Nobody Realizes This Catchy 1986 #1 Hit IS All ABOUT SEX! | Professor Of Rock
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- Опубліковано 30 гру 2022
- Coming up, it’s a #1 smash with the distinction of having one of the most innovative and unforgettable music videos ever made. Peter Gabriel’s super catchy #1 hit Sledgehammer. Made up of over 100 hours of filming…the song was written by the master artist who lived on the fringes of pop culture stardom for decades. But after releasing this song, it’s awesome video, and his extraordinary album So, Peter Gabriel was on everyone’s radar. And in the process, he even one-upped his former bandmates, Phil Collins and Genesis stealing the #1 spot from one of their biggest hits, Invisible Touch, replacing them at the top of the charts. Most people don’t realize, this innocent fun loving hit is all about SEX! Coming up, get the story of how this slice of ear candy came out of nowhere to become an all-time 80s favorite and actually When He REPLACED his Former Band Genesis at #1, Phil Collins Wanted to Send a Note that said: Congratulations Bastard! The story is NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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#1980s #rock #vinylstory
So I’m excited today to get into the story behind a #1 hit from one of the greatest albums of the 80s, from one of the most innovative and imaginative artists out there. A man who left his former band and had been getting out charted and outsold by them with their new singer until He stole #1 from them in 1986 with Sledgehammer’ ya I’m talking bout Mr. Peter Gabriel and his landmark album ‘So.’
So let’s rewind a little… In 1975 Peter Gabriel announced to the world that after 8 years he was leaving Genesis to strike it out on his own. And even though it was one of the most shocking pop culture events of the year, Gabriel wasn’t leaving on bad terms. He respected his bandmates. But he also wanted greater artistic independence. Something he would find in the solo albums that followed.
And while Genesis was pushing ever closer to the mainstream, Peter was happily living on its fringes… Even refusing to add titles his first four solo albums, though technically his fourth was called Security in the US. Said Gabriel about it, “I originally thought I would avoid titles and make my records like magazines. When you look at home at a pile of magazines, you remember them usually by the picture on the cover; I wanted it to look like a body of work.”
Or in other words, they were not meant to be separate statements, but parts of a unified whole…But even if he was living on the edge of mainstream awareness, Gabriel still managed a moderate amount of chart success, in the US. And quite a bit more in the UK. His solo debut, Solsbury Hill went to #68 Stateside and #13 at home.
1980’s Games Without Frontiers reached #48 in the US and #4 in the UK. And Shock the Monkey, that actually did better in the US than the UK, going to #29 as opposed to #58. And I guess maybe its this arms-length approach to success that makes what happened with his fifth studio album ‘So’, so intriguing. Peter Gabriel was practically the definition of a cult artist before breaking out with So in 1986. And now he was naming his albums and storming the US Top 40? What gives? ‘So’ was Peter Gabriel’s mainstream coming out party. And a big party at that.
Writing and recording ‘So’ was a massive undertaking. The process began in May 1985 and actually took Gabriel a year to complete, almost to the day. Although, if you can believe it, this was the fasted record that Peter had ever made. - Розваги
POLL: What is your pick for the greatest hit album of the 80s overall? Where ever song was a potential single?
Aaah an easy one for me :) The album came out in 80 and changed my 12 yr. old view of what an album could be. AC-DC's BACK in BLACK !!!
MJ - Thriller
George Michael - Faith
Journey - Escape
....WHY does Prof. keep forgetting about *"Purple Rain"* !?? ...Every Song WAS a single!! .. well, aside from "Darling Nikki"....ha-HAA!! "🤪"
@@cjpew ....obviously! ...ha-HAA!! ...add "Purple Rain" instead of "Escape", and you have the 80's TRIFECTA, Man.....
Raintown Deacon Blue
Howard Jones Humans Lib (except the title track oddly)
Peter Gabriel's influence was WAY bigger than his chart appearances might suggest. The way he structured his songs was so amazing. Every music fan should spend some time on Peter Gabriel.
I agree! Even the ones who prefer Phil Collins.
I prefer Peter. His music shows up in movies.
My ex who could play most instruments, loved Cat Food. The song.
Peter had some massive talent helping him out too. Tony Levin on bass comes to mind.
Also WOMAD.
My oldest son was about 2 years old when the Sledge Hammer video came out. He was absolutely mesmerized by it. He would drop whatever he was doing and run up to the TV to watch it.
Fast forward about 35 years, I recently showed that video to my 2 year old Granddaughter, a much different reaction, she started screaming and crying.
yeah, kids can be so different with ever changing temperaments. What Grandpa thinks was cool when he was 25 should probably stay in the 80's.
Damn,, that's unfortunate that she would have such a reaction,, I think the tune is meant to be upbeat but it's just so driving that it might upset some that aren't ready for it I guess...
My daughter loved the video, too!
