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Peter Gabriel – Recording Compendium, Part 1: 1974 – 1977 (Car)
Before Peter Gabriel has left Genesis and released his first solo album in 1977, he wrote quite a lot of music and some of this stuff has surfaced over the years.
Official stuff, Demos, Outtakes & more
Part 1: Peter Gabriel 1 (Car) | 1970 – 1977
Last update: 09/02/2025
Introduction
on to part 2
A few years before Peter Gabriel embarked on his first solo experiments, he made three minor guest appearances outside of his band Genesis in the early 1970s. First as a flutist on Cat Stevens’ third album and second, together with his new band mate Phil Collins and others, as a backing singer on Colin Scott’s debut album and an album by the Keef Hartley Band…
Katmandu
(Cat Stevens) (3:17)
Katmandu [2020 mix] *
(Cat Stevens) (3:23)
Recording date: January/February 1970
Recording location: Olympic Studios/London, Abbey Road Studios/London
Produced by: Paul Samwell-Smith
Performed by: Cat Stevens feat. Peter Gabriel (flute)
First official release: 24th April 1970 – Cat Stevens Mona Bone Jakon (UK LP//Island Records ILPS 9118)
Best available source/* First official release: Cat Stevens Mona Bone Jakon [2020 remaster] (EU 4CD+BR+LP+12″//Island Records Ltd. 0602508395178)
? Lead Us
(Neil Innes) (4:34)
? Nite People
(Colin Thistlewaite) (4:15)
Recording date: January – March 1971
Recording location: Trident Studios/London
Produced by: John Anthony
Performed by: Colin Scot feat. Peter Gabriel (backing vocals) u.a.
First official release: 1971 – Colin Scot Colin Scot (UK LP//United Artists Records UAG 29154)
Best available source: Colin Scot Colin Scot [2006 Remaster] (EU CD//Eclectic Discs ECLCD 1036)
? Don’t Sign It
(Chris Mercer) (4:24)
? You Say You’re Together Now
(Gary Thain) (3:42)
Recording date: late 1971
Recording location: Island Studios/London, Trident Studios/London
Produced by: John Burns & Keef Hartley Band
Performed by: Keef Hartley Band feat. Peter Gabriel (backing vocals on one song)
First official release: January? 1972 – The Keef Hartley Band Seventy Second Brave (UK LP//Deram Records SDL 9)
Best available source: The Keef Hartley Band Seventy Second Brave [2009 remaster] (UK CD//Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 2100)
In the days when Peter Gabriel was still a member of Genesis, demo recordings were made of songs he wrote with Martin Hall. They were possibly intended for an album with other artists…
Firebird (Demo) *
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (3:14)
You Never Know (Demo) **
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (3:47)
You Get What You Want (When You Rip It Off) [demo] ***
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (5:11)
Recording date: summer 1974
Recording location: Send Barns/Surrey
Produced by: ?
Performed by: Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute) & Martin Hall (guitar) feat. Anthony Phillips (piano) & Phil Collins (backing vocals)
*First official release/Best available source: 24th February 2024 – Peter Gabriel Firebird (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download //petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/firebird-demo)
** First official release/Best available source: 14th August 2024 – Peter Gabriel You Never Know (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download //petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/you-never-know-demo)
*** First official release: —
*** Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel You Never Know (FLAC download/PondTrotMusic GHPC74PTM)
An indication of this planned album with other artists could be the single released by Charlie Drake…
You Never Know [Charlie Drake version]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (2:49)
Recording date: 1975
Recording location: (George Martins) Air Studios/Oxford
Produced by: Peter Gabriel
Performed by: Charlie Drake (vocals) feat. Peter Gabriel (backing vocals), Phil Collins (drums), Percy Jones (bass), Robert Fripp (guitar), Keith Tippett (piano), Sandy Denny (backing vocals)
First official release: November 1975 – Charlie Drake You Never Know (UK 7″//Charisma CB 270)
Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel You Never Know (HD FLAC download//PondTrotMusic GHPC74PTM)
Further Gabriel/Hall demo recordings, including two songs that made it onto his first album, were made in the same year after Peter Gabriel left Genesis…
Funny Man (Demo) *
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (4:18)
Funny Man [demo alternate mix]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (4:28)
Excuse Me (Demo) **
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (3:32)
Get The Guns (Demo) ***
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (2:51)
No More Mickey (Demo) ****
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (2:43)
Howling At The Moon (Demo) *****
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (3:02)
Here Comes The Flood [demo]
(Peter Gabriel) (3:39)
God Knows [demo]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (4:59)
Recording date: late 1975
Recording location: David Thomas’ house/Putney
Produced by: ?
