Sledgehammer (song)
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"Sledgehammer" is a hit song by Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It peaked at number one in the U.S., and number four in the UK singles chart, thanks in part to a popular and influential music video (see below).
The song was influenced by 1960s soul music, as evident by the use of horns and a general Motown sound. The song was also known for its use of a synthesized shakuhachi flute.
It contains somewhat subtle sexual innuendo, which was common in soul music from the time. The lyrics include phallic references such as a steam train, bumper cars, and a big dipper (roller coaster). It also includes references to the sexual reproduction of plants, mentioning pollination, fruit and bees.
"Sledgehammer" was Peter Gabriel's first and, to this date, only number-one hit in the U.S. Ironically it replaced "Invisible Touch" by his former band Genesis, which was number one the week before.
The single release also included a previously unreleased track called "Don't Break This Rhythm" and an "'85 Remix" of his 1982 single "I Have the Touch." U.S. versions of the single contained an extended dance remix of "Sledgehammer." It was among the first singles released on compact disc.
The TV series Sledge Hammer! was also popular when the song was released, although the two are not related.
In 2000, the song was sampled for "I got to have it" by Jermaine Dupri, Monica and Nas, which appeared on the soundtrack for the motion picture Big Momma's House
Music video
-->"Sledgehammer" spawned a widely popular and influential music video directed by Stephen R. Johnson. Aardman Animations provided claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation that gave life to images in the song. The video ended with a large group of extras jerkily rotating around Gabriel, among them: Peter's daughters Ana Maria and Melanie, the animators themselves, and director Stephen Johnson's own girlfriend. Also included were six women who posed as the back-up singers of the song.
In 1987, it won nine MTV Video Music Awards, a record which still stands as of 2006. It ranked at number four on MTV's Top 100 Music Videos of All Time (1993). MTV later announced that "Sledgehammer" is the most played music video in the history of the station. "Sledgehammer" has also been declared to be MTV's number one animated video of all time. [link] The video was also voted number seven on TMF's Ultimate 50 Videos You Must See - first aired 24th June 2006.
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See also
- Big Time (song), a later song with a similar visual styled music video, also by Peter Gabriel.
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