Steam (Peter Gabriel song)

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"Steam"
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Us
Released4 January 1993 (1993-01-04)[1]
GenreFunk rock[2]
Length
  • 6:03 (album version)
  • 5:19 (video edit)
  • 4:45 (radio edit)
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"Digging in the Dirt"
(1992) 		"Steam"
(1993) 		"Blood of Eden"
(1993)
Music video
"Steam" on YouTube

"Steam" is a song by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, released in December 1992 by Geffen Records as the second single from his sixth album, Us (1992). Gabriel, who wrote the song and produced it with Daniel Lanois, has said that the song is about a relationship in which the woman is sophisticated, bright, cultured, and knows everything about anything while the man knows nothing about anything; however, he does know about the woman, and she does not know much about herself.[3][4]

"Steam" reached number ten on the UK Singles Chart, number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Canada the single became a number-one hit, topping the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart on the week of 27 February 1993, replacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" after a 10-week run. "Steam" also charted within the top 10 in Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand and Portugal.

An alternative version of this song called "Quiet Steam" was a B-side on the "Digging in the Dirt" single. It is a very lo-fi take on the popular version that appeared on the album. On Secret World Live, "Steam" is preceded for a minute or so by the "Quiet Steam" version.

Critical reception[edit]

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, that the correspondingly ingenious video for "Steam" "will propel this into the Top 10."[5] Alec Foege from Spin felt that 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'."[6] Mike Joyce from The Washington Post viewed it as "such sure-fire Top 40 ammo" and "a likable (if shamelessly obvious) sequel" to Gabriel's 1986 hit 'Sledgehammer'.[7]

Music video[edit]

The surreal music video for "Steam" was directed by Stephen R. Johnson, who also directed the videos for Gabriel's earlier hits "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time". The director said he wanted to cram the video with as many "things" as possible.[8] The video features digital imagery and numerous instances of sexual symbolism.[9] This video was later shown on the 1994 video, Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0.[10]

Awards and nominations[edit]

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[edit]

All songs written by Peter Gabriel.[11]

  1. "Steam" (LP version) – 6:02
  2. "Games Without Frontiers" (Massive / DB mix) – 5:19
  3. "Steam" (Oh, Oh, Let Off Steam mix 12") – 6:44
  4. "Steam" (Oh, Oh, Let Off Steam mix dub) – 5:44

Personnel[edit]

Producers

Musicians

Charts[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  2. ^ Randall, Mac (10 July 2002). "Gabriel, Beck and Miller Struggle With Gravity". The New York Observer. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  3. ^ All About us video compilation, Peter Gabriel, 1993 (VHS format only)
  4. ^ All about... us Archived 16 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine header Steam
  5. ^ Masterton, James (10 January 1993). "Week Ending January 16th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  6. ^ Foege, Alec (October 1992). "Spins". Spin. p. 110. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  7. ^ Joyce, Mike (27 September 1992). "Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters & Sinead: Ambitious Angst". The Washington Post. p. G03.
  8. ^ Peter Gabriel, "Steam". Pop-Up Video. VH1.
  9. ^ "Peter Gabriel - Steam". YouTube. 9 April 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Computer Animation Festival Vol. 2.0". YouTube. 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  11. ^ McDonald, Steven. "Steam – Peter Gabriel". Allmusic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  12. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1789." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1729." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6. 6 February 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  17. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6. 6 February 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12.–18. Mars 1993)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 11 March 1993. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  20. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Steam". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 7. 13 February 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Peter Gabriel – Steam". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  26. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  27. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  28. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  30. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  31. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  32. ^ "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 January 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
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