Big Time (Peter Gabriel song)#Music video

The song underwent many permutations before being finalized; Jerry Marotta remembers an early version of "Big Time", which he described as more intense and so far out from the released version that it "would not have been a hit".{{cite interview|first1= Kevin |last1= Killen |subject-link= Kevin Killen |first2= Jerry |last2= Marotta |subject-link2= Jerry Marotta |interviewer= Ethan Hein |title= Killen and Marotta |work= The Ethan Hein Blog |date= 9 July 2014 |access-date= 3 May 2022 |url= http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2014/killen-and-marotta/}}

The song's bass guitar part is unique in that backing bassist Tony Levin and drummer Marotta teamed up to record it. Levin handled the fingerings while Marotta hit the strings with his drumsticks, resulting in a percussive sound; it was inspired by a technique developed by Gene Krupa in the 1940s or early 1950s.{{cite interview|first= Tony |last= Levin |subject-link= Tony Levin |interviewer= Anil Prasad |title= Tony Levin: Around the World in a Disc |website= Innerviews |year= 1996 |access-date= 3 May 2022 |url= https://www.innerviews.org/inner/levin.html}} Inspired by this sound, Levin later invented funk fingers, small drumstick ends that could be attached to the fingertips in order to reproduce it during live performances.{{Cite book |last=Scarfe |first=Graeme |title=Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song |publisher=SonicBond |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-78952-138-2 |location=United Kingdom |pages=14}}

The drum parts were a considerable challenge to record - Gabriel requested that Marotta, Manu Katché and Stewart Copeland each play a take over a click track from a LinnDrum. Marotta recorded a drum part with a harder rock feel, but Gabriel instead opted for Copeland's "lighter, poppier approach". Gabriel liked Copeland's drum take but felt that it did not quite lock in rhythmically. He said, "I love Stewart's playing. He's not the world's best timekeeper, as he would be first to admit, but he can drive a track like very few others; it's always ahead of the beat, sits right up and forward, and his kit always sounds very alive."{{cite web|title= Peter Gabriel |website= Petergabriel.com |access-date= 3 May 2022 |url= https://petergabriel.com/release/peter-gabriel-4/}}

To get around the timing problems, engineer Kevin Killen mixed Copeland's drum parts to mono and sampled sections of his playing that lined up best with the click track. Gabriel additionally wanted to incorporate Copeland's drum fills, which were also meticulously sampled and adjusted to align with the rest of the song.

Cash Box said that the song "features Gabriel in a characteristic lyrical goldmine delivering a passionate, believable vocal".{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Cash Box|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1986/CB-1986-11-22.pdf|date=November 22, 1986|accessdate=7 August 2022|page=9}} Billboard called it a "dynamic, big-room funk-rocker" that recreates the old Memphis sound.{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=22 November 1986|accessdate=7 August 2022|page=79|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9SQEAAAAMBAJ&q=reviews|title=Reviews}} The Los Angeles Times was more critical and labeled the song as the album's "biggest failure", arguing that it was "a satire on ego and ambition that says nothing we haven't heard from lesser observers many times before".{{cite news|last1=Atkinson|first1=Terry|title=Gabriel's 'So': The Play's The Thing|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1986-05-25/entertainment/ca-7016_1_peter-gabriel|access-date=21 June 2024|work=Los Angeles Times|date=25 May 1986|archive-date=19 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919220609/http://articles.latimes.com/1986-05-25/entertainment/ca-7016_1_peter-gabriel|url-status=live}}

The visual style was very similar to the "Sledgehammer" video, using stop motion claymation by David Daniels and strata-cut animation. The larger video was supervised by director Stephen R. Johnson and produced by Prudence Fenton. It was shot at Peter Wallach Studios. Artist Wayne White contributed to the creation of the video.

7" US (Geffen 28503)

1. "Big Time" (4:24)
2. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" (3:20)

7" US (Geffen 28503-DJ)

1. "Big Time" (Fade) (3:12)
2. "Big Time" (4:24)

12" US (Geffen 20600)

1. "Big Time" (Dance Mix)) (6:10)
2. "In Your Eyes" (Special Mix) (7:14)
3. "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" (3:18)

7" UK (PGS-3)

1. "Big Time" (7" edit)
2. "Curtains"

12" UK (PGS3-12)

1. "Big Time" (extended version)
2. "Big Time" (7" edit)
3. "Curtains"

Cassette single UK (PGT-312)

1. "Big Time" (extended version)
2. "Curtains"
3. "No Self Control" (live version)
4. "Across the River"

{{Track listing

| headline = CD-single UK (GAIL 312)

| total_length = 25:14

| title1 = Big Time

| note1 = extended version

| length1 = 6:14

| title2 = Curtains

| length2 = 3:28

| title3 = No Self Control

| length3 = 3:54

| title4 = Across the River

| length4 = 7:12

| title5 = Big Time

| note5 = seven-inch version

| length5 = 4:26

}}

Credits adapted from the album So:{{cite AV media notes|title= So |year= 1986 |type= booklet |publisher= Geffen |id= 9 24088-2 |url= https://www.discogs.com/release/2050337-So/images}}

{{div col}}

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, CMI, Prophet, Linn
• Stewart Copeland – drums
• Simon Clark – Hammond, CMI, bass
• Tony Levin, Jerry Marotta – drumstick bass
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Daniel Lanois – surf guitar
• Jimmy Bralower – Linn kick
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet, cornet
• Mark Rivera – alto, tenor and baritone saxophone
• Don Mikkelsen – trombone
• P. P. Arnold, Coral Gordon, Dee Lewis – backing vocals

{{div col end}}

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"Big Time" was used in 2006 by WWE as the main theme for WrestleMania 22.{{cite news|title= WWE Takes "Big Time" Approach to Marketing Blitz for WrestleMania 22 |website= WWE |location= Stamford, Connecticut |date= 7 March 2006 |access-date= 3 November 2019 |url= https://corporate.wwe.com/news/company-news/2006/03-07-2006 |archive-date= 17 April 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200417163136/https://corporate.wwe.com/news/company-news/2006/03-07-2006}}

It is featured in the intro of the documentary film Inside Job (2010).{{Cite web |author-link=IMDb |title=Inside Job (2010) - Soundtracks - IMDb |website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645089/soundtrack/ |access-date=2022-10-04}}

The B-side, "Curtains", was not released in digital format until 2004, when the "Broad mix" of the song was featured in the videogame Myst IV: Revelation, to which Gabriel also lent his voice as an actor.{{cite news|author=Ubisoft|date=August 22, 2004|title=Myst IV Revelation Features Original Peter Gabriel Song and Voice Talent|publisher=Business Wire}}

{{Reflist}}

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Category:1986 songs

Category:1987 singles

Category:Animated music videos

Category:Dance-rock songs

Category:Funk rock songs

Category:Geffen Records singles

Category:Peter Gabriel songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Daniel Lanois

Category:Songs about fame

Category:Songs written by Peter Gabriel

Category:Virgin Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Stephen R. Johnson