No Self Control (Peter Gabriel song)

"No Self Control" is a song written and performed by English rock musician Peter Gabriel.

The song features guest musicians; Robert Fripp providing guitar, Phil Collins providing drums and Kate Bush providing backing vocals. Initially, this was inspired by Steve Reich's album Music for 18 Musicians. A composer who studied at Juilliard, Reich experimented with electronic textures that Gabriel wanted to try in a rock format.^[1]

Prior to the song being recorded for Peter Gabriel's 1980 album, it was performed live by Gabriel under the working title "I don't know how to stop". Later live performances, such as the one that can be found on Plays Live, were slower and more subdued than the studio recording.

A music video of the song was made and broadcast in 1980.

Music video

The video features Peter Gabriel with his hands either in his pockets or on his knees, as he swivels left and right - all the while staring intently into the camera. The lights flicker on and off a lot. Near the end, Gabriel grabs his head and neck and swings his head back and forth, repeatedly singing "no self control". The xylophone solo plays. The video begins to get "trippy", showing rainbow diffraction like patterns on the screen, and Gabriel's head blurs making it appear in multiple places across the screen. The video ends and fades to black as the song concludes with its last words: "I don't know how to stop".

The video is 3:56 long, and appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops 1980.

Track listing

7" UK single (1980)

1. "No Self Control" - 3:47
2. "Lead a Normal Life" - 4:10

Personnel

• Peter Gabriel – lead vocals
• Kate Bush – backing vocals
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Robert Fripp – guitar
• John Giblin – bass guitar
• Larry Fast – synthesizers, processing
• Phil Collins – drums
• Morris Pert – percussion

References