The Silent Sun

"The Silent Sun" (album title "Silent Sun") is the debut single by English rock band Genesis. It was written by Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel when the band's producer, Jonathan King, first discovered them, before he decided to produce an entire album, a heavy investment. Knowing that King was a fan of the Bee Gees, Banks and Gabriel wrote the song specifically to capture his attention. The song was released as a single on 2 February 1968. They would soon begin work on their debut album, From Genesis to Revelation.

"The Silent Sun" is a fusion of folk rock and pop rock. The heavy use of orchestral strings and lightweight romantic lyrics make this song different from the progressive music on Genesis' second album, Trespass. The song, like most of From Genesis to Revelation, has not appeared on any Genesis compilation or live album.

It was reissued in very limited quantities in July 2006 as a CD-single under the title "The Silent Sun 2006", with "When the Sour Turns to Sweet 2006" as its B-side. The versions on this CD-single are remix/remaster versions, also available on the 2006 reissue of the band's 1969 debut album. Since this is the last official single release by Genesis, this makes "The Silent Sun" both the debut and the final single released by Genesis.

Personnel

 * Tony Banks – piano, backing vocals
 * Peter Gabriel – lead vocals
 * Anthony Phillips – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
 * Mike Rutherford – bass, backing vocals
 * Chris Stewart – drums


 * Additional personnel
 * Arthur Greenslade – orchestral arrangements