Performed by: Peter Gabriel (vocals, piano) & Martin Hall (guitar) and others
First official release: —
Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel Before The Flood (FLAC download//goody PitchFix version)
* First official release/Best available source: 25th January 2024 – Peter Gabriel Funny Man (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download//petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/funny-man-demo)
** First official release/Best available source: 6th June 2024 – Peter Gabriel Excuse Me (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download//petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/excuse-me-demo)
*** First official release/Best available source: 9th July 2024 – Peter Gabriel Get The Guns (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download//petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/get-the-guns-demo)
**** First official release/Best available source: 5th August 2024 – Peter Gabriel No More Mickey (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download//petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/no-more-mickey-demo)
***** First official release/Best available source: 17th October 2024 – Peter Gabriel Howling At The Moon (Demo) (subscriber HD FLAC download//petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/howling-at-the-moon-demo)
The first more professional Peter Gabriel demos – again with musicians from the Genesis environment – were created in the spring of 1976 and have so far remained unheard by fans. Including two songs from the first and one song from the second album…
Flotsam & Jetsam [demo]
(Peter Gabriel)
Mr. Tattoo [demo]
(Peter Gabriel)
[unknown track] [demo]
(Peter Gabriel)
Slowburn [demo]
(Peter Gabriel)
Get the Guns [demo 2]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall)
Here Comes the Flood [demo 2]
(Peter Gabriel)
Recording date: spring 1976
Recording location: Trident Studios/London
Produced by: ?
Performed by: Peter Gabriel (vocals, keyboards) feat. Anthony Phillips (piano), Phil Collins (drums), Mike Rutherford (bass), John Goodsall (guitar)
First official release: —
Best available source: —
Now Peter records demos at home without the support of others…
(Early Ideas From) Down The Dolce Vita [demo]
(Peter Gabriel) (3:47)
Recording date: Summer? 1976
Recording location: PG at home?
Produced by: Peter Gabriel
Performed by: Peter Gabriel
First official release/Best available source: 2nd October 2024 – Peter Gabriel Early Ideas From Down The Dolce Vita (subscriber HD FLAC download//petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/early-ideas-from-down-the-dolce-vita)
The last recording before the sessions for the first solo album comes from a soundtrack and is a Beatles cover…
Strawberry Fields Forever
(John Lennon/Paul McCartney) (2:33)
Recording location: Olympic Sound Studios/London
Produced by: Lou Reizner
Performed by: Peter Gabriel (vocals) feat. The London Symphony Orchestra & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Harry Rabinowitz & David Measham)
First official release: November 1976 – Various Artists All This And World War II – Original Soundtrack(2LP/20th Century Records 2T-522)
Best available source: Peter Gabriel Flotsam And Jetsam [2019 remaster?] (44.1kHz/24bit PCM download//Real World Productions)
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Album Tracks
The sessions for the first solo album mainly took place in Toronto, Canada. Genesis musicians were no longer involved here…
Moribund The Burgermeister
(Peter Gabriel) (4:20)
Solsbury Hill
(Peter Gabriel) (4:21)
Modern Love
(Peter Gabriel) (3:38)
Excuse Me
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (4:50)
Humdrum
(Peter Gabriel) (5:24)
Slowburn
(Peter Gabriel) (4:36)
Waiting For The Big One
(Peter Gabriel) (7:15)
Down The Dolce Vita
(Peter Gabriel) (5:06)
Here Comes the Flood
(Peter Gabriel) (5:39)
Recording date: Autumn 1976
Recording location: The Soundstage/Toronto, Morgan Studios/London, Olympic Studios/London
Produced by: Bob Ezrin
Performed by: Peter Gabriel feat. (see album credits)
First official release: 25th February 1977 – Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel (Car) (UK LP//Charisma CDS 4006)
Best available source: Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel (Car) [2002 remaster] (96kHz/24bit PCM download//Real World Productions)
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Different versions
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Solsbury Hill [edit]
(Peter Gabriel) (3:24)
First official release: March 1977 – Peter Gabriel Solsbury Hill (UK 7″//Charisma CB 301)
Best available source: Peter Gabriel Solsbury Hill (UK CDS//Virgin CDT 33)
Solsbury Hill [5.1 surround mix]
