Peter Gabriel is set to release a new album early Spring next year. The album, the first in seven years, of the former Genesis frontman will be an all-star collaborative ’song swap’. Radiohead is included in the project.

John Metcalfe, who worked on some orchestral reinterpretations for the record, revealed to 6 Music that the record is currently being mixed. He said the ‘Scratch My Back project has some “extremely legendary artists” cover each others’ songs. The project had its first outing at WOMAD festival when Gabriel and a string section performed Paul Simon’s The Boy In The Bubble.

Metcalfe said: “I’m not allowed to say who, just yet, but there are some very, very famous singers and bands involved. It sounds amazing, even though I say it myself. It is literally Peter with an orchestra, sometimes the orchestra is quite large, then there are some more chamber music-style, sparse songs But the songs are not simply covers, they are quite major reinterpretations of some famous stuff. It’s quite radical and we’re hoping that people really get it and enjoy it,” he explained.

The album, recorded with producer Bob Ezrin at London’s Air Studios in July, is acoustic, with no guitars, drums or world instruments. Radiohead’s ‘Street Spirit’ is included, but it’s not clear who performed on the track. Other tracks on the record include Heroes (Bowie), The Book of Live (Magnetic Fields), Flume (Bon Iver), My Body Is A Cage (Arcade Fire), Listening Wind (Talking Heads), Waterloo Sunset (The Kinks) and Philadelphia (Neil Young).
[Edited 10/29/09 17:36pm]

so if it's a "song swap" is it safe to assume that the people he's covering are also covering him?

errant said:

i think so..

i hope peter is on there alot.. it takes so long to get a release out of him.

Hmmm.
Not exactly the PG release I was looking for but at this point I'll take what I can get.
Where is I/O? Or whatever his next proper solo album is gonna be called.