, 1989. "The song [Family Snapshot] is based on "An Assassins Diary", the notes and scribbles of Arthur Bremmer, who shot and crippled Governor George Wallace of Alabama in 1972. `It was a really nasty book, but you do get a sense of the person who is writing it.' says Gabriel, `Bremmer was obsessed with the idea of fame. He was aware of the news broadcasts all over the world and was trying to time the assassination to hit the early evening news in the States and the late night in Europe to get maximum coverage.' Bremmer originally went after Nixon, which explains the references to the Presidential cavalcade in the song. Gabriel has dropped stage references to Kennedy's assassination having been convinced a solitary assassin was not responsible for that murder." Duncan -5] Games Without Frontiers Also on PG III is what can be labeled as Peter's first 'big' song: 'Games Without Frontiers'. There are a number of questions that come up regularly about this song, and what follows are answers to two of them: a) What is the backup vocal singing in the chorus? That backup vocal is none other than Kate Bush, a musical giant in her own right, and what she is singing is actually "Jeux sans frontieres" which is French for "Games without frontiers." b) What is this song about? Inspiration for the song comes from an European game show called Games Without Frontiers. Apparently, in this show, various contestants from various countries dress up in ridiculous costumes to compete against one another for various prizes. England had its own shorter-lived version of this game show called It's A Knockout. Obviously, the song also makes a larger statement about national boundaries and different peoples. -6] Shock the Monkey Peter's next 'hit' and source of interpretational controvery is 'Shock the Monkey'. In Peter's 1993 interview session on Prodigy, he had simply this to say about the meaning of 'Shock the Monkey': "[T]his song is about jealousy and a sort of animal nature." The lyrics bear this out and the video takes a new light when viewed with this in mind. 'Shock the Monkey' appears on 'SECURITY'. -7] Plays Live After 'SECURITY', Peter compiled his first and only official live album, a two-disc set called 'PLAYS LIVE.' The program for 'PLAYS LIVE' can be found in the discography available from John Underwood . Here are some notes quoted from the inside jacket: "Although this album was compiled from four concerts in the mid-west of the United States, some additional recording took place not a thousand miles away from the home of the artist. The generic term of this process is 'cheating.' Care has been taken to keep the essence of the gigs intact, including 'human imperfection.' - The Producers." "Recorded by Le Mobile on Autumn 1982 tour of the United States and Canada." -8] Sledgehammer The album 'SO' provided Peter's first large commercial hit and number-one single 'Sledgehammer.' The meaning of 'Sledgehammer' is simple: it's about sex. Peter had this to say in his 1993 Prodigy session: "'Sledgehammer' certainly has sexual references and in many ways is part of a tradition of blues and soul of sexual metaphor." The video for 'Sledgehammer' was the first in which Peter used the animation techniques he later became famous for in this and following videos. -9] Passion In between 'SO' and 'US', the Peter released a greatest hits compilation 'SHAKING THE TREE', but the project he spent the most time on actually came before that and is entitled 'PASSION.' This album is actually the instrumental soundtrack for the movie 'THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST', a film which caused some controversy among many Christians across the world. The program of 'PASSION' is listed under the discography available from John Underwood , but it is worth mentioning that it is here Peter strongly reveals many of the African influences in his music and work. 10] Us Peter's last album was entitled 'US'. At the time 'US' was being released, the biggest question on the minds of a lot of fans was "Why did you wait so long to record 'US'?" ('US' appearing in 1992, six years after 'SO'.) Peter responds on Prodigy: "As far as waiting in between 'SO' and 'US,' although it seems like a long time, I spend the year touring after a record and then get involved in other projects. Time passes quite quickly and I spent a year working on the 'Passion' record, music for the film, 'The Last Temptation of Christ,' by Scorsese. That for me was a great experience from which I learned a lot, which I think helped to influence the sound of 'US.' I was doing therapy during this period after my marriage broke up, on and off, for 6 years. I don't feel that actually slowed down the process. I've never been renowned for the speed at which I operate but I'm hoping to get some stuff recorded for next time a little sooner." 