On 23 September 2002, Peter Gabriel’s album Up was released.
Continue reading “Up (2002) – Peter Gabriel”Up (2002) – Peter Gabriel
Calling All Stations (1997) – Genesis
After Phil Collins’ departure from Genesis in 1996, the remaining two members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford kept writing music and hired a new singer: Ray Wilson, born in 1968, known as lead vocalist of the band Stiltskin.
Continue reading “Calling All Stations (1997) – Genesis”‘Peter Gabriel Quits Genesis’ – Melody Maker 23th August 1975
A week after The Melody Maker had rumoured about Peter Gabriel’s decision to leave Genesis, the departure was confirmed with the cover story ‘Genesis Seek New Singer’.
Chris Welch recalls a great British Band
At this point, the band had already moved on and worked on what became their next album A Trick of The Tail. Peter Gabriel’s departure was old news for them, but now, they had to deal with the media. For them, Genesis could not exist without Gabriel and his visuals. In the eyes of the critics, he was the band, not just a member of the team. Naturally, the band felt upset by the obtiuary. In The Melody Maker, journalist Chris Welch ‘recalls a great British Band’.
The front page of Melody Maker from 23 August 1975
Several news papers reported about Peter Gabriel’s departure on 23 August 1975. The front page of Melody Maker said:
Genesis seek new singer
PETER GABRIEL has quit Genesis. And that’s official!
The Melody Maker last week front-paged the growing doubts about Gabriel’s future in the band. Reports, denied by the management of Genesis, indicated that Gabriel was unhappy with his role as a rock star and had already left the group.
And this week an official statement admitted the split in Genesis. “They are now looking for a new singer,” said the band’s management. “They have a few ideas but nobody has been fixed.”
“The group are currently writing material and rehearsing for their new album, and they will go into the studio shortly to record. The album will be released at Christmas and Genesis will go on the road in the New Year.”
It is understood that Gabriel will now concentrate on straight theatrical ventures.
Of course, the band was interviewed by the press after the news had come out. Phil Collins remarked that the rest of the band ‘…were not stunned by Peter’s departure because we had known about it for quite a while.’1 They had already decided to carry on without him and interestingly, the new singer was already in the group and was exactly the same member who had exclaimed the statement from the Melody Maker‘s article above. But that’s another story.
Title photo: Front page of Melody Maker 23 August 1975
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- Welch, Chris. “Peter Gabriel Quits Genesis”. Melody Maker, 23 August 1975. ↩︎
Where the Sour Turns to Sweet (1969) – Genesis
In June 1969, Genesis’ third single ‘Where the Sour Turns to Sweet’/’In Hiding’ was released on Decca. It was released to raise interest in the LP From Genesis to Revelation, but to no avail.
From Genesis to Revelation
By 1969, Genesis had released two singles on Decca Records: ‘The Silent Sun‘ and ‘A Winter’s Tale‘, both in 1968, both produced by Jonathan King. King had then produced their first proper album From Genesis to Revelation*. At this time, the band consisted of Tony Banks (keyboards), Peter Gabriel (vocals), Anthony Phillips (guitars), Mike Rutherford (guitars and bass) and John Silver (drums). The album became a sort of concept album about the history of mankind, but the music was still far from being progressive. To the band’s disappointment, King added a string arrangement in the production which made the whole album sound very soft.
The album got about the same interest as the previous singles – not very much at all. So it was decided that a single off the album should be released. ‘Where the Sour Turns to Sweet’ was chosen.
Where the Sour Turns to Sweet
The song itself had been in the band’s repertoire for quite some time. They had already recorded it among three other songs in a one-hour session at Regent Studios in London, where many rock legends had recorded, in 1967. Jonathan King had taken them there to record a tape that was sent to Decca Records. The label had been impressed and signed them and King went into the studio with them again, this time to Advision Studios, to produce a reprise of ‘Where the Sour Turns to Sweet’ for their debut single.
