Games Without Frontiers (song)

Last updated

"Games Without Frontiers"
Games Without Frontiers.jpg
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Peter Gabriel (Melt)
B-side "Start/I Don't Remember" (UK), "Lead a Normal Life" (US)
Released25 January 1980 (UK) [1]
Recorded1979
Genre
Length4:05 (album version)
3:47 (single edit version)
Label Charisma
Songwriter(s) Peter Gabriel
Producer(s) Steve Lillywhite
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"D.I.Y."
(1978)		"Games Without Frontiers"
(1980)		"No Self Control"
(1980)
Music video
"Games Without Frontiers" on YouTube

"Games Without Frontiers" is a song written and recorded by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released on his 1980 self-titled third studio album, where it included backing vocals by Kate Bush. [5] The song's lyrics are interpreted as a commentary on war and international diplomacy being like children's games. [6] The music video includes film clips of Olympic Games events and scenes from the educational film Duck and Cover (1951), which used a cartoon turtle to instruct US schoolchildren on what to do in case of nuclear attack. This forlorn imagery tends to reinforce the song's anti-war theme. Two versions of the music video were initially created for the song, followed by a third one made in 2004.

Contents

The single became Gabriel's first top-10 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 4, and — tied with 1986's "Sledgehammer"⁠ — his highest-charting song in the United Kingdom. It peaked at No. 7 in Canada, but only at No. 48 in the United States. The B-side of the single consisted of two tracks combined into one: "Start" and "I Don't Remember". [7]

Background

Gabriel's first two solo studio albums were distributed in the US by Atlantic Records, but they rejected his third studio album (which contained this track), telling Gabriel he was committing "commercial suicide". Atlantic dropped him but tried to buy the album back when "Games Without Frontiers" took off in the UK and started getting airplay in the US. At that point Gabriel wanted nothing to do with Atlantic, and let Mercury Records distribute the album in America. [8] Gabriel opted not to publicly reveal that the backing vocals on "Games Without Frontiers" were from Kate Bush until the single was successful. [9]

The song's title refers to Jeux sans frontières , a long-running TV show broadcast in several European countries. Teams representing a town or city in one of the participating countries would compete in games of skill, often while dressed in bizarre costumes. While some games were simple races, others allowed one team to obstruct another. The British version was titled It's a Knockout —words that Gabriel mentions in the lyrics. [10] Gabriel found the title "Games Without Frontiers" in a TV guide.

"That's a device I use quite often, taking titles or phrases from ordinary situations and trying to put them up against a slightly different background that will give them a new slant. It's an area I'm more interested in than a totally fabricated artificial world." [9]

During his 1986-1987 tour, Gabriel directed the song's critique of militarism at the Contra War in Nicaragua. [11] Gabriel's 1991 performance of the song from the Netherlands was beamed via satellite to Wembley Arena in England as part of "The Simple Truth" concert for Kurdish refugees. [12]

Composition

Gabriel observed that the song "seemed to have several layers to it. I just began playing in a somewhat light-hearted fashion...the names themselves are meaningless, but they do have certain associations with them. So it's almost like a little kids' activity room. Underneath that, you have the TV programme [and the] sort of nationalism, territorialism, competitiveness that underlies all that assembly of jolly people." [13] The lyrics "Adolf builds a bonfire/Enrico plays with it" echo lines from Evelyn Waugh's V-J Day diary ("Randolph built a bonfire and Auberon fell into it"). [14]

Musically, "Games Without Frontiers" opens with a mixture of acoustic and electronic percussion accompanied by a countoff. [6] The electronic percussion was triggered by a PAiA Programmable Drum Set; this was Gabriel's first use of a drum machine on one of his solo albums. [11] [15] During the intro, a synth bass and an angular slide guitar figure enter with Kate Bush's vocals, creating a "dark sonic environment" as described by AllMusic reviewer Steve Huey. [6] The pre-choruses feature whistling and a Moog synthesizer; Larry Fast commented that this section was inspired by hocketing techniques found on Switched-On Bach , a Wendy Carlos album consisting of classical music played on a Moog synthesizer. [11] Following the final chorus, the song segues into a percussion breakdown punctuated by synth and guitar effects. [6] [16]

Radio version, music videos

The album version includes the line "Whistling tunes we piss on the goons in the jungle" after the second verse and before the second chorus. This was replaced for the single with a more radio-friendly repeat of the line "Whistling tunes we're kissing baboons in the jungle" from the first chorus. [11] This version was also included in the initial copies of the Shaking the Tree (1990) compilation. [17]

