Gabriel recorded his first solo album in 1976 and 1977 with producer
Bob Ezrin, titled
Peter Gabriel. His first solo success came with the single "
Solsbury Hill", an autobiographical piece expressing his thoughts on leaving
Genesis. In it, he sings, "My friends would think I was a nut...", alluding to his decision to begin a period of self-exploration and reflection, while he grew cabbages, played the piano for long hours, practiced
yoga and
biofeedback, and spent time with his family. Although mainly happy with the music, Gabriel felt that the album, and especially the track "Here Comes the Flood" was over-produced. Sparser versions can be heard on
Robert Fripp's Exposure, and on Gabriel's greatest hits compilation
Shaking the Tree (1990).
Gabriel worked with guitarist
Robert Fripp (of
King Crimson fame) as producer of his second solo LP, in 1978. This album was leaner, darker and more experimental, and yielded decent reviews, but no major hits.
Gabriel's third album, released in 1980, arose as a collaboration with
Steve Lillywhite, who also produced early albums by
U2. It was notable for the hit singles "Games Without Frontiers" and "
Biko", for Gabriel's new interest in world music (especially for percussion), and for its bold production, which made extensive use of recording tricks and sound effects. Gabriel's third album is generally credited as the first LP to use the now-famous "
gated drum" sound, invented by engineer
Hugh Padgham and Gabriel's old Genesis band-mate
Phil Collins. Collins played drums on several tracks, including the opener, "Intruder", which featured the reverse-gated, cymbal-less drum kit sound which Collins would make famous on his single "
In the Air Tonight" and through the rest of the 1980s. The massive, distinctive hollow sound arose through some experiments by Collins and Padgham. Gabriel had requested that his drummers use no cymbals in the album's sessions, and when he heard the result from Collins and Padgham, he asked Collins to play a simple pattern for several minutes, then built "Intruder" on it.
Arduous and occasionally damp recording sessions at his rural English estate in 1981 and 1982, with co-producer/engineer David Lord, resulted in Gabriel's fourth LP release (
Security), on which Gabriel took more production responsibility. It was one of the first commercial albums recorded entirely to digital tape (using a Sony mobile truck), and featured the early, extremely expensive
Fairlight CMI sampling computer. Gabriel combined a variety of sampled and deconstructed sounds with world-beat percussion and other unusual instrumentation to create a radically new, emotionally charged soundscape. Furthermore, the sleeve art consisted of inscrutable, video-based imagery. Despite the album's peculiar sound, odd appearance, and often disturbing themes, it sold well and had a hit single in "
Shock the Monkey", which also became a groundbreaking
music video.
Gabriel toured extensively for each of his albums. Initially, he pointedly eschewed the theatrics that had defined his tenure with Genesis. For his second solo tour, his entire band shaved their heads. It is rumoured that Gabriel shaved his head as a way of asking forgiveness from his wife Jill for having had an affair, which he had confessed to her before leaving on the tour. But, by the time of
Security, he began involving elaborate stage props and acrobatics which had him suspended from gantries, distorting his face with
Fresnel lenses and mirrors, and wearing unusual make-up.
His 1982-83 tour included a section opening for
David Bowie, where many audience members and critics thought that Gabriel as opener (especially with his elaborate make-up) overshadowed Bowie at the height of his commercial popularity. Recordings of this tour were released as the double LP
Plays Live The stage was set for Gabriel's critical and commercial breakout with his next studio release
So which was in production for almost three years. During the recording and production of the album Gabriel found time to work on the film soundtrack for
Alan Parker's 1984 feature
Birdy, which consisted of new material as well as remixed instrumental tracks from his previous studio album.