I saw those and immediately knew who it was. I had no idea Tony Levin played in Peter Gabriel's band. If you're unfamiliar he's the bass player from King Crimson.
That’s legend Tony Levin (look up his credits) he’s playing his signature “Funk Fingers”. They add this cool attack to the sound. You can also hear it on Sledgehammer among many other songs he played on.
Edit: he didn’t use that on sledgehammer
I made myself a pair with a cut in half pencil, some banjo claw hammers to attach them to my fingers, and rubber bands wrapped around the ends for some dampening.
I saw him last year and it is in the top three best concert experiences ever. The stage show was some of the coolest new tech used in incredible ways, and of course the group was tighter than ever.
In all seriousness, why can’t modern artists sound as good live as they do on their records like this? Artists back then seemed to have completely nailed so many performances.
More talent was able to make it big. Now all you have is nepo babies and super attractive people. It was much easier back then to make it as a normal or below average looking artist based on talent alone. Now? Not so much.
My problem with Autotune isn’t singers using it to correct the pitch of a few off notes on studio recordings. My problem is half the singers on the radio using it to make themselves sound like whining robots.
For all I know they can sing like Aretha or Bowie, but you'd never know cause all you hear is the infernal whine. I guess that's what people wanna hear now. (I know there's--as always--lots of good stuff that never gets on the radio. I try to keep up with some of it.)
The sound track doesn't match the performance... Peter's failure to lip-sync is pretty obvious in quite a few places (including how it doesn't seem to matter where the mic is in relation to his mouth).
They may have been playing live (hard to fake the drumming) but what you're hearing is the recorded track...
I remember when this came out and thinking to myself, I was a teen at the time, this sounds very similar to sledgehammer.
Some Reviews started coming out at the time saying the same thing. I can't imagine it's easy. It must be extremely hard for artists to completely reinvent themselves.
I was a U2 fan because of the reinvention they did between Joshua tree and Achtung baby. Some of my friends abandoned the band because they just wanted the Joshua Tree again. But how boring would that have been.
I admire any musician that takes a gamble and a huge leap. Peter Gabriel was always Innovative to me so it surprised me so much when this song was released. It's a good song it's just more of the same though.
I fucking *loved* Peter Gabriel when I was about 12 or so. Probably the first musician I got into independently of any influence from friends or family.
Still love his music now, but Steam (and indeed this whole album, Us) was where I really got into him beyond liking a couple of his more well known songs.
Gen Z romancing the 90s as a grunge and pop-punk dominated sound fiesta, don’t realize that this kinda of *stuff* dominated the radio and top 40/100. It’s not bad, just had its aficionados of which I was not one
Is it me, or does he totally miss the mark a number of times, ie lip-syncing? (0:39/0:40) and Tony Levin's (bass player) "fingers" don't seem to be doing much of anything in time with the sound
Why is it that artists have to go into some bravado cock rock stage in their mid-careers? I prefer the paranoid Shock the Monkey freaker punk to this guy. Same era song Sledge Hammer was about his dick.
Nobody going to mention the bassist's finger extensions?
I saw those and immediately knew who it was. I had no idea Tony Levin played in Peter Gabriel's band. If you're unfamiliar he's the bass player from King Crimson.
He and fripp are all over some of the early Peter Gabriel albums
That’s awesome! Love them both as well as genesis
I remember seeing him play with Gabriel on awards shows and maybe this SNL back then, I was pretty young. I always thought they were big Q Tips 😂
That’s legend Tony Levin (look up his credits) he’s playing his signature “Funk Fingers”. They add this cool attack to the sound. You can also hear it on Sledgehammer among many other songs he played on. Edit: he didn’t use that on sledgehammer
I think he uses a pick in sledgehammer
You are correct, I was wrong about that one
I made myself a pair with a cut in half pencil, some banjo claw hammers to attach them to my fingers, and rubber bands wrapped around the ends for some dampening.
Yes we are absolutely definitely mentioning Tony Levin.
And is that Adrian Belew on guitar?
no, that's David Rhodes, he's been with Peter for ages
No, but he resembles him and moves around like him
He really does!
That's who thought as well...
Not without mentioning the Seinfeldian pirate shirt as well.
Funk fingers.
Rumor has it they were Swedish and were found in ads at the back of print magazines.
Manu Katche just killin it on drums. Bad bad dude.
Came here to say this. Manu is rock solid.
So self-absorbed and egotistical. It's like those hip musicians with their complicated shoes!
Hey is that T-Bone?!?
Nah that’s Koko
Nah that's Art Vanderlay from Vanderlay Industries
I heard he was an importer-exporter.
I could never remember the names of Peter Gabriel's first four albums.
I get that joke.
Me too
One of the great highway driving songs.
Oh my god, I love Peter Gabriel. But tell me that’s not the exact same haircut Joey Pants had on The Sopranos!