'US', therefore, is a very personal album for Peter as the jacket notes indicate. 11] Kate Bush This small section on Kate Bush appears due to a large number of people being admirers of both. Kate Bush, a prolific solo artist most usually discussed on Rec.music.gaffa, did backup vocals on a number of Peter's projects earlier in his solo career (such as the vocals on 'Games Without Frontiers'). She is most applauded by PG fans for her incredible duet with Peter on 'SO' in the song 'Don't Give Up' (which, by the way, has two video versions available on the video compilation CV.) Nowadays, there is much speculation about the two collaberating again, but Peter wounded that notion in his 1993 Prodigy interview: "I have no plans to work with Kate Bush. I actually bumped into her in a restaurant last night, she was sitting at the table next to us, and I hadn't seen her for 3 years. So, there's nothing planned but I really enjoy her work and if something comes up I'm sure we could do something again in the future." Part Three (C) Man -1] Early Details -2] Genesis -3] Solo -4] Private Life -5] Now (D) Miscellaneous -1] Film Soundtracks -2] Theme Park -3] Xplora -4] Tours ************************************************************************ ** (C) Man -1] Early Details For good biographical details on Peter Gabriel, investigate the his biographies: one _Peter Gabriel_ by Armando Gallo, a photographer also credited with photography on the 'PLAYS LIVE' album; another _Peter Gabriel_ by Spencer Bright. More information on both of these books appears in John Underwood's discography, available by e-mailing your request to . Perhaps the most Frequently Asked Question about Peter's early life is "When was he born?"! Peter Brian Gabriel was born on February 13, 1950. -2] Genesis Genesis, at best, usually receives only cursory mention in most Peter Gabriel related forums. This is perhaps due to several factors including: Peter was in Genesis a long time ago, Peter has produced an incredible solo catalogue since then, and Peter's work in Genesis was more of a collaberative effort at times. On why Peter left Genesis in the first place, Martin Ingram provides some information from interviews with Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins: PETER : "Around the time we started work on 'The Lamb' I had this call from Hollywood from William Friedkin who'd seen the story I'd written on the back of the Live album ... he was trying to put together a sci-fi film and he wanted to get a writer who'd never been involved with Hollywood before" PHIL : "Peter came up and said 'Do you mind if we stop for a bit?' and we all said 'No, of course we don't want to stop!' So he said 'OK, I want to do the film, I'm leaving'. TONY : "We were just going to carry on." PETER : "Another thing that rubbed the band up the wrong way was that Tangerine Dream were going to do the film score. The others thought I was using the group as a springboard to jump off for my own personal success." PHIL : "Peter came back within a week because I think Friedkin got frightened at the idea of breaking up the group. So Peter came back with his tail between his legs." In December 1974 in the middle of the Lamb Tour, Peter decided to leave the group ... PETER : "The pressure was accumulating. I didn't want to be part of a supergroup. I was beginning to dislike myself for what I was doing. I finally cracked in Cleveland. I went into Tony Smith's room and told him I was leaving. The rest of the band were told a few days later. A lot of the friction arose because I wanted to take up on those opportunities, and also, I was the first one to have kids. My first child spent three weeks in an incubator and the doctors didn't think she was going to live." Peter was offered £3000 to finish the tour - there is no mention of him accepting the money, but he played his last show at St Etienne, France in May 1975. Ingram also posted this bit on comparing who sings the old Genesis songs better ... PETER : "I saw Genesis again at the Hammersmith Odeon on the next tour. I felt much more at ease that I had expected to, except that I got some twitches during Suppers Ready; it looked like someone else dressed up in my entrails. Now I can watch Phil sing without feeling emotionally attached to a song." PHIL : "When Peter saw us at Hammersmith just after I started singing he said 'You sing Suppers Ready and