Photo: Joi Ito, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Peter Gabriel has earned awards and high critical praise for his songwriting, but he also has recorded cover versions of songs that particularly interest him. Some cover songs he performed live but never recorded. He often doesn’t do a straight cover, but does some radical rearrangements. He even did an album of cover songs scored with a full orchestra, Scratch My Back (2010). John Metcalfe was a major player on how those songs were transcribed to orchestra. Here are Peter Gabriel’s best covers of other artists’ songs.
# 10 – I Heard it Through the Grapevine
During Peter Gabriel’s first solo tour in 1977, he realized that he did not have enough songs to make up a two-hour concert. He did not want to do any Genesis songs, although for encores he would consent to do, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” In order to fill in the time gap, he chose a few of his favorite songs and gave them his own twist. Here he puts a prog sound to the Motown classic, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” He plays flute and sings.
# 9 – Summertime
It seems that every singer has to take a stab at this Larry Adler and George Gershwin classic from the 1935 opera Porgy & Bess and Peter Gabriel is no exception. Here, he didn’t have any say in how the song was arranged. George Martin, of Beatles fame, did the production. He was invited to contribute vocals for the 1994 tribute album, The Glory of Gershwin, which was actually a tribute to Larry Adler and not George Gershwin. Larry Adler played harmonica on all of the songs, including this one. Peter Gabriel’s version is one of two of “Summertime” on the album, the other being by Courtney Pine, to make things nice and confusing. Although this is a lullaby, we doubt any baby would be able to sleep through Peter Gabriel’s soaring performance.
# 8 – Teddy Bear
“Me and My Teddy Bear” is a children’s song by Jack Winters and J. Fred Coots from 1950. Peter Gabriel just couldn’t leave it alone and made it into a rather demented little ditty, renamed as “Teddy Bear” when it appeared on the B-side of Peter Gabriel’s mostly ignored 1978 single, “D.I.Y.” During live shows in the 1978 tour, Peter Gabriel would often bring a huge stuffed panda on stage for this song. Peter Gabriel radically changed the lyrics, slowed down the tune and took out any trace of sweetness from the original. It recently appeared on Peter Gabriel’s 2019 odds and sods digital album, Flotsam and Jetsam.
# 7 – In the Sun
Joseph Arthur, a Peter Gabriel fan, was stunned one day in the 1990s to find that on his answering machine was a message from Peter Gabriel. And thus, Joseph Arthur was able to make his first and second albums. Peter Gabriel was invited to work on the 1997 album Diana: Princess of Wales: A Tribute and was going to contribute his new song, “I Grieve”, but that was stuck in copyright with the film it was appearing in. Instead, Peter Gabriel asked Joseph Arthur if he could cover “In the Sun.” Guess what Joseph Arthur’s answer was?
# 6 – Listening Wind
Don’t think a Talking Heads song could work with a full orchestra? Think again. Peter Gabriel does not change this deep track from Talking Heads’ 1980 album Remain in Light, only has it done by orchestra. He even manages to keep most of the staccato nature of the melody through the vocals and violins, while the rest of the orchestra blows on steadily. David Byrne liked the cover and said that he was surprised Peter Gabriel was allowed to get away with recording a song about a terrorist in a post 9/11 world. David Byrne would return the cover favor and do Peter Gabriel’s “I Don’t Remember.”
# 5 – Suzanne
There are about a million covers of this Leonard Cohen classic, but Peter Gabriel’s is one of the best. He gives the tune a simple but brooding arrangement of synths, drums, guitar and voice. True to Leonard Cohen’s touches, there is a female backing vocal. The tune builds up slowly to a beautiful emotional crescendo and floats off again. Leonard Cohen reportedly wanted Suzanne Vega to cover “Suzanne”, but she chose to do “Song of Isaac”, so Peter Gabriel got the gig. This version was on one of many Leonard Cohen tribute albums, Tower of Song (1995). No official video was made, but a fan used scenes from Granada’s acclaimed Sherlock Holmes series to make a video.
# 4 – Heroes
Peter Gabriel has always been a David Bowie fan, even getting to tour with him in 1983. Here he takes one of David Bowie’s best-known songs and makes it almost completely unrecognizable, without drastically changing either the lyrics or the melody. David Bowie was silent on this reinterpretation, but many David Bowie fans were not impressed with this tampering of a classic. A great cover can bring out a different side to a great song. Here, Peter Gabriel shows just how sad the song really is, where just one kiss in front of the Berlin Wall could make such a vast difference in an alcoholic’s life. This also came out on Scratch My Back.
# 3 – My Body is a Cage
Granted, Peter Gabriel is known for songs that pull powerfully at your emotions. Here, he takes a bluesy, organ-heavy 2007 Arcade Fire song and turns it into a powerfully aching longing to be free of a crippled body. Peter Gabriel said he used the 1997 Jean-Dominique Bauby memoir The Butterfly and the Diving Bell as inspiration. This gets not only a full orchestral treatment, but adds a choir as well. He also inserts some impressive vocal gymnastics, getting his voice to go lower and lower and even lower than that. It appeared in a 2011 House episode and in the Netflix series Dark, but originally appeared on Scratch My Back.
# 2 – In The Neighborhood
Peter Gabriel’s daughter filmed a video of her father at the family piano doing a song in support of the Voice Project, a human rights charity that was working on helping war-torn Africa. Each artist would do a song of another artist’s work and the writer of that song had to a song of another artist’s work and so on. Joseph Arthur tagged his mentor Peter Gabriel and he chose to tag Tom Waits. For a man that takes years between albums, it’s amazing what he can rattle off in just a few minutes. This is a shortened version of Tom Waits’ 1982 tune and much more haunting. He does sing the chorus slightly differently and, arguably, better. This performance was recorded on May 26, 2010.
# 1 – The Book of Love
This was an obscure Magnetic Fields song until Peter Gabriel got a hold of it. He had performed this song with the Magnetic Fields live. For a lark, he decided to use an orchestra instead of standard rock instruments. It first appeared in the 2004 film “Shall We Dance?” Peter Gabriel was so pleased with the final result that it inspired his 2010 orchestral covers album, Scratch My Back. Peter Gabriel tweaks the tune a little and gets rid of the guitars, and somehow the song becomes more Peter Gabriel’s than the Magnetic Field’s. That’s why this tops our list of Peter Gabriel’s best covers of other artist’s songs.
Peter Gabriel’s Best Covers Of Other Artist’s Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