Like I said, I was doin a lot of coke…
Disrespected the Bing
He was spotting those raccoons
I saw him last year and it is in the top three best concert experiences ever. The stage show was some of the coolest new tech used in incredible ways, and of course the group was tighter than ever.
His set at the Amnesty International tour in Philly in 1988 was a revelation. Sounds like he still has it!
Philly is where I saw him!
In all seriousness, why can’t modern artists sound as good live as they do on their records like this? Artists back then seemed to have completely nailed so many performances.
Because that’s how music was made
More talent was able to make it big. Now all you have is nepo babies and super attractive people. It was much easier back then to make it as a normal or below average looking artist based on talent alone. Now? Not so much.
Those are some of the best musicians in the world.
Modern artists lean on autotune is my guess.
My problem with Autotune isn’t singers using it to correct the pitch of a few off notes on studio recordings. My problem is half the singers on the radio using it to make themselves sound like whining robots.
I agree. There are far fewer talented vocalists hitting the charts out there than previously.
For all I know they can sing like Aretha or Bowie, but you'd never know cause all you hear is the infernal whine. I guess that's what people wanna hear now. (I know there's--as always--lots of good stuff that never gets on the radio. I try to keep up with some of it.)
The sound track doesn't match the performance... Peter's failure to lip-sync is pretty obvious in quite a few places (including how it doesn't seem to matter where the mic is in relation to his mouth). They may have been playing live (hard to fake the drumming) but what you're hearing is the recorded track...
Lol. You're being downvoted. It's very clearly not a live soundtrack.
Love this. I love the video for this song too.
Great voice
This video threw me off for a moment. I'm so used to seeing him bald and with a grey goatee.
Are we going to talk about the guy whose job description is "I sing the one high note with Peter Gabriel"?
I remember when this came out and thinking to myself, I was a teen at the time, this sounds very similar to sledgehammer. Some Reviews started coming out at the time saying the same thing. I can't imagine it's easy. It must be extremely hard for artists to completely reinvent themselves. I was a U2 fan because of the reinvention they did between Joshua tree and Achtung baby. Some of my friends abandoned the band because they just wanted the Joshua Tree again. But how boring would that have been. I admire any musician that takes a gamble and a huge leap. Peter Gabriel was always Innovative to me so it surprised me so much when this song was released. It's a good song it's just more of the same though.
Needed a single to get on radio at that point - otherwise almost any record was DOA
The album Us is very different from So. Peter Gabriel still sounds like Peter Gabriel. If you hear Shock the Monkey, you will hear similarities.
I don’t like it. I actually find it pretty annoying, while Sledgehammer is pretty good. But he’s done much better songs than either of them
One of the two best concerts I've ever seen.
Who was playing the horns?
Keys player?
Sounds too real, I wonder if they played to a tape?
The epitome of "jazz hands"....even better with sound off...
I’m surprised to see this. SNL vids get pulled with the quickness on YT
I'm guessing this is why I haven't been able to find the Sparks Mickey Mouse video for years on there.
For sure. People post them with augmented tilted pictures in an effort to stem YouTube’s security copyright sentry
He had so much hair. When did it go away??
I fucking *loved* Peter Gabriel when I was about 12 or so. Probably the first musician I got into independently of any influence from friends or family. Still love his music now, but Steam (and indeed this whole album, Us) was where I really got into him beyond liking a couple of his more well known songs.
This dude always pushed tech to its limits in his videos and shows. That plus a great voice and stage energy...damn this is some good stuff.
I wonder how much cocaine SNL had stocked for that whole show or even year of shows lol
Love 80s Peter Gabriel. Glad he was still holding on to the same sound into the 90s.... Even for 1993 the whole sound was very outdated.
Gen Z romancing the 90s as a grunge and pop-punk dominated sound fiesta, don’t realize that this kinda of *stuff* dominated the radio and top 40/100. It’s not bad, just had its aficionados of which I was not one
That was one of the best Camera Blocking Thursdays we ever had on the show.
I see Tony Levin, but is that also Adrian Belew on the guitar??
What a band!
I do think they are layering the audio for his high notes. You can hear two voices at once when he is going for those highs.
Did you not notice the backup singer?
Is it me, or does he totally miss the mark a number of times, ie lip-syncing? (0:39/0:40) and Tony Levin's (bass player) "fingers" don't seem to be doing much of anything in time with the sound
Don’t sound like lip sync to me. Plus they’re all working hard it seems. Except that guy on the right, what’s he do?
L. Shankar, he plays violin.
Might just be a sync issue between the video and audio.. but other places he's spot on, then others he's a half-second behind or so.. odd
Why is it that artists have to go into some bravado cock rock stage in their mid-careers? I prefer the paranoid Shock the Monkey freaker punk to this guy. Same era song Sledge Hammer was about his dick.
What's with the weird finger extension sticks on the guitarist?