Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats

The tracks are creatively re-ordered, ignoring chronology. Some of the tracks were different from the album versions. New parts were recorded for several tracks in Gabriel's Real World Studios. Most songs are edited for time, either as radio, single, or video edit versions. "Shakin' the Tree"—a track from Youssou N'Dour's 1989 album The Lion—is a 1990 version featuring new vocals from Gabriel (and slightly revised title). "I Have the Touch" is listed as a 1983 remix, although it is actually the 1985 remix which appeared on the "Sledgehammer" single. (The 1985 remix is similar to the 1983 remix, which appeared as the B-side of the "Walk Through the Fire" single, but is edited down to 3m 45s)^[8]

"Here Comes the Flood" is a new recording from 1990. This version is a piano and voice arrangement, that is far simpler than the highly produced version on Peter Gabriel (1977). Its sparseness is closer to the version Gabriel recorded with Robert Fripp on Fripp's Exposure (1979). In interviews, Gabriel has said that he preferred the 1979 version, which he also chose to overdub in German as the flipside of the single "Biko" released before Ein deutsches Album (1980).^[9]

Although this album highlights songs from Peter Gabriel's earlier albums, tracks from Peter Gabriel (II, or Scratch) and the soundtrack to the film Birdy are not included.^[8] "In Your Eyes" is missing from the compilation.^[7] Say Anything..., in which it was played in a prominent scene, had been released the year before. Although this made "In Your Eyes" perhaps the most well known Peter Gabriel song aside from "Sledgehammer" in the U.S., it was not released as a single in Peter Gabriel's UK homeland. "In Your Eyes" was therefore omitted from the album in favour of five of the other eight tracks from So – four other hits and the album track "Mercy Street".

Tracks marked with (*) do not appear on the vinyl release of the album.

"Solsbury Hill"

• Bob Ezrin – production
• Larry Fast – synthesizer
• Robert Fripp – guitar
• Peter Gabriel – vocals
• Steve Hunter – guitar
• Tony Levin – bass guitar
• Alan Schwartzberg – drums

"I Don't Remember" (Edited version)

• Larry Fast – processing
• Robert Fripp – guitar
• Peter Gabriel – piano, synthesizer, vocals, and production
• Tony Levin – Chapman Stick
• Jerry Marrotta – drums
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Peter Walsh – production

"Sledgehammer" (Single edit)

• P.P. Arnold – backing vocals
• Peter Gabriel – Fairlight CMI, Prophet, piano, vocals, production
• Carol Gordon – backing vocals
• Manu Katche – drums
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet
• Daniel Lanois – production
• Tony Levin – bass guitar
• Dee Lewis – backing vocals
• Don Mikkelsen – trombone
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Mark Rivera – saxophone

"Family Snapshot"

• Larry Fast – synthesizer
• Phil Collins – snare drum
• Peter Gabriel – piano, vocals
• John Giblin – bass guitar
• Dave Gregory – guitar
• Steve Lillywhite – production
• Jerry Marrotta – drums
• Dick Morrissey – saxophone
• David Rhodes – guitar

"Mercy Street" (Edited version)

• Djalma Correa – surdu, congas, and triangle
• Peter Gabriel – Fairlight CMI, Prophet, piano, CS80, vocals, and production
• Larry Klein – bass guitar
• Daniel Lanois – production
• Mark Rivera – processed saxophone

"Shaking the Tree" (1990 remix)

• George Acogny – Fairlight CMI percussion
• Roger Bolton – Fairlight CMI percussion and sequencing
• Simon Clark – organ, piano, keyboard bass, and synthesizer
• Habib Faye – bass guitar, guitar
• Peter Gabriel – vocals and re-recorded vocals
• Manu Katche – drums
• Youssou N'Dour – vocals
• David Rhodes – acoustic and electric guitar

"Don't Give Up" (Edited version)

• Peter Gabriel – chant, vocals, CMI, Prophet, piano, production
• Kate Bush – vocals, chant
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Tony Levin – bass guitar
• Simon Clark – chorus CS 80
• Richard Tee – piano
• Daniel Lanois – production

"San Jacinto"

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• David Lord – production

"Here Comes the Flood" (1990 re-recording)

• Peter Gabriel – piano, vocals, and production

"Red Rain"

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• Daniel Lanois – production

"Games Without Frontiers" (Single edit)

• Steve Lillywhite – production
• Kate Bush – background vocals

"Shock the Monkey" (Radio edit)

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• David Lord – production

"I Have the Touch" (1983 remix)

• Peter Gabriel – keyboards, vocals, and production
• David Lord – production
• Simon Phillips – drums
• James Guthrie – remix engineer

"Big Time"

• Peter Gabriel – vocals, production
• Daniel Lanois – production

"Zaar" (Edited version)

• Peter Gabriel – production

"Biko" (Edited version)

• Steve Lillywhite – production

Additional

• Alexander Knaust – styling and photography assistance
• Robert Mapplethorpe – photography
• Mouat Nomad, London – design