I love this entire album. When I was a kid I had it on cassette tape. When I was a teenager I had it on CD. Young adult I downloaded it digitally. & now that I'm older... I finally have it on vinyl. It's brilliant.
So you have come full circle eh? My first serious girlfriend got this album for me on CD. One of my first 5 or so as I began switching from cassette to compact disc's. I miss those days...not a care in the world and the joy of discovering so much music.
Being a teen in the 80's was so amazing for reasons like this. I loved it Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Mike + the Mechanics, Genesis and even GTR were in the charts, burning up the radio, and killing it on MTV. Very few bands have had members with such prolific solo careers.
GTR! I have vintage LPs from them, may have to play it today!
I know, right? I can confidently say that every member of Genesis was a legend.
I was born in 1981 lots of great music then
GTR name was Guitar without the vowels. I remember a local critic said. "They should have named themselves SHT" 🤣😂
A fantastic choices there are my favourite songs
Wow, I just turned 60, This is one of the first few albums I bought on cd. Until now I never thought about what Sledgehammer was about.
Same age. Had it on vinyl then bought it as my first CD.
Did you buy the CD before you bought the CD player???
MAJOR props to the Professor for his strong endorsement of Red Rain...one of the most underrated rock songs ever.
So true. The first time I heard I felt like I was flying.
Such a powerful, masterful song.
In Your Eyes...
I agree!
Loved that one...my bf gave me the album for my birthday (early may). Just about the time Chernobyl had happened..
I was SURE at the time that RR was about Chernobyl. Well not really ABOUT Chernobyl, but I was sure that it was a prediction.
Jus
I remember when Shock the Monkey came out on video on MTV. Wow, that video was amazing in it's day!
Yes it was!
Shock The Monkey is still in my top 5 Peter Gabriel songs. Love the video.
It’s a cool song and video.
Red rain is one of my all time favorite songs yet underrated.
I’ve never understood why “Don’t Give Up” didn’t chart any higher than it did. I must have played that track hundreds of times. So good.
Quite amazing. I saw Peter Gabriel in the early 00's during the "Up" tour and he was singing that duet with his lovely daughter. They also did "Games Without Frontiers" while riding Segways.
@@kevinfisher5492 That concert must have been quite a memorable experience! Envy envy.
That was my wedding song ❤
If you look up the official video on YT and scroll down to the comment section, it is clear that song has saved hundreds of lives.
I was 16 and guarantee you that the first time I heard that song I knew what it was about. As a 16 year old male, the Sears catalog seemed erotic… so it was cleverly done double entendre, but still obvious. A great, great song for a great, great decade!
I giggle in shame and agreement🤗
Awesome I too was 16 in 86 and agree 100% I love how our age goes with the decades, 20 in 90, 30 in 2000
@H B Better late than never...? ;)
Literally EVERY single song even MENTIONED in this video is an absolute timeless banger
Stuff like this really makes me happy and thankful that we made the 80s the greatest decade. It was such a magical decade that will never happen again. I love the 80s. I miss the 80s. And I want my MTV.
Don't know about that 80s being the greatest music, the 70s completely dominate thru today and back in 81 when I graduated, this new wave stuff was not that well received. Like disco.
I'd pay $100/month to have 1 channel, an old MTV 80s channel just replying the same recording from the 80s.
@@matthewmcclain9852
Gabriel was far from new wave. That was one genre from the 80s, just like the 70s had some ridiculous music ie Curtis Blow.
Absolutely 100%!!! At 53, I think back and get butterflies of how awesome that decade was… dream of going back with my kids and grandkids so they can thrive in a different world !!
It's a clever, smart, feast-for-the-eyes video, but a lot of people only remember dancing chickens.
It still stands as an amazing song and video. But yes, I do love those dancing chickens.
Ha ha. Pretty memorable.
Same!
And all the fruits! I remember getting up to grab some grapes from the fridge while the video was playing on our TV. 😂
I will fully admit that it first I didn’t “get” Peter Gabriel, but I was intrigued by him. The more I listened, the more I understood. His songs and arrangements were were intricate and complex. I learned to listen to the music backing the vocals and then to listen to his lyrics and found them to often be very deep and meaningful. He is one of those artists I had to learn to love, but the fact I didn’t at first was my failing, not his.
I won "So" off the radio. I was only interested in "Sledgehammer" of course but the rest of the album surprised me! Even as a kid the words in "Big Time" gave me chills: "Our heaven will be a Big Heaven, and I will walk through the front door." I doubt Gabriel is a religious fellow, but the dangers of hubris are universal and he nails it.
Big Time is one helluva song for sure.
Don’t zGive Up with Kate Bush was the best
I was at the show Dave Matthews covered Sledgehammer. The entire crowd was dancing to that one. What a great time!
I've seen the footage! So cool you were there!
Pretty cool, huh? One of the greats.
