page_title: Selling England by the Pound
section_title: Tour
hierarchical_section_title: Selling England by the Pound / Tour
caption_attribution_description: Peter Gabriel as 'Britannia' performing Dancing With The Moonlit Knight with Genesis; Massey Hall, Toronto, Nov 8th 1973
context_page_description: Selling England by the Pound is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released in October 1973 on Charisma Records. It reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 70 in the U.S. A single from the album, "I Know What I Like", was released in February 1974 and became the band's first top 30 hit in the UK.
  The album was recorded in August 1973 following the tour supporting the previous album, Foxtrot. The group set aside a short period of time to write new material, which covered a number of themes, including the loss of English folk culture and an increased American influence, which was reflected in the title. Following the album's release, the group set out on tour, where they drew an enthusiastic reception from fans.
  Critics and the band have given mixed opinions of the album, though guitarist Steve Hackett has said it is his favourite Genesis record. The album has continued to sell and has reached Gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America. It was remastered for CD in 1994 and 2007.
context_section_description: Genesis supported the album with a tour of Europe and North America from September 1973 to May 1974. Initially they were to perform with a new and more elaborate stage set than before, that included inflatable objects that had images projected onto them, but a change in fire regulations following the Summerland disaster in August 1973 led to the idea being scrapped. Gabriel devised new stories before songs, and wore a full costume with a helmet and shield representing the Britannia character for "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" and sung "The Battle of Epping Forest" with a stocking over his head.
  The tour began with a sold-out tour of the UK, but had to cancel the first date at the Green's Playhouse, Glasgow due to electrical safety issues minutes before its start. The group realised they were substantially in debt and needed better management, so recruited Tony Smith (no relation to Charisma boss Tony Stratton-Smith). In October 1973 a pair of dates in the tour were filmed by Charisma for a possible cinema release, but the plan was rejected by the band who felt the film was not up to standard. Instead, the band performed a five-song set in front of an invited audience at Shepperton Studios that was filmed and broadcast as Tony Stratton-Smith Presents Genesis in Concert. The group returned to the U.S. in December 1973 that included six shows in three nights at The Roxy in Los Angeles, and a performance of "Watcher of the Skies" and "The Musical Box" on the late night television show The Midnight Special. January 1974 saw the band perform five nights at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane which saw Gabriel lifted in the air by a wire during "Supper's Ready".
caption: Peter Gabriel during the Selling England by the Pound tour in 1974, dressed in costume
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