Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats

"Shaking the Tree" redirects here. For other uses, see Shaking the Tree (disambiguation).

Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats
Greatest hits album by Peter Gabriel
Released	19 November 1990 [1]
Recorded	1976–1990
Genre	Art rock
Length	77:05
Label	Geffen/Virgin
Producer	Bob Ezrin Steve Lillywhite Peter Gabriel Daniel Lanois
Peter Gabriel chronology
Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ (1989) Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats (1990) Us (1992)
Singles from Shaking the Tree
"Solsbury Hill" Released: 3 December 1990

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A [3]
New Musical Express	7/10 [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats is a compilation album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in 1990 as Gabriel's first career retrospective, including songs from his first solo album Peter Gabriel (I or Car) (1977), through Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ (1989). It was remastered with most of Gabriel's catalogue in 2002. The vinyl version of the album is called Shaking the Tree: Twelve Golden Greats.

Track selection

The tracks are creatively re-ordered, ignoring chronology. Some of the tracks were different from the album versions. New parts were recorded for several tracks in Gabriel's Real World Studios. Most songs are edited for time, either as radio, single, or video edit versions. "Shakin' the Tree"—a track from Youssou N'Dour's 1989 album The Lion —is a 1990 version featuring new vocals from Gabriel (and slightly revised title). "I Have the Touch" is listed as a 1983 remix, although it is actually the 1985 remix which appeared on the "Sledgehammer" single. (The 1985 remix is similar to the 1983 remix, which appeared as the B-side of the "Walk Through the Fire" single, but is edited down to 3m 45s) ^[6]

"Here Comes the Flood" is a new recording from 1990. This version is a piano and voice arrangement, that is far simpler than the highly produced version on Peter Gabriel (1977). Its sparseness is closer to the version Gabriel recorded with Robert Fripp on Fripp's Exposure (1979). In interviews, Gabriel has said that he preferred the 1979 version, which he also chose to overdub in German as the flipside of the single "Biko" released before Ein deutsches Album (1980). ^[7]

Although this album highlights songs from Peter Gabriel's earlier albums, tracks from Peter Gabriel (II, or Scratch) and the soundtrack to the film Birdy are not included. ^[6] "In Your Eyes" is missing from the compilation. ^[8] Say Anything... , in which it was played in a prominent scene, had been released the year before. Although this made "In Your Eyes" perhaps the most well known Peter Gabriel song aside from "Sledgehammer" in the U.S., it was not released as a single in Peter Gabriel's UK homeland. "In Your Eyes" was therefore omitted from the album in favour of five of the other eight tracks from So – four other hits and the album track "Mercy Street".

Release

For the album packaging, Gabriel decided to forgo longboxes in favor of a jewel box as a means of reducing waste. ^{[9] [8]} Robert Smith, who served as the head of marketing for Geffen Records, defended Gabriel's decision to exclusively release the album in a jewel box, saying that "it is not a clause in his contract. It is Peter Gabriel's personal wishes, and we are respecting those wishes." ^[10] Some record store outlets including Show Industries, Kemp Mill, and Music Plus refused to carry the album in their stores because of Gabriel's choice of packaging. ^{[10] [11]}

Track listing

Tracks marked with (*) do not appear on the vinyl release of the album.

All tracks are written by Peter Gabriel, except "Shaking the Tree", co-written with Youssou N'Dour.

No.	Title	Originally from	Length
1.	"Solsbury Hill"	Peter Gabriel 1 (Car) , 1977	4:20
2.	"I Don't Remember" (Edited version)	Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) , 1980	3:48
3.	"Sledgehammer" (Single edit)	So , 1986	4:52
4.	"Family Snapshot"	Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) , 1980	4:25
5.	"Mercy Street" (Edited version)	So , 1986	4:43
6.	"Shaking the Tree" (Duet with Youssou N'Dour; 1990 remix)	The Lion , 1989	6:24
7.	"Don't Give Up" (Duet with Kate Bush; Edited version)	So , 1986	5:55
8.	"San Jacinto" (*)	Peter Gabriel 4 (Security) , 1982	6:40
9.	"Here Comes the Flood" (1990 re-recording)	New recording – original version on Peter Gabriel 1 (Car) , 1977	4:31
10.	"Red Rain" (*)	So , 1986	5:35
11.	"Games Without Frontiers" (Edited version)	Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) , 1980	3:57
12.	"Shock the Monkey" (Radio edit)	Peter Gabriel 4 (Security) , 1982	3:57
13.	"I Have the Touch" ('85 remix, mislabelled as 1983 remix) (*)	Peter Gabriel 4 (Security) , 1982	3:44
14.	"Big Time"	So , 1986	4:26
15.	"Zaar" (Edited version) (*)	Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ , 1989	2:58
16.	"Biko" (Edited version)	Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt) , 1980	6:54
Total length:			77:05

Personnel

"Solsbury Hill"

• Bob Ezrin  – production
• Larry Fast  – synthesizer
• Robert Fripp  – guitar
• Peter Gabriel  – vocals
• Steve Hunter  – guitar
• Tony Levin  – bass guitar
• Alan Schwartzberg – drums

"I Don't Remember" (Edited version)

• Larry Fast  – processing
• Robert Fripp  – guitar
• Peter Gabriel  – piano, synthesizer, vocals, and production
• Tony Levin  – Chapman Stick
• Jerry Marrotta – drums
• David Rhodes  – guitar
• Peter Walsh  – production

"Sledgehammer" (Single edit)

• P.P. Arnold  – backing vocals
• Peter Gabriel  – Fairlight CMI, Prophet, piano, vocals, production
• Carol Gordon – backing vocals
• Manu Katche  – drums
• Wayne Jackson  – trumpet
• Daniel Lanois  – production
• Tony Levin  – bass guitar
• Dee Lewis – backing vocals
• Don Mikkelsen – trombone
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Mark Rivera  – saxophone

"Family Snapshot"

• Larry Fast  – synthesizer
• Phil Collins  – snare drum
• Peter Gabriel  – piano, vocals
• John Giblin  – bass guitar
• Dave Gregory  – guitar
• Steve Lillywhite  – production
• Jerry Marrotta – drums
• Dick Morrissey  – saxophone
• David Rhodes – guitar

"Mercy Street" (Edited version)

• Djalma Correa  – surdu, congas, and triangle
• Peter Gabriel – Fairlight CMI, Prophet, piano, CS80, vocals, and production
• Larry Klein  – bass guitar
• Daniel Lanois  – production
• Mark Rivera  – processed saxophone

"Shaking the Tree" (1990 remix)

• George Acogny – Fairlight CMI percussion
• Roger Bolton – Fairlight CMI percussion and sequencing
• Simon Clark – organ, piano, keyboard bass, and synthesizer
• Habib Faye  – bass guitar, guitar
• Peter Gabriel  – vocals and re-recorded vocals
• Manu Katche  – drums
• Youssou N'Dour  – vocals
• David Rhodes – acoustic and electric guitar

"Don't Give Up" (Edited version)

• Peter Gabriel – chant, vocals, CMI, Prophet, piano, production
• Kate Bush  – vocals, chant
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Tony Levin  – bass guitar
• Simon Clark – chorus CS 80
• Richard Tee  – piano
• Daniel Lanois  – production

"San Jacinto"

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• David Lord  – production

"Here Comes the Flood" (1990 re-recording)

• Peter Gabriel – piano, vocals, and production

"Red Rain"

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• Daniel Lanois  – production

"Games Without Frontiers" (Single edit)

• Steve Lillywhite  – production
• Kate Bush – background vocals

"Shock the Monkey" (Radio edit)

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• David Lord – production

"I Have the Touch" (1983 remix)

• Peter Gabriel – keyboards, vocals, and production
• David Lord – production
• Simon Phillips  – drums
• James Guthrie  – remix engineer

"Big Time"

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• Daniel Lanois  – production

"Zaar" (Edited version)

• Peter Gabriel – production

"Biko" (Edited version)

• Steve Lillywhite  – production

Additional

• Alexander Knaust – styling and photography assistance
• Robert Mapplethorpe  – photography
• Mouat Nomad, London – design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart performance for Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats Chart (1990–2005) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) [12] 41 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [13] 26 Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [14] 15 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [15] 14 Dutch Albums (Midprice Top 50) [16] 50 European Albums (IFPI) [17] 8 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [18] 13 French Albums (IFOP) [19] 12 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] 12 Greek Albums (IFPI) [21] 2 Japanese Albums (Oricon) [22] 10 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [23] 18 Scottish Albums (OCC) [24] 68 Spanish Albums (AFYVE) [25] 11 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [26] 10 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [27] 27 UK Albums (OCC) [28] 11 UK Physical Albums (OCC) [29] 61 US Billboard 200 [30] 48 US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [31] 178 US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard) [32] 33 US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard) [33] 48

