Big Time (Peter Gabriel song)
"Big Time" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his fifth studio album So (1986). It was his second top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 8.[5]
"Big Time"
Recording[edit]
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".[6]
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.[7] 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.[8]
The drum parts were a considerable challenge to record, with Marotta, Manu Katché and Stewart Copeland each playing a take over a click track from the LinnDrum.[6] Marotta originally recorded a drum part with a harder rock feel, but Gabriel instead opted for Copeland's "lighter, poppier approach".[8] Gabriel liked Copeland's drum take but felt that it did not quite lock in rhythmically.[6] 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."[9]
To get around the problem, engineer Kevin Killen mixed down Copeland's drum parts to mono, sampling sections of his playing that lined up best with the click track and flew them in a few bars at a time. Gabriel additionally wanted to bring in the drum fills, which were also meticulously sampled, and adjustments were done to the speed to get them to line up with the track.[6]
Music video[edit]
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.
Remixes[edit]
Along with the two mixes found on different versions of the single, "Big Time" has been officially remixed by Electrokingdom in various mixes, including the version by Frenk DJ & Niky D. Although reputed to be more numerous, four mixes (Main Mix – Club Mix – Dub Mix – Acoustic Mix) can be downloaded on legal platforms.
In popular culture[edit]
"Big Time" was used in 2006 by WWE as the main theme for WrestleMania 22.[27]
It is featured in the intro of the documentary film Inside Job (2010).[28]
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.[29]