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Peter Gabriel – Recording Compendium, Part 10: 2005 – 2009 (Big Blue Ball)
The Real World Recording Weeks were legendary: Beside little snippets and outtakes, nothing really saw the light of day – until Peter released an album called Big Blue Ball.
Official stuff, Demos, Outtakes & more
Part 10: Big Blue Ball | 2005 – 2009
Last update: 09/02/2025
Introduction
back to part 9 | on to part 11
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After the concerts for the UP album, Peter Gabriel initially worked on a few individual songs and projects…
Imagine
(John Lennon) (3:15)
Recording date: 2005
Recording location: Real World Studios/Box
Produced by: Peter Gabriel
Performed by: Peter Gabriel (vocals/piano) feat. Tony Levin, Ged Lynch (drums)
First official release: 10th February 2006 – XX Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony in Torino (TV broadcasts)
Best available source: ?
Salala
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (3:24)
Salala (Radio Edit)
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (3:07)
Recording date: 2006
Recording location: Electric Lady Studio/New York City
Produced by: Tony Visconti
Performed by: Angelique Kidjo feat. Peter Gabriel
Salala (Radio Mix/Junior Vasquez Afroelectro Radio Edit) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (3:38)
Salala (Junior’s Afroelectro Drums/Drums) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (3:36)
Salala (Junior Vasquez Afroelectro Club Mix/Extended Club Mix) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (8:56)
Salala (Junior Vasquez Afroelectro Intrumental/Extended Club Dub) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (8:56)
Salala (Global Domination Mix Show/Mix Show Vocal) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (5:28)
Salala (Junior’s Percapella/Mix Show Drums) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (5:28)
Salala (Junior’s Keyapella/Padapella) *
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (5:28)
Salala (Junior’s Big Room Vocal Mix) **
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (7:29)
Salala (Junior Vasquez Vs. Kidjo + Gabriel Vocal Remix) **
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (8:02)
Salala (Junior’s Classic House Dub) **
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (6:44)
Remixed by: Junior Vasquez (Donals Mattern)
Salala (The Radioactive Sandwich House Vocal) **
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail) (6:58)
Remixed by: Junior Vasquez (Donals Mattern)
Salala [sample pack] ***
(Angelique Kidjo/Jean Louis Herbrail)
First official release: January 2007 – Angelique Kidjo feat. Peter Gabriel Salala (UK promo CD//Razor & Tie 0946 3938022 0)
* First official release: January 2007 – Angelique Kidjo feat. Peter Gabriel Salala (UK promo CD//Razor & Tie RTDJ904)
** First official release: July 2007 – Angelique Kidjo feat. Peter Gabriel Salala (UK promo CD//Razor & Tie)
*** First official release: 9th March 2007 – Angelique Kidjo feat. Peter Gabriel Salala (WAV download//RealWorldRemixed.com)
Best available source: same
Bu Sevgi (This Love)
(Severa Nazarkhan/Nurmukhammad Isroil) (3:57)
Recording date: 2007?