The session was disastrous, the band (and the producer) were unexperienced and the idea was abandoned. Then, in 1968, the two other singles and the album were released and finally, in June 1969, the long-delayed ‘Where the Sour Turns to Sweet’ saw the day of light.
On June 27, 1969, the album version of ‘Where the Sour Turns to Sweet’ was released as a single, backed with ‘In Hiding’. It was their third single on Decca Records and also their last, as it was a unsuccessful as its predecessors. There were however, thoughts about releasing a remixed version of ‘In the Beginning’ as single, too, but these plans were never realized.
‘Where the Sour Turns to Sweet’ begins with a bluesy piano phrase and the snapping of fingers, giving it a jazzy swing feel. The added strings by Arthur Greenslade really get in the way of this powerful song. The lyrics are already a bit humorously and Peter Gabriel knows how to emphasize the words and use his voice. It definitely is one of the outstanding tracks of the album and has its charm, only the fade-out seems a bit uninspired.
Tony Banks accosted Tony Blackburn in the street
Tony Banks remembers that he was sent to disc jockey, singer and TV presenter Tony Blackburn to accost him in the street and tell him to play the single on his show. Tony Banks said ‘Well, don’t play the A-side, play the other side’ (‘In Hiding’). It was an embarrassing situation for both of them, but Blackburn was important enough for the band to risk it.
The end of their relationship with Jonathan King
After the album and all the single releases failed to chart and the band moved into a different musical direction than King, their ways parted. They went to the country to think about their future and write new music. Jonathan King however, had given them one lasting legacy: Their name Genesis.
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A Winter’s Tale (1968) – Genesis
On 10 May 1968, Genesis released their second single. Like its predecessor – and its successor – it failed to make an impact. Here’s the story behind A Winter’s Tale.
In 1968, Genesis were still schoolboys. The four classmates from Charterhouse were in their late teens when producer Jonathan King offered them a record deal. Tony Banks (keyboards), Peter Gabriel (vocals), Anthony Phillips (guitar), Mike Rutherford (guitar and bass), and Chris Stewart (drums) agreed. King chose to produce their first album himself, and it was he who came up with the name “Genesis,” symbolising both the band’s beginning and the start of his own career as a producer.
The first singles
Genesis had been writing pop songs while still at school, but by the time they signed their deal, they were already moving towards more adventurous material. Jonathan King, however, preferred straightforward pop. So, to please him, Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel wrote The Silent Sun, a deliberate nod to the Bee Gees, which King loved and released as their debut single. It flopped.
A Winter’s Tale
For their second single, A Winter’s Tale, Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel again collaborated. Like The Silent Sun, it’s a love song, but here, the band sounds more confident, particularly in the soaring chorus. Once again, Peter Gabriel’s distinctive voice takes centre stage, rising above a lush (and somewhat overpowering) string arrangement. Even at this young age, Gabriel’s vocal strength hinted at the frontman he would soon become.
Unfortunately, A Winter’s Tale also failed to chart. It received little radio play and only a couple of published reviews. New Musical Express praised the song’s “pulsating crescendo” and thoughtful lyrics, but continued: “The melody could have done with a little more substance.”1
Mike Rutherford recalls in his autobiography that the band brainstormed ways to boost airplay. Peter Gabriel suggested they hand the single directly to BBC Radio 1 DJ Tony Blackburn. Tony Banks was tasked with waiting outside Broadcasting House. Nervous and unsure, he apparently came across a little too forcefully when Blackburn emerged – likely startling him and not helping their cause.2
From Genesis to Revelation
Shortly after the release of A Winter’s Tale, drummer Chris Stewart left the band and was replaced by John Silver, who would record their debut album From Genesis to Revelation. The album was an ambitious concept piece about the history of mankind, but musically, it still leaned far more towards soft pop than progressive rock. To the band’s disappointment, King added even more lush string arrangements, giving the album a gentle, almost easy-listening feel.
A third single, Where the Sour Turns to Sweet, followed, but like the others, it failed to chart. Eventually, the growing divide between King’s pop sensibilities and the band’s evolving musical ambitions led them to part ways.
