"Songwriting is what drew me into music," Peter reveals. "The craft and the process of putting together a good song seemed both exciting and magical." And it's this magical craft that Scratch My Back salutes, a dozen covers of songs that Peter regards as among the pinnacles of songwriting endeavour.

"Bon Iver was introduced to me by my younger daughter, Melanie, who's a big fan. When I first heard this track it immediately registered. I tried singing a couple of his songs, but this was the one that I could feel instinctively. The first arrangement that John Metcalfe,our arranger, did was all based around the brass, and although I loved what he had done, it felt too heavy and lacked contrast. Very late in the day I sat down at the piano and tried to find a really simple part for the verses, which then allows the brass entry to have more meaning. There were a couple of lines of lyrics that felt awkward at first, but the more time I spent with it the more natural it became. It is a beautiful song."
Peter Gabriel.

Quite possibly the revelation of the entire record. A song originally recorded by Justin 'Bon Iver' Vernon in the solitary confinement of a snowbound Wisconsin cabin has been utterly transformed. Now the recipient of a grand, brass filled treatment, 'Flume' is rewarded by Peter's soaring voice heading towards the heavens, albeit shot through with pain and desolation.
Nige Tassell.