▁first ▁two ▁solo ▁albums ▁and ▁his ▁last ▁two ▁albums ▁with ▁Gen esis . ▁Upon ▁hearing ▁mix es ▁of ▁session ▁t apes ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Atlantic ▁A & R ▁executive ▁John ▁Kal od ner ▁de emed ▁the ▁album ▁not ▁commercial ▁enough ▁for ▁release , ▁and ▁recommended ▁Atlantic ▁drop ▁Gabriel ▁from ▁their ▁ro ster . ▁ ▁" At l antic ▁Records ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁put ▁it ▁out ▁at ▁all ," ▁Gabriel ▁told ▁Mark ▁Bla ke . ▁" Ah met ▁Er te gun ▁said , ▁' What ▁do ▁people ▁in ▁America ▁care ▁about ▁this ▁gu y ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ?' ▁and ▁' Has ▁Peter ▁been ▁in ▁a ▁mental ▁hospital ?' ▁because ▁there ▁was ▁this ▁very ▁weird ▁track ▁called ▁' L ead ▁a ▁Normal ▁Life '. ▁They ▁thought ▁I ' d ▁had ▁a ▁break down ▁and ▁recorded ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁c rap   ... ▁I ▁thought ▁I ' d ▁really ▁found ▁myself ▁on ▁that ▁record , ▁and ▁then ▁someone ▁just ▁squ ash es ▁it . ▁I ▁went ▁through ▁some ▁prim ord ial ▁re jection ▁issues ." ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁album ▁was ▁released ▁by ▁Mercur y ▁several ▁months ▁later , ▁Kal od ner ▁– ▁now ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁Ge ffen ▁Records ▁label ▁and ▁having ▁real ised ▁his ▁mistake ▁– ▁arranged ▁for ▁Ge ffen ▁to ▁purs ue ▁Gabriel ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁first ▁artist ▁sign ings . ▁ ▁Ge ffen ▁( at ▁the ▁time ▁distributed ▁by ▁Atlantic ▁sister ▁label ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁Records ) ▁re iss ued