- Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
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"Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" Song by Genesis from the album Selling England by the Pound Released 12th October, 1973 Recorded August 1973 Genre Progressive rock Length 8:02 Label Charisma (UK)
Atlantic/Charisma (U.S.)Writer Tony Banks/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel/Steve Hackett/Mike Rutherford Producer Genesis & John Burns Selling England by the Pound track listing "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight"
(1)"I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)"
(2)"Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" is the first track on the Genesis album Selling England by the Pound, released in 1973.
The a cappella voice of Peter Gabriel opens the track. Then, the song progressively gets louder and more upbeat, becoming a powerful rock number. This song is notable in that it is one of several tracks where Tony Banks used his newly-acquired Mellotron M400; toward the middle of the song the 8 Voice choir is featured prominently, and in the closing section the strings are used. It is also of special mention particularly that guitarist Steve Hackett used the tapping and sweep-picking techniques on this song.
Peter Gabriel in the costume, "Britannia", worn during "Dancing with The Moonlit Knight" 1974
The lyrics are an ironic commentary on contemporary England that employs references to English staples like Wimpy hamburgers and Green Shield Stamps. The reference "chewing through your Wimpey dreams" is, at least, a double allusion - by sound to Wimpy hamburgers and by spelling to Wimpey Homes and the notion of a dream house. The latter reference has some echoes with the theme of "Get 'Em Out by Friday" from Foxtrot. The album was named after a lyric in this song.The song's melody is repeated in a different form at the closing of "The Cinema Show". The beats of the melody are shifted backwards once.
The album's closing song, "Aisle of Plenty", is a reprise of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight". This gives the album a book-end effect, a technique that was used to great effect on later albums like A Trick of the Tail and Duke.
The line "Paperlate, cried a voice in the crowd" was alluded to in the title of the band's 1982 song Paperlate.
Personnel
- Peter Gabriel: vocals, flute, oboe, bass drum, tambourine
- Steve Hackett: electric and acoustic guitars
- Mike Rutherford: bass and acoustic guitar, bass pedals
- Tony Banks: ARP Pro Soloist, Mellotron, Hammond organ, piano
- Phil Collins: Drums, percussion
External links
- Song analysis by George Starostin
Categories:- Genesis (band) songs
- 1973 songs
- Songs written by Peter Gabriel
- Songs written by Phil Collins
- 1970s rock song stubs
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