I heard a cover by Maiysha, it gets the merit of being sexier than the original song.
Games Without Frontiers is one of the greatest singles ever & was the first I had heard of Kate Bush. " Jane plays with Willy & Willy is happy 😊 again "
Love Games without Frontiers...
Three dwarves in a bath. Doc felt Happy. Happy got out so Doc felt Grumpy.
That line from Games Without Frontiers always reminds me of that joke. 😁
And Rico plays with it! What was it?
@@michaelrochester48 War and politics.
Also a quick FYI but it's Enrico, not And Rico. I used to get it wrong myself. 🙂
He introduced me to Kate Bush too.
“So “ just might be one of the best albums of the 80s. Heck ..of all time!
Ya I have to agree. In my top 10 of the 80s for sure.
PERFECT album.
Love this album! One of my all time favorite albums.
Mainly because Kate bush was on the album.
So many songs of his that I’m shocked to see didn’t chart all that high ( such as Solsbury Hill) were and still are some of my favorites.
The first time I heard the song was on a school bus heading to Santa Cruz for our Sr class beach trip just before graduation. Someone had it cranked on a boom box and when the chorus came up everyone on the bus screamed SLEDGEHAMMER. It was epic. I will remember that until the day I die.
The magic ingredient of Peter Gabriel is the bass playing of Tony Levin, who also coincidentally played with King crimson and also played on John Lennon’s last album double fantasy. I met him several times, great guy
Out of this world.
Agree. I love Peter, but we have to recognize his amazing backing band too.
Levin is a legend.
Peter’s “in your eyes “ is about Rosanna arquette. As well as Toto’s “Rosanna”. Fun fact.
Yeah…it was the bass player. The only people who notice the bass players are other bass players
Saw Gabriel live at the WOMAD Festival in 1993, and was completely mesmerized by his amazing stage presence.
I love this song!! It makes me smile, then I end up in tears. I was about 9 years old when this song came out and I was taking dance class. I loved it and wanted to be a choreographer. I choreographed a dance routine for my twin and I to perform in front of the family. My twin brother was autistic and nonverbal. He was always to himself and didn't like being bothered a lot. I taught him the choreography and he actually went along with it. We practiced for days and it turned out pretty cool. We never had a chance to perform it in front of the family, but we had fun working on it. Two years ago, I lost him to colorectal cancer. I miss him so much. He was my "womb mate". Whenever I hear this song, it takes me back to that time. I'm glad that he was able to be a part of my wedding and to meet his niece, who is also on the autism spectrum. He spoiled her in his own unique way. RIP Ahmed. 🕊
This song came out in the closing months of my high school experience. I didn’t love it at first, but the crazy video went into heavy rotation on MTV. Back in its early days, MTV ruled what charted on radio during my four years in high school. Due to its heavy rotation on both, I grew weary of it. Hard to argue in retrospect how iconic of an 80s tune this is. CLASSIC!
When I was younger I had no idea Peter G. used to be with Genesis or heard any of that music. Then to find out Phil was the drummer and becoming the new lead singer blew my mind. Plus they both had competing #1 hits.
Thanks for watching Brent.
It’s amazing! It made me think Genesis was a supergroup.
I didn't either, and I was also born in 1974.
Every single person in that band had amazing talent. It's cup overflowed
Imagine the hubris it took for people in the industry to accuse Peter Gabriel of appropriating another artist's style. Unreal. I wonder how many great artists those same people quashed and we never got to hear. Peter Gabriel has always been his own, unique self. For me, his album US is an absolute masterpiece. Still listen to it beginning to end quite frequently.
The fact that those other songs weren’t top 10 tells me people weren’t listening. All three are awesome. Sledgehammer of course is just perfection.
Peter Gabriel is such a HUGE influence in the background of the 80's!
I loved your SledgeHammer video. It brought back great memories of 1982. When I was a roadie for Talk Talk. My first gig with Talk Talk was opening up for Genesis and Peter Gabriel at Milton Keynes Bowl in pouring rain in front of 65,000 fans. Keep up the great work.
I have to add here the unbelievable scene setup for live concerts by Peter and the band. I was on concert in Lodz, Poland and the sounds, light and movement was beyond belief. Tower that sucks the people will stay in my memory forever.
I had a chance to watch it very close, as I twisted my ankle just before concert on the sidewalk and I was walking with classic wooden cane. After some time I got tired, and the staff allowed me to sit on one of speaker system elements just in front of the band, 10? Meters away from Stickman (Tony). Will never forget this. My only sadness is this musicianship (generation) is going away, and my son won't experience these things live. Thanks for great video!
I was 21 when this hit in 1986. Everyone danced to this when it came on. Fantastic video on MTV, when they actually played music videos. It was a great time I will never forget.
On my summer vacation at my grandma's house, this was the VERY first cassette I bought with my own money..... I remember, in my room, gaining some hearing loss in my young ear canals blasting it thru headphones so Nana wouldn't yell at me to "TURN IT DOWN" 🎶🥰👍
This music video was amazing with the new MTV channel on cable playing it a lot. My dad, who was not a popular music fan after the big band era but was an artist, was fascinated by many of these innovative videos and enjoyed watching them with the sound off.
I'm a huge huge huge fav of both... Genesis & Gabriel. Peter always pushed boundaries while Phil became more main stream. When So came out.. OMG along with the video. Blew everything else away. It's really a David Bowie moment
Peter Gabriel’s “ In your eyes “ moves me every time I hear it.
Now in my sixties…
I remember the 80’s fondly.
As an 80s kid, I had no idea who Peter Gabriel was. I thought he was a new artist of the sea. Had no clue until 2018, that Peter Gabriel used to be the front man for Genesis.
The more you know! Right?
Oh, that’s alright. I knew he was the former Genesis front man, but never have really taken the time to explore that era of the band. It’s on my list. Also an 80’s child here.
Him AND Phil Collins.
This video was fun to watch EVERY time it came on MTV. You always saw something new b/c there was SO MUCH to it. And this was one of the first CDs I ever bought (being that CDs were "here to stay" around 1985, as a copy of Stereo Review exclaimed on the cover that year). The clarity of CDs vs. vinyl was night & day, and this whole CD sounded sublime through my Sony stacked stereo system. What a time to be alive for music!
This was the third CD I bought. CDd and their players were expensive in 1986, but the clarity on So was completely worth it.
I know exactly where I was the first time I heard "Sledgehammer." I was art directing a week-long photoshoot, and the song came on during the shoot. The photographer, his assistant, and I stopped mid-song and looked at each other with the "Can you believe what we're hearing?" look. The next day, the assistant said, "You guys gotta see the 'Sledgehammer' video. I can't even describe it." Definitely one of the best music videos ever, visually as rich as the song is sonically rich. Both song and video are masterpieces.
This song was the first use of "Funk Fingers" by Tony Levin - which gives the bass part of Sledgehammer a very percussive sound.
Thanks for sharing Eric...
I love that bassline.
Special shout out to guitarist David Rhodes, who is criminally underrated. It's easy to get overlooked when you're in a band with Peter, Tony, and Manu. Fun fact: David also played the iconic guitar riff on Talk Talk's "Life's What You Make It". David was instrumental in the songwriting process on Peter's albums going back to the early 80's.
The 1987 lineup (the same lineup for the 2014 tour) was one of the best bands out there at that time. It wasn't just Peter and a bunch of guys. It was a world class band that could hold their own with any band, including Genesis. They're gonna do it again in 2023, and I hope to see them live!
Good post!
Life’s What You Make It! What a gem of a song.
friend us mate uk i have the single didnt know dr on the song had lp but sold of course 12 inch single just writer producer credits has radio edit and lp versions dj ftiend played edit in clubs he also gave me its my life lp edit and one bside i have shaking the tree cd comp. hes on pretty much every song one of the best collab.of 70s 80s life single also has full.length version he would play edits in clubs guess each song lp versiom is like 7 minutes long
Excellent news! I haven't seen a concert for quite awhile but I'll definitely keep an eye out for this. Hopefully it lands in western Canada.
Well said. Stole the words...
“Take you from all sides”….. speaking of innuendos Beavis 😂
No cable in my house growing up. I remember spending a few nights over at my cousin’s. He had cable and we watched a lot of MTV. They played the heck out of this video. Never got old. The visuals were so uniquely amazing.
In the 1970s and 80s, Peter Gabriel was God to me. I felt that when he left Genesis, he continued to thrive, while Genesis slid into the world of pop. Gabriel always outshone Phil Collins, in my mind (though I did have a great respect for Collins). Even today, when a Peter Gabriel song comes up on my playlist, I crank up the volume. Thanks for sharing this tribute to a true music legend!
Nothing beats his performance of Biko at the Amnesty International End Apartheid concert... hands down it engendered the most significantly rendered social change the world has ever seen from any song performance ever.
Do one on THAT!
I’ll have to check that out
@@birdlover7776 many believe it spawned the necessary change in South Africa to end apartheid... and usher in a period of truth and reconciliation of the likes the U.S. has never seen.
I challenge anyone to name a song that turned the tides of history to such a large degree for humanity.
ua-cam.com/video/iLg-8Jxi5aE/v-deo.html
@@kpw84u2 thank you for your comment and the link -:)
One of my favorite songs. So moving and powerful. I'll have to check out that performance ♥️
Biko. Opened my eyes and broke my heart wide open.
I remember buying this record in 1986, the same year it became a #1 hit in the United States. I was knocked off my feet by Peter Gabriel's vocals and the trumpets, etc., but I had no clue what the lyrics were about. I played the record for my devoutly Christian grandmother on her stereo. She walked out of the room before the song was finished. 😄 I'm not sure if she left because the song was too loud or because the innuendos in the song didn't go over her head like they did mine.
As a kid in the 80s, I hadn't a clue what this song was about but I loved it! I'm grateful we had cable TV & got to watch the most iconic music video ever created.
Enjoyed today's video & love the shirt!
Peter Gabriel was at the peak of his powers with his 1986 blockbuster so and with all of his previous releases he was pushing the boundaries of musical innovation and this was an amazing collection of songs and videos
No question. He really is a genius.
@@ProfessorofRock also he's finally releasing a new album in 2023 and a new tour is coming as well as for my favorite Peter Gabriel album has to be security it's just phenomenal stuff
What a trailblazer. Absolute legend.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 as of late I've been digging his work with genesis Foxtrot and the lamb lies down on Broadway are just excellent showcases for Peter's amazing vocal range and with genesis and his early solo work he had this amazing gift to use his vocals as a storyteller and convey his various characters he would include in his songs
I always preferred Big Time over Sledgehammer. And I love Solsbury Hill
I loved that Peter Gabriel then formed a music label (I think it was Real World) to bring musicians from all parts of the globe to the West. It shows a generosity of spirit, and before an unfortunate house move I had all that label’s compilations until about 2004. It introduced me to so much new music. In Your Eyes is my favourite song from him.
As a rollercoaster and theme park enthusiast, my favorite part was the line about the Big Dipper going up and down, around the bend and the bumper car bumping.
When Paul Simon's Graceland won the Album of the Year Grammy instead of Peter Gabriel's So, and when Steve Winwood's song Higher Love beat Sledgehammer for Best Record, and a cover version of That's What Friends Are For took home Best Song, it was my first realization of how out of step the Recording Academy was with the public, but also how little production was being considered at this point. So has stood the test of time.
Heck yeah! One of the most amazing live performances is Peter and Paula Cole singing in ur eyes….he’s amazing live!! 💕❤️
And nothing against Collins but it’s apples and oranges. No comparison.
@@n.mcl.1590 Musically I think Gabriel and Collins come from very similar places, their differences come from the way they mold and use those early influences. A comparison is largely an academic exercise because both as singers and artists in general, both of them deliver. The products are not identical, but both are worthy in their own right.
I was a Genesis fan in the 70's, and saw them live in Toronto many times. I was a HUGE Peter Gabriel fan when he went solo, and PG3 was the greatest album he ever did, until he changed his style with So. I have never seen any artist EVER, who could hold an audience of 50k people in his hand like Gabriel did. He was fantastic live! Anything he made was brilliant. He was so dark on his early albums, and it was actually Gabriel that gave Phil Collins his heavy drum sound. Phil was playing on Peter Gabriel 3, on the song "Intruder" and Peter was trying to get the sound he wanted with the drums. Through a happy accident, engineer Hugh Padgham had miked the entire studio and had a new board, that picked up Phil's drums and compressed the sound, cutting it off sharply. This was known as gated reverb, and Phil played very similarly for the rest of his career. He made it popular with "In the Air Tonight", but a year earlier he used that sound on Gabriels's album. SO anyone who says that Peter copied Phil to gain popularity, doesn't know $hit about him. Phil copied the sound of Earth, Wind & Fire, by hiring their horn section, and recruiting Phillip Bailey to sing on his album. Earth, Wind & Fire had a great horn section, but copied the earlier blues that Motown was famous for, and Motown copied the old blues masters, like Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. Not much is original anymore, but the fact that Gabriel won the Grammy for best album against that illustrious group of artists, is saying a LOT about the combination of art and music he created. I think he also didn't take himself so seriously when he got a little older. Anything he ever did, is in my collection, including a German import of Peter Gabriel 3, many 10"singles, tour books, and pictures. I even went to Bath in England when I was there, in the hopes he might be out and about! I was hooked.
I was unaware Peter Gabriel ever released any 10" singles. I've never seen any.
@@danieldaniels7571 I was a record store manager back in the 80's, and I had a cool collection of 10" singles from a lot of dance songs and other artists. We used to get in foreign imports of artists like Gabriel, who also put out albums in German. I had a copy of PG3 (Melting face) in German, even though I don't understand it, I just had to have it in my collection. I had a great poster collection too, because we used to get great ones from the record companies for the store. Phil Collins, Madonna, Wham, Don Henley, Duran Duran was huge, Def Leopard, Depeche Mode, Sade (which was so gorgeous I had it framed in red, to match her red lips), Peter Gabriel, U2, Bruce Springsteen (Born in the USA was new), there were so many great bands back then. Man, I wish I had kept them all, but when CDs started to come out, it made all of that vinyl obsolete, and I sold a lot of it. It was a blast going to concerts and meeting artists backstage once in a while, with record company tickets.
@@investigator77 methinks you're confusing 12" singles with 10" singles.
@@danieldaniels7571 I could be my friend. I'm old AF now! LOL
I had front row seats at a Peter Gabriel concert. It was pretty soon after cell phones became “smart”. He was playing Solsbury Hill (my favorite PG song) so I started videoing it. Almost immediately, he noticed what I was doing and started walking towards me. I was positive that he was going to alert security and have me removed. That’s not what he did. He instead stood directly in front of me and looked directly into my phone as he sang. It was incredible. He stayed there for almost a full minute and gave me a wink before moving on and giving the rest of the crowd his attention. The bummer is that I lost that phone a couple of weeks later. It was before the cloud and any type of automatic backup so I’ll never get it back.
My late brother took me to see Peter Gabriel at the "Fabulous Forum" in Los Angeles (Where the LA Kings used to play, as well). Youssou N'Dour opened for him, as well as obviously reprising his role as backup singer on, "In Your Eyes". I still have the program from this, and many other concerts we went to. The "So" Tour was amazing! Rest in piece, David. Thanks for the awesome memories.
Up until the Secret World (1994) album, I had never bought myself an album of any kind. Peter Gabriel's music and the story he weaves became the music to my life in the late 90s. In your eyes, Red Rain & don't give up are my three go-to songs. I am in my third CD set because I keep wearing them out (scratches). I have an older car which has a CD player and no Bluetooth. I get in my car switch from radio to CD and just bask in the music. Thanks again for bringing interesting information about my favorite artist!
Yes, this song had 60's R&B written all over it. It was even played & danced to on Soul Train. Both lead singers of Genisis got respect in the Black community. Phil is well thought of as well.This was easily one of the best albums of the 80's.
Easily!
I read online that he was trying to copy Otis Redding, and while he doesn’t get there, I still love his efforts.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Hard to get there, but I do love this album and his Real World music label afterwards. Real World (label) is a fantastic world music rabbit hole.
@@littlecatfeet9064 Right. Otis was one of a kind and nobody will ever reach his caliber. But that doesn’t hinder me from loving this song, er, cultural phenomenon. Real World has a lot of African and Caribbean artists on there, which is cool.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 😂. I know what you mean. Funnily enough this is my least favourite of his songs. I think the brilliant video made it a hit. Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, The Marvelettes and The Temptations are just a few of the 60s soul artists that make me want to travel back in time. There’s always hundreds more I can never remember. Great talent and decade!
I got to meet him when I worked for the stage company back in the 80's. I got to work under the stage and hand his bass player that funny looking bass he had. But Peter was the coolest guy I ever meet he seemed genuinely interested in u and ur family. He talked to everyone that was working the concert for him and for the 2 days we got to hang out with him and the really cool thing is that he remembered almost everyone's name. He even had food catered for everyone.
Saying the Sledgehammer video was a visual experience totally sums up my thoughts as I recall seeing Peter Gabriel live in the early '90s. It remains one of my favorite concerts ever, because it wasn't just a musical performance, it was a total sight and sound experience. He opened the show with his current single "Talk to Me", in a phone booth, and during another song, made it look like he was standing on a boat travelling down a river. So many amazing visuals to complement the music the entire show.
Also…Gabriel’s soundtrack for The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) is a stunner, simply gorgeous.
I remember at the time thinking "My gods, he's done a proper pop album, and its good". Sledgehammer is (all puns intended) an absolute banger.
Friend and I went snow camping every Feb in Kings Canyon. In '87 it snowed so hard we got stuck at the lodge. Me, my friend, some guy from Jersey and a couple that ran the bar & grill spent 2 days drinking creative alcohol-filled coffee drinks, playing pool, shuffleboard and darts. The juke box was out of order, so we listened to the only two CD's we had brought - Hornsby's debut and So, on a discman and some cheap speakers. And after hearing them each about 50 times on repeat, I still love both!
This reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in years. My friends used to refer to Gabriel's untitled albums as rainy windshield, melty face etc. I was such a fan I attended a concert to support the So album even though I was 8 months pregnant at the time!
Haha, a lot of people called his 1980 album Melt!
Blue car, scratch, and melt are sort of the common names they picked up in Peter Gabriel fan boards on the early internet. There were so many different names people had for them, which was part of the fun.
Personally my favourite song of his is Biko, Red Rain is a close second though and Solsbury Hill came in as third. Before So came out, I was perplexed as to why he was not well known. When So came, it was good to see that he was getting the credit he was due.
His early 80s tracks are wonderful.
My personal fav is Mercy Street
I college decades ago I fell asleep many nights after getting stoned and listening to Biko. The movie is good too.
Peter's "D.I.Y", "Biko" and "I Don't Remember" were also excellent pre-Slegehammer singles. They thankfully received airplay on college radio 😊
That's right. Monumental songs.
