Big Blue Ball

Drawn from musicians hailing from numerous nations across the globe, the Big Blue Ball endeavor first coalesced during the early 1990s and reached completion as a complete album only in 2008. Peter Gabriel served as producer alongside Karl Wallinger, known for his work with World Party and the Waterboys, and Stephen Hague, recognized from his collaborations with New Order and the Pet Shop Boys. The recording process originated in 1991 at Real World Studios in England, Gabriel’s own facility. Participating vocalists over the years encompassed Sinéad O’Connor from Ireland, Tim Finn from New Zealand, Natacha Atlas from Belgium, Papa Wemba from Congo, Joseph Arthur from the United States, Iarla Ó Lionáird from Ireland, Hukwe Zawose from Tanzania, Márta Sebestyén from Hungary, along with additional voices. Instrumental contributors featured American guitarist Vernon Reid, American producer and multi-instrumentalist Tchad Blake, Cameroonian singer and multi-instrumentalist Francis Bebey, British guitarist Justin Adams, British bassist Jah Wobble, American guitarist Wendy Melvoin, Japanese percussionist Joji Hirota, Spanish guitarist Juan Cañizares, French drummer Manu Katché, and numerous further artists. When Real World Records, Gabriel’s own imprint, finally issued the project in 2008—fully seventeen years after the sessions commenced—Big Blue Ball achieved notable international success, reaching a peak position of number 12 on the French albums chart.