Genesis - Phil Collins
@ philcollins.co.uk
The Early Years
Phil Collins was born to play the drums; of that there is no doubt. His timing, sense of rhythm and sheer inventiveness have given him a unique style and sound, which is instantly recognisable, yet compatible with the many different styles of music he chooses to play.
Born in Chiswick, London on Jan 30th 1951 he got his first drum, one of those noisy tin ones, at the age of 5. His first proper kit came when he was 12, and whether in front of the mirror or the TV he would be drumming along to any music he could.
A natural performer Collins attended stage school, and was soon playing in London's West End as the Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver. The cheeky Cockney image from Dickens camenaturally and would stand him in good stead during his future successes. He soon formed a band called The Real Thing and played his first gigs. He was playing with anyone he could, and eventually joined a group called The Freeholdafter being the only one to reply to their Melody Maker advert. The Freehold saw Collins make his recording debut with a self-penned number called "Lying Crying Dying", the original demo of which has just recently surfaced.
After a while, supporting John Walker of The Walker Brothers, Collins and his guitarist friend Ronnie Caryl formed Hickory who soon found themselves with a concept album, the backing of Phonogram, and a new name, Flaming Youth.
Their album Ark II, was premiered at the London Planetarium and received lots of favourable press, but musical differences and a lack of commercial success soon meant it was time to answer another Melody Maker ad, this time from a struggling young band from Surrey, called Genesis.
Genesis had been gigging up and down the country without much success, and were still recovering from the departure of guitarist Anthony Phillips. They had also decided a change of drummer was required and after an eye opening audition at Peter Gabriel's parents' house, Collins was in.
Playing for a while as a four piece, including the odd gig with Ronnie Caryl on guitar, Genesis soon felt the benefit of their new percussionist, his much needed sense of humour and an unlimited enthusiasm for playing injected a new energy into the group. As Tony Banks said "He was by far the best musician in the band". Then with the arrival of Steve Hackett on guitar the final piece was in place.
The Early Genesis Years
For the next five years Collins played drums, sang, wrote and arranged songs, played sessions, and generally helped Genesis become one of the leading lights in the Progressive rock field. Such classics as "Supper's Ready", "Watcher of the Skies", "The Cinema Show" and "Get 'Em Out by Friday" all bear the trademark Collins feel. The stunning "Apocalypse in 9/8" section from "Supper's Ready" is the group at it's creative peak, and Collins is in there driving it all along. He even had time to join jazz-fusion rockers Brand X, with whom he recorded several albums.
When Gabriel quit the group in 1975, the music press jumped on the 'Genesis to split' bandwagon, the band of course carried on and Collins stepped up to the microphone and ended up sounding more like Gabriel than Gabriel did.
A Trick of the Tail and its follow up Wind and Wuthering, were two well-received and successful albums and put Collins well and truly in the spotlight. By now he was writing more so it was only a matter of time before the solo career arrived.
In 1980 he played drums on Peter Gabriel's third solo album and at the singers request left his cymbals at home. The resulting 'in your face' bombastic drum sound was put to good use by Collins on his debut solo single "In The Air Tonight" released in Jan 81, it raced to no.2 in the UK and achieved a top twenty position in the USA.
His first solo album, Face Value, sold by the truckload and was a number one smash, but again rumours about Genesis splitting up were proved to be wrong. The band decided on a kind of group album then solo album policy, which kept both camps happy. The album made Collins an instant solo star.
In Nov 82 his second album Hello I Must Be Going hit the number 2 spot, and provided him with a number one single, an uptempo cover of the old Supremes song "You Can't Hurry Love". Many old time Genesis fans found all this three minute pop song stuff hard to swallow, but the sales of both band and solo artist kept on rising. And as Collins once said "You don't wear the same clothes you wore ten years ago do you?" Some old Genesis fans obviously did.
The Solo Success
Fow running two parallel careers at once, it seemed Collins was everywhere. He won a Grammy for the song "Against all Odds", scored another hit with "Sussudio" and in Feb 85 he had a chart-topping album on both sides of the Atlantic with 'No Jacket Required'.
For the Live Aid concerts of 1985, he played a set at Wembley Stadium, jumped on The Concorde and flew to America, where he played in the much anticipated but, as it turned out, very disappointing Led Zeppelin reunion. Even Phil couldn't work miracles. He did however stamp his mark all over the Band Aid single "Do They Know its Christmas".
Always wanting to perform with other artists, Collins dueted with Earth Wind and Fire's Phil Bailey for the "Easy Lover" single, which was another UK No.1 in Mar 85. He also had a US No.1 with "Separate Lives", a duet with Marilyn Martin in Sep 85.
In 1986 Genesis scored another multi-million seller with 'Invisible Touch'. A massive world tour, and a string of hit singles followed. Collins was one of the biggest stars around, either with Genesis or on his own.
