Supper's Ready Genesis' 23 Minute Masterpiece created in 1972!
Supper's Ready Genesis' 23 Minute Masterpiece created in 1972!
As every fan of early Genesis knows Supper's Ready is a sensational piece of music. Unfortunately, because of the huge scale of the task, no one has yet created a complete MIDI file of this masterpiece. Up until now we have only had a piano rendition of the instrumental section of 'Apocalypse in 9/8' only one of the seven sections of the complete track.
This is where Phil Richards comes in. He has had the brilliant idea of forming a 'project' to recreate Supper's Ready in all it's glory. I would like to stress the fact that as much as I wish it was, this was not my idea, Phil Richards must be allowed to take all the credit for this!
At last after much delay the file is now available!! Click here to download it.
The Explanation of the song - From the Paperlate FAQ
i) Lovers Leap
In which two lovers are lost in each other's eyes, and found again
transformed in the bodies of another male and female.
ii) The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man
The lovers come across a town dominated by two characters: one a benevolent
farmer, and the other the head of a highly disciplined scientific religion.
The latter likes to be known as "The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary
Man" and claims to contain a secret new ingredient capable of fighting
fire. This is a falsehood, an untruth, a whopper and a taradiddle, or to
put it in clearer terms; a lie.
iii) Ikhnaton and its-a-con and their band of merry men
Who the lovers see clad in greys and purples, awaiting to be summoned
out of the ground. At the G.E.S.M.'s command they pour forth, from the
bowels of the eearth, to attack all those without an up-to-date "Eternal
Life Licence" which were obtainable at the head office of the G.E.S.M.'s
religion.
iv) How Dare I Be So Beautiful?
In which our intrepid heroes investigate the aftermath of the battle
and discover a solitary figure, obsessed by his own image. They witness
an unusual transmutation, and are pulled into their own reflections in
the water.
v) Willow Farm
Climbing out of the pool, they are once again in a different existence.
They're right in the middle of a myriad of bright colours, filled with
all manner of objects, plants, animals and humans. Life flows freely and
everything is mindlessly busy. At random, a whistle blows and every single
thing is instantly changed into another.
vi) Apocalypse in 9/8 (Co-Starring the Delicious Talents of Wild
Geese)
At one whistle the lovers become seeds in the soil, where they recognise
other seeds to be people from the world in which they had originated. While
they wait for Spring, they are returned to their old world to see the Apolcalypse
of St. John in full progress. The seven trumpeteers cause a sensation,
the fox keeps throwing sixes, and Pythagoras (a Greek extra) is deliriously
happy as he manages to put exactly the right amount of milk and honey on
his corn flakes.
vii) As Sure as Eggs is Eggs (Aching Mens' Feet)
Above all else an egg is an egg.
'And did those feet ..............' making ends meet.
(I claim no responsibility for the accuracy of this explanation!!)
What Peter Gabriel had to say when interviewed about the song.
"The first sequence was about a scene that happened between me and Jill.... It was one night at Jill's parents' house in Kensington, when everyone had gone to bed... we just stared at each other, and strange things began to happen. We saw other faces in each other, and... I was very frightened, in fact. It was almost as if something else had come in to us, and was using us as a meeting point.
"It was late at night, and we were tired and all the rest, so it was quite easy for us to hallucinate or whatever... we hadn't been drinking or drugging, but... hmmmm... And there was a thing later on when Jill suddenly became a medium. Fortunately, it hasn't happened since, because it terrified her, and me in a sense, because she started spouting in a different voice. We were with John Anthony... and this girl who was an old girlfriend of John was trying to get back at him or something, and she was into magic and that sort of thing. And Jill started speaking in this voice, and it is very strange when someone you live with starts talking with another voice.
"We'd just been talking with John... There's this strange room in the house in Kensington... I can never sleep there. It was decorated in turquoise and purple, which are colours that are both in the high frequency range, and I think that it was like an echo chamber for what was going on. The curtain flew wide open, though there was no wind. And I did feel that I saw figures outside. It was just like a Hammer horror film, except that it was for real... I was shaking like a leaf, and in a cold sweat. And eventually I made a cross with a candlestick and something and held it up to jill when she was talking in this voice"
"Anyway, that's how I got into thinking about good and evil, and forces working against each other. That's the sort of thing that 'Supper's Ready' was... fed on. This was the thing you see. This is why I put into this state of mind really, only because the cross had worked. Ther cross, as a thing, meant nothing to me. I did it because I had seen horror films, and... just anything really that might have worked.
"Often I felt that I could talk to the audience through the band's material, and the audience would understand what I was trying to say, and I would have a release, and a conversation with the audience through that. I was singing my heart out there when I used to sing the 'New Jerusalem'... I was singing for my life. I was saying this is good over evil, and... you know it was an old fashioned gesture, but I meant it, and I was fighting".
Some people may remember that Peter Gabriel used to tell a story before singing some songs - Supper's Ready certainly didn't miss out on this treatment. Here's a transcript of the story as told in 1973 at the Rainbow.
