D.I.Y. (song)

Last updated
"D.I.Y."
D.I.Y by Peter Gabriel UK single sleeve.jpg
Original 1978 UK vinyl single
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Peter Gabriel (Scratch)
B-side "Perspective"
Released22 May 1978 [1]
Studio Relight Studios, Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands
The Hit Factory, New York
Genre Pop rock, art rock
Length2:37
Label Charisma Records
Songwriter(s) Peter Gabriel
Producer(s) Robert Fripp
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Modern Love"
(1977)		"D.I.Y."
(1978)		"Games Without Frontiers"
(1980)

"D.I.Y." is a song written and recorded by English musician Peter Gabriel. It was included on his 1978 self-titled solo album and was released as a single in May with "Perspective" as a B-side, although it failed to chart.

Contents

A re-recorded version of "D.I.Y." was issued by Charisma Records in September 1978 with both "Mother Of Violence" and "Me And My Teddy Bear" as the B-side; this single fared no better than the original. The re-recording of "D.I.Y.", which featured horns and an additional chorus, was later included on the 2019 compilation album Flotsam and Jetsam . [2] [3] The D.I.Y. acronym stands for do it yourself, which at the time echoed the prevailing attitude of self-sufficiency in the UK. [4] Peter Christopherson created the single artwork. [2]

Background

Gabriel wrote "D.I.Y." as a response to some of the emerging bands at the time, including the Sex Pistols. Rather than faithfully emulate the stylistic choices of these artists, Gabriel instead opted to capture the spirit of this music through an acoustic arrangement. [5] "D.I.Y." possesses a mid-tempo arrangement with accompaniment of drums, a chapman stick, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and piano, the latter of which plays a series of ascending chromatic scales at various points throughout the song. [3]

While certain musical arrangements on Gabriel's 1978 eponymous release were developed by his backing band, Gabriel had already created the primary riff on "D.I.Y." prior to the song's formal presentation to the rest of the band. [5] The chorus consists of the repetition of the song title, with an additional processed voice spelling out the acronym "do it yourself". [3] Gabriel later expressed some disappointment with the song's vocals, believing that they were not as light as he had hoped. He attributed this to the creative choices of Robert Fripp, who aimed for rawer production and encouraged Gabriel to utilise some vocal takes that were tracked early on in the recording process. [6]

Shortly after its release as single, Nick Kent commented that "'D.I.Y.' seem[ed] destined to sink without a trace only three weeks after its release" in the UK, although Gabriel said that he "still believe[d] in 'D.I.Y.' commercially" despite this. [7] He also told the Liverpool Daily Post that he was surprised about the single's lack of success, saying that he and the record company originally thought that "D.I.Y." was an "obvious single, but not many people agreed." [8]

In a 1979 interview with International Musician and Recording World , Gabriel denied that the song was about his departure from Genesis. [9] Rather, he said that the song's lyrics partially pertained to the idea that people who lack autonomy are bereft of fulfillment and satisfaction. [5] He also stated that the song encourages others to take initiative to actualize more optimal outcomes. "One has responsibility for a lot more than most people are prepared to accept. I believe in small groups of people having a lot more control over themselves than they do in the present." [6]

Critical reception and analysis

The Chicago Sun-Times thought that "D.I.Y." was one of the few highlights on Gabriel's 1978 eponymous release. [10] Rolling Stone was also complimentary of the song, labeling it as a "good rock number". [11] The Rolling Stone Album Guide described the song as "a paean to self-produced punk" that was "especially prescient in the post-Napster world." [12] Robert Christgau of the The Village Voice earmarked "D.I.Y." as a "hard-rock landmark in a hard-rock year." [13]

In his book Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel, author Daryl Easlea favorably compared D.I.Y. to Gabriel's lead single from his debut album, "Solsbury Hill", adding that it was "another plea for independence" that evoked "the do it yourself ethos of the new wave movement". [14] However, author Graeme Scarfe was more critical, saying that the song "lacks the charm of 'Solsbury Hill'" [4]

Track listing

Original 7" single
  1. "D.I.Y." – 2:37
  2. "Perspective" – 5:07 [2]
7" Reissue
  1. "D.I.Y." (re-recorded single version) – 2:53
  2. "Mother of Violence" (single mix) – 3:15
  3. "Teddy Bear" – 2:17 [2]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Gabriel</span> English musician (born 1950)

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, songwriter and human rights activist. He was the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving the band in 1975, he launched a solo career with "Solsbury Hill" as his first single. His fifth studio album, So (1986), is his best-selling release and is certified triple platinum in the UK and five times platinum in the US. The album's most successful single, "Sledgehammer", won a record nine MTV Awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards and, according to a report in 2011, it was MTV's most played music video of all time.