He starred in the 1988 movie "Buster" and notched up another US. No. 1 single with "Two Hearts". His next solo effort was released the following year, "…But Seriously" was again No.1 everywhere and spawned several more hits, with "Another Day in Paradise" being the biggest.
The Phil Collins live show was all the things he couldn't do with Genesis. Lots of jazzy work outs, plenty of ballads, and no songs about lawnmowers - and he even had his own brass section. The musicianship was of the highest standard, and of course there was plenty of effortless drumming. The ubiquitous live album soon followed, "Serious hits...Live" showed Phil having fun with his band and doing it rather well.
"Both Sides" from Nov 1993 was very much a solo album with Phil playing all the instruments and wearing the producer's hat, it topped the UK charts but peaked at 13 in the US. Genesis then had their biggest ever album. 'We Can't Dance' sold over 15 million copies and they had so many hit singles that some older fans were hanging up their flares in horror. The resulting tour filled the worlds biggest stadiums, and maintained the position as the world's top live act.
In 1996 Collins stunned many fans by announcing his departure from Genesis after 26 years. He decided that a solo career was all he needed, plus the odd soundtrack, world tour etc., and he released another album. "Dance into the Light" had more of a band feel to it, with the odd Gospel tune thrown in for good measure.
His greatest hits, and there was a lot of them, were released as a 'Best Of' in 1998. Put out a few years earlier the sales would have been frightening, but it still put another shiny disc on the studio wall
His love of big band jazz resulted in an album of his own songs rearranged for big band, called, "A Hot Night in Paris" . It swung, got you snapping your fingers, but didn't really trouble the pop charts, though it charted high in the US Billboard Jazz Charts.
Walt Disney asked him in to compose the songs to their latest animated feature "Tarzan", the resulting single, "You'll be in my Heart", was a major US hit and earned him a prestigious Oscar award. They even threw in another Grammy and a Golden Globe. He is currently working on three new Disney projects.
With a new album in the pipeline, and a continued interest in all aspects of his past, Phil Collins has proved that there is no substitute for talent. Not bad for an Artful Dodger from Chiswick. =>>>>>>>>>>>
@ Wiki
Philip David Charles Collins (born January 30, 1951 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock and pop musician. He is best known as the lead singer and drummer of progressive rock group Genesis and as a Grammy and Academy Award-winning solo artist.
Collins sang the lead vocals on eight American chart-toppers between 1984 and 1989; seven as a solo artist and one with Genesis. His singles, often dealing with lost love, ranged from the drum-heavy "In the Air Tonight", to the dance pop of "Sussudio", to the political statements of his most successful song, "Another Day in Paradise". His international popularity transformed Genesis from a progressive rock group to a regular on the pop charts and an early MTV mainstay. Collins's professional career began as a drummer, first with obscure rock group Flaming Youth and then more famously with Genesis. In Genesis, Collins originally supplied only backing vocals for front man Peter Gabriel; it would not be until Gabriel's departure in 1975 that he became the group's lead singer. As the decade closed, Genesis's first international hit, "Follow You, Follow Me", demonstrated a drastic change from the band's early years. His concurrent solo career, heavily influenced by his personal life, brought both him and Genesis commercial success. According to Atlantic Records, Collins's total worldwide sales as a solo artist, as of 2002, were over 100 million
Early life and career
Collins received a toy drum kit for Christmas when he was five. Later, his uncle made him a makeshift one that he used regularly, and his drumming skills improved. As Collins grew they were followed by more complete sets bought by his parents. He practiced by playing alongside the television and radio, and never learned to read and write conventional musical notation; instead, he uses a system he devised himself.
Collins looked for every opportunity to perform. His professional training began at fourteen when he entered Barbara Speake Stage School. He began a career as a child actor and model, and won his first major role as The Artful Dodger in a London production of Oliver!. He appeared in The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night as one of hundreds of screaming teenagers during the climactic concert sequence. Although only an extra in this sequence, Collins receives a close-up all to himself: his mother was the person hired to cast the extras in this sequence, and she arranged for her son to receive a brief close-up in the film. He also auditioned for the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1968).
Despite the beginnings of an acting career, Collins continued to gravitate toward music. While attending Chiswick Community School he formed a band called The Real Thing and later joined The Freehold. With the latter group, he wrote his first song titled "Lying Crying Dying".
Collins's first record deal came as drummer for Flaming Youth, who released a single album, Ark 2 (1969). A concept album inspired by the recent media attention surrounding the moon landing, Ark 2 failed to make much commercial success despite positive critical reviews. Melody Maker featured the album as "Pop Album of the Month", describing it as "adult music beautifully played with nice tight harmonies". The album's main single, "From Now On", failed on the radio. After a year of touring, band tensions and the lack of commercial success dissolved the group. =>>>>>>>>>>>
@ philcollinsfansite.com
Phil Collins' ascent to the status of one of the most successful pop and adult-contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond was probably as much of a surprise to him as it was to many others. Balding and diminutive, Collins was almost 30 years old when his first solo single, "In the Air Tonight" became a #2 hit in his native U.K. (the song was a Top 20 hit in the U.S.).
