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Phil Collins

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Phil Collins
File:Phil Collins Against All Odds.jpg
Background information
Years active1969-present

Philip David Charles Collins (born January 30 1951 in London), better known as Phil Collins, is an English rock/pop musician. Collins’ presence on popular music was most evident in the mid-to-late 1980s. He is best known as the lead singer of progressive rock group Genesis and as a Grammy winning solo artist.

In total, Collins sang the lead vocals on eight American chart-toppers between 1984 and 1989, inclusive of 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”, the dance pop of “Sussudio”, and 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’ professional career began as a drummer, first with obscure rock group Flaming Youth and more famously with Genesis. Although Collins supplied backing vocals for original front man Peter Gabriel, it wouldn’t be until 1976 that he became the group’s lead singer. As the decade closed, Genesis' 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' total worldwide sales as a solo artist, as of 2002, were over 100 million. [1]

Early life and career

Collins received a toy drum for Christmas when he was five. Later, his uncle made him a makeshift kit, and as Collins grew they followed with more complete sets bought by his parents.[2] He practiced by playing alongside the television and radio. He never learned to read and write conventional musical notation. Instead, he uses a system of his own devising.

Collins looked for every opportunity to perform. His professional training began at fourteen when he entered Barbara Speake Stage School. [3] He began a career as a child actor and model. His won his first major role as the Artful Dodger in a London production of Oliver!. He appeared as an extra on The Beatles’ A Hard Day's Night, although as part of a crowd scene. [4] He also auditioned for the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1968).[5]

Despite the beginnings of an acting career, Collins continued to gravitate toward music. During high school he formed a band called The Real Thing and later joined The Freehold. With The Freehold, he wrote his first song titled "Lying Crying Dying." [6]

Collins' first record deal came as drummer for Flaming Youth, an obscure British rock group which 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". [7] 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.

Genesis era

Main article: Genesis (band)

In 1970, Collins answered a Melody Maker classified ad for “...a drummer sensitive to acoustic music, and acoustic twelve-string guitarist". [8] Genesis placed the ad after having already lost three drummers over two albums. [9] The audition occurred at the home of Peter Gabriel's parents. Prospective candidates performed tracks from the group’s sophomore album Trespass (1970). Collins arrived early. He listened to the other auditions and memorized the pieces before his turn. [10]

Collins won the audition, and a year later, Nursery Cryme (1971) was released. Although Collins' role would remain drummer and occasional backing vocalist for the next five years, he twice sang lead vocals on “For Absent Friends” (from Nursery Cryme) and “More Fool Me” (from Selling England by the Pound) (1973).

The music video for 1986's "Land of Confusion" featured the members of Genesis in puppet form. MTV nominated the clip for Video of the Year. From left to right, band members Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Tony Banks.

In 1975, following the final tour supporting concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Gabriel left the group to pursue solo projects. Collins became lead vocalist after an unfruitful search for Gabriel’s replacement. The group recruited former Yes drummer Bill Bruford and later Chester Thompson to play drums during live shows, although Collins continued to play for longer pieces. The first album with Collins as lead vocalist, 1976’s A Trick of the Tail, reached the American Top 40, and climbed as high as #3 on the UK charts. Said Rolling Stone, "Genesis has managed to turn the possible catastrophe of Gabriel's departure into their first broad-based American success." [11]

Collins simultaneously performed in a jazz fusion group called Brand X. The band recorded their first album, The Eddie Howell Gramophone Record, with Collins as drummer. Since he put greater priority in Genesis, there were several Brand X tours and albums released without Collins. He credits Brand X as his first use of a drum machine as well as his first use of a home 8-track. [12]

As the decade closed, Genesis began a shift from their progressive rock roots and toward pop music. Although their 1978 album, And Then There Were Three, contained progressive rock influences, it also featured their first UK Top 10 and US Top 40 single, "Follow You, Follow Me".

