Peter Gabriel Sky Blue

[Jaguar Dreams]

Tchad,

Thanks for doing this!

"Sky Blue" from "Up" is just a brilliant song/recording/mix. It has this beauty + thunder effect sonically and emotionally. It almost produces a visual image of an army of angels in the upper frequencies, and an army of elephants in the lower range!

Can you talk about your approach to mixing this track? Specifically:
a) Mixing the bottom end - the thunder! How did you do that??
b) Mixing the background vocals, especially that insane multi-harmony part at the end? Eq, verb suggestions?
c) Peter's vocal chain - delay, verb...

By the way, I bumped into Hale Milgrim today here in Santa Barbara and mentioned you were doing this - he said to say hi.

Cheers,
Jaguar Dreams

[Whitecat]

+1 for the amazing sonics on this, it's my favourite song on Up by miles.

My add-on to this question as a matter of curiousity, is which came first, Ngankarrparni [from Long Walk Home] or Sky Blue from Up? Did one "evolve" into the other?

Thanks!

[timtoonz]

And if I may piggyback on this subject line...

I'm curious about the piano on 'Sky Blue'. It's very roomy and I'm wondering if that was a deliberate thing or a 'happy accident'? At the end, I love the way the room noise floats up and you can hear the player (PG?) finally letting up on the keys and pedal... It's got an almost 'documentary' feel. Curious where that comes from (creatively and technically)


-- and any other thoughts on Mr. Gabriel's work methods? He's one of my all time fave artists, and I've heard many stories about his laborious, ever evolving songwriting habits. Does everyone just go along with the flow, or does it test one's patience?

I'm guessing it's the former, since when the results are as wonderful as 'Sky Blue', who could argue with the process?

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by timtoonz

And if I may piggyback on this subject line...

I'm curious about the piano on 'Sky Blue'. It's very roomy and I'm wondering if that was a deliberate thing or a 'happy accident'? At the end, I love the way the room noise floats up and you can hear the player (PG?) finally letting up on the keys and pedal... It's got an almost 'documentary' feel. Curious where that comes from (creatively and technically)


-- and any other thoughts on Mr. Gabriel's work methods? He's one of my all time fave artists, and I've heard many stories about his laborious, ever evolving songwriting habits. Does everyone just go along with the flow, or does it test one's patience?

I'm guessing it's the former, since when the results are as wonderful as 'Sky Blue', who could argue with the process?

I'll find the record listen, and get back to you all.