Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. An adult who lived in the projects where I grew up was named ODonel Levy. I was there just a week and I actually ran across them in Sydney. Man, I still love to play. Phil releases "My favourite Genesis tracks from the 70`s" - rerecorded with old friends. Influenced by the likes of Max Roach, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, and Tony Williams along with the popular music . Reading the book I get the feeling that he only felt really involved in Selling EnglandFirst he says he had a slight inferior complex as a composer, his ideas were not well recieved, his marriage ended etc. The whole interview is a really good read. He was a member from the beginning, when they did there really masterful work, but no one seems to mention that. The last solo thing I did ventured a little outside that format. And Maurice too, actually. Heres the crazy thing, man. Thiswent further,Steve wasn't even invited to the 1982 reunion in Milton Keynes (Only played the encores, because he was in audience). Turns out it was purely a union thing. He canceled a tour and was honest about it. That was just rhythm section, [keyboardist] George Duke, [bassist] Tom Fowler. A little bit later he goes, Man, I think I broke my finger. We all went, Come on. I was just thinking, What in the heck is going on here?, I imagine one day you guys will speak again. In the meantime, they had brought in [drummer] Narada Michael Walden. It was amazing stuff, absolutely. Jeff Porcaro: a great drummer but not a main composer in Toto. They were starting rehearsals the next week for a new tour and that happened to be my favorite band at the time. I have no memory of that whatsoever. They were in town and Alphonso said, The guys are in town. This is before they had hits, but they did have Yes We Can Can. In those days, they were doing pretty much doing all Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross stuff. According to what Chester said in an interview, he had offered his services as a drummer, but Mike and Tony were looking to make a fresh start and looked for different musicians to play with the band. Exactly. The peak of Genesis on a commercial level was the Invisible Touch period. I'm a fan of Phil and his music, but he comes off as a bit of a putz. Basically, Alphonso left during the Christmas break [of 1975]. Listen Renaissance, Marillion, Pendragon Barclay James Harvest, Moody Blues, Procol Harum, The Strawbs, etc are full of ballads, and nobody ever made a problem. How were the Phil solo tours? He was already going on tour in summers between school. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Suddenly, Im there with no income. He must have a contract for a hundred and one sappy stereotypical songs for Disney movies. But after reading the (excellent) interview, I have to say I'm quite surprised at how Chester was treated by the guys through the years. Daryl and I came back. I watched it a couple of times, but Bob hung out with us the whole time. He would be onstage. I had a conversation with Mike Rutherford, not knowing what they were going to be doing. It was really awesome. Wed do eight-hour rehearsals. That was every night. It started with some frat parties. It was a much bigger band. It really was. And hes that good at them both. I dont know how to describe it, but it was based on holograph technology. [Laughs] That was fun. Chester was very cool in this article. Several times we were on Phils tour in 2005 and they had meetings about how to put this tour together. As far as I know he doesn't have the health Frank never stepped foot in there again, of course. I wasnt aware of any of that. Phil Collins had to hire Chester Thompson and Bill Bruford. Phil Collins (onion head) <-nickname), is a great drummer and that is where i believed he should have stayed. -Ballads in Prog Rock are underrated, because Prog Rock is not "romantic". They did some concerts and demos and then the real story started with Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel joining Ant and Mike 1967. He was a great writer and arranger. I dont know when he slept. He played beautifully on that ballad Cannon Ball. I had already tracked most of Black Market. And Id known Daryl for years. This is why I don't think they sold out or did it for any other reason than that is what they wanted to do. It's just horrible. Those two weeks, man, I dont think we ever laughed that much all the years wed been together. Well appreciated, keep up enjoying Phil Collins! He asked me if I read [music] and he showed me a chart and asked me if I could learn it by the next day. All rights reserved. A couple of days later, he brought the whole band in. Id come in and read it down the next day, which was pretty new to them because none of them read [music] at all. I kind of fell in love with the flute. Drummers and keyboard players don`t have the same status as them". First, a great interview. He was a phenomenal player oh, my goodness. Hes sort of a quiet guy. Were just dealing with Covid. His work ethic was just phenomenal. Basically, Phil flipped at Chester during the Going Back tour, for not playing exactly what he wanted to play, and they haven't spoken since. Captain Beefheart plays harmonica on the album. Getting the gig was no walk in the park. [Laughs] But Ive really been enjoying my life. Beans and Corn Bread was probably my favorite Louis Jordan tune. But he just enjoyed being around us since we were so lively and fun. But if youre a music-ed student, you need to learn a different instrument group every semester. We were playing London near the end and the guys all came down. Also note that Onion Head didn't do much writting on the good Genesis LPs like: Foxtrot, Trespass, Selling England, Lamb, Nursery, Trick of the tail, EWnd and Wuthering. Everybody had a say. He was a different kind of guy, but what a nice, gentle kind of person. If you know the history, Joe [Zawinul] and Wayne [Shorter] were real good friends. Well, basically, I hadnt prepared in as much detail as I usually did. But you have read him saying that anything after Fragile is crap, and that was a literal quote. Then it got weird because they got comfortable with two drummers playing. He was brilliant. Unfortunately, they never had enough of his clear vocals to release it, or anything. Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Progatron, Feb 4, 2021. Chester Thompson and Phil Collins Chester Thompson - From Jazz to Genesis Aug 17, 2018 by Bill King Comments Its been 42 years since drummer Chester Thompson, bassist Jeff Breeh, and myself were the backing/touring piano jazz trio for the Pointer Sisters. There were all these conversations going back and forth that Id try to track. It was an incredibly difficult piece of music that we actually nailed in the studio. Basically, I want to keep putting things out. Just to mention a few key members that played drums. Several times. During this time, the drummer somehow also found time to tour with Santana and the Bee Gees and maintain a solo career. Much of the show is just you playing drums, but during a lot of the instrumental breaks, Phil would come back and play along with you. I did one of his solo albums and we had been pretty good friends. He was happy. So I continue quite off topic! Its not something he did. Steve and I always stayed pretty good friends. After I left, Robin got really ticked at me. I was wide-eyed and paying attention and had no idea what was going on. But with Phil, youre one of a cast of thousands. That was their first tour in 10 years. No one also seems to mention how great of a drummer he was (I am not sure if he still is). In the meantime, the few months before, they went with different management, the same people that managed Earth, Wind, and Fire. Terry Bozio: good drummer but he didn`t compose anything for the band U.K. Was successful in the Missing Persons Pop band. Chester just says 'maybe' he wouldn't want to play the same Genesis songs yet again on a new tour, but IMO he doesn't give a definite no. When I was 13 and able to go on my own, I pretty much went every other week. My opinion is that Phil is a nice person with a good sense of humour. I don't think he was ever going to be on board with expanding it to additional legs. I think it's best to keep this stuff to yourself, don't air grievances in public., especially not the press. But what a great tour and what a great band. It`s not true. Ive done tours of my own with my jazz trio. He said they were going to be doing something totally different and they werent interested. And then I got into better clubs around Baltimore. Its going very well. It was a weird, lonely feeling to be in the room with people that supposedly speak the same language and not be able to understand what was going on., Phil Collins and Genesis Sell Song Rights for Over $300 Million, Phil Collins Son Nic Joining Mike and the Mechanics Tour, Phil Collins Is Definitely Retired According to His Son, Jimmy Page Blasts Phil Collins Playing in Led Zep Live Aid Show, Phil Collins Sells Stunning $40 Million Miami Beach Estate, Watch Phil Collins in Lost Footage of Pre-Fame Band Flaming Youth, Phil Collins Sues Ex for Alleged Armed Occupation of Miami Home, Viral Video Sends Phil Collins In the Air Tonight Up the Chart. And I dont want to ever only play one thing. Too bad Vinnie couldn't make it. The very first day of rehearsal he said to me, How do you play that lick? It was a thing that Ralph Humphrey and I did on the end of [Frank Zappas] Trouble Every Day. It was this double drum lick that Phil wanted to learn, and it did wind up in a Genesis song, a live version anyway. The We Cant Dance thing was a very different vibe. That's pretty much the zest of it. Did you get to meet him? He asked if Id consider coming in. Right. But they asked Daryl and I to come to this little room on the side. But they had so many new tunes they were promoting. Phil was very shocked and surprised and annoyed that I didnt say that his stuff was more fun. Absolutely. Chester Thompson. I started playing clubs at 13. They limit the amount of times you can access their site. Chester Thompson sheds some light on relationship with Phil Collins. I certainly never dreamed it would go on and on like it did. Id say we agree on his drummingskills. Avatar: Photo of Solar Eclipse, Mexico City, July 1991. We basically tracked it with no bass. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. I just basically kept my mouth shut and my eyes open. No, I'm not a big fan of Collins, and no, I don't have any of his solo albums. Im still pretty good friends with the only two that are left, Ruth and Anita. I guess he is as close as you can get being a Genesis member without being one. Not sure what's up there? The cool thing was my family came out on the road a lot. I just knew that he was a radically different person than Id ever known. Did you see any concerts in your younger years? He passed away [in 2002]. I was kind of surprised that Daryl wasnt doing it, either. No. Its not as bad as its made to be , Havent exchanged cards since 2019 ?? Thats where I met my wife. I was taking lessons from a friend of my brothers who was a jazz player by choice. The guy was brilliant, amazing. . The reason we were doing it was to raise money for Peter since he went broke doing his first WOMAD show. It was Phils gig, obviously. Thompson believed he had landed a short-term job when Collins asked him to join Genesis without an audition in 1977, but he went on to take part in every road trip until 2007 and was also a. The Edge Calls it a Quantum Leap Forward, Neil Young and Stephen Stills Honor David Crosby, Revive Buffalo Springfield at Light Up The Blues, You Are Grimes Now: Inside Music's Weird AI Future, Pharrells Something in the