The memory remains

Sometimes, I wish I could get away with an out and out lie like this song. It's a bit too late for the people who know me, though. Maybe next time.

I love this song for one very personal reason, and also for the thrill that it gives my inner music geek to note that Peter Gabriel evolved this song through three iterations. Here is what I believe is the original:

I Don't Remember (live) - Peter Gabriel (1978)



Then there's the version from the third self titled CD (also known as Melt; this version is also the version on the Shaking The Tree greatest hits compilation album):

I Don't Remember - Peter Gabriel (1980)

I Dont Remember - Peter Gabriel


And finally the version used for the official video, which was actually taken from the Peter Gabriel: Plays Live album from 1983, the same year that I believe the video was made. If you listen to the opening, you can hear the differences in drum beat and synth use, and later on hear Gabriel's voice inflections being more upwards in the video/[studio cleaned] live version, compared to the downwards end notes in the album version:

I Don't Remember - Peter Gabriel (1983)



(Oh, nice! I was trying to confirm the accuracy of the years, seeing how I was going from memory and all (hah!), and came across this. Excellent site for the diehard Peter Gabriel fan. Even if you're not a big Gabriel fan, the section on the CDs and songs is excellent reading for the general music (and album liners!) lover.

P.S. I got the years right.)