What remains from this era is a fascinating and surprisingly strong collection of songs recorded by a band still in their teens. Among them is A Winter’s Tale, a glimpse of what was to come.
(And as a footnote for collectors: there’s a curious story about a cover version of A Winter’s Tale by Rita Pavone’s brother – but that’s a tale for another time.)
Ray Wilson Announced as New Genesis Frontman
On June 6, 1997, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford announced the new lead singer of Genesis following Phil Collins’ departure: 28-year-old Ray Wilson.
When Phil Collins revealed in March 1996 that he would be leaving Genesis after 25 years, fans were eager to learn who would step into his shoes. Genesis had already weathered the departure of their original frontman, Peter Gabriel, back in 1975. Now, two decades later, Tony Banks (keyboards) and Mike Rutherford (guitars), the remaining founding members, were determined to carry on once more.
They began writing and recording new material, searching for a vocalist who could help them shape the band’s next chapter. Rumors swirled in the music press, speculating about possible replacements. Then, on June 6, 1997, it was official: Ray Wilson would be the new voice of Genesis.
Who is Ray Wilson?
Born in Dumfries, Scotland, on September 8, 1968, Ray had previously fronted the band Guaranteed Pure and was best known for his work with Stiltskin, whose hit single “Inside” reached number one in 1994, thanks in part to its use in a Levi’s commercial. So, while Ray wasn’t an unknown figure in music, the stylistic gap between Stiltskin and Genesis left both his fans and Genesis fans surprised and cautious.
Reflecting on the moment in the Songbook DVD, Ray recalled:
‘I was in my little studio writing songs. It was ten in the morning, I was making a coffee, and Tony Smith, the manager of Genesis, was on the phone: ‘Would you like to come and audition to replace Phil Collins?”
By then, Phil Collins’ massive solo success had blurred the public’s perception of Genesis. It was often seen as “Phil Collins and his band”. Taking over that role and shifting that image would be no easy task.
Calling All Stations
Ray joined Tony and Mike at The Farm, Genesis’ private studio in Surrey, to begin recording what would become Calling All Stations. Most of the songs had already been written by Banks and Rutherford, but Ray contributed several ideas of his own. The result was a darker, more melancholic record. The vibrant energy and accessible pop sensibility Phil had brought to the group were now absent, and with it, part of the familiar Genesis chemistry.
Still, Ray’s emotionally rich vocals suited the mood of the new material. His voice, more reminiscent of Peter Gabriel than Phil Collins, blended well with the brooding tone of the songs. Calling All Stations, like its predecessor We Can’t Dance, was produced by Nick Davis.
Three singles were released from the album: “Congo”, “Shipwrecked”, and “Not About Us”. Ray co-wrote the latter, along with “Small Talk” and “There Must Be Some Other Way.” Drums on the record were provided by Israeli session musician Nir Zidkyahu and Nick D’Virgilio from American prog-rock band Spock’s Beard.
Despite Ray’s strong performance, critics were less than kind. NME wrote dismissively that “the world doesn’t care enough about Genesis to make the effort” and claimed people had “forgotten why they were once any good.” Q magazine criticized the album for offering “just darkness, confusion, individual isolation,” calling it “one-paced and one-dimensional.”
Live in 1998: Ray on Tour
On tour, however, Ray proved his versatility. The setlist spanned the entire Genesis catalog from the pop-era hits like “Invisible Touch”, “No Son Of Mine”, and an acoustic version of “Follow You Follow Me”, to later epics such as “Home by the Sea”, and even classic Gabriel-era tracks like “Carpet Crawlers” and “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” New material from Calling All Stations also held up well live. Some songs, like the title track, even sounded better on stage.
Ray, Mike, and Tony were joined on tour by Nir Zidkyahu on drums and Anthony Drennan on guitar and bass, effectively filling the shoes of Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer.