Between 1984 and 1990, Collins had a string of 13 straight U.S. Top Ten hits. Long before any of that happened, however, Collins was a child actor/singer who appeared as "the Artful Dodger" in the London production of Oliver! in 1964. (He also has a cameo in A Hard Day's Night, among other films.) He got his first break in music at the end of his teens, when he was chosen to be a replacement drummer in the British art-rock band Genesis in 1970. (Collins maintained a separate jazz career with the band Brand X, as well.) Genesis was fronted by singer Peter Gabriel. They had achieved a moderate level of success in the U.K. and the U.S., with elaborate concept albums, before Gabriel abruptly left in 1974. Genesis auditioned 400 singers without success, then decided to let Phil Collins have a go. The result was a gradual simplifying of Genesis' sound and an increasing focus on Collins's expressive, throaty voice. "And Then There Were Three" ... went gold in 1978, and Duke was even more successful.
Collins made his debut solo album Face Value in 1981, which turned out to be a bigger hit than any Genesis album. It concentrated on Collins. Phil Collins' voice, often in stark, haunting contexts such as the piano-and-drum dirge "In the Air Tonight" which sounded like something from John Lennon's debut solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
During the '80s, Phil Collins balanced his continuing solo work with Genesis with enormous success. In 1992, Genesis released "We Can't Dance" and began an extensive tour. Upon its completion, Collins released Both Sides in 1993, and the record became his first album not to produce a major hit single or go multi-platinum. In 1995, he announced that he was leaving Genesis permanently.
The following year, he released Dance into the Light. Although the album was a flop, its subsequent supporting tour was a success. The Hits collection followed in 1998, and a year later Phil Collins made his first big band record, Hot Night in Paris.
Walt Disney asked him in to compose the songs to their latest animated feature "Tarzan", the resulting single, "You'll be in my Heart", was a major US hit and earned him a prestigious Oscar award. They even threw in another Grammy and a Golden Globe. He is also working on three new Disney projects which included the soundtrack for the movie "Brother Bear" that was released October 21, 2003.
With his album - titled "Testify", a smash hit ("Can't Stop Loving You") to add to his collection, and a continued interest in all aspects of his past, Phil Collins has proved that there is no substitute for talent. Not bad for an Artful Dodger from Chiswick. Phil was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in June 2003 at the 34th Annual Award and Induction Ceremony in New York City. Phil Collins has also recently completed a 2004 world tour which was called the 'First Final Farewell Tour'. The tour included dates in Europe and the United States. In 2005 he will be touring in Europe and Asia. Phil has also vowed that "there'll be no "going back" over old ground... at least unless there's a special reason." =>>>>>>>>>>>
William Ruhlmann @ Allmusic
Phil Collins' ascent to the status of one of the most successful pop and adult-contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond was probably as much of a surprise to him as it was to many others. Balding and diminutive, Collins was almost 30-years old when his first solo single, "In the Air Tonight," became a number two hit in his native U.K. (the song was a Top 20 hit in the U.S.). Between 1984 and 1990, Collins had a string of 13 straight U.S. Top Ten hits.
Long before any of that happened, however, Collins was a child actor/singer who appeared as The Artful Dodger in the London production of Oliver! in 1964. (He also has a cameo in A Hard Day's Night, among other films.) He got his first break in music at the end of his teens, when he was chosen to be a replacement drummer in the British art-rock band Genesis in 1970. (Collins maintained a separate jazz career with the band Brand X, as well.) Genesis was fronted by singer Peter Gabriel. They had achieved a moderate level of success in the U.K. and the U.S., with elaborate concept albums, before Gabriel abruptly left in 1974. Genesis auditioned 400 singers without success, then decided to let Collins have a go.
The result was a gradual simplifying of Genesis' sound and an increasing focus on Collins' expressive, throaty voice. And Then There Were Three. . . went gold in 1978, and Duke was even more successful. Collins made his debut solo album Face Value in 1981, which turned out to be a bigger hit than any Genesis album. It concentrated on Collins' voice, often in stark, haunting contexts such as the piano-and-drum dirge "In the Air Tonight," which sounded like something from John Lennon's debut solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
During the '80s, Collins balanced his continuing solo work with Genesis with enormous success. In 1992, Genesis released We Can't Dance and began an extensive tour. Upon its completion Collins released Both Sides in 1993, and the record became his first album not to produce a major hit single or go multi-platinum. In 1995, he announced that he was leaving Genesis permanently. The following year, he released Dance Into the Light. Although the album was a flop, its subsequent supporting tour was a success. The Hits collection followed in 1998, and a year later Collins made his first big-band record, Hot Night in Paris. =>>>>>>>>>>>
Phill Collins and Grammy Award
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