Carpet Crawlers better than I do, but you'll never sing them like I do.' I think he's right about that. I know I sing it better than he sings it, but when he sings it it's with more understanding." Other than "Why did Peter leave Genesis?" people often ask "Will there ever be a reunion of the original Genesis?" Peter reveals his feelings on the matter in the 1993 Prodigy interview session: "I am quite used to this question and there are no plans for a Genesis reunion. We get on very well together and bump into each other from time to time but it's almost 20 years since I left and in many ways I remember my time with Genesis in the same way people remember their school days and it's a part of growing up." -3] Solo Peter's early solo career was held together by some imaginative conceptual work, much as his Genesis days were. Jasen Finegan quotes some insight on one such concept, the character Mozo: From: Jason Michael Finegan Subject: The Full Mozo Story As promised, I have FINISHED transcribing the section about the Mozo story which I began and had to quit because I was about to be late for work! :) Yes, what everyone read before was only a teaser! The authorized biography is SUCH an essential piece of literature... Quoting "Peter Gabriel: An Authorized Biography" by Spencer Bright, Headline Book Publishing PLC, London, 1989. "Little more than a year after Rael was conceived, Gabriel invented the 'mercurial stranger' Mozo. 'He was partly based on Moses, but he was a fictional character who came from nowhere, disrupting people's lives and causing changes and then disappearing,' said Gabriel. Mozo was part of a 'master plan' dreamed up during his sabbatical in 1975-6 which he alternately wanted staged or filmed. "Mozo was inspired by _Aurora Consurgens_, a medieval alchemical treatise based on the Song of Solomon. It was brought to light by Carl Jung who thought it the work of St Thomas Aquinas. The text is full of alchemical and religious symbolism and apocalyptic imagery. "Jung saw alchemy and psychology as having the common aim of self- transformation. Gabriel was captivated by Jung's alchemical writings. 'I have always been interested in transformation of one sort of another [sic],' said Gabriel. 'When Mozo came in he upset the status quo and the story is about the struggles after his appearance.' Mozo was a catalyst for spiritual change. This was true alchemy of which changing base metal to gold was a mere analogy. "Mozo was at the core of what Gabriel tries to express in music. Perhaps he sees himself as that mercurial stranger able to transform and uplift people. "Gabriel wanted to scatter songs about Mozo over several albums, though they would make a complete story when put together. The songs were 'Here Comes the Flood' -- an apocalyptic vision; 'Down the Dolce Vita' -- a ship leaving harbour on an intrepid journey; 'On the Air' -- Mozo and his fantasy world; 'Exposure' -- the struggle for salvation; 'Red Rain' -- denying one's in her [sic] feelings; and 'That Voice Again' -- judgement. "'Mozo is set in this fishing village, which is very upmarket, not quite Mediterranean, but something of that ilk,' explained Gabriel in 1987. 'There is this volcanic sand which gives the sea a red colour. Everything is focused on the sea, which is very rough, and the great macho feat is to cross the water, which no one has done. "'Mozo is discovered in a tip, in a house built out of rubbish, on the edge of the city. And initially kids and passers-by are just very curious to look inside this little shed, and they see in it what they are most afraid of. They project their fears on to him because he is different. "'I remember in Horsell Common near Chobham, where my parents live, there was this beaten up old caravan, with newspapers in the windows. I used to think there was a witch inside there. And I think it probably fueled this setting for Mozo. "'Eventually the people who have discovered Mozo in this hut on a tip get disturbed. They are getting upset by what they are seeing, by what they are projecting onto him and they try to kick him out. He escapes, and he proves later that he has crossed the sea. So he goes from being the tramp underneath society to the hero on top of it. "'And then having been placed above other people he is challenged by the people who put him up there. They then have him as a target to push down to the bottom again.' "'On The Air', on the second album, introduces Mozo, who lives in a fantasy world created by what he picks up and transmits on his short-wave. 