The original music video was directed by David Mallet and features shots of children sitting around a dining table. [18] Footage from Olympic sporting events are also featured along with a series of facial expressions from Gabriel, which are projected on television screens that change in time with the music. [11] Gabriel commented that the original music video attracted some controversy:

"The idea of the song was countries behaving like playground kids. It's against nationalism, but they had seen me moving around the tables and thought that I was leering at them like a dirty old man. At the end, there was a whole series of children's toys, and they thought that the jack-in-the-box was an obvious reference to masturbation. So it says a lot more about the minds of the people who ran Top of the Pops than it did about my video." [11]

In 2004, the music video was updated to include excerpts from the films Active Site, Spiral and Grid by Israeli artist Michal Rovner. Additional footage was supplied by York Tillyer, Dan Blore and Marc Bessant. [18] Visuals from Duck and Cover , a 1951 educational film teaching children how to survive a nuclear attack, are also featured at the end of the music video. [11] This version was featured on the release of Gabriel's Play , a DVD compilation consisting of 23 music videos. [18]

Critical reception

Record World said that "A creative percussion / keyboard / vocal mix and unique tempo shifts make this as attractive as it is interesting." [19] AllMusic identified the song as "one of the finest moments preceding Gabriel's commercial breakthrough in the mid-'80s". [6] Paste ranked the song number six on its list of the top 20 greatest Peter Gabriel songs, giving particular attention to Gabriel's and Bush's vocals, saying that the former "pronounces every lyric like a teacher taking attendance" and the latter sounds "phantasmagorical" as she "deliver[s] her haunted message until it finally sinks in". [20]

Musicians

Chart performance

"Games Without Frontiers" reached the top 10 in Canada and the United Kingdom. In spite of the song's very modest chart showing in the US, it did quite well in Chicago, where it spent two weeks at No. 5 on the survey of superstation WLS-FM-AM [21] and ranked at No. 87 for the year. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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> (1982 album) Fourth solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the fourth studio album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. In the United States and Canada, the album was released by Geffen Records with the title Security. Some music streaming services refer to it as Peter Gabriel 4: Security. A German-language version, entitled Deutsches Album, was also released. The album saw Gabriel expanding on the post-punk and world music influences from his 1980 self-titled record, and earned him his first US top 40 single with "Shock the Monkey".

<i>Never for Ever</i> 1980 studio album by Kate Bush

Never for Ever is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, released on 8 September 1980 by EMI Records, it was Bush's first No. 1 album and was also the first album by a British female solo artist to top the UK Albums Chart, as well as being the first album by any female solo artist to enter the chart at No. 1. It has since been certified Gold by the BPI. It features the UK Top 20 singles "Breathing", "Army Dreamers" and "Babooshka", the latter being one of Bush's biggest hits. Bush co-produced the album with Jon Kelly.

<i>Live at Hammersmith Odeon</i> (Kate Bush album) 1994 box set (CD+VHS) live album by Kate Bush

Live at Hammersmith Odeon is a 1994 live album by the British singer Kate Bush. It is a re-release of an abridged video recording of the 1979 The Tour of Life, first released on home video in 1981, complete with a CD version of the video soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shock the Monkey</span> 1982 single by Peter Gabriel

"Shock the Monkey" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in September 1982 as the first single from his fourth self-titled studio album, issued in the US under the title Security.

<i>Peter Gabriel</i> (1980 album) Third solo album by Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is the third solo studio album by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released on 30 May 1980 by Charisma Records. The album, produced by Steve Lillywhite, has been acclaimed as Gabriel's artistic breakthrough as a solo artist. AllMusic wrote that it established him as "one of rock's most ambitious, innovative musicians".

<i>Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats</i> 1990 greatest hits album by Peter Gabriel

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 (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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biko (song)</span> 1980 song by Peter Gabriel

"Biko" is an anti-apartheid protest song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released by Charisma Records as a single from Gabriel's eponymous third album in 1980.

<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">Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song)</span> 1986 single by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

"Don't Give Up" is a song written by English rock musician Peter Gabriel and recorded as a duet with English singer Kate Bush for Gabriel's fifth solo studio album So (1986). The single version was released as the second single from the album in the UK on 20 October 1986 and as the fourth single in the US in March 1987. It spent eleven weeks in the UK Top 75 chart in 1986, peaking at number nine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Bush discography</span>

The discography of English singer-songwriter Kate Bush consists of 10 studio albums, two live albums, two compilation albums, six video albums, four box sets, five extended plays, 36 singles, seven promotional singles, and 39 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steam (Peter Gabriel song)</span> 1993 single by Peter Gabriel