(Peter Gabriel) (4:23)
Remix date: 2004
Remixed by: Daniel Lanois and Richard Chappell with Paul Grady
First official release/Best available source: 25th October 2004 – Peter Gabriel PLAY – The Videos (DVD//Warner Music Vision 5050467-5681-2-9)
Modern Love [edit]
(Peter Gabriel) (3:05)
First official release/Best available source: June 1977 – Peter Gabriel Modern Love (UK 7″//Charisma CB 302)
Modern Love [5.1 surround mix]
(Peter Gabriel) (3:22)
Remix date: 2004
Remixed by: Daniel Lanois and Richard Chappell with Paul Grady
First official release/Best available source: 25th October 2004 – Peter Gabriel PLAY – The Videos (DVD//Warner Music Vision 5050467-5681-2-9)
Slowburn (Extended Version) [full length version]
(Peter Gabriel) (5:15)
First official release: 1981 – Peter Gabriel “1” [Direct-Disk Labs Super Disk] (US LP/Atco SD 16615)
Best available source: Peter Gabriel Flotsam And Jetsam [2019 remaster?] (48kHz/24bit PCM download//Real World Productions)
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Collaborations
One of the Gabriel/Hall demos eventually found another home with Alan Ross, but without Gabriel’s involvement …
Get The Guns [Alan Ross version]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (3:11)
Performed by: Alan Ross
First official release/Best avialable source: 27th May 1977 – Alan Ross Get The Guns (UK promo 7″//Good Earth GD 14)
Get The Guns [Alan Ross version remix 1]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (3:22)
Performed by: Alan Ross
First official release: October 1977 – Alan Ross Are You Free On Saturday (UK LP//Ebony EBY 1000)
Best available source: Alan Ross Are You Free On Saturday [2009 remaster] (JP CD//Air Mail Archive AIRAC-1553)
Get The Guns [Alan Ross version remix 2]
(Peter Gabriel/Martin Hall) (4:04)
Performed by: Alan Ross
First official release/Best available source: 1978 – Alan Ross Get The Guns (NL 7″//RCA Ebony EYE-12)
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Live Tracks
More tracks appeared on Peter Gabriel’s tour for the album (March 5 to April 30 and August 30 to November 1, 1977): Cover versions, Genesis numbers, songs for the second album and a new Gabriel track played only on this tour …
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On The Air [live 1977]
(Peter Gabriel)
Why Don’t We [live 1977]
(Peter Gabriel)
Ain’t That Peculiar [live 1977]
(Pete Moore/Smokey Robinson/Marv Tarplin/Ronald White)
Song Without Words [Indigo] [live 1977]
(Peter Gabriel)
All Day And All Of The Night [live 1977]
(Ray Daviesl)
Back In N.Y.C. [live 1977]
(Tony Banks/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel/Steve Hackett/Mike Rutherford)
First known performance date: 5th March 1977 – Passaic (USA), Capitol Theater
Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel Broken Eyes And Contact Lenses (PRRP SAE 02)
White Shadow [live 1977 fast version] *
(Peter Gabriel)
White Shadow [live 1977 slow version] **
(Peter Gabriel)
I Heard It Through The Grapevine [live 1977]
(Norman Whitfield/Barrett Strong)
Animal Magic [live 1977] ***
(Peter Gabriel)
D.I.Y. [live instrumental 1977] ****
(Peter Gabriel)
First known performance date: 2nd September 1977 – Courtrai (Belgium), Pavilion Des Sports
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway [live 1977]*
(Tony Banks/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel/Steve Hackett/Mike Rutherford)
First known performance date: 10th September 1977 – Fête de L’Humanité, Parc de la Courneuve, Paris
* Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel Fast Brighton 77
** Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel 09 October 1977, Tivolis Conzertsal, Copenhagen (Digital Brother & RDWM)
*** Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel Muppet 13 (Digital Brother & RDWM)
**** Best available source: Bootleg – Peter Gabriel Belgique 77
Only one song from the tour was officially released …
Ain’t That Peculiar [live 77]
(Pete Moore/Smokey Robinson/Marv Tarplin/Ronald White) (4:38)
Performance date: 7th March 1977 – Chicago, Uptown Theater
First official release/Best available source: 12th January 1981 – Various Artists The Bristol Recorder #2 (UK LP/Bristol Recorder 002)
The recording sessions for the second album began immediately after the tour.
For the sake of completeness, please note the following new recordings by/with Peter Gabriel which will appear in later parts of this series: Here Comes The Flood [Robert Fripp version 1978 & various remixes], Jetzt Kommt die Flut [Here Comes The Flood German version 1980] and Here Comes The Flood (New Recording 1990). A new recording of the hit Solsbury Hill was made in 2010/11 as part of the orchestral album New Blood.
Autor: Steffen Gerlach
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