<i>The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway</i> 1974 studio album by Genesis

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 22 November 1974 by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 in the US. It is their longest album to date.

<i>Foxtrot</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Genesis

Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 15 September 1972 on Charisma Records. It features their longest recorded song, the 23-minute track "Supper's Ready".

<i>Selling England by the Pound</i> 1973 studio album by Genesis

Selling England by the Pound is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 5 October 1973 on Charisma Records. It reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 70 in the United States. A single from the album, "I Know What I Like ", was released in February 1974 and became the band's first top 30 hit in the UK.

Six of the Best was a reunion concert between the rock band Genesis, their original lead singer Peter Gabriel and former guitarist Steve Hackett. It took place on a wet Saturday, 2 October 1982, at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Genesis were introduced on to the stage by Jonathan King, who discovered and christened the band fifteen years earlier. The support bands were John Martyn, The Blues Band and Talk Talk.

<i>So</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Peter Gabriel

So is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, released on 19 May 1986 by Charisma Records and Virgin Records. After working on the soundtrack to the film Birdy (1984), producer Daniel Lanois was invited to remain at Gabriel's Somerset home during 1985 to work on his next solo project. Initial sessions for So consisted of Gabriel, Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes, although these grew to include a number of percussionists.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1977 album) Debut solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter and producer Peter Gabriel, released on 25 February 1977 by Charisma Records. After his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis was made public in 1975, Gabriel took a break to concentrate on his family life. In 1976, he began writing material for a solo album and met producer Bob Ezrin, who agreed to produce it. Gabriel hired several additional musicians to play on the album, including guitarist Robert Fripp and bassist Tony Levin. The album was later known as Peter Gabriel I or Car, referring to the album's artwork produced by Hipgnosis. Some music streaming services, including Gabriel's own Bandcamp page, refer to it as Peter Gabriel 1: Car.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1978 album) Second solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, released on 2 June 1978 by Charisma Records. Gabriel started recording the album in November 1977, the same month that he had completed touring in support of his debut solo release. He employed former King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp, who was part of Gabriel's early touring band, to produce the album and incorporated his use of Frippertronics effects on the co-written "Exposure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supper's Ready</span> 1972 song by Genesis

"Supper's Ready" is a song by English progressive rock band Genesis, recorded for their 1972 studio album Foxtrot. At 23 minutes in length, it is the band's longest recorded song and almost takes up the entire second side of the vinyl. Frontman Peter Gabriel wrote the lyrics, which mainly describe a personal journey of scenes from the Book of Revelation and good versus evil, with several real life experiences providing further inspiration.

<i>Plays Live</i> 1983 live album by Peter Gabriel

Plays Live is the first live and fifth album overall by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was originally issued as a double album and long-play cassette in 1983, with sixteen songs. It was re-released in 1985, as a single CD called Plays Live (Highlights) with only twelve songs, some of which are edited so the album fits on a single disc. It was rereleased in its entirety as a double CD set in 1987. In 2002, a remaster of the Highlights version was issued. In 2019, the complete double-LP version was released on streaming platforms for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solsbury Hill (song)</span> 1977 single by Peter Gabriel

"Solsbury Hill" is the debut solo single by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. He wrote the song about a spiritual experience atop Solsbury Hill in Somerset, England, after his departure from the progressive rock band Genesis, of which he had been the lead vocalist since its inception. The single was a Top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 13, and reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Rain (song)</span> 1987 single by Peter Gabriel

"Red Rain" is the first track on English rock musician Peter Gabriel's fifth solo studio album So (1986). In the United States, it was initially only released as a promotional single and reached number three on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock chart in June 1986, where it stayed for three weeks between July and August. A year later, in June 1987, it was released as a commercial single in parts of Europe, Australia and the United States, peaking at 46 in the UK Singles Chart after entering the chart in July of that year. A live version also charted in the US and the UK in 1994.

