Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel is a British singer who, after leaving Genesis, found success as a solo artist, label owner, and soundtrack composer.
The world first became acquainted with Peter Gabriel as the colorful frontman of the British progressive rock band Genesis, which made a big impression in the early 1970s with a series of groundbreaking albums: Trespass (1970), Nursery Cryme (1971), Foxtrot (1972), Selling England By The Pound (1973), and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974). After the tour promoting the latter double album, he surprised his colleagues and fans by announcing he was leaving the group at its artistic and commercial peak. Many feared the worst, but the move turned out surprisingly well. With drummer Phil Collins on vocals, Genesis would ultimately become even more successful, while Peter Gabriel, in his self-imposed seclusion, was able to devote himself to a wide range of activities.
From 1977 to 1982, Peter Gabriel released four solo albums, all untitled. The singer himself saw them as a kind of musical counterpart to a regularly published magazine. He reached a wider audience (again) with the third issue, which landed on doorsteps in 1980. The album contained the protest songs "Games Without Frontiers" and "Biko," both of which became hits. He further increased his popularity with "So" (1986), which included "Don't Give Up," a beautiful duet with singer Kate Bush – this also earned him a hit. "Us" appeared in 1992, followed ten years later by "Up."
Peter Gabriel was now active in various disciplines. He released work by others and himself through his Real World label. The singer championed political ideals through both words and deeds. He also developed into a successful soundtrack composer, as evidenced by his releases Birdy (1985), Passion (1989), OVO (2000), and Long Walk Home (2002). On Scratch My Back (2010), he covered work by colleagues such as David Bowie, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Radiohead, Lou Reed, Elbow, and Talking Heads, with the intention that others would cover Peter Gabriel's songs. However, this return never materialized, prompting the singer to include orchestrated versions of his own songs on New Blood (2011). In 2019, he released Rated PG, a compilation of songs he had composed for soundtracks over the years.
Few artists have enjoyed such a varied and rich career as Peter Gabriel. The only thing missing, according to diehard fans, is a reunion with his old band. It's been looming over the market for decades, but the singer has always skillfully managed to avoid it.
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