Tag: Nick Davis

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The ‘Turn It On Again’ Reunion Tour

On 11 June 2007, Genesis kicked off their long-awaited ‘Turn It On Again’ reunion tour in Helsinki, marking the official return of Phil Collins as lead vocalist.

The Reunion Announcement

On 7 November 2006, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins held a press conference to announce that Genesis would reunite for a European summer tour in 2007, followed by a North American leg in the autumn. It was the first time Collins had officially rejoined the band since leaving in 1996, despite a few brief appearances over the years.

Joining them on stage were longtime touring members Chester Thompson (drums) and Daryl Stuermer (guitar/bass), both of whom had not performed with Genesis since the We Can’t Dance Tour in 1992.

Rehearsing After 15 Years

The band’s first full show was scheduled for 11 June in Helsinki. With no new album to promote, Genesis had the freedom to revisit their extensive back catalogue. But rehearsing after a 15-year hiatus came with unexpected challenges.

Tony and Mike not only had to relearn many of the songs, they also had to transpose them to accommodate Phil’s deeper vocal range. Phil, in turn, had to reacquaint himself with lyrics, particularly those written by Tony Banks, which he had always found tricky. Songs like “Domino” and “Home By The Sea” with lines such as “Sheets of double glazing” or “Nylon sheets and blankets” had always tested his memory.

Listening back to past live performances, Phil noticed how often he had deviated from the original songs. For this tour, he made a conscious effort to stick to the original versions.

On top of that, he had to get back into Genesis drumming shape. While he had continued to play on solo tours, most notably during “In the Air Tonight”, tackling complex pieces like “Second Home By The Sea” required serious effort. Thankfully, Chester and Daryl were there to support the process, with Daryl even helping Tony and Mike remember their own parts.

Despite the time apart, the old chemistry was still intact. In fact, the dynamic between the three had improved. Tony and Mike had mellowed with age, while Phil had grown more serious. This allowed them to communicate more openly, discussing things they wouldn’t have dared bring up 15 years earlier.

The Setlist

Genesis had a vast library of music to choose from and the setlist reflected that. Fan favourites like “Follow You Follow Me”, “Invisible Touch”, “Mama”, and “I Can’t Dance” were all included.

One highlight was a heavier version of “Land of Confusion”, clearly influenced by Disturbed’s popular metal cover. It gave the song a modern edge and fresh energy.

The band also included more intricate tracks from the later years, such as “Domino” and “Home By The Sea”, two of Tony Banks’s personal favourites. They opened the show with a medley titled “Duke’s Intro”, combining the instrumental from “Behind the Lines” with a section of “Duke’s End”. It made for a powerful, dramatic opening that set the tone for the entire night.

Phil played more drums than he had on previous tours, and for “I Know What I Like”, he even brought back the iconic tambourine dance from 1976, something he had to rehearse again after years off.

Two surprises in the setlist were “Ripples”, from 1976’s A Trick of the Tail (Phil’s first album as lead vocalist), and a fragment of “Duke’s Travels”, which was folded into a medley. In fact, the set covered nearly every album from 1973 onwards. Each show ended on a high note with the emotional “Carpet Crawlers”, a beloved classic from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Behind the Scenes

Stage design for the tour was handled by the legendary Mark Fisher, while Patrick Woodroffe created a stunning lighting design. A massive screen behind the band displayed visuals tailored to each song, giving every track a unique atmosphere.

Nick Davis oversaw the live sound, and the band partnered with the Encore Series to offer high-quality soundboard recordings of every show, making each concert available to fans.

Opening Night in Helsinki

The tour kicked off in Helsinki on a warm summer night. The band delivered a flawless performance, the visuals hit every cue, and fans were thrilled to see Genesis live once again.

Phil would later reflect that while many had hoped for a new Genesis album, the ‘Turn It On Again’ tour felt more like a farewell than a comeback. The band continued through North America in the autumn before bringing the curtain down.

Looking back, all involved agreed: the best part of the tour wasn’t just the music, it was the joy of being back with old friends and laughing together again.

Photo: Genesis, ofwel: Phil Collins, Michael Rutherford, Tony Banks, Chester Thompson en Daryl Stuermer.}} |Source=Maikel Koek, via Wikiportrait |Date= |Author=Maikel Koek |Permission={{Wikiportrait|2008041010026495}} (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0).

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Genesis Archive 1967–1975: Opening the Vaults of the Gabriel Era

In June 1998, Genesis released the first of their two Archive box sets. Covering the years from 1967 to 1975, Genesis Archive 1967–1975 offered fans an unprecedented look into the band’s formative years and the entire Peter Gabriel era.

