Category: Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Sledgehammer” is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It hit number one in Canada on 21 July 1986 where it spent four weeks; number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States on 26 July 1986; and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a popular and influential music video. It was his biggest hit in North America and ties with “Games Without Frontiers” as his biggest hit in the United Kingdom.

The song’s music video has won a number of awards, including a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, and Best British Video at the 1987 Brit Awards. Gabriel was also nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. As of 2011, “Sledgehammer” is the most played music video in the history of MTV.

SIDE A:
Sledgehammer (Extended Dance Remix) 7:20
Engineer – Nick Tokes
Remix – Tokes*

Sledgehammer (Extended Mix) 5:40

SIDE B:
Don’t Break This Rhythm 3:50

I Have The Touch (85 Remix) 3:44
Recorded By [Original] – David Lord, Peter Gabriell
Remix – Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #1
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs #61
1986 Sledgehammer U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play #1

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – 0-20456
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop
Credits: Design – Brett Wickens, Peter Saville (2)
Engineer – Kevin Killen
Photography By – Trevor Key
Producer – Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

NOTES:
Designed at Peter Saville Associates, London

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Peter Gabriel – Red Rain (Europe 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1987

“Red Rain” is the first track on Peter Gabriel’s 1986 solo album So. In the USA, it reached #3 on Billboard magazine’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Stewart Copeland from The Police played the hi-hat for the rain-like background sound; the rest of the drumming was handled by Jerry Marotta.

The song is a combination of several inspirations. The lyrics directly reference a recurring dream Gabriel was having where he swam in his pool drinking cold red wine. Another version of the dream had bottles falling from a cliff, and the bottles were in the shape of people. When they were smashed on the ground, the people-shaped bottles had red liquid coming out, and then it began to rain the same red liquid.

Earlier in his solo career, Gabriel had an idea for a movie, Mozo. In it, villagers were punished for their sins with a blood red rain. “Red Rain” was to be the theme song. This idea was eventually scrapped, although there was a mention of Mozo in the song “On the Air” in Peter Gabriel (II). “Down The Dolce Vita”, “Here Comes The Flood”, “Exposure”, and “Big Blue Ball” are also reference the Mozo story, as well.

According to the sleeve notes from the remastered version of So, it is also a reference to acid rain. Based on one interpretation of some of the lyrics it is also thought to refer to nuclear fallout.

SIDE A:
Red Rain 5:35
Producer – Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

SIDE B:
Ga-Ga (I Go Swimming Instrumental) 4:28
Producer – Steve Lillywhite
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

Walk Through The Fire 3:31
Producer – Nile Rodgers, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1987 Red Rain U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #3

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Virgin – 609 240
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Europe
Released: 1987
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Classic Rock
Credits: Painting, Design – Peter Saville Associates
Photography By – Trevor Key

NOTES:
Printed in Western Germany

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Peter Gabriel – Big Time (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986

“Big Time” is a song by Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It was his second top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #8.

“Big Time” alternates mode between A♭ minor (Aeolian) in the chorus and A♭ Dorian during the verses and is played at the speed of 116 bpm. The song’s bass guitar part is unique in that backing bassist Tony Levin and then-backing drummer Jerry Marotta teamed up for the main bassline. Using one of Levin’s fretless basses, Levin handled the fingerings while Marotta hit his drumsticks on the strings, which is why the bass part sounds percussive. Inspired by this sound, Levin later invented Funk Fingers, which were little drumstick ends that could be attached to the fingers to achieve a similar bass guitar effect in concert. Police drummer Stewart Copeland plays drums on the song.

SIDE A:
Big Time (Dance Mix) 6:10
Remix – Tom Lord Alge*

SIDE B:
In Your Eyes (Special Mix) 7:14
Engineer [Remix] – Jason Corsaro
Producer – Bill Laswell

We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) 3:18

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHARTS:

Year Single Chart Position
1986 Big Time U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #8
1986 Big Time U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks #3

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Geffen Records – 0-20600
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: US
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Synth-pop
Credits: Design – Brett Wickens, Peter Saville (2)
Engineer – Kevin Killen
Photography By – Trevor Key
Producer – Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel
Written-By – Peter Gabriel

NOTES:
Designed at Peter Saville Associates, London.

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi