Big Time – Hardage feat. Peter Gabriel

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Music to Blow Smoke Rings Across The Floor
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I can barely believe that I’ve let this curation go so long without more than a passing reference to the legend that is Peter Gabriel – though Genesis feature here with “Cinema Show” from “Selling England By The Pound” which has him on lead vocals. When he went solo after leaving Genesis in 1975 I was one of those in the queue to lap-up his albums, with “So” as his earliest stand-out with great tracks like “Red Rain” and “Big Time.”

Hardage - with whom he collaborates on this remix of the latter – hails from Italy though he soon moved to London playing the drums before spreading wings into production.

What to say about Peter Gabriel to do his influence justice? Certainly he’s been a champion of world music and is credited with being the creative force behind WOMAD festival, started in 1982. He’s fought against injustice through music – witness his single “Biko” from 1980 which railed against apartheid. Awards are scattered across his career – Grammys, Brits, Ivor Novello…and “Time” magazine had him as one of their 100 most influential people in the world.

So what attracted me to this version of an already great song? Well, there’s that gentle percussion that infuses along with the vibraphone intro and then the echoes added to the vocals…and then the build to the middle eight. Oh yes! Seven minutes of gentle toe-tapping genius.

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About the Curator: Richard Parsons

I grew up listening to music from the late 60’s onwards. Pirate pop radio; swapping LP’s with friends; exploring genres; daydreaming over the latest woofer and tweeter.

In reality I spent thirty years imparting imperfect knowledge of English literature and drama to young minds in school. Regrets? No. I loved teaching; loved the interaction with the pupils, and made lifelong friends as a result. And what better way to keep up to date with music? I always played stuff in my lessons, and as a result, I’d be bombarded with suggestions from my flock! “Sir! Have you heard…?”

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Richard Parsons

Richard Parsons

I grew up listening to music from the late 60’s onwards. Pirate pop radio; swapping LP’s with friends; exploring genres; daydreaming over the latest woofer and tweeter. In reality I spent thirty years imparting imperfect knowledge of English literature and drama to young minds in school. Regrets? No. I loved teaching; loved the interaction with the pupils, and made lifelong friends as a result. And what better way to keep up to date with music? I always played stuff in my lessons, and as a result, I’d be bombarded with suggestions from my flock! “Sir! Have you heard…?”