"Old Henry went past the pet shop which was never open, into the park which was never closed, and the park was full of a very smooth, clean, green grass. So Henry took off all his clothes and began rubbing his flesh into the wet, clean, green grass. He accompanied himself with a little tune - it went like this....
"Beneath the ground the dirty brown writhing things called worms interpreted the pitter patter from above as rainfall. Rainfall in worm world means two things, mating and bath time. Both of these experiences were thouroughly enjoyable to the worm colony. Within seconds the entire surface of the park was a mass of dirty, brown, soggy, writhing forms. He was still pleased, old Michael and he began whistling a tune this time to accompany himself......
"Jerusalem Boogie to us perhaps, but to the birds it meant that supper was ready...."
Yes, I know it changes from Henry to Michael but hey, I didn't write it!!
Interestingly enough the recording I have of this gig (made on October 20 1973) includes the fact that Phil Collins (on drums of course!) forgets to start playing when the first tune is reached!!
Walking across the sitting-room, I turn the television off,
Sitting beside you, I look into your eyes
As the sound of motor cars fades in the night time,
I swear I saw your face change, It didn't seem quite right
.... And it's hey babe with your guardian eye's so blue
Hey my Baby don't you know our love is true.
Coming close with our eyes, a distance falls around our bodies.
Out in the garden the moon seems very bright
Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly
The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand
.... And it's hey babe your supper's waiting for you
Hey my baby don't you know oure love is true.
I've been so far from here,
Far from your warm arms,
It's good to feel you again,
It's been a long long time. Hasn't it?
II. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man
I know a farmer who looks after the farm
With water clear, he cares for all his harvest
I know a fireman who looks after the fire.
You, can't you see he's fooled you all.
Yes, he's here again, can't you see he's fooled you all,
Share his peace.
Sign the lease.
He's a supersonic scientist
He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.
Look, look into my mouth he cries
And all the children lost down many paths,
I bet my life, you'll walk inside
Hand in hand
gland in gland
With a spoonful of miracle
He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man
We will rock you, rock you little snake
We will keep you snug and warm.
III. Ikhnaton and Itsacon and their band of merry men
Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest We walked across the fields to see the children of the west But we saw a host of dark skinned warriors Standing still below the ground, Waiting for battle. The fight's begun, they've been released Killing foe for peace.... bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang... And they're giving me a wonderful potion 'Cos I cannot contain my emotion And even though I'm feeling good Something tells me, I'd better activate my prayer capsule Today's the day to celebrate, the foe have met their fate The order for rejoicing and dancing has come from our warlord.
IV. How Dare I Be So Beautiful?
Wandering in the chaos the battle has left
We climb up the mountain of human flesh
To a plateau of green grass, and green trees full of life
A young figure sits still by her pool
He's been stamped "Human Bacon" by some butchery tool
(He is you)
Social security took care of this lad
We watch in reverence, as Narcissus is turned into a flower.
A flower?
If you go down to Willow Farm
to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies
Open your eyes, it's full of surprise, everyone lies
Like the frocks on the Rocks
And the musical box
Oh, there's Mum and Dad, and good and bad,
and everyone's happy to be here.
There's Winston Churchill dressed in drag
he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag.
The frog was a prince, the prince was a brick, the brick was an egg,
and the egg was a bird.
Hadn't you heard?
Yes we're happy as fish, and gorgeous as geese,
and wonderfully clean in the morning.
We've got everything, we're growing everything,
We've got some in
We've got some out
We've got some wild things floating about
Everyone, we're changing everyone,
You name them all
We've had them here
And the real stars are still to appear.
ALL CHANGE!
Feel your body melt;
Mum to mud to mad to Dad
Dad diddley office, dad diddley office
You're all full of ball.
Dad to dam to dum to mum
Mum diddley washing, mum diddley washing
You're all full of ball
Let me hear you lies, we're living this up to the eyes.
Ooee-ooee-ooee-oowaa
Momma I want you now!
And as you listen to my voice
To look for hidden doors, tidy floors, more applause
You've been here all the time
Like it or not, like what you've got,
You're under the soil
Yes deep in the soil
So we'll end with a whistle and end with a bang
And all of us fit in our places.
VI. Apocalypse In 9/8 (Co-Starring
the Delicious
talents Of Gabble Ratchet)
With the guards of Magog, swarming around,
The Pied Piper takes his children underground,
The Dragon's coming out of the sea
With the shimmering head of wisdom looking at me
He brings down the fire from the skies
You can tell he's doing well, by the look in human eyes
You'd better not compromise
It won't be easy.
666 is no longer alone
He's getting out the marrow in your back bone,
And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll
Gonna blow right down inside your soul
Pythagoras with the looking glass, reflecting the full moon
In blood, he's writing the lyrics of a brand new tune
And it's hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue
Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true,
I've been so far from here
Far from your warm arms
Now I'm back again, and baby it's going to work out fine.
VII. As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Mens Feet)
Can't you feel our souls ignite Shedding ever changing colours, in the darkness of the fading night, Like the river joins the ocean, as the germ in seed grows We have finally been freed to get back home. There's an angel standing in the sun, and he's crying with a loud voice, "This is the supper of the mighty one", Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Has returned to lead his children home To take them to the new Jerusalem.