"Big Time" | ||||
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Single by Peter Gabriel | ||||
from the album So | ||||
B-side |
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Released |
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Format | ||||
Recorded | 1985 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:26 | |||
Label | ||||
Writer(s) | Peter Gabriel | |||
Producer(s) | Daniel Lanois | |||
Peter Gabriel singles chronology | ||||
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"Big Time" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It was his second top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 8.
"Big Time" alternates mode between A♭ minor (Aeolian) in the chorus and A♭ Dorian during the verses and is played at the speed of 116 bpm. The song’s bass guitar part is unique in that backing bassist Tony Levin and then-backing drummer Jerry Marotta teamed up for the main bassline. Using one of Levin's fretless basses, Levin handled the fingerings while Marotta hit his drumsticks on the strings, which is why the bass part sounds percussive. Inspired by this sound, Levin later invented funk fingers, which were little drumstick ends that could be attached to the fingers to achieve a similar bass guitar effect in concert. Police drummer Stewart Copeland plays drums on the song, and P. P. Arnold, Coral "Chyna Whyne" Gordon, and Dee Lewis, all of whom also sung on "Sledgehammer", performed backing vocals.
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. Graphic designer Wayne White contributed to the creation of the video.