Commercial Struggles
Despite reaching No. 2 in the UK, Calling All Stations underperformed in the U.S., peaking at just No. 54. Ticket sales also fell short of expectations. As a result, the production and scale of the tour were scaled back and the planned American leg was cancelled entirely.
After the 1998 tour, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford decided to put Genesis on indefinite hold.
Looking Back
Although this wasn’t the end of Genesis, in 1998 it certainly felt like it. And sadly, Ray Wilson, thrust into a difficult situation, was unfairly blamed by some critics and fans for the band’s lack of commercial success during this era.
But this criticism doesn’t hold up. Ray brought a unique voice and delivered both the new material and the classics whether originally sung by Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins with emotion and distinction.
Following the end of Genesis, Ray took time to regroup before launching a solo career. He has since released several solo albums and continues to perform live, often including Genesis songs in his setlists.
Title photo: Ray Wilson live in Dortmund in 2017 (Photo: André Wilms of ‘The Photography Of Mister Ilms)‘.
3×3 (EP, 1982) – Genesis
In May 1982, Genesis released 3×3, an extended play featuring three songs left over from the Abacab sessions – tracks that did not make it onto the album but were too good to shelve.
Three Unreleased Songs from the Abacab Sessions
Abacab (1981) marked a turning point for Genesis. With a new producer, Hugh Padgham, and their newly purchased studio – The Farm in Surrey – the band had the freedom to jam, experiment, and refine their sound. When the album was finalized, they found themselves with a few strong tracks that had not made the cut. Rather than letting them go to waste, they chose to release them on an EP the following year.
The songs – Paperlate, You Might Recall, and Me and Virgil – were all co-written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford. The 3×3 EP came out in May 1982, between two major tours. In the U.S., it was never released as an EP; only Paperlate appeared as a single, with You Might Recall on the B-side.
The Songs
Paperlate shares a similar vibe with No Reply at All from Abacab – funky, upbeat, and driven by the Earth, Wind & Fire horn section, who had also worked with Collins on his solo debut Face Value. The title “Paperlate” comes from a lyric in Dancing with the Moonlit Knight (from Selling England by the Pound, 1973). During a soundcheck in either 1978 or 1980, Phil kept repeating the line “Paperlate cried a voice in the crowd…”, which eventually sparked the idea for a new song.
You Might Recall is a more romantic tune, stylistically close to some of Mike Rutherford’s earlier ballads like Alone Tonight.
The final track, Me and Virgil, is a storytelling piece reminiscent of Deep in the Motherlode (1978). This time, it was Collins who penned a Wild West narrative, with the band attempting to capture the spirit of The Band. However, Collins later expressed dissatisfaction with the track, and it was notably left off the Genesis Archive 2 box set in 2000.
Beatles-Inspired Artwork
The EP’s cover art was a playful homage to the Beatles’ 1960s EPs, particularly Twist and Shout. Genesis even brought in Tony Barrow, the Beatles’ former press officer, to write the sleeve notes in a cheeky, retro style (“These cheeky chappies from Guildford…”).
Not everyone got the joke. One reviewer, unaware of the Beatles reference, assumed the design was serious. But fans appreciated the nod, and the band’s sense of humor shone through once again. The EP was a hit in the UK, and Paperlate earned the band another appearance on Top of the Pops, with the EP reaching No. 10 on the charts.
Three Sides Live and the U.S. Version of 3×3
Later that year, Genesis released the live album Three Sides Live. Since EPs did not sell particularly well in the U.S., the band opted to include the 3×3 tracks on the album’s fourth side instead of releasing them separately. To round out that side, they added two outtakes from the Duke sessions: Open Door (by Rutherford) and Evidence of Autumn (by Banks). The UK version, in contrast, featured a full fourth side of live material.
3×3 was never released as a standalone CD. However, Paperlate and You Might Recall were included in the Genesis Archive 2: 1976–1992 box set in 2000, which featured many previously unavailable tracks. All three EP songs, including a remixed Me and Virgil, were later made available on CD in the Genesis 1976–1982 box set.