Peter Gabriel Confirms Tracklisting Of Covers Album
By Jeffrey Hyatt
Peter Gabriel has that creative itch to cover other people’s music – the ‘others’ in this case include indie bands and some legendary artists. Gabriel is going to scratch that musical itch with the appropriately titled Scratch My Back, a 12-track orchestral covers album due January 25.
Among the songs covered on Scratch My Back, according to NME, are Radiohead’s “Street Spirit,” Elbow’s “Mirrorball” and Regina Spektor’s “Apres Moi’.” Scratch My Back could morph into a double-album, part of a possible ‘song swap,’ where a handful of artists will also cover Gabriel’s music. That part of the equation is not confirmed.
Check below for the Scratch My Back tracklist.
“The songs are not simply covers,” Gabriel collaborator John Metcalfe told BBC 6 Music. “They are major reinterpretations of some famous stuff. It’s quite radical.”
Metcalfe also noted that the album is acoustic, with no guitars, drums or world instruments.
The genesis (bad pun, had to be done) of the Scratch My Back project was during the Womad Festival when Gabriel and a string section performed Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble.” Watch the video below!
Must hand it to Gabriel, it’s an inspired batch of tunes to cover. From Randy Newman and Talking Heads to Bowie and Lou Reed, Gabriel has compiled some fine music to reinterpret with an orchestral spin. And if he can get David Bowie to bust out a version of “Solsbury Hil” and Randy Newman doing “Sledgehammer,” well now we’re talking music awesomeness.
Scratch My Back will also be Gabriel’s first new album in seven years, so even more reason to get excited.
Scratch My Back / tracklisting
- ‘Heroes’ (David Bowie)
- ‘The Boy In The Bubble’ (Paul Simon)
- ‘Mirrorball’ (Elbow)
- ‘Flume’ (Bon Iver)
- ‘Listening Wind’ (Talking Heads)
- ‘The Power Of The Heart’ (Lou Reed)
- ‘My Body Is A Cage’ (Arcade Fire)
- ‘The Book Of Love’ (The Magnetic Fields)
- ‘I Think It’s Going To Rain Today’ (Randy Newman)
- ‘Apres Moi’ (Regina Spektor)
- ‘Philadelphia’ (Neil Young) ‘Street Spirit’ (Radiohead)
What are your thoughts about the Peter Gabriel covers album?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 12:52AM
Simply awesome. I'm a bit wary of the all-orchestra concept, but Peter Gabriel certainly has the chops to pull it off. His orchestral version of The Magnetic Fields' "Book of Love" is beautiful. And I'd love to know which songs the other artists will cover on the follow-up album. Radiohead's version of "Mercy Street"? Bowie doing "Intruder"? David Byrne's "Lay Your Hands on Me"? I bet you anything Randy Newman is covering "More Than This."