I Don't Remember (Peter Gabriel song)

"I Don't Remember"
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Peter Gabriel
B-side
ReleasedNovember 1980
Recorded1979
Genre
Length
  • 4:42 (album version)
  • 3:23 (US single version)
  • 3:39 (Canada single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)Steve Lillywhite
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Biko"
(1980) 		"I Don't Remember"
(1980) 		"Shock the Monkey"
(1982)
"I Don't Remember (Live)"
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Plays Live
ReleasedJune 1983
RecordedDecember 1982
Length4:55
LabelCharisma
Songwriter(s)Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"I Have the Touch"
(1982) 		"I Don't Remember (Live)"
(1983) 		"I Go Swimming (Live)"
(1983)

"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).

Background and recording

Early iterations of the song were performed by Gabriel on the tour to promote his second eponymous studio album (a.k.a. "Scratch"), having debuted on the concert on 23 August 1978.

The basic tracks for first studio recording of "I Don't Remember" were laid down by Gabriel and his backing band at Trident Studios, London during a day off on the "Scratch" tour in Autumn 1978, co-produced by Stephen W. Tayler. A week later, work on the song continued at Atlantic Studios in New York on tour, where overdubs were done including Robert Fripp's guitar, followed by vocals and mixing at Paragon Studios in Chicago. This marked the beginning of work on his third studio album, for which the song would be re-recorded. The early studio version of the song was originally planned to be released as the A-side of the first single from the album in Europe and Japan, however a Charisma Records executive thought the guitar solos were not radio-friendly. This version was later relegated to the B-side of the single "Games Without Frontiers" from Peter Gabriel (3: Melt) in those territories.

The song made pioneering use of the Fairlight CMI, using samples of glass milk bottles being smashed and bricks being banged. Most of the Fairlight parts were overdubbed after the basic tracks were recorded.

In 1983, a slightly sped-up live recording from Plays Live was released as a single. In addition to the increased tempo, the single version also featured quieter crowd noises and an extended outdo compared to the recording found on Plays Live. Its accompanying music video was directed by Marcello Anciano and produced by Eric Fellner.

Track listing

12" US/Canada single (1980)

  1. "I Don't Remember" – 5:56
  2. "Shosholoza" – 5:19
  3. "Biko (remixed version)" – 8:58
  4. "Here Comes the Flood" – 4:57

7" US single (1980)

  1. "I Don't Remember" – 3:23
  2. "Shosholoza" – 5:22

7" Canada single (1980)

  1. "I Don't Remember" – 3:39
  2. "Intruder" – 5:00

Live version

7" UK single (1983)

  1. "I Don't Remember" – 4:58
  2. "Solsbury Hill" – 4:43
  3. "Kiss of Life" – 5:12

12" UK single (1983)

  1. "I Don't Remember" – 4:58
  2. "Solsbury Hill" – 4:43
  3. "Kiss of Life" – 5:12
  4. "Games Without Frontiers" – 3:27
  5. "Family Snapshot" – 4:57

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak

position

US Billboard Bubbling Under The Hot 100 107
Chart (1983) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 62

Cover versions

  • English singer Kate Bush sang the song with Peter Gabriel on May 12, 1979, at a memorial concert at the Hammersmith Odeon for Bill Duffield, a lighting director who died during Bush's 'Tour of Life' tour.
  • Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite recorded a cover version of the song for his 1988 studio album, Edge. His cover samples the drumbeat of "Big Time", another song by Gabriel.
  • Scottish-American singer and musician David Byrne recorded a cover for Gabriel's 2013 compilation album And I'll Scratch Yours, mixed by Peter Dillett and released on iTunes on 26 June 2010.