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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCOLLINS, Phil(b 10 Jan. '51, London) Drummer, singer, producer. Began as child actor; played the Artful Dodger on stage in Lionel Bart's Oliver! '64 (following Small Faces' Steve Marriott in the role). Did film cameos in Beatles' A Hard Day's Night '64, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang '69; auditioned unsuccessfully for lead in Zeffirelli's lavish '68 Romeo And Juliet. In art-rock band Flaming Youth; joined Genesis as drummer; took over vocals '75 when Peter Gabriel left, became group's central figure. Jazz infl. reflected in LPs by offshoot Brand X (Unorthodox Behaviour '75, Moroccan Roll '76). Debut solo LP Face Value '81 featured Earth, Wind and Fire horn section, incl. big hits 'In The Air Tonight', 'I Missed Again'. Hello, I Must Be Going '82 had UK no. 1 with revival of Supremes' 'You Can't Hurry Love'; live solo gigs proved solo viability, but he still stuck to lumbering, anachronistic Genesis. Long wait for third album due to prod. commitments, incl. Adam Ant, ABBA's Frida, John Martyn. Played drums on Band Aid record '84. No Jacket Required '85 incl. single 'Sussulio': criticized for resemblance to Prince's '1999' but made no. 1 spot in USA; also ballad 'One More Night'. He became a superstar of the '80s, turned down for a spot at Academy Awards singing his own Oscar nominee (theme from Against All Odds) because the committee had never heard of him. Contribution to Live Aid July '85 incl. playing drums for both Eric Clapton and re-formed Led Zeppelin, solo sets at both Wembley and Philadelphia. Duet with Marilyn Martin 'Separate Lives' UK hit late '85; had UK/USA hit 'Easy Lover' '85 with Philip Bailey; contributed theme to White Nights '86; prod. LPs for Earth, Wind and Fire, Eric Clapton; prepared first full-length acting role as Great Train Robber Buster Edwards '87. But Seriously '89 was meticulously produced with the usual cronies (Winwood, Clapton) in the cast, and it was becoming clear that if you had one Phil Collins album you didn't need another; David Sinclair described it as 'superficial tat, air-brushed without guile to mass-market perfection', and it sold even better than most tat: indeed, No Jacket Required and But Seriously spent a total of ten weeks at no. 1 in the USA, which didn't stop Collins (with Plant) writing to The Times in Sep. '90 to complain that there was no national 'rock' radio station in the UK (BBC1 is 'pop', which is interesting: pop is for kids, rock is now for the middle-aged). Both Sides '93 was more of the same; on Dance Into The Light '96 on Face Value (WEA) he had discovered African music ten years after everyone else, and the album ended with a ludicrous jollied-up version of Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin''. He finally quit Genesis after 26 years '96; with three children by two wives he was living in Switzerland with his girlfriend and his money. |