Dancing with the Moonlit Knight

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“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight”
Song by Genesis
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.

The lyrics are an ironic commentary on contemporary England that employs references to English staples like Wimpy hamburgers and Green Shield Stamps.

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, an effect that was used to great effect on later albums like A Trick of the Tail and Duke.

[edit] Personnel

• Peter Gabriel: Vocals, flute, oboe, tambourine and bass drum
• Steve Hackett: Electric and acoustic guitars
• Mike Rutherford: Bass, acoustic guitar and bass pedals
• Phil Collins: drums
• Tony Banks: Mellotron, Arp Pro-Soloist, piano and Hammond organ