'Through short-wave radio he becomes whoever he wants, but in real life, on the street, he's totally ignored,' explained Gabriel. I got power, I'm proud to be loud; my signal goes out clear I want everybody to know that Mozo is here On the air... 'On The Air'; Gabriel, 1978 "'Down The Dolce Vita', from the first album, introduces characters setting out on the intrepid journey across the sea. Aeron and Gorham, like Mozo, have corrupted biblical names. "'Here Comes The Flood' was written at the height of Gabriel's fascination with short-wave radio. If radio signals got stronger at night, he reasoned, maybe psychic and telepathic awareness could be similarly increased and made to flood the mass consciousness. Those who were honest and straightforward could take on board their new insights, while those who hid their thoughts and feelings would be lost. When the flood calls You have no home, you have no walls In the thunder crash You're a thousand minds, within a flash Don't be afraid to cry at what you see The actors gone, there's only you and me And if we break before the dawn, they'll use up what we used to be 'Here Comes The Flood'; Gabriel, 1976 "'Exposure', from the second album, is stark and minimal. The music was co-written by Gabriel and Robert Fripp, who named his 1979 album after the track. The version sung by Gabriel on Fripp's album is introduced by a recording of English sage J. G. Bennett uttering, 'It is impossible to achieve the aim without suffering.' [My note: Gabriel simply SPEAKS the letters spelling "Exposure" over and over again. The song is "sung" by Terre Roche. Also, the version of "Here Comes the Flood" on this album is by far the superior version to any previously or subsequently recorded versions.] "The final Mozo-linked songs to appear on record were 'Red Rain' and 'That Voice Again' from the _So_ album. 'Red Rain' is about repressed feelings and pain that become expressed by the elements. "'That Voice Again', Gabriel explained, was about 'judgemental attitudes being a barrier between people. The voice is the voice of judgement. A haunting internal voice that instead of accepting experience is always analysing, moralizing and evaluating it.' The song was originally called 'First Stone', but Gabriel abandoned the biblical allusions. He went through three sets of lyrics before David Rhodes came to the rescue and co-wrote them with him. "Gabriel first sought to perform Mozo in early 1976, soon after the Genesis album _A Trick of the Tail_ became their biggest success to date. It was an unfortunate time to make an approach. Genesis' good fortune overshadowed Gabriel's. There was little enthusiasm from publishers and record companies for what promised to be an expensive exercise and Gabriel was forced to wait until he had commercial success as a solo artist. "He had discussed his ideas with Bob Ezrin, the producer of his first solo album. Ezrin told him about the Czech theatre Laaterna Magica and the pioneering Josef Svoboda. Gabriel visited him twice in Prague in the late seventies. He was interested in Svoboda's 'perforated screen' combining cinema with theatre. In it a film was complemented by live action using a device that made actors appear to go in and out of the screen. "Gabriel was later introduced to Czech animator Raduz Cincera who developed his 'Kineautomat'. Cincera was working on opera sets for London Coliseum when he met Gabriel. 'The Kineautomat has cinema seats with yes/no buttons,' said Gabriel. 'There were about a dozen decision points, the plot chosen by vote. So, for example, an actor would come out of the screen and say to the audience, "Should I stay with my wife, or go with this woman?" And the cinema would become as lively as a football match.' "Eventually the Mozo idea lost impetus, though in autumn 1985 Gabriel was still considering working on developing the story into an hour-long video. 'Maybe I should look at it again some day, there's still stuff in it I like. It's always the thing, the new is more attractive than the old,' Gabriel said in 1987." Jason Peter has obviously had many sources of inspiration over the years as shown in many of his songs, especially those that come from the heart. It is interesting to note that in 1986, Peter beat his old partners in Genesis to having a first number one single. Peter's 'Sledgehammer' barely slid into number one before Genesis' 'Invisible Touch.' -4] Private Life Questions about Peter's personal life are probably best left alone, but recently Peter has made it clear that he doesn't mind a few details being known. Peter did indeed break up with his wife of many years soon after 'SO' was released. They are the parents of several children. The