Tag: Drums

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How Phil Collins joined Genesis

In August 1970, Phil Collins joined Genesis as their drummer. This is the story of how he got the job with the band.

‘Looking for someone’

In the summer of 1970, Genesis had faced what is often described by them as the greatest loss in their career. Guitarist and founding member Anthony Phillips had left the band after they had recorded the album Trespass, partly because he suffered terribly of stage fright. With Ant gone, the remaining three members also decided to look for a new drummer. Up to that point, Genesis had already had three drummers. Searching for a new guitarist and a new drummer, the band anonymously placed ads in the famous music magazine Melody Maker: ‘TONY STRATTON SMITH [their then label manager, note of the author] is looking for 12-STRING GUITARIST who can also play lead; plus DRUMMER sensitive to acoustic music.’ One of these ads caught the eye of a young drummer from London: Phil Collins.

Phil Collins had previously played in the band Flaming Youth (they had been called ‘Hickory’ at first) and released one album with them. He had been unhappy because they were not successful and hardly played any gigs. Approaching a career as a professional drummer, he started looking for a new band he could join.

Auditioning for Genesis

Phil and his mate Ronnie Caryl, a guitarist, were both interested in auditioning with the band behind the ad. Having known their manager Tony Stratton-Smith from previous musical projects, Phil went to the Marquee Club, where he knew he would find ‘Strat’, as he was called, at the bar. He asked him if he could join this mysterious band, but Strat told him that the band was very adamant and insisted on auditioning new members. He also told him that the band behind the ad was Genesis. Phil knew their name from the gig announcements in the back pages of Melody Maker.

By this time, Genesis was a threesome: Tony Banks on keyboards, Peter Gabriel on vocals and Mike Rutherford on guitar and bass. ‘I rang up and I guess it was Peter Gabriel who I spoke to’, Phil recalls. ‘He said ‘Yes, uhm, come down to my parents’ house in Chobham.”

Peter Gabriel was impressed when Phil mentioned that he had played with George Harrison. Later he and the rest of the band found out that Phil had only played tambourine on a George Harrison session, but it helped him get the audition.

Then, on a hot summer’s day, Phil and Ronnie drove to Peter Gabriel’s family home, a country house near Woking with a swimming pool and farms surrounding it.

According to Phil, Mike Rutherford wore a dressing gown, looking like a crushed velvet smoking jacket à la Noel Coward, and slippers (Mike insists that he wore swimming trunks and a dressing gown because they were by the pool). Peter Gabriel seemed a little bit eccentric to Phil, and Tony did not say much but had the appearance and demeanour of a ‘tortured artist’, as Phil put it.

Phil and Ronnie had arrived early and there were still some drummers auditioning before him. He was invited to have swim in the pool while waiting.

‘Being there early and having two or three drummers ahead of me, I didn’t know what the conversation was, what they were saying to each other, but I could hear the music’, Phil remembers. ‘The same piece of music being played two or three times and the same piece of music being played with the next guy two or three times. So by the time I came up to play, I kind of felt I knew what I was doing.’

The band had given the drummers pieces from their repertoire that represented the various styles Genesis was playing at the time. It was a mixture of lighter passages, heavier passages and of course, very experimental passages. When it was Phil’s turn, they played him the album Trespass in the house’s living room. Phil felt that the music was very soft and immediately liked the harmonies (a feature in Genesis music that would disappear in their later works), which reminded him of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Phil later said that he would have joined them even if he had not liked the music because he was a professional drummer in search of work.

Having listened to the other drummers while swimming in the pool, he then played everything the band had prepared perfectly.

Peter Gabriel adds: ‘Just the way he sat down on the stool, I knew he was going to be good. Some people have this sort of confidence about what they do.’

When driving away, Ronnie said that he thought Phil failed the audition, but that he – Ronnie – had done a good job. As history proved, it was the other way round. Some time after the audition, Phil got the job and became a member of Genesis, while Ronnie did not. He had not been the right guitarist for their kind of music. Today, Ronnie Caryl actually still plays with Phil Collins in his solo band.

Impressions of Genesis

Having succesfully auditioned, the 19-year old Phil Collins joined Genesis in August 1970. At first, the band took a two-week holiday break and after that, they met to rehearse at Farnham Maltings, a place that Mike’s father had helped them to rent. There, they rehearsed for six weeks and wrote what was to become their album Nursery Cryme.

Purchase Nursery Cryme here on Amazon*

Coming from Grammar School and Stage School and being a working-class kid, Phil had a very different background than the ‘Charterhouse’-guys, who were upper-class public school boys. Phil realized they were very highly educated and very different to him; Tony Banks with his long hair reminded him of Beethoven. Also, he was irritated by Peter Gabriel’s bass drum that used to be right next to his microphone stand and that Peter just played whenever he felt like it, often completely out of rhythm.

