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MEMORIES:
kendra remembers...Phil Collins was the man! People try to hate,but he had a lot of hits.He was definitely one of my ... More »
Posted on 02/29/08
CATCH PHRASE:
“I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord…
I’ve been waiting for this moment, all my life, oh lord…”
“In The Air Tonight” – Phil Collins
Phil Collins. Where to begin, really? There’s no doubt the man was meant to play the drums. After four decades of performing, he’s developed an instantly recognizable sound that has carried him through careers in bands, most famously with Genesis, a successful solo career, and a career as an arranger and songwriter, even appearing in a number of films along the way. Phil Collins took this genius on to win Grammys, Oscars and Golden Globes (oh my!) for his work, delighting hundreds of millions of music lovers along the way.
Born in Chiswick, London in 1951, he started off with a noisy tin drum, then graduated to a proper drum kit when it was 12. A natural performer, Collins looked for every chance to perform. He entered Barbara Speake Stage School at 14, and won the role of The Artful Dodger in a London production of Oliver! And for the pop culture trivia buffs, Phil Collins also appeared in The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night as an extra in a crowd scene. Even with the promising start of an acting career, Collins began to drift toward music. After forming various bands throughout school, he landed a record deal as a part of Flaming Youth, who released only one album, Ark 2. The concept album failed to catch on with listeners, despite positive critical reviews. The band fizzled after tensions arose, and soon Collins was looking for his next gig.
In 1970 Collins responded to a Melody Maker, a British weekly music paper, classified ad for Genesis. They were looking to replace a drummer, and after an outstanding audition at the home of Peter Gabriel’s parents, Collins won the audition. Though his role in the first few years of being with Genesis would be primarily as a drummer and occasionally performing as a backing vocalist, he did sing lead vocals for two tracks, “For Absent Friends,” on the album Nursery Cryme and “More Fool Me,” from Selling England by the Pound. Classic Genesis tunes, like the 23-minute long “Supper’s Ready,” the Arthur C. Clarke-inspired “Water of the Skies” and “The Cinema Show” all bear Collins’ signature sound.
The following year, after the tour to support Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Peter Gabriel left the band to pursue a solo career. After searching for a new vocalist, the band decided on Collins. Their first Collins-led album 1976’s A Trick of the Tail went into the American Top 40 charts, and climbed to #3 in the U.K., turning the potential disaster into a complete success. At the same time, Collins was performing in a jazz fusion group called Brand X. They recorded their first album with Collins, Unorthodox Behaviour, however Collins’ priorities were with Genesis, so he didn’t perform on all their albums and tours. His time with Brand X, however, brought a lasting influence into his work. Collins credits the band as his first use of a drum machine and his first time experimenting with a home 8-track tape deck.
The Genesis follow-up to A Trick of the Tail, late 1976’s Wind & Wuthering was also well-received and put Collins into the spotlight. He began writing more, and the band’s 1978 release And Then There Were Three… kept with the progressive rock sound, and gave them their first commercial hit single, reaching the UK Top 1, and the US Top 40 with “Follow You, Follow Me.”
Throughout the 80s, Genesis continued along a string of successful albums, Duke (1980), Abacab (1981), Genesis (1983) and Invisible Touch (1986). The title track from Invisible Touch made it to #1 on the Billboard charts, the only Genesis song to make it that far. During this time, Collins began to focus on his own career, and had his hands full with his personal life, reflected in his solo debut, 1981’s Face Value. His second solo effort, Hello, I Must Be Going! seemed to also come from these frustrations. Songs like “I Don’t Care Anymore” and “Like China” came with a dark presence and a heavy drum sound. Face Value went on to become a critical and commercial success, buoyed with lighter fare, such as the jazzy remake of the Genesis song “Behind the Lines.” Hello, I Must Be Going! reached #2 on the charts and came with a #1 single, a cover of the Supremes’ hit “You Can’t Hurry Love.”
With Genesis and his solo career going at full-speed, it seemed like Phil Collins was everywhere. He was asked to write the title track for the 1984 film, Against All Odds. The emotional ballad went straight to number #1 in the U.S. and the movie’s soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy. That same year, he produced Chinese Wall for Philip Bailey, performing a duet for the song “Easy Lover” which went to #2 in the US, and spent considerable time at #1 in the U.K. At the end of 1984, Collins participated in the Band Aid charity project, and played drums on the Band Aid single “Feed The World (Do They Know It’s Christmas).” In 1985, he hopped onto two stages at Live Aid, first playing at Wembley Stadium in London, England, then hopping on a Concorde to perform solo and with Led Zeppelin for the portion in Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium. Phil Collins’ star was bigger and brighter than ever. He was playing drums on singles for Robert Plant and Tina Turner, as well as producing and playing drums on Eric Clapton’s Behind the Sun, and got his face on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Also in 1985, he released his most successful album to date, No Jacket Required, which gave us the #1 dance hit “Sussudio,” and another chart-topper, “One More Night.” “Don’t Lose My Number” went to #4 on the charts, and the album was supported by guest appearances by Sting and his ex-Genesis bandmate Peter Gabriel on the “Take Me Home.” The album won the Grammy in 1985 for Album of the Year, and twenty years after its release, No Jacket Required sits pretty among the 50 highest selling albums in United States history.
In 1988, Phil Collins decided to stretch his acting muscles, starting in the film Buster, generating positive reviews, as well as performing two songs for the film, “Two Hearts,” which went to #1, and “A Groovy Kind of Love.” In 1989 he would produce yet another successful album with …But Seriously, which featured the anti-homelessness anthem “Another Day in Paradise.” The song went to #1, earned him a Grammy and became the last chart topper of the 80s. The following year, he released a live album containing hits from … But Seriously.
In 1993, Phil Collins took an experimental turn with the release of Both Sides. It had a less-studio polished sound. He recorded it at his home studio, making it a big departure from the produced pop his fans had become so accustomed to. He returned to pop with Dance Into the Light, and found a hit with “It’s In Your Eyes.” The subsequent tour, A Trip Into the Light filled out arenas on a regular basis. In 1998, a Hits collection came out to tremendous success.
In 1999, Collins recorded a single for the 1999 Tarzan, “You’ll Be in My Heart,” which went into the Top 10, and got Collins an Oscar, a Grammy and a Golden Globe. Two singles “Sussudio” and “In Too Deep” were both on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, American Psycho. Recently, Collins reported losing hearing in one year and 2003 marked his final solo tour, titled First Final Farewell Tour, a tongue-in-cheek nod to other artists’ farewell tours. He continues to tour with Disney on their Broadway production of Tarzan, and performs occasionally with artists ranging from Paul McCartney to Ozzy Osbourne. Recently, he even accepted an invitation to drum for the “house band” to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘Golden Jubilee.’ With new work always coming, and continued interest from fans and newcomers, Phil Collins has been able to use his talent and genius to entertain millions… Not too bad for a kid who once banged on a tin drum.