Recording location: Sevara’s home studio/Tashkent, Real World Studios/Box (Vocals)
Produced by: Victor Sologub, Sevara Nazarkhan & Bruno Ellingham
Performed by: Sevara Nazarkhan feat. Peter Gabriel (bassline)
First official release/Best available source: 31st August 2007 – Sevara Nazarkhan [Sen] (UK CD//Real World Records CDRW145)
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Live Tracks
In the summer of 2007, Peter Gabriel surprised everyone by releasing a compilation of songs and rarities as a free supplement to The Mail On Sunday. He also went on a relatively spontaneous open-air tour with an unusual selection of songs. The set list for the Warm Up tour was based on a fan vote on his website, with the result that many songs that had not been played for a long time found their way onto the stage. The fact that an unedited live recording of each concert was released as a double CD via TheMusic.com was very pleasing. This means that all the songs played are available on CD. Rehearsed but not played were Waiting For The Big One, And Through The Wire, This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds), Love To Be Loved, Make Tomorrow Today and The Drop…
Moribund The Burgermeister [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Solsbury Hill [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Humdrum [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
On The Air [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
D.I.Y. [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Mother Of Violence [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Indigo [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Intruder [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
No Self Control [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
I Don’t Remember [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Family Snapshot [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Schnappschuß (Ein Familienfoto) [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel/Horst Königstein)
Not One Of Us [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Du Bist Nicht Wie Wir [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel/Horst Königstein)
Biko [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
The Rhythm Of The Heat [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
I Have The Touch [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Lay Your Hands On Me [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Sledgehammer [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Big Time [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
In Your Eyes [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
The Feeling Begins [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Blood Of Eden [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Steam [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Washing Of The Water [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Digging In The Dirt [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Secret World [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Lovetown [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
I Grieve [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Signal To Noise [live 2007 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Recording date: 14th June – 11th August 2007
Recording location: various
Mixed By: Ben Finlay
First official release: July – August 2007 – Peter Gabriel The Warm Up Tour (Encore Series) (22x 2CDs//TheMusic.com)
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Collaboration
The soundtrack for the partly animated IMAX film Sea Monsters – A Prehistoric Adventure, written by The Footnote aka Richard Evans and David Rhodes, was started before the tour and then completed with the participation of Peter Gabriel…
Different Stories, Different Lives
(Richard Evans, Peter Gabriel, David Rhodes) (?:??)
Different Stories, Different Lives [edit 1] *
(Richard Evans, Peter Gabriel, David Rhodes) (3:01)
Different Stories, Different Lives [edit 2] **
(Richard Evans, Peter Gabriel, David Rhodes) (2:44)
The Reveal ***
(Richard Evans, David Rhodes) (0:41)
Beauty And Wonder ***
(Richard Evans, David Rhodes) (1:49)
Recording date: March – August 2007
Recording location: Real World Studios/Box
Produced by: Richard Evans & David Rhodes with Peter Gabriel
Performed by: The Footnote (a.k.a. David Rhodes (guitar/vocals) & Richard Evans (guitar/vocals)) & Peter Gabriel (vocals) feat. Angie Pollock (vocals), Ged Lynch (drums/percussion), Hungarian Orchestra (?) (strings)
*/*** First official release: 27th September 2007 – Sea Monsters – A Prehistoric Adventure (movie release)
* Best available source: The Footnote Sea Monsters – A Prehistoric Adventure (US Blu-Ray/National Geographic 727994753070)
**/*** Best available source: The Footnote Sea Monsters – A Prehistoric Adventure (US promo CD/National Geographic ?)
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Album Tracks
In the summer of 2008, recordings from the ‘Realworld Recording Weeks’ were finally released on an album entitled Big Blue Ball. The three underlying events had already taken place in 1991, 1992 and 1995. Even though Peter Gabriel was more or less involved in seven songs, the result is not a solo album by him…
Whole Thing (Original Mix)
(Alexis Faku/Tim Finn/Peter Gabriel/Geoffrey Oryema/Karl Wallinger/Andy White) (5:25)
Shadow *
(Cañizares/Peter Gabriel/Karl Wallinger/Shungu Wembadio) (4:27)
Exit Through You
(Joseph Arthur/Peter Gabriel) (5:52)
Burn You Up, Burn You Down [remix]
(Peter Gabriel/Neil Sparkes/Karl Wallinger) (4:30)
Rivers
(Marta Sebestyen) (5:44)
Jijy *
(Peter Gabriel/Rossy/Karl Wallinger/Jah Wobble) (3:59)
Big Blue Ball
(Karl Wallinger) (4:50)
Recording date: 1991 – 2007
Recording location: Real World Studios/Box
Produced by: Peter Gabriel, Stephen Hague & Karl Wallinger
Performed by: see album credits
* Performed without Peter Gabriel
First official release: 27th May 2008 – Big Blue Ball Big Blue Ball (US CD//Real World USCDRW150)
Best available source: Big Blue Ball Big Blue Ball (48kHz/24bit PCM download//Real World Productions)
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Different versions
Some special versions and remixes were released for the album…
Whole Thing (Adrian Sherwood & Jazzwad Remix)
(Alexis Faku/Tim Finn/Peter Gabriel/Geoffrey Oryema/Karl Wallinger/Andy White) (5:26)
First official release/Best available source: 2008 – Big Blue Ball Big Blue Ball (UK download)
Big Blue Ball (Instrumental)
(Karl Wallinger) (4:50)
First official release/Best available source: 12th March 2008 – Various Artists Real World Records/Big Blue Ball (UK promo CD/Real World)
Exit Through You [sample pack]
(Joseph Arthur/Peter Gabriel)
First official release/Best available source: 14th May 2008 – Big Blue Ball Exit Through You (WAV download//RealWorldRemixed.com)
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Album Tracks
Also in summer 2008, the soundtrack to the animated Pixar film Wall-E was released, to which Peter Gabriel contributed the main song, the motif of which can also be heard in two other score titles…
EVE
(Thomas Newman/Peter Gabriel) (1:02)
Define Dancing
(Thomas Newman/Peter Gabriel) (2:23)
Down To Earth *
(Thomas Newman/Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel) (5:58)
Recording date: 2008
Recording location: The Village and Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M, Newman Scoring Stage-Twentieth Century Fox Studios
Produced by: Thomas Newman & Bill Bernstein, * Peter Gabriel (& Thomas Newman: L.A. Sessions)
Performed by: Thomas Newman
* Performed by: Peter Gabriel feat. The Soweto Gospel Choir
First official release/Best available source: 24th June 2008 – Thomas Newman Wall-E – An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (US CD/Walt Disney Records D000174302)
* Best available source: Peter Gabriel Rated PG [2019 remaster?] (48kHz/24bit PCM download//Real World Productions)
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Collaborations
At the same time, Peter Gabriel recorded a cover version of the recently released Vampire Weekend track Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa together with Hot Chip, which appeared as a download on the Internet in early 2009…
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
(Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij/Chris Tomson/Chris Baio/Ieva Berzina – Ezra Koenig) (4:08)
Recording date: summer 2008
Recording location: Real World Studios/Box
Produced by:
Performed by: Hot Chip & Peter Gabriel
First official release: 17th December 2008 – various streaming services
Best available source: Various Artists 08/09 XL (UK promo CDr//XL Recordings)
The idea of covering other artists’ songs in return for a cover of one of his own had been in Peter’s mind for some time. For this idea he chose his favourite songs and reduced their arrangements to a minimum for his own interpretation, using keyboardist Jason Rebello for the first experimental sessions. One song from this phase that did not make it to the next stage was released 16 years later…
In The Neighborhood [demo]
(Tom Waits) (3:27)
Recording date: 2008
Recording location: Real World Studios/Box
Produced by:
Performed by: Peter Gabriel feat. Jason Rebello
First official release/Best available source: 12th November 2024 – Peter Gabriel In The Neighborhood (subscriber FLAC download // petergabriel.bandcamp.com/track/in-the-neighborhood)
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Live Tracks
In March 2009, Gabriel unexpectedly embarked on a seven-concert tour of South America before concentrating on his next studio project. The concerts were again released as ‘Soundboard Recordings’ in the Encore CD series.
Solsbury Hill [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
On The Air [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Mother Of Violence [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Intruder [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Games Without Frontiers [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
No Self Control [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Biko [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
The Rhythm Of The Heat [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
San Jacinto [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Wallflower [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Red Rain [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Sledgehammer [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Big Time [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
In Your Eyes [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Come Talk To Me [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Blood Of Eden [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Steam [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Secret World [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Father, Son [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
The Tower That Ate People [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Darkness [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Signal To Noise [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel)
Burn You Up, Burn You Down [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel/Karl Wallinger/Neil Spakes)
Down To Earth [live 2009 rough mix]
(Peter Gabriel/Thomas Newman – Peter Gabriel)
Recording date: 18th – 31st March 2009
Recording location: various
Performed by: Peter Gabriel
First official release/Best available source: 2009 – Peter Gabriel 2009 Tour (7 x US 2CD//TheMusic.com)
From this time onwards, Peter Gabriel devoted himself to his ‘orchestral’ phase, which produced two albums, Scratch My Back (2010) and New Blood (2011).
Author: Steffen Gerlach
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