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats Chart (1990) Position Japanese Albums (Oricon) [22] 75 Spanish Albums (AFYVE) [25] 87 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [34] 174 UK Albums (OCC) [35] 121 Chart (1991) Position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [36] 167 Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [37] 68 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [38] 58 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [39] 131 UK Albums (OCC) [40] 134

Certifications

Sales certifications for Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [41]	Gold	35,000^
Canada (Music Canada) [42]	Platinum	100,000^
France (SNEP) [43]	2× Gold	200,000*
Germany (BVMI) [44]	Platinum	500,000^
Italy (FIMI) [45]	Gold
Japan (RIAJ) [22]	Platinum	200,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [46]	Gold	50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [47]	Gold	7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [25]	Gold	50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [48]	Gold	25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [49]	2× Platinum	600,000^
United States (RIAA) [50]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Smith, Robin (17 November 1990). "This Week – The Next Seven Days in View: Releases". Record Mirror . p. 32. ISSN   0144-5804.
2. AllMusic review
3. Entertainment Weekly review
4. Collins, Andrew (8 December 1990). "Long Play". NME . p. 30.
5. "Peter Gabriel: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 10 August 2012.
6. Scarfe, Graeme (2021). Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song. United Kingdom: SonicBond. pp. 122–123. ISBN   978-1-78952-138-2.
7. Gallo, Armando (1986). Peter Gabriel. United Kingdom: SonicBond. pp. 16–17. ISBN   0-7119-0783-8.
8. Bowman, Durrell (2 September 2016). Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 151. ISBN   9781442252004.
9. Knopper, Steve (2009). Appetite for Self-Destruction . Free Press. pp.  37–38.
10. Verna, Paul (24 November 1990). "Retailers Shun Raffi Album Sans Longbox; Broader Effect Seen" (PDF). Billboard . pp. 1, 79. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
11. Rosen, Craig (1 December 1990). "A&M Sets Sting Free Via New Package But His New CD Will Bow In Longbox" (PDF). Billboard . pp. 3, 80. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
12. "Australiancharts.com – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree – Sixteen Golden Greats". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
13. "Austriancharts.at – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree – Sixteen Golden Greats" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
14. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1429". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree – Sixteen Golden Greats" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Dutch Midprice Top 50" (in Dutch). Steffen Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
17. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . worldradiohistory.com. 22 December 1990. p. 53. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
18. Pennanen, Timo. "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961: G – Gin > Peter Gabriel" (in Finnish). Sisältää hitin. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
19. "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – G". Institut français d'opinion publique (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
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21. "Top 10 Sales in Europe – Greece" (PDF). Music & Media . worldradiohistory.com. 22 December 1990. p. 52. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
22. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
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25. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
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27. "Swisscharts.com – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree – Sixteen Golden Greats". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
28. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
29. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 27 May 2021.
30. "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
31. "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
32. "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
33. "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
34. "Alben 1990 Schweiz – Album-Charts – Top 100 Auswertung" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
35. "Alben 1990 UK – Album-Charts – Top 75 Auswertung" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
36. "Alben 1991 Österreich – Album-Charts – Top 75 Auswertung" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
37. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1702". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
38. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1991" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
39. "Alben 1991 Schweiz – Album-Charts – Top 100 Auswertung" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
40. "Alben 1991 UK – Album-Charts – Top 75 Auswertung" (in German). chartsurfer.de. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
41. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mount Martha, Melbourne, Victoria: Moonlight Publishing.
42. "Canadian album certifications – Peter Gabriel – 16 Golden Greats". Music Canada . Retrieved 27 May 2021.
43. "French album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree – 16 Golden Greats" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 27 May 2021.Select PETER GABRIEL and click OK. 
44. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Peter Gabriel; 'Shaking The Tree')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 27 May 2021.
45. Vittorio, Franchini (24 January 1991). "Spettacoli/Roma – Box Office" . Corriere della Sera (in Italian). archivio.corriere.it. p. 46. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
46. "Dutch album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Golden Greats Shaking The Tree" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 27 May 2021.Enter Golden Greats Shaking The Tree in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1991 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
47. "New Zealand album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree: 16 Golden Greats". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
48. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Snaking The Tree')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
49. "British album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Shaking The Tree – 16 Golden Greats". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 27 May 2021.
50. "American album certifications – Peter Gabriel – Shaking the Tree – 16 Golden Greats". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 27 May 2021.

External links

• Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats at MusicBrainz