News
09-12-2009
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08-12-2009
Rumour Mill
We're hoping to have news of live dates where Peter will be performing both his own and the songs from 'Scratch My Back' as soon as tomorrow. The sound of the album may not have escaped yet, but check back soon if you like your music live and direct - Peter Gabriel may be in the area with nothing but an orchestra and amazing songs.
03-12-2009
Scratch My Back in Peter's Full Moon video update
A little more of 'Scratch My Back' has escaped into this month's video. Sadly one factual update is that the release date has now slipped back until February 15th, but that news is, we hope, tempered by Peter's other revelations around the project. Anyone for 'Scratch My Back' Live?
19-11-2009
It'll be interesting to see what crawls out of the corpse
"There is as much magic in the sounds of things as there is in the notes," concluded Gabriel. "The studio can be the most boring place in the world, but when there's magic - when you open up a new vein - you wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
As this is World Philosophy Day, Helienne Lindvall's article in The Guardian around the conversation she had with Peter at the APRS Fellowship awards in London this week seems particularly apposite.
16-11-2009
shh...don't tell anyone you've seen 'Scratch My Back'
There's just 2 months and 9 days until you can get your hands on a copy of 'Scratch My Back'. The cover image remains a closely guarded secret, but we know we can trust you.
13-11-2009
'Scratch My Back' album release due on January 25th 2010
Peter will release his 'Scratch My Back' album on January 25th 2010 on Virgin Records in the U.K.
To help craft his recording of the album's eclectic array of cult favourites and classic tracks, Peter enlisted former Durutti Column member John Metcalfe as composer/arranger and the expertise of producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd's 'The Wall', Lou Reed's 'Berlin') and engineer, mixer and producer Tchad Blake (Suzanne Vega, Sheryl Crow, Tom Waits).
Peter describes this as a very personal record with twelve songs performed only with orchestral instruments and voice. The album's richly diverse sounds include the sparse romance of Lou Reed's 'The Power of the Heart', the powerful musical journey of Elbow's 'Mirrorbal' and an epic arrangement of Arcade Fire's 'My Body Is A Cage.'
Peter and his collaborators recorded the album at George Martin's Air Lyndhurst Studios and the Real World Temple with further editing and mixing at his own Real Worlds Studios in Wiltshire. The first public hearing of the album came when Peter opened his set at last summer's WOMAD Charlton Park festival with a performance of Paul Simon's 'The Boy In The Bubble.'
The track-list and running order as follows:
Heroes (David Bowie)
The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon)
Mirrorball (Elbow)
Flume (Bon Iver)
Listening Wind (Talking Heads)
The Power of the Heart (Lou Reed)
My Body is a Cage (Arcade Fire)
The Book of Love (The Magnetic Fields)
I Think it's Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman)
Apres Moi (Regina Spektor)
Philadelphia (Neil Young)
Street Spirit (Radiohead)
02-11-2009
Beaver alert
A brief update from Peter, filmed before he headed off to a meeting of The Elders. We hear news of the 'Scratch My Back' album projects which is now nearing completion and pick up on Peter's current hot tips, Portico Quartet and Charlie Winston.
30-10-2009
All You Need is love
Take a look at this recording of 'All You Need is Love' by Bandaged Together - a collection of the great and the good in the music industry, radio and TV - in aid of this years BBC Children in Need appeal.
Peter Gabriel can be seen at the top and tail of the track.
