Sixteen years in the making, Peter Gabriel’s Big Blue Ball will be released June 24 on Real World. This all-star collaboration began in 1992 during a “Recording Week” at Real World Studios when Gabriel opened the doors to 75 international artists from over 20 countries. This series of weeklong residential sessions continued over three years. “The idea was to put rock musicians together with musicians from all over the world and see what happened,” Gabriel says. “We ran the studio like a dating service with a 24-hour cafe.”

A limited edition 150 gram vinyl release of Big Blue Ball will be available May 27. The album’s first single “Whole Thing” the original mix is now available online. The single features Gabriel on lead vocal and keyboards, Tim Finn (Crowded House) and Andy White (ALT) on backing vocals, Karl Wallinger (World Party) and Paul Allen on guitar, and Francis Bebey, (the legendary cultural icon of Cameroon) on flute and backing vocals.

The 11 tracks on Big Blue Ball offer a world-view of music, a snapshot of the music-making continents at that time. Featuring Gabriel on lead vocals on several tracks, performances also include Karl Wallinger, Tim Finn, Sinead O’Connor collaborating with Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota, Natacha Atlas singing with an Egyptian string section brought in by Hossam Ramzy, The Holmes Brothers with Billy Cobham on drums, and Papa Wemba’s extraordinary vocals paired with the flamenco guitar of Juan Canizares. Additional notable western, African and Asian musicians also contribute.

Big Blue Ball was produced by Peter Gabriel, Steven Hague and Karl Wallinger. The original recordings were produced by Peter Gabriel and Karl Wallinger except “Altus Silva,” which was produced by Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez. The album was mixed by Tchad Blake except “Habibe,” which was mixed by Stephen Hague and “Everything Comes From You” which was mixed by Richard Chappell.

Launched in 1989, Real World Records was founded by Gabriel to provide musicians access to state-of-the-art recording facilities and audiences outside of their native region. With the support of Ryko’s award-winning independent distribution network, Real World Records will continue to push boundaries and unite artists with a passion for music that transcends cultural backgrounds. 

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For more information, please contact Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.