In the 1980s, the group scored a string of successful albums, including Duke (1980), Abacab (1981), and Invisible Touch (1986). The latter album's title track reached number one on the American Billboard charts, the only Genesis song to do so. The group received an MTV “Video of the Year” nomination in 1987 for “Land of Confusion”, another popular single from the album, although ironically they lost to Gabriel’s solo hit, “Sledgehammer”. [13] Reviews were generally positive, with Rolling Stone's J.D. Considine stating, "every tune is carefully pruned so that each flourish delivers not an instrumental epiphany but a solid hook." [14]

Collins left Genesis in 1995 to focus on his solo career. [15] The last studio album with him as the lead singer was 1991's We Can't Dance. He and Gabriel reunited with other Genesis members in 1999 to re-record "Carpet Crawlers" ("The Carpet Crawl") for Genesis’ Turn It On Again: The Hits. Recently, he discussed being open to reuniting with Genesis. [16] Collins stated he preferred returning if Gabriel took the vocals and he performed as drummer. There are no official plans announced of a reunion.

Solo career

File:PhilCollins RollingStone.jpg
Collins made the cover of Rolling Stone just before the peak of his 1980s popularity.

An early theme in Collins’ music, although never specifically mentioned in his albums, involved his recent divorce. Two songs he wrote on the Genesis album Duke (1980), "Please Don’t Ask" and "Misunderstanding", dealt with failed relationships. With the recording of his first solo album, Face Value (1981), Collins attributed his divorce as his main influence. [17]

Collins’ marital frustrations formed the bulk of his first solo album as well as his sophomore effort, Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982). With songs such as Face Value’s "In the Air Tonight" and Hello’s "I Don’t Care Anymore", Collins' early albums had a dark presence, usually heavy on the drums, and often dealing with a failed relationship. There were occasional peppier influences – Face Value’s "Behind the Lines", for example, was a jazzy remake of a Genesis song he co-wrote, and Hello’s rendition of The Supremes’ "You Can’t Hurry Love" was a UK Number One – but the overall theme was disappointment. Both album’s successes, as well as his concurrent career with Genesis, influenced a 1983 cover story in Rolling Stone.

In 1985, Collins was invited to perform at Live Aid at both Wembley stadium in England and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. He accomplished this by performing earlier in the day at Wembley as both a solo artist and alongside Sting. He then boarded the Concorde to perform his solo material and drum for Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton in Philadelphia.

Collins released his most successful album, No Jacket Required, that same year. It contained the hits "Sussudio", "One More Night" and "Take Me Home". The album featured Sting and ex-bandmate Gabriel as backing vocalists. He also recorded the successful "Separate Lives", a duet with Marilyn Martin and an American number one, for the movie White Nights. Collins had three American number one songs in 1985, the most of any artist that year. [18] No Jacket Required went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

No Jacket Required received criticism that the album was too safe despite its upbeat reviews and commercial success. A positive review by David Fricke of Rolling Stone ended, “After years on the art-rock fringe, Collins has established himself firmly in the middle of the road. Perhaps he should consider testing himself and his new fans' expectations next time around.” [19] “Sussudio” also received criticism as sounding too similar to Prince’s “1999”, a charge that Collins did not deny. [20]

In 1989, Collins produced another successful album, ...But Seriously, featuring the anti-homelessness anthem "Another Day in Paradise", with David Crosby on backing vocals. The song went to Number 1 on the Billboard Charts at the end of 1989 and won Collins a Grammy for Record of the Year (1990). Other songs included "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven", "Do You Remember?", and "I Wish It Would Rain Down" (the latter featured long-time friend Eric Clapton on guitar). Songs about apartheid and homelessness demonstrated Collins’ turn to politically driven songs. This theme reoccurred in his later albums. A live album followed.

File:Nojacket.jpg
Phil Collins's highest selling album, 1985's No Jacket Required, went on to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Collins' record sales dropped with the 1993 release of Both Sides, a largely experimental album which, according to Collins, included songs that “were becoming so personal, so private, I didn't want anyone else's input”. [21] Featuring a less studio-polished sound and fewer uptempo songs than his previous albums, Both Sides was a significant departure. Collins used no backing musicians, performed all the vocal and instrumental parts at his home studio, and used rough vocal takes for the final product. The album was not well received on the radio. Its two singles, "Both Sides of the Story" and the more radio-friendly "Everyday", were minor successes.