"Intruder" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. The song was the first to use the "gated reverb" drum sound created by Hugh Padgham and Phil Collins, with Collins performing the song's drum part. The gated drum effect was later used in Collins' own "In the Air Tonight", and appeared frequently through the 1980s, on records such as David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and the Power Station's "Some Like It Hot".

"Here Comes the Flood" is a song by British pop-rock musician Peter Gabriel from 1977. It first appeared on his debut solo album, Peter Gabriel (Car).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Remember (Peter Gabriel song)</span> 1980 single by Peter Gabriel

"I Don't Remember" is a song written and recorded by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released as the fourth and final single from his third eponymous studio album in 1980. Although originally only released as an A-side single in the United States and Canada, a live version released with the album Plays Live (1983) reached No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 75 in Britain for 4 weeks. The song was included in Gabriel's compilation album Shaking the Tree (1990) and two different versions were included in Flotsam and Jetsam (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss That Frog</span> 1993 single by Peter Gabriel

"Kiss That Frog" is the fourth single from English rock musician Peter Gabriel's sixth album, Us (1992). It was written by Gabriel and produced by him with Daniel Lanois. The single was released in September 1993 by Real World, and narrowly failed to enter the UK top 40, peaking at number 46. However, the song did reach the top 40 in Canada, where it peaked at number 36. In the United States, the song missed the Billboard Hot 100 but reached number 18 on both the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaking the Tree (song)</span> 1989 single by Youssou NDour & Peter Gabriel

"Shakin' the Tree" is a 1989 song by Youssou N'Dour and Peter Gabriel from the Youssou N'Dour album The Lion. Released as a single, it reached number 61 on the UK official singles chart on 3 June 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn You Up, Burn You Down</span> 2003 single by Peter Gabriel

"Burn You Up, Burn You Down" is a song co-written and performed by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. Early recording was conducted at Gabriel's Real World Studios in 1991, although the song would remain unreleased for another decade. The song was originally intended to appear on Gabriel's 2002 Up, but was ultimately pulled from the track list shortly before the album's release. It was instead included on Gabriel's Hit compilation album the following year and released as a single, where it charted in both Italy and the UK. An alternate mix of "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" was also included on Big Blue Ball in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Talk to Me</span> 1992 promotional single by Peter Gabriel

"Come Talk to Me" is the opening song from English rock musician Peter Gabriel's sixth album, Us (1992). It was written by Gabriel and recorded as a duet with Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. The song was released as a promotional single and also received a music video directed by Matt Mahurin. The music video also included the involvement of Michael Coulson, the creative director from Real World, and British visual artist Nichola Bruce.

References

  1. ↑ "D.I.Y." PeterGabriel.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "D.I.Y." PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Bowman, Durrell (2 September 2016). Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 64–65. ISBN   9781442252004.
  4. 1 2 Scarfe, Graeme (2021). Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song. United Kingdom: SonicBond. p. 18. ISBN   978-1-78952-138-2.
  5. 1 2 3 Clarke, Steve (20 January 1979). "The Technology of Being Gabriel". New Musical Express . p. 23. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. 1 2 Bright, Spencer (1988). Peter Gabriel: An Authorized Biography. London, UK: Sidgwick & Jackson. pp. 89–90. ISBN   0-283-99498-3.
  7. ↑ Kent, Nick (10 June 1978). "Gabriel: The Image Gets a Tweak". NME . p. 32. Retrieved 1 June 2024– via The Genesis Archive.
  8. ↑ Easton, Phil (17 June 1978). "Peter Airs His Head..." Liverpool Daily Post . Retrieved 1 June 2024– via The Genesis Archive.
  9. ↑ Sweeting, Adam (January 1979). "Peter Gabriel - Past, Present and Future". International Musician and Recording World . p. 38. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  10. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim (4 July 1993). "A Solo Discography". HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  11. ↑ Marsh, Dave (26 July 2001). "Peter Gabriel [2]". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Peter Gabriel". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  319–20. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (4 September 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Easlea, Daryl (2014). Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel. London, UK: Omnibus Press. pp. 176–177. ISBN   978-1-4683-0964-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.