divorce was rather messy and rumor has it that his ex-wife, Jill, was cheating on him. Other rumors have noted Jill's dislike of Peter's sudden commercial fame with 'SO'. Peter and Jill have two daughters. The first, Anna-Marie was born in 1974, and the second Melanie was born in 1976. Shortly after his divorce, Peter was romantically involved with actress Rosanna Arquette. This relationship was perhaps doomed to failure as it also ended badly. Whom Peter dates nowadays is sometimes the subject of society gossip columns and until he says something about it himself, there seems little point in examining it. -5] Now Peter is currently known to be spending time performing for causes he believes in such as touring with WOMAD. Some rumors circulate to the effect that he may be gathering material for a new album soon. Otherwise, he's probably taking it easy. ************************************************************************ ***** (D) Miscellaneous -1] Film Soundtracks A list of Peter Gabriel's contributions to film soundtracks does indeed appear in John Underwood's discography, included as part one of this FAQ. However, this is a good space to answer some recurring questions about a few of those selections. What is 'Birdy'? 'Birdy' is an unusual film about a man suffering post-war trauma who believes he can fly. The film itself has generally been hailed as mediocre. As you might be able to tell from looking at the program of the soundtrack album to 'Birdy' much of it is instrumental and many of the selections are pieces that elaborate on instrumental riffs in Peter's first four albums. What is 'Passion'? 'PASSION' is actually the instrumental soundtrack to the film 'The Last Temptation of Christ'. Why does Peter do a song entitled 'Out Out' on the 'Gremlins' soundtrack? Peter recorded the song 'Out Out' for Gremlins as it was originally to be heard during the film. Rumor had it that the song was actually cut from the initial scene it was to appear in completely. However, Larry Hastings informs me 'Out Out' does indeed appear in the film, but that you really have to listen for it. It's being played in the background of the bar scene where the gremlins are chasing Phoebe Cates and destroying things. Didn't 'In Your Eyes' appear in a film soundtrack? Yes. The film was 'Say Anything.' -2] Theme Park From time to time, you might hear the question "Isn't Peter planning to build some theme park somewhere?" The answer is yes, and it's still in the planning stages. Here is what Peter himself had to say about the project in his 1993 Prodigy session: "The Real World Experience Park project is still something that I'm working on with Brian Eno and Laurie Anderson. Three weeks ago we had a letter from the mayor of Barcelona, a letter of commitment, about the site and they're supportive about the project moving ahead. We are also looking at ways of producing some of the ideas we had for this experience in other formats, CD-ROM being one, and the simulator music/video rides being another. So it's a project very much close to my heart and I think all of us see our future in terms of experience design." The simulator music/video ride being referred to by Peter here is the MINDBLENDER, which did its own independent tour in 1992-1993. The ride in question was actually a moving car that followed the action in the music video 'Kiss That Frog'. -3] Xplora What is 'Xplora'? Xplora is an interactive Macintosh CD-ROM featuring Peter Gabriel! Quoting Dave Oleynik of Brilliant Media or <71221.1631@compuserve.com>: "It contains about an hour and a half of video that consists of behind the scenes, Peter's personal file, music videos and a slew of other tidbits. This video is strewn across a festival of beautiful background art then swept up into a web of an interface that (hopefully) will draw you in until your heart is content. An IBM version is in the works though we here at Brilliant are not guaranteed to be participating (dunno really). I'd love to here more reviews from those of you that have had a chance to play with it. I will be forwarding stuff from here to the rest of the team and especially Steve Nelson, who spun this out of his head." Peter also confirmed that other formats would be developed in the future during his 1993 Prodigy interview session. -4] Tours *** Currently being worked on. All input welcome.**** -- Mickey McCarter, unemployed actor |mickey@chopin.udel.edu __ "Law? Here's the only law: the law of |mickey@pecan.cns.udel.edu / | averages." - Harvey Dent, Batman: TAS |Weep not for Camelot... /__|_ Existential Disclaimer: Believe what you like, nothing matters |