Collins attempted a return to peppier music with Dance Into the Light (1996), which Entertainment Weekly reviewed by saying that "(e)ven Phil Collins must know that we all grew weary of Phil Collins." [22] It included minor hits such as the title track and the Beatles-inspired “It’s in Your Eyes”. Although the album went Gold in the US, it sold considerably less than his previous albums. Largely forgotten by radio, only the title track made a brief appearance on Collins' then-forthcoming Hits collection (1998). Despite this, its subsequent tour, A Trip into the Light, regularly sold out arenas.

In 1996, he formed the Phil Collins Big Band. As drummer, the band performed jazz renditions of Collins’ and Genesis’ hits. The Phil Collins Big Band did a world tour in 1998 that included a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1999, the group released the CD A Hot Night in Paris including big band versions of "Invisible Touch", "Sussudio", and the more obscure "The Los Endos Suite" from the progressive era of Genesis.

A Hits album released in 1998 was successful. The album’s sole new track, a cover of the Cyndi Lauper hit "True Colors", obtained considerable play on the Adult Contemporary charts before peaking at #2. [23] Collins went further with his next single, "You'll Be in My Heart", from the movie Tarzan (1999). The soundtrack reached the Top 10, the single was Collins’ first to enter the Top 40 in five years, and Collins obtained an Academy Award for Best Song, though critics were quick to point out stronger entries in that category by Aimee Mann, Randy Newman and the South Park movie. It was his third nomination in that songwriters category, having been previously nominated in 1984 and 1988.

His most recent studio album, 2002’s Testify, failed to make much impact on the mainstream charts. Testify featured the Leo Sayer cover "Can't Stop Loving You" and "Come With Me (Lullaby)". Both songs performed well on the Adult Contemporary charts, but the album was ignored by mainstream radio and disappeared quickly.

He recorded songs for the 2004 Disney movie "Brother Bear" and also contributed music to the soundtrack for the straight-to-video sequel to Tarzan, two years later.

Collins recently reported losing his hearing in one ear, and in 2003 announced his last solo tour. [24] He titled the tour First Final Farewell Tour, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the multiple farewell tours of other popular artists. Collins wanted to complete one last large-scale tour internationally before spending more time with his family. He expects to continue touring through 2006 while working with Disney on a Broadway production of Tarzan. Outside of the tour, he has only performed occasionally. He accepted an invitation to drum for the “house band” celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. He played drums for Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne and Cliff Richard.

He is married to his third wife, Orianne, and lives in Clayton House, Switzerland, overlooking Lake Geneva.

Films

The majority of Collins' film work has been through music. Four of his seven American number one songs come from film soundtracks, and his work on Disney's Tarzan earned him an Oscar.

Collins' acting career has been brief. As a child, he appeared in three films, although two of the films were for brief moments as an extra. Besides the aforementioned A Hard Day's Night (1964), Collins also appeared as an extra in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). His first lead role was in Calamity the Cow (1967). [25]

He wrote and performed the title song to Against All Odds in 1984. The song became the first of his seven American number one songs and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. Collins was famously not invited to perform the song at that year’s presentation, although he was in the audience and had arranged his tour around the telecast. It was believed that the Academy, despite nominating him, did not know who he was. A note to Collins’s label from telecast co-producer Larry Gelbart explaining the lack of invitation stated, “Thank you for your note regarding Phil Cooper (emphasis added). I’m afraid the spots have already been filled”. Collins instead watched Ann Reinking perform his song. [26]

Collins performed (although did not write) “Separate Lives” for the film White Nights (1985). A duet with Marilyn Martin, the single became an additional Number One for Collins as well as another nominee for an Academy Award. The song had parallels to his first two albums. Writer Stephen Bishop noted that he was inspired by a failed relationship and called “Separate Lives” “a song about anger”.[27]