Biko, Games without frontiers and Salisbury Hill were all very good examples of his early solo work.
Biko is a cool one.
Totally agree!
Intruder is also a great and creepy tune. 😊👍
Biko made me cry.
I won few things in life, one of which was 2 tickets to a Peter Gabriel concert. The concert was canceled and when my tickets were finally honored I was sitting front row at Gabriel's feet. What a show ❤🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Red Rain is such a beautiful song! You’re bringing back more good memories with this video. Thank you 💛
Such an under rated musician back in the 80s. He was always on the forefront of sound inovation. Never fell into the sterotypical sound. I appreciate his music to the fullest now vs back in the 80s.
Moment of complete honesty: I never equated this song with sex. 🙈 It always seemed so fun. You hear the funk influence, the gospel influence. It's very funky. It is in my top 100 of all time.
And all the singing about aeroplanes, bumper cars, and fruit cakes!
I was in elementary school when this song came out and got played a lot on MTV, so I never saw it in that way. But I’m not sure it is as obvious as it is being made out to be here.
I’m with you Sweetums. I never caught the innuendos back in the 80s. I still don’t think it’s that overt. But I never cared much for Gabriel’s music so I didn’t pay much attention to it.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I'm looking for someone to open up her fruit cakes
Same here, I never caught on to the sex references...must be a British thing 🤣🤣
Everything about this song is a musical masterpiece! Same can be said about the album honestly.
When I think about that video, I'm back in the Summer of '86. It never got old.
I adored the stop motion animation in the iconic music video, it looks impressive for 1986!🎶💞
Still does! Thanks Trina!
@@ProfessorofRock It was done by the same people who made the Wallace and Grommit films (Nick Park/Aardman)
Even my sister was excited when she saw it!
What a story..then the drummer gave it a shot and blew it into another dimension. One of music's greatest tales of many many great ones.
The drummer did a fantastic job!
Jackie Wilson was also a huge influence on Peter Gabriel. He said he'd never seen anything like him. "Mr. Entertainment" just blew him away.
I had a young family when this came out. It was my instant favorite. I have used the line, " you could have a steam train if you just lay down your track" many many times over the years. Love it! Still a favorite!!
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has passed away in Rome this morning - RIP
I dedicate the song One Of Us by Joan Osborne , especially that signature lyric
“Nobody callin on the phone
Except for the Pope maybe in Rome”
Awesome video Professor- Sledgehammer is one of the iconic MVs ever !
Love Genesis too !
Hope they’ll re unite
Thanks Duane.
@@ProfessorofRock you’re welcome Professor! Happy new year !
Is singer Joan Osborne a Catholic? I hope you can do a video on her song and interview her in 2023
No one like Peter Gabriel! Fantastic artist all around!
He's a genius!
@@ProfessorofRock Absolutely!
💯
Ya know? I was "aware" of Sledgehammer, heard it in passing, but never pushed any buttons.
It was later I picked up Salisbury Hill, Shaking the Tree. Then with "Up" I was convinced I wouldn't tire of Peter Gabriel because he doesn't rely or even refer his music to anything else he does.
Father, Son...How do you not shed a tear..Evrey time...
Gabriel needed to be a solo artist to get “big” and he gave us some great music. Shock the Monkey remains my favorite Gabriel song.
As for Sledgehammer I totally knew what it was about… then again I was already in college.
Edit: I agree that Red Rain should have charted. Great song.
For those of Us who were So lucky to see Genesis play at their farewell tour at the MSG in NYC, it would have been an even more indelible (and a massive smash with a Sledgehammer on our) memory to watch Peter Gabriel just walk on stage and join Phil, Mike and Tony sing and play Carpet Crawlers (their last number in the show😢). But we could still get the innuendo of the band… that was their final Invisible Touch. Thanks a million Professor of Rock for bringing Us such and So very good memories! Have a great 2023 and keep going on with your wonderful job! Cheers!
Happy New Year! 🎈🎆🎊
Saw him play the entire album about 10 years ago at the Hollywood Bowl and it was amazing!
P.G. is an unparalleled artist, producer and creative talent. Full stop.
Well… You finally got me. Any person who gives Peter Gabriel the credit he truly deserves and demonstrates such love and respect for him beyond the technical aspects of his craft does indeed deserve credit in return, so you’ve got a new subscriber.
Peter's Sledgehammer video still holds up today. It was incredibly well done, and it's still fun to watch! Hey, where else can you watch sliding pieces of fruit singing to you? 😃🍒🎶
This video was HUGE on MuchMusic in Canada.. No surprise it went to #1 here. And Don't Give Up.. I can't say it saved my life, but it helped 🤟🏻🇨🇦
I went to a local Walmart store in my area, and as I was walking in the store with my wife Becky, Sledgehammer was playing on the loudspeaker. We both looked at each other, smiled, and were trying to think of when it came out. My wife was right in saying 1986, afterwards we sang the rest of the song until the next one came on.