Water Fest Cancels Final Day Due to Severe Weather, Stagecoach: Kane Brown Breaks Mental Health Stigma With 'Memory,' Talks Depression, Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities, Kanye West Fallout Sparks Class Action Lawsuit Against Adidas, Roy Wood Jr. Its one of those What Will You Be letters. Some of his hits are cheesy. Oh, goodness. Its amazing what you can get used to. Was that a challenge for you? They were really nice, cool people to work with. It was interesting because Tom Fowler, our bass player, had broken his hand on tour. There was no getting around it. I could track one guy, kind of, but then somebody else would jump in. I did not write this, but it always makes me laugh. And of course, there was another drummer there and it was an audition. He's probably one of the nicest, most down-to-earth guys in music (and that should be a good thing). Frank had a blackboard onstage with all the note names on it. Peter Criss (Even lead vocals), Keith Moon, Carmine Appice, Roger Taylor (Much better backing vocalist than anybody else and even lead a couple of times). I wish him nothing but the best. I no longer teach at the university, but I have taken on some private students. However he did turn Genesis into a pop group and laughed all the way to the bank. Thats where I started. Are you hoping to be back onstage soon? Oh, my goodness! We want to hear it. And Id been doing it long enough at that point that I didnt have any expectations beyond knowing, Im here to do what he did [on the records]. When we played together, it was like he was the guy and Im there as the backup, to support him. I grew up in the projects, so in the summer there would be people outside playing music. He could really play. I didnt see it coming. Well, lets see. I think that he became popular with housewives, and that was his "guilt". Mick Fleetwood: owner of the band`s name, thier main founder, but not a composer in the band. And Phil and I had a lot of the same roots. Why dont you come and jam with the band? I said, Man, Id love to, but I dont really want to audition.. Ralph Humphrey was very helpful that whole time because I had been getting into odd times, but not at the level Frank was doing it. But back to the point, the investment in this album was big, Bruford, Levin, Wetton, Ian Mc'Donnald, Julian Colbeck, etc are not cheap, and he knew from thestartthis album would never be a hit. In fact, I had called. Genesis' The Last Domino? It was perfect timing and what a fun tour. I found Richard Mc'Phaill here, at that point and due to the 1973 in memorian, I thought McPhaill was dead, later I found an interview by him (2001) and new he was alive and healthybutonlytoday found he made backing vocals in Genesis Revisited. Right. I think he got a little annoyed since I had done an interview and they asked which I enjoyed [Genesis or Collins solo] more. -Guitarists/vocalists/bassists/keyboardists "heroes" are the most important members in a band . Its interesting to see peoples perception of what they think it is as opposed to the way it really was. Drummers are not really "musicians", because they don`t play "musical notes", so let`s keep them in the background. Some info from Hugh Fielders book:In 1965 Ant Phillips formed the band Anon with Richard Macphail, Rivers Job, Rob Tyrrell & Mike Rutherford. In recent years, hes taught at Belmont University in his adopted hometown of Nashville and toured with the Chester Thompson Trio. Also, drum parts in Genesis are not very easy to play and sing at the same time on stage. She scored one of Spike Lees movie. That's pretty much the zest of it. Boy, we got in rehearsal and it was like oil and water. Well, after the first tour they were like, Were going to bring you in for the next album. Phil was all for it. But since I had been in his band and on the road so much, I hadnt had time to do any networking or meet many people in L.A. It was a fun tour. Wed do eight-hour rehearsals. Reading some of these commentaries in this threadI started to think that Phil Collins is really underrated because not too many drummers are key members in their bands. I didnt see Phils tour. Bruno Primas Forum Resident Location: Wisconsin Not too many of them sing even backing vocals. And the best artists do it without you even realising it. Are there any salient quotes or paragraphs detailing why they fell out? JavaScript is disabled. I was thinking back to the clinic I saw in 84-85 at DRUMS in Crafton PA. Enjoy! Thank you, I agree with you about the intelligent debate and even if we disagree about somethings in the end its down to a matter of opinons. Collins was perfectly happy to exist behind his large collection of toms and cymbals during Genesis' Peter Gabriel-led . Oh, my goodness. By the time they reached out to me, they allowed 10 days for rehearsal and it was a two-and-a-halfhour show. He said, I double-track everything anyway, so it would be great if we could just do it together. But they all live very close together and they always had a set writing period where theyd be like, Okay, from blank to blank, were writing. They would each do that, come back with what they had and basically it was just too easy to go, OK, lets put this down. And thats what they did. How did you wind up touring with Ben E. King in 1969? Was it hard on your marriage that you were never home? That aint me. But basically, for 14 years hed tour every other year and Genesis would tour in the off years. This is the same time that Chicago and Elton John are recording there. Well, yeah. I guess they were never able to release it because Peter is pretty spontaneous and it drove the sound engineer crazy. There was no getting around it. How about if I come in and play some percussion along with Alex [Acua]? But it was uncomfortable. He liked having a big band onstage, too. But I was fortunate. They really enjoy life and love to laugh. Those early prog-rