Gabriel, Peter Page 1 of 1

Gabriel, Peter
(b Cobham, Surrey, 13 Feb 1950). English rock singer and songwriter. He was the
lead singer with Genesis until 1975 when he left the band to pursue a solo career.
Four eponymously named albums released between 1977 and 1982 marked a
gradual stylistic shift from the somewhat pretentious progressive rock of Genesis to
a more considered style, heavily dependent on slow-moving synthesizer washes
(frequently alternating just two or four modally inclined harmonies) and cymbal-less
intricate drum patterns, programmed since the third album on a Fairlight computer.
Far from writing formulaic songs of interpersonal relationships, Gabriel's approach
is always more sophisticated, and frequently troubling, which might derive from his
deep interest in Jung. Many songs focus on the need for personal contact (I Have
the Touch), and warn of the perils of surrender to it (Here Comes the Flood). His
next two albums, Peter Gabriel (1980) and Peter Gabriel (Security) (1982),
continued this development. While So (1986) includes some soul-influenced bass
lines, on Us (1992) the use of instruments and the influence of styles from different
cultures (especially North and West African) is particularly notable. These can be
traced to a maturing political conviction evident in the third album's Biko which
protested against the death of the South African student leader. This led to the
formation of WOMAD (an important organization for the promotion of ‘world music’)
in 1982, subsequent recordings with such African stars as Youssou N'Dour and
Geoffrey Oryema, and concerts and tours in aid of and outspoken support for such
organizations as Greenpeace and Amnesty International and those involved with
alternative technologies and anti-apartheid matters. In 1992 he set up Real World
Records from his studio near Bath, promoting a wide range of musicians from
across the world. Gabriel's ability to set up convincing atmospheres for his
challenging songs has also been harnessed to film music, most notably in Parker's
Birdy (1985) and Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1989).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. Gallo: Peter Gabriel (London, 1986)
U. Fiori: ‘Listening to Peter Gabriel's “I Have the Touch”’, Popular Music, vi (1987),
37–43
S. Bright: Peter Gabriel: an Authorized Biography (London, 1988)
P. Sutcliffe: ‘Organised Chaos’, Q, no.32 (1989), 70–82
J. Black: ‘World Party’, Q, no.62 (1991), 22–5
R. Sandall: ‘Gawp Factor Ten’, Q, no.82 (1993), 32–5
M. St Michael: Peter Gabriel in his Own Words (London, 1994)
ALLAN F. MOORE

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