"Steam" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released in January 1993 by Geffen Records as the second single from his sixth album, Us (1992). Gabriel, who wrote the song and produced it with Daniel Lanois, has said that the song is about a relationship in which the woman is sophisticated, bright, cultured, and knows everything about anything while the man knows nothing about anything; however, he does know about the woman, and she does not know much about herself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloudbusting</span> 1985 single by Kate Bush

"Cloudbusting" is a song written, produced and performed by English singer Kate Bush. It was the second single released from her fifth studio album Hounds of Love (1985). "Cloudbusting" peaked at No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digging in the Dirt</span> 1992 single by Peter Gabriel

"Digging in the Dirt" is a song by British musician Peter Gabriel. It was released as the first single taken from his sixth studio album, Us, on 7 September 1992. The song was a minor hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 52, but it topped both the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Album Rock Tracks charts. The song was moderately successful on the UK Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 24, and it reached the top 10 in Canada, Portugal, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Self Control (Peter Gabriel song)</span> 1980 single by Peter Gabriel

"No Self Control" is a song written and performed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in 1980 as the second single released from his third self-titled album and peaked at number 33 in the UK.

<i>October Road</i> (album) 2002 studio album by James Taylor

October Road is the 15th studio album by singer-songwriter James Taylor, released in 2002. The album would be Taylor's last album of original material until Before This World in 2015. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Performance at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2003. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 154,000 copies sold in its opening week, Taylor's best-performing album in the SoundScan era. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on November 21, 2002, and had sold 1,076,000 copies in the United States as of May 2015.

<i>Before the Dawn</i> (Kate Bush album) 2016 live album by Kate Bush

Before the Dawn is the second live album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, credited to The KT Fellowship. The album was released on 25 November 2016 by Bush's label Fish People, and is distributed in the United States by Concord Records. It was recorded in 2014 during Bush's sell-out 22-date residency, Before the Dawn, at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, which saw her return to the stage following a 35-year absence.

<i>If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Midge Ure and Ultravox

If I Was: The Very Best of Midge Ure & Ultravox is a 1993 compilation album by Scottish musician Midge Ure, featuring songs from his solo career and as part of the new wave and synthpop band Ultravox, along with Ure's collaborations with Mick Karn, Phil Lynott, Visage, and charity supergroup Band Aid.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "BPI".
  2. ↑ "How Peter Gabriel Found His Art-Rock Voice on His Third Album". 23 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Popoff, Martin (5 January 2024). "The Top 20 unlikely Progressive Rock hits, ranked". Goldmine . Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Top 100 Albums of the Eighties". PocketMags.com. December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Peter Gabriel: Released 22nd May, 1980". PeterGabriel.com. 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Huey, Steve. "Games Without Frontiers". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers". UltraTop.be. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  8. ↑ Pond, Steve (29 January 1987). "Peter Gabriel Hits the Big Time". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  9. 1 2 Taylor, Steve (26 June 1980). "Fame Without Frontiers". Smash Hits. p. 33. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  10. ↑ "Games Without Frontiers is back on Channel 5". Bitfeed.co. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bowman, Durrell (2 September 2016). Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 84–88. ISBN   9781442252004.
  12. ↑ "Interview: Musician Magazine (1991)". Sting.com. 1 August 1991. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Capital Radio interview with Nicky Horne, broadcast 16 March 1980; transcribed in Gabriel fanzine White Shadow (no. 1, pp. 9-10), by editor Fred Tomsett
  14. ↑ "Waugh's V-J Day | The Evelyn Waugh Society". evelynwaughsociety.org.
  15. ↑ Niebank, C.G. (21 December 2005). "Sing the Body Electronic". Oklahoma Gazette . p. 73. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  16. ↑ Marsh, Dave (26 July 2001). "Peter Gabriel [3]". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  17. ↑ Snow, Mat (5 March 1991). "Q&A". Q Magazine. 55: 34.
  18. 1 2 3 "Games Without Frontiers". PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World . 14 June 1980. p. 16. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  20. ↑ Steiner, Andy (4 October 2023). "The 20 Greatest Peter Gabriel Songs of All Time". Paste . Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  21. ↑ "wls091380". www.oldiesloon.com.
  22. ↑ "wls89of80". www.oldiesloon.com.
  23. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 120. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  24. ↑ "Item Display – RPM". CollectionsCanada.gc.ca. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  25. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Games Without Frontiers". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  26. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 219. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  27. ↑ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "Item Display – RPM". CollectionsCanada.gc.ca. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  29. ↑ "Top 100 Singles 1980" (PDF). Record Mirror . London: Spotlight Publications. 21 March 1981. p. 36. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
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.