Plays Live

Plays Live
Plays Live
Live album by Peter Gabriel
Released	6 June 1983
Recorded	November–December 1982, United States; 1983, Bath, England
Genre	Art rock
Length	89:53 (original version); 66:50 (highlights version)
Label	Geffen (US & Canada), Charisma
Producer	Peter Gabriel, Peter Walsh
Peter Gabriel chronology
Singles from Plays Live
	"I Don't Remember"; Released: June 1983 (UK); "I Go Swimming" / "Solsbury Hill"; Released: July 1983;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[3]
Rolling Stone	^[4]

Plays Live is the first live and fifth album overall by English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was originally issued as a double album and long-play cassette in 1983, with sixteen songs. It was re-released in 1985, as a single CD called Plays Live (Highlights) with only twelve songs, some of which are edited so the album fits on a single disc. It was rereleased in its entirety as a double CD set in 1987. In 2002, a remaster of the Highlights version was issued. In 2019, the complete double-LP version was released on streaming platforms for the first time.

In 2021 the original 2CD version was released in remastered form. The sound recordings copyright (p) date featured on the back of the package suggests this had actually been remastered at the same time as the rest of Gabriel's back catalogue in 2002.

Armando Gallo took the cover photograph. "I was always listening to the music when I photographed a concert," he said. "Somehow my index finger pressed the clicker in time with the lights and the percussion - the heart of the music. I always felt grateful that I could shoot Peter’s entire shows. Once I asked Peter if he didn’t mind me being in the pit photographing his every move. 'No, I love to see a friendly face,' he answered. Making me feel good about it."^[5]

Recordings

The songs for "Plays Live" were recorded at the following venues:

Braden Auditorium, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 3 December 1982
Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, 4 December 1982
Chick Evans Field House, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, 6 December 1982
SIU Arena, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 7 December 1982

Liner notes by "the producers" admit, "Although this album was compiled from four concerts in the mid-West of the United States, some additional recording took place not a thousand miles away from the home of the artist. The generic term for this process is 'cheating'. Care has been taken to keep the essence of the gigs intact, including 'human imperfection'."

Singles and promotion

"I Don't Remember" was issued as a single, with an accompanying music video, in the UK only.

In the US and Canada, "Solsbury Hill" was released as a single from Plays Live with "I Go Swimming" on the B-side. This previously unreleased song received airplay and made the US Mainstream Rock charts in 1983. It was initially recorded for Gabriel's third album^[6] and was performed on his 1980 tour.

In several European countries, "I Go Swimming" was the A-side.

A live version of "Kiss of Life" from the 1982 tour appeared as the B-side of "Solsbury Hill" in The Netherlands. It was never included in any version of Plays Live although it was included in Gabriel's 2019 compilation Flotsam and Jetsam.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Gabriel.

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Rhythm of the Heat"	6:26
2.	"I Have the Touch"	5:18
3.	"Not One of Us"	5:29
4.	"Family Snapshot"	4:44

Side two
No.	Title	Length
5.	"D.I.Y."	4:20
6.	"The Family and the Fishing Net"	7:22
7.	"Intruder"	5:03
8.	"I Go Swimming"	4:44

Side three
No.	Title	Length
9.	"San Jacinto"	8:27
10.	"Solsbury Hill"	4:42
11.	"No Self Control"	5:03
12.	"I Don't Remember"	4:19

Side four
No.	Title	Length
13.	"Shock the Monkey"	7:10
14.	"Humdrum"	4:23
15.	"On the Air"	5:22
16.	"Biko"	7:01
Total length:		89:53

*Plays Live (Highlights)*
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Have the Touch"	4:47
2.	"Family Snapshot"	4:44
3.	"D.I.Y."	4:05
4.	"The Family and the Fishing Net"	7:38
5.	"I Go Swimming"	4:54
6.	"San Jacinto"	8:19
7.	"Solsbury Hill"	4:41
8.	"No Self Control"	5:04
9.	"I Don't Remember"	4:12
10.	"Shock the Monkey"	7:10
11.	"Humdrum"	4:21
12.	"Biko"	6:52
Total length:		66:50

Personnel

Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, piano, synthesizers
Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Tony Levin – bass guitar, chapman stick, backing vocals
David Rhodes – guitars, backing vocals
Larry Fast – synthesizers, piano, keyboards
Peter Walsh – editing, mixing, "cheating"
Greg Fulginiti – mastering

Charts

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)^[7]	55
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)^[8]	18
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[9]	21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[10]	40
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[11]	25
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[12]	31
UK Albums (OCC)^[13]	8
US Billboard 200^[14]	44