I ordered So from Columbia House when I was 11. At the time, I was mostly interested in the “hits”. Well, happens that I fell in love with the entire album. Probably the first album that I remember blowing me away.
I loved this song when it came out! Being well past my grade school years, I got all those double meanings. I wondered out loud how this song ever got airplay!
Same! How did people not know this? Lol. I was in college though. It was pretty risque’ for the time.
People didn’t even relate this song to the birds and the bees!
I haven’t gotten to the song but I bet it is Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer knocking out Genesis
That was a crazy video! I remember when it came out.
You got it!
Yes it is.
I think this is one of the best sounding albums of the 1980s and when I heard that Eddie Van Halen used the track "Red Rain" in his 5150 studio as as mix reference, I wasn't surprised. This album is a masterpiece and is a gem that has really stood the test of time from this oft maligned decade...
Saw it as a child. Loved it and would sing along, mom always laughed. I realized exactly what Sledgehammer meant. Totally made me laugh at myself. Told mom and she cracked up. Music was mom's and I thing. We always sang together. Sigh. I miss her so much. 17 years gone now. She always made sure that I heard all music and I'll always cherish those memories. Sorry I rambled. Have a great day all.
Security has always been my fav Peter Gabriel album. It's so complex and diverse, especially for the time. By the time So came out I was a big PG fan. I've always used Security as one of my test albums to see if headphones/loudspeakers are capable of reproducing such amazing sounds. So often great music is let down by crappy recordings and Peter never let that happen. His dedication to his craft is phenomenal, and learning of the video here just cements it for me.
Preach 🎶🥰👍
I'm loving this channel. It catches me up (somewhat) on so much that I missed out on growing up through the 70's and 80's. I was in the FLDS and was able to get a little bit of exposure from my older brother and sister sneaking their "wicked" music in but it was limited. Now my children and Professor of Rock are introducing me to so much of what I missed. Thank you for the stories behind the music.
Keep it up Professor
Glad you enjoy it!
You are never too old to rock!
The video's art work was no less than revolutionary.. That song really hit BIG for Peter in 86. Instant classic. The album did super well too
Funny story about Peter Gabriel going mainstream. I went to college in 1989, and I met a girl there who had the Peter Gabriel So poster on her dorm room walls next to a poster of Steve Winwood from Higher Love. Since i was a prog rock fan, I knew them from their time in Genesis and Traffic respectfully. I pointed out that Peter Gabriel used to dress up like a flower and Winwood was a long haired hippy. She didn't believe me. There was no internet back then so I had to bring in my copy of Genesis - Genesis With Peter Gabriel. A compilation album of Genesis songs they put out during the Gabriel years that has a picture of him on the cover as a flower. She took my word on Steve Winwood.
What better way to close out 2022 than to celebrate the creative genius of Peter Gabriel? Great segment, Adam! Thanks for all that you do for us on a daily basis and we look forward to even more exciting material from you in 2023! Happy New Year to you and your family and to all the cool folks who regularly leave their comments on this channel. What a great community to be part of!
Happy new year! Robster thank you for your support. Means so much!
Happy New Year to you Robster! 🎆
My friends and I are huge Genesis fans. Peter Gabriel was a very good fit for them. Shame more people don't appreciate his other solo works..... they only know Shock the Monkey.
Also love the filming of this video. It was different at that time. But my favorite song from So is Red Rain. That is a song worth a future episode.
Thanks for this, Professor. 👍
Happy New Year!
Red Rain is also my favorite.
I love Peter and Phil's solo work, along with Phil's era of Genesis but I can never get into the earlier Genesis stuff. The two era's are very different though.
Red Rain is my favourite song of his, not just off this album but all his works. 'So' is an album I consider to be close to perfect.
That haunting hi-hat intro by Stewart Copeland into the synth power hit is absolutely incredible, and one of the greatest album intros of all time.
Red Rain is mine, also. In Your Eyes is great, also.
Salisbury hill? Your eyes?...... He had a couple of famous ones. I dare say those two are more popular than shock the monkey. 🤔
Long time big fan of Peter Gabriel, especially when he collaborated with other artists I admire, eg. Laurie Anderson. "Sledgehammer" was a great video, second only to "I Don't Remember". At the time "Sledgehammer" came out, my girlfriend and I went to see the innovative dance group, Momix. The show was amazing and was getting to my feet to give a standing ovation at the end. The lights were out and it was pitch black. I heard the opening tentative notes of "Sledgehammer". Then the horns came in, and on the downbeat, there was suddenly a spotlight of a small naked baby on the stage. The mother, one of the dancers, came to pick it up and take it off the stage. The dancers then did their encore to the song. That cute baby in the spotlight looking up is what I remember most about the song, not the video.