So Much (Peter Gabriel song)

"So Much" is a song by English musician Peter Gabriel, released in July 2023 as the seventh single in promotion of his tenth studio album I/O. Similar to other singles from the album, "So Much" was released to coincide with a full moon, starting with the Dark-Side Mix produced by Tchad Blake. Later in the month, two additional mixes created by Mark 'Spike' Stent and Hans-Martin Buff were released.[1]

"So Much"
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album I/O
Released
  • 3 July 2023 (dark-side mix)
  • 17 July 2023 (bright-side and in-side mixes)
  • 19 July 2023 (guitar version)
Studio
Length4:50
Label
Songwriter(s)Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Road to Joy"
(2023)
"So Much"
(2023)
"Olive Tree"
(2023)

Gabriel described "So Much" as a "simple song" that was "easy to digest but still had a bit of character to it".[1] He claimed in the Full Moon Update that the song was a bit polarizing, that "it will split an audience" "about 50/50" with those who love it and those who don't care for it.[2] According to Gabriel, Blake called it "the best thing that he has ever done."[2] Gabriel said that the song is about "mortality" and "getting old".[1]

Gabriel first revealed the song's title in 2020 when he responded to an article by Phillip Collins in The Times. In his response, Gabriel described "So Much" as a "getting old song".[3] Henry Hudson created the cover artwork, titled Somewhere Over Mercia;[1] Mercia was an ancient name for a region located near the birthplaces of Gabriel and Hudson.[4] The artwork features a yellow horizontal line imposed over an indigo sky.[5]

Personnel

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Orchestra
  • Orchestral arrangement: John Metcalfe and Peter Gabriel
  • Violin: Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Louisa Fuller, Charles Mutter, Cathy Thompson, Natalia Bonner, Richard George, Marianne Haynes, Martin Burgess, Clare Hayes, Debbie Widdup, and Odile Ollagnon
  • Viola: Bruce White, Fiona Bonds, Peter Lale, and Rachel Roberts
  • Cello: Ian Burdge, Chris Worsey, Caroline Dale, William Schofield, Tony Woollard, and Chris Allan
  • Double bass: Chris Laurence, Stacy Watton, and Lucy Shaw
  • French horn: David Pyatt and Richard Bissill
  • Trumpet: Andrew Crowley
  • Euphonium: Andy Wood
  • Tenor trombone: Tracey Holloway
  • Bass trombone: Richard Henry
  • Tuba: David Powell
  • Orchestra conductor: John Metcalfe
  • Orchestra leader: Everton Nelson
  • Sheet music supervisor: Dave Foster
  • Orchestra contractor: Lucy Whalley and Susie Gillis

Charts

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Chart performance for "So Much"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
German Downloads (Offizielle Download Top 100)[6] 85
UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[7] 69

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "So Much". PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Peter Gabriel Full Moon July 2023". YouTube. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Peter Gabriel is working on a new song". 11 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Song 07: "So Much"". Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Peter Gabriel Unveils New Song "So Much": Stream". 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Download Charts Single". GfK Entertainment charts. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 June 2023.