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Steam (Peter Gabriel song)

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"Steam"
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Us
ReleasedDecember 1992 (1992-12)
GenreFunk rock[1]
Length
  • 6:03 (album version)
  • 5:19 (video edit)
  • 4:45 (radio edit)
Label
SongwriterPeter Gabriel
Producers
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Digging in the Dirt"
(1992)		 "Steam"
(1992)		 "Blood of Eden"
(1993)
Music video
"Steam" on YouTube

"Steam" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released as the second single from his sixth album, Us (1992). The single was issued in the United States in December 1992 and in the United Kingdom the following month. It charted in several countries, including the UK, where it reached number 10, and in Canada, where it reached number one. In the United States, it became Gabriel's final top-40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 32. Gabriel performed "Steam" on his 1993–1994 Secret World Tour; a live recording from this tour was included on his Secret World Live album. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Stephen R. Johnson.

Background

[edit]

Gabriel has said that "Steam" is about a relationship in which the woman is sophisticated, bright, cultured, and knows everything about anything, whereas the man knows nothing about anything; however, he does know about the woman, and she does not know much about herself.[2][3] He mentioned that the song had an "obvious sexual reference" and was derived from an abandoned idea from his third solo album with Steve Lilywhite, which was later transformed into the album track "And Through the Wire".[4][5]

On "Steam", Tony Levin played the bass part with set of drum sticks called funk fingers, which he attached to his digits to achieve a more percussive tone. Levin first used the technique on Gabriel's song "Big Time".[6] The chorus of "Steam" features sixth chords played on the guitar by Leo Nocentelli.[7]

In a 1992 interview, Gabriel mentioned that he advocated against the idea of releasing "Steam" as the first single from Us. He called it the only song on the album that was "backward looking" and worried that it would be dismissed as a retread of "Sledgehammer".[5] An alternative version of this song called "Quiet Steam" was a B-side on the "Digging in the Dirt" single. It is a lo-fi take on the version that appeared on Us without any brass instruments.[8] Gabriel said that the removal of these instruments "straight away makes it a song without any 'Sledgehammer' references".[5] On Secret World Live, "Steam" is preceded by the "Quiet Steam" version.[9] Both "Quiet Steam" and "Steam" were part of the set list for Gabriel's 1993–1994 Secret World Tour.

Release

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"Steam" initially received airplay on US album oriented rock radio stations in late 1992. Radio & Records reported that it was among the most added songs in that format in its 6 November 1992 edition of the publication.[10] In December, "Steam" was released as a retail single, with the CD edition including remixes from David Bottrill and the the Bomb Squad.[11] During the week ending 19 December 1992, "Steam" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 80.[12] The following month, it peaked at number 32 on that listing.[13] "Steam" also reached number 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 2 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.[14][15]

Music Week mentioned in its 26 December 1992 edition of the publication that "Steam" would be released by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom on 4 January 1993. According to the publication, advertising was slated to take place in retail stores including Woolworths, Our Price, and HMV, with the latter also including the song in single ads in Melody Maker and NME.[16] "Steam" debuted at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number 10 the following week.[17] In Canada, the single topped the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart on the week of 27 February 1993, replacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" after an eight-week run.[18] "Steam" also charted within the Top 10 in Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand and Portugal.

Critical reception

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Reviewing the song for Cash Box, Randy Clark said that "Steam" resembled Gabriel's previous singles "Big Time" and "Sledgehammer".[11] Mike Joyce from The Washington Post named it "such sure-fire Top 40 ammo" and "a likable (if shamelessly obvious) sequel" to Gabriel's 1986 hit "Sledgehammer".[19] Alec Foege from Spin felt the song, "with its pressure-cooked chorus (Give me steam / And how you feel can make you real) and greasy organ riff, practically parodies Prince's 'Cream'."[20]

Writing for Music Week, Alan Jones called "Steam" "more upbeat [and] less adventurous" than Gabriel's previous single, "Digging in the Dirt".[21] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, that the correspondingly ingenious video for "Steam" "will propel this into the Top 10."[22] Dave Morrison of Select magazine felt that "Steam" came the closest to achieving "raw excitement" on Us with its "horn-propelled" arrangement.[23]

Music video

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The music video for "Steam" was directed by Stephen R. Johnson, who also directed the videos for Gabriel's earlier hits "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time". Johnson said he wanted to cram the video with as many "things" as possible.[24] The music video features digital imagery and numerous instances of sexual symbolism.[25] Gabriel suggested the idea of appearing with a fake muscular physique in the music video, saying that "it was a lot quicker to put on a body like that than actually building up in a gym. I didn't quite have the discipline for that."[26] Douglas Jines, who edited the music video for "Steam", won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. At the same awards ceremony, the song also won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects.[27] The music video was later shown on the 1994 video Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0.[28]

Awards and nominations

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1993 MTV Video Music Award Best Male Video Nominated
Best Visual Effects Won
Best Editing Won
1994 Grammy Award Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance Nominated
Best Music Video Won