At this point in their career, Genesis had released two albums and were preparing to write their third album. Very soon, Phil realized there was tension within the group. Especially Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel used to have arguments and – sometimes rather violent – disagreements.

‘In the middle of a conversation, suddenly someone would get up and slam a guitar on the floor and walk out’, Phil says. ‘I thought ‘What?’ Someone had said something to upset somebody else. Two hours later this person would come back and we’d start playing again. Suddenly there’d be ‘Oh, f*ck you’ and somebody else walked out. It was very highly strung.’

‘I would often be at loggerheads with Tony Banks’, Peter Gabriel explains, ‘and Phil would always sit on the fence, he would never want to come into the argument.’

Phil quickly realized that his different attitude and background not only had an influence on the music, but on the dynamics in the band too. ‘I saw it was my job to deflate these situations with humour, which the stage school background enabled me to do’, he says.

Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford adds: ‘Apart from the humour, he’s got a very laid-back approach. He was very serious about his work, but had a very laid-back approach to life, which I think helped us a little bit.’ Mike also thinks that having auditioned at the Gabriel’s country house might have given Phil the impression that playing with Genesis would be a nice, relaxing job. In fact, they would spend their lives in the back of a van on the road for the next couple of years.

Title photo: Genesis – ‘The Knife’ (single cover).

Get “Genesis – BBC Broadcasts” here!*

Genesis Music on Amazon*

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Sources

Phil Collins – A Life Less Ordinary (documentary, 2002)

Genesis – Sum of the Parts (documentary, 2014)

Philipp Röttgers – Two eras of Genesis? The development of a rock band (book, 2015)

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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)‘.

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Phil Collins’ First Show as Genesis Frontman

In 1975, Peter Gabriel left Genesis, leaving the band without a lead singer. After auditioning several vocalists without success, drummer Phil Collins reluctantly stepped up to take on the role. He sang on A Trick of the Tail (1976), the band’s first album after Gabriel’s departure. But while he handled the studio vocals, he wasn’t eager to become the band’s frontman on tour.

This is the story of how Phil Collins took center stage.

Phil Collins Didn’t Want to Be the Singer

A Trick of the Tail proved that Genesis could continue without Peter Gabriel. The album was a success, and Phil’s vocals shone on both the heavier tracks like Dance on a Volcano and the softer moments of Ripples.

Yet, despite his strong performance, Phil had no desire to be the band’s singer. He saw himself first and foremost as a drummer.

‘I’ve always felt the singer was the cheapest gig in the band, ’cause all they had to do was look good and wiggle their bum,’ he later admitted. ‘I always wanted the most respectable part in the group, which was of course the drummer.’1

When it came time to tour the album, Phil hesitated. He agreed to take on the lead vocals under one condition: he needed a drummer he could trust. That drummer was his friend Bill Bruford of Yes, who joined Genesis for the tour.

On March 26, 1976, Genesis played their first show with Phil Collins as frontman in London, Ontario.

Could He Replace Peter Gabriel?

Fans knew from the album that Phil could sing, but how would he handle the older material? Fortunately, his voice was naturally similar to Peter Gabriel’s, and he had already sung backing vocals on many classic Genesis tracks. His performances of songs like The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Firth of Fifth, and Supper’s Ready proved he was up to the challenge.

The new material was also well received. On Robbery, Assault & Battery, Phil brought the song’s Victorian-era story to life with his acting skills, while the instrumental Los Endos became even more powerful live, thanks to the addition of a second drummer.

Bringing in Bill Bruford was the right move. As a respected figure in progressive rock, his presence reassured fans. His intricate playing added a new dimension to Genesis’ music. While Bruford and Collins played off each other in a more unpredictable way, later drummer Chester Thompson would lock in with Phil to create the band’s signature double-drumming style.

A Warm Welcome for the ‘New’ Singer

Genesis fans wanted this lineup to succeed – and they embraced Phil’s new role. He brought a down-to-earth charm and a touch of Monty Python-style humor to the stage. The band seemed more relaxed, with the spotlight no longer focused solely on the singer.

During I Know What I Like, Phil got the other members involved, playfully placing hats on their heads and sharing a mic with Mike Rutherford. He even debuted his now-famous tambourine dance.

Where Peter Gabriel had been the mysterious storyteller, Phil Collins was the approachable everyman. He didn’t weave surreal tales; he spoke to the audience directly. Even Peter himself later said he was happy that Phil took over, recognizing that Phil was a stronger technical singer and had a natural connection with audiences.

Phil was nervous that first night in London, Ontario, but the show was a success. Genesis continued with him as their frontman for the next two decades – except for a brief period in the ’90s when Ray Wilson took over after Phil’s departure.

But that’s another story.

Title photo: Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins of Genesis in 1977. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Jean-Luc Ourlin from Toronto ontario, Canada / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

  1. Genesis – A History ↩︎