Classic Songs: Solsbury Hill

Solsbury Hill is located above the village of Bath in Somerset, England.

In 1974, the rock band Genesis released Selling England By the Pound. This was their fifth studio album and it reached #3 on the UK Charts. The band finally achieved success after seven years of struggling. But lead singer Peter Gabriel was not happy. He felt their music was stale and his creative output was floundering.

Gabriel’s wife Jill was going through a difficult pregnancy at the time. “We were recording in Wales,” Gabriel said, “and my daughter was between life and death. There was a five-hour drive to visit my wife and daughter. It was absolutely exhausting. The rest of the band couldn’t understand…it was something the others found pretty threatening.”

Gabriel’s daughter survived, but his resentment remained. In late 1974, Genesis released the double-album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The record reached #10 on the charts, but Gabriel had had enough. He agreed to tour with Genesis for six months then quit the band just as they were on the verge of worldwide success.

Friends and music writers opined that the decision was foolhardy. They couldn’t understand why he walked away from fame, money and musical acclaim. Gabriel issued a press release:

I felt I should look at/learn about/develop myself…and pick up on a lot of work going on outside music. Even the hidden delights of vegetable growing and community…