Track listing

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All songs written by Peter Gabriel.[29]

US CD Maxi (Geffen-GEFDM-21820)

  1. "Steam" (LP version) – 6:01
  2. "Games Without Frontiers" (Massive / DB mix) – 5:18
  3. "Steam" (Oh, Oh, Let Off Steam mix 12") – 6:40
  4. "Steam" (Oh, Oh, Let Off Steam mix dub) – 5:42

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States December 1992 Commercial Geffen
United Kingdom 4 January 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [53]
Australia 18 January 1993
  • CD1
  • cassette
 [54]
Japan 27 January 1993 CD [55]
Australia 30 January 1993 CD2 [56]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Randall, Mac (10 July 2002). "Gabriel, Beck and Miller Struggle With Gravity". The New York Observer. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  2. ↑ All About us video compilation, Peter Gabriel, 1993 (VHS format only)
  3. ↑ All about... us Archived 16 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine header Steam
  4. ↑ "Peter Gabriel Geffen Press Kit" (Press release). Geffen Records. 1992. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Gabriel, Peter (1992). "Peter Gabriel (1992)" (Interview). Interviewed by Sweeting, Adam. Retrieved 18 September 2025 – via Rock's Backpages.
  6. ↑ DeRiso, Nick (22 September 2011). "Tony Levin on "Big Time," "Thrak," "Late in the Evening" + others: Gimme Five". Something Else!. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Holm-Hudson, Kevin (2010). "How Peter Gabriel Got His Mozo Working". In Drewett, Michael; Hill, Sarah; Karki, Kimi (eds.). Peter Gabriel, From Genesis to Growing Up (2nd ed.). Routledge (published 2016). p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7546-6521-2.
  8. ↑ Scarfe, Graeme (2021). Peter Gabriel: Every Album, Every Song. United Kingdom: SonicBond. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-78952-138-2.
  9. ↑ Bowman, Durrell (2 September 2016). Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 161. ISBN 9781442252004.
  10. ↑ "AOR Tracks" (PDF). Radio & Records. 6 November 1992. p. 66. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via World Radio History.
  11. 1 2 Clark, Randy (19 December 1992). "Music Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. 56, no. 17. p. 5. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via World Radio History.
  12. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 19 December 1992. p. 72. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via World Radio History.
  13. 1 2 "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  15. 1 2 "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "Ad Focus" (PDF). Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 8 May 2026 – via World Radio History.
  17. ↑ "Steam | by Peter Gabriel". Official Charts. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Evans, Tim (27 February 1993). "Charts" (PDF). RPM. p. 10. Retrieved 8 May 2026 – via World Radio History.
  19. ↑ Joyce, Mike (27 September 1992). "Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters & Sinead: Ambitious Angst". The Washington Post. p. G03.
  20. ↑ Foege, Alec (October 1992). "Spins". Spin. p. 110. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  21. ↑ Jones, Alan (26 December 1992). "Market Preview: Next Week's Essential Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 7. Retrieved 8 May 2026 – via World Radio History.
  22. ↑ Masterton, James (10 January 1993). "Week Ending January 16th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  23. ↑ Morrison, Dave (November 1992). "Peter Gabriel | Us". Select. p. 79. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  24. ↑ Peter Gabriel, "Steam". Pop-Up Video. VH1.
  25. ↑ Easlea, Daryl (2014). Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel. London, UK: Omnibus Press. pp. 291–292. ISBN 978-1-4683-0964-5.
  26. ↑ McIver, Joel (22 October 2007). "Angelic Gabriel". Record Collector. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  27. ↑ Russell, Deborah (11 September 1993). "Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy' Wins Top Honors At MTV Awards" (PDF). Billboard. p. 88. Retrieved 15 October 2025 – via World Radio History.
  28. ↑ "Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0". YouTube. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  29. ↑ McDonald, Steven. "Steam – Peter Gabriel". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  30. ↑ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  31. ↑ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  32. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 1789". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018. [dead link]
  33. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 1729". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018. [dead link]
  34. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6. 6 February 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  35. ↑ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6. 6 February 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  36. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  37. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12.–18. Mars 1993)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 11 March 1993. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  38. ↑ "Steam | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  39. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  40. ↑ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  41. ↑ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  42. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7. 13 February 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  43. ↑ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  44. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 23/1/1993 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  45. ↑ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 30 January 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  46. ↑ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  47. ↑ "National Airplay Overview" (PDF). R&R Radio & Records. 12 February 1993. p. 88. Retrieved 9 August 2025 – via World Radio History.
  48. ↑ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved 24 March 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  49. ↑ "1993 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Hit Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 17. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  50. ↑ "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 January 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  51. ↑ "Airplay Top 50 1993" (PDF). Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 41. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  52. 1 2 "The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. 25 December 1993. p. YE-39.
  53. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  54. ↑ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 18/01/93: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 154. 17 January 1993. p. 20.
  55. ↑ "ピーター・ガブリエル | スティーム" [Peter Gabriel | Steam] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  56. ↑ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 30/01/93: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 156. 31 January 1993. p. 21.
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