Collins' first film role since becoming a musician came in 1988 with Buster. His rendition of “Groovy Kind of Love”, originally a 1960’s single by The Mindbenders, reached Number One. The film also spawned the hit single "Two Hearts", which he wrote in collaboration with legendary Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier. Movie critic Roger Ebert said the role of Buster was "played with surprising effectiveness" by Collins, although the film's soundtrack proved more successful than the movie. [28]

File:MukLukBalto.jpg
Collins provided the voices to both Muk and Luk in the 1995 animated feature Balto.

Collins’s future acting work was considerably smaller than Buster, with only a starring role in 1993's Frauds. He had cameo appearances in Steven Speilberg's Hook (1991) and And the Band Played On (1993). He also supplied voices to two animated features, Balto (1995) and The Jungle Book 2 (2003). A long discussed but never completed pet project was a movie titled The Three Bears. Originally meant to star him alongside Danny DeVito and Bob Hoskins, he often mentioned the film but an appropriate script never materialized. [29]

Collins performed the soundtrack to the animated film Tarzan (1999) for The Walt Disney Company. He won an Oscar for "You'll Be in My Heart”, which he performed at that year’s telecast as well as during a Disney-themed Super Bowl halftime show. The song, also recorded in Spanish among other languages, became his only appearance on Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks [23]. Disney hired him in 2003 for the soundtrack to another animated feature film, Brother Bear, and had some airplay with the song "Look Through My Eyes".

On television, he twice hosted the Billboard Music Awards. As well, he appeared in an episode of the series Miami Vice and guest starred in several sketches with The Two Ronnies. Most recently, he had a cameo appearance on the television series Whoopi.

Further reading

  • Ray Coleman, Phil Collins: The Definitive Biography, Simon & Schuster. London. 1997. ISBN 0-684-81784-5
  • Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books, New York. 1997. ISBN 0-8230-7641-X (Eight essays about Collins, including one with Genesis)
  • Craig Rosen, The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. Billboard Books, New York. 1996. ISBN 0823075869 (Two essays about Collins)

Audio samples

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Discography

Main article: Phil Collins discography

Albums

Number One Singles

  • 1982: "You Can't Hurry Love", (UK only, #10 in US)
  • 1984: "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", (US only , #2 in UK)
  • 1984: "Easy Lover", (UK only, #2 in US)
  • 1985: "One More Night", (US only, #4 in UK)
  • 1985: "Sussudio", (US only, #12 in UK)
  • 1985: "Separate Lives", (US only, #4 in UK)
  • 1988: "Groovy Kind of Love", (#1 in both US and UK)
  • 1988: "Two Hearts", (US only, #6 in UK)
  • 1989: "Another Day in Paradise", (US only, #2 in UK)

Band

Main article: Touring and studio musicians of Phil Collins

Collins is currently touring for what has been billed his final solo tour, The First Final Farewell Tour. The current touring band includes:

Notes

  1. ^ Atlantic Records press release. “Phil Collins Celebrates TESTIFY with Weekend Today Performance and NYC In-Store” 11/15/02.
  2. ^ Coleman, R. Phil Collins: The Definitive Biography, Simon & Schuster. London. 1997. Pgs 29-30. ISBN 0-684-81784-5
  3. ^ Face Value: From the Offical Genesis Biography. [[1]] (Accessed January 10, 2006)
  4. ^ Yahoo! Movies The Beatles - The Making of A Hard Day's Night (1995) [[2]] (Accessed January 9, 2006)
  5. ^ Coleman, Pg 51.
  6. ^ Hewitt, A. Official Biography [[3]] (Accessed January 9, 2006)
  7. ^ Coleman, Pg 55.
  8. ^ Coleman, Pg 61.
  9. ^ Billboard Magazine, Online. “Genesis” Biography. Accessed January 16, 2006. [[4]]
  10. ^ Coleman, Pg 63.
  11. ^ Nicholson, Kris. "A Trick of the Tail" Review. Rolling Stone. May 20, 1976. [[5]]. Accessed February 10, 2006.
  12. ^ Official Brand X biography from the Phil Collins website, [[6]], accessed January 14, 2006.
  13. ^ MTV.com. MTV Video Awards, Past Winners. [[7]]. Accessed January 16, 2006.
  14. ^ Considine, J.D. "Invisible Touch" Review. Rolling Stone. August 14, 1986. [[8]] Accessed February 8, 2006.
  15. ^ Hewitt, A. Official Biography. [[9]] (Accessed January 9, 2006)
  16. ^ Heller, C. "Phil Collins Said Open to Genesis Reunion". November 6, 2005. [[10]] Accessed January 14, 2006.
  17. ^ Bronson, F. The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books, New York. 1997. Pg. 604. ISBN 0-8230-7641-X
  18. ^ Whitburn, J. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books, New York. 2000. Pgs. 143-144. ISBN 0-8230-7690-3
  19. ^ Fricke, D. “No Jacket Required” Review. Rolling Stone. May 9, 1985. [[11]] Accessed February 8, 2006.
  20. ^ Bronson, Pg. 611.
  21. ^ Coleman, Pg 181.
  22. ^ Browne, David. "Dance into the Light" Review. Entertainment Weekly. November 1, 1996. [[12]] Accessed February 10, 2006.
  23. ^ a b Billboard Magazine, Phil Collins Chart History [[13]] Accessed January 13, 2006.
  24. ^ Hear-it.org [[14]] Accessed January 13, 2006.
  25. ^ The Internet Movie Database [[15]]. Accessed January 13, 2006.
  26. ^ Bronson, Pg. 586.
  27. ^ Bronson,Pg. 624.
  28. ^ Ebert, R. "Buster" Review. November 25, 1988. [[16]]. Accessed February 10, 2006.
  29. ^ Baker, G. A. Penthouse Interview, 1993. [[17]], accessed January 13, 2006.

References

  • Atlantic Records Press Release (January 19). "Phil Collins Celebrates TESTIFY With Weekend Today Performance and NYC In-Store". Atlantic Records. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Baker, G.A. (January 13). "Penthouse Interview". Penthouse. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Billboard Magazine, Online (January 16). "Genesis Biography". Billboard Online. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
  • Billboard Magazine, Online (January 13). "Phil Collins Chart History". Billboard Online. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
  • Bronson, Fred The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Billboard Books, New York. 1997. Pg. 624. ISBN 0-8230-7641-X
  • Browne, David (February 10). "Dance into the Light Review". Entertainment Weekly. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Coleman, Ray. Phil Collins: The Definitive Biography, Simon & Schuster. London. 1997. ISBN 0-684-81784-5
  • Considine, J.D. (January 13). "Invisible Touch Review". Rolling Stone. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Ebert, Roger (February 10). "Buster Review". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Fricke, David (February 8). "No Jacket Required Review". Rolling Stone. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Hear-it.org (January 13). "Famous baby boomers with significant hearing loss and/or tinnitus". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
  • Heller, Corinne (January 14). "Phil Collins Said Open to Genesis Reunion". Reuters / ABCNews. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Hewitt, Alan (January 14). "From "Opening the Music Box: A Genesis Chronicle"". Excerpted on www.philcollins.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
  • The Internet Movie Database (January 13). "Phil Collins". www.imdb.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
  • MTV.com (January 16). "MTV Video Awards Past Winners". MTV. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
  • Nicholson, Kris (February 10). "A Trick of the Tail Review". Rolling Stone. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Russell, Paul (January 9). "Phil Collins Biography". www.philcollins.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |publishyear= ignored (help)
  • Whitburn, John . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books, New York. 2000. ISBN 0-8230-7690-3
  • Yahoo! Movies (January 9). "The Beatles – The Making of A Hard Day's Night (1995)". Yahoo!. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |publishyear= (help)
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