A Project Years in the Making

The idea of an extensive Genesis archive release had actually been around since 1994. Originally, the band planned to issue three separate box sets: one covering the Gabriel years, another spanning the late 1970s and early 1980s, and a third focusing on the band’s most commercially successful period from the mid-1980s onwards.

As so often happens with archival projects, plans changed. After several delays, the material was eventually condensed into two releases. The first, Genesis Archive 1967–1975, arrived in 1998. The second, Genesis Archive 2: 1976–1992, followed in 2000 and focused on the Phil Collins era.

Together, the two collections unearthed a wealth of previously unreleased live recordings, demos, B-sides and studio rarities.

The Complete Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Live Performance

The first two discs of Archive 1967–1975 are devoted to a complete performance of Genesis’s masterpiece, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

During the band’s 1974–75 tour, the entire double album was performed live each night. Shortly after the tour ended, Peter Gabriel left Genesis, making these recordings particularly significant.

The performance featured on the box set was recorded at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. While it finally gave fans an official release of the complete Lamb show, one element was largely missing: many of Gabriel’s famous storytelling interludes between songs were edited out.

Revisiting the Past

The recording is not entirely untouched. In 1995, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett returned to add new vocal and guitar parts where the original tapes required restoration.

Gabriel recorded his contributions at his Real World Studios, and attentive listeners can often hear the difference between his 1970s voice and the one heard on the archive release. Another unavoidable limitation was the ending of “It,” which fades out because the original tape ran out before the song had finished.

Despite these alterations, the performance remains remarkable. The band sounds powerful and confident, while the audience’s enthusiasm is palpable throughout.

For the most part, the songs closely follow their studio counterparts. The major exception is “The Waiting Room,” the album’s experimental instrumental section, which was improvised differently each night. Highlights include the title track, “Fly on a Windshield,” and an especially moving version of “The Carpet Crawlers.”

Selling England Live at the Rainbow

Disc three shifts focus to the Selling England by the Pound tour of 1973, drawing primarily from performances recorded at London’s Rainbow Theatre.

For many fans, this was one of the most exciting aspects of the release. At last, official live versions of classics such as “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and “Supper’s Ready” became available with Peter Gabriel on lead vocals.

Unlike the Lamb recordings, Gabriel’s stage introductions and stories were preserved here, offering a valuable glimpse into Genesis’s legendary live performances of the early 1970s.

The disc also includes the band’s 1971 BBC recording of “Stagnation,” alongside non-album gems such as “Twilight Alehouse” and “Happy the Man.”

The Hidden Treasure: Disc Four

For many longtime fans, the fourth disc is the true jewel of the collection.

Dedicated to Genesis’s earliest years with guitarist Anthony Phillips, it features BBC sessions, demos and rare recordings from a period when the band’s identity was still taking shape.

Listening to these recordings feels like hearing Genesis becoming Genesis.

Among the highlights are early versions of songs that would later evolve into familiar classics, alongside lesser-known tracks such as “Hey!” that reveal a gentler, more pastoral side of the band’s music.

There is a distinctive atmosphere running through these recordings, one that many listeners associate with Anthony Phillips’s influence and which largely disappeared after his departure in 1970.

Some casual listeners may find this disc the most challenging, but for dedicated fans it is arguably the most rewarding.

A Comprehensive Package

Beyond the music itself, the box set included an impressive 82-page booklet featuring an extensive band history, rare photographs and interviews with members of Genesis and their associates.

The collection finally provided official live recordings of many Gabriel-era favourites. Prior to its release, the only official live album featuring Gabriel had been Genesis Live (1973), which covered material primarily from Trespass, Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot.

The inclusion of B-sides and previously unreleased songs such as “Twilight Alehouse” added even more value. Although some known demos and rarities remained absent from the final selection, Archive 1967–1975 was widely regarded as an extraordinary release.

Fans clearly agreed: the box set reached No. 35 on the UK Albums Chart.

A Rare Reunion at Heathrow

To promote the release, Genesis staged a remarkable reunion photo session at Heathrow Airport in May 1998.

Present were Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Anthony Phillips and original drummer John Silver. Even the band’s very first drummer, Chris Stewart, attended the dinner that followed the photo shoot.

Only Trespass-era drummer John Mayhew was absent.

For fans, the images were almost as exciting as the music itself: a rare gathering of nearly every significant figure from Genesis’s history.

Looking Ahead

The success of Archive 1967–1975 paved the way for a second collection. Released in 2000, Genesis Archive 2: 1976–1992 explored the Phil Collins era and completed the band’s ambitious effort to open its vaults.

More than twenty-five years later, Archive 1967–1975 remains an important release in the Genesis catalogue: a fascinating journey through the band’s early years and an essential document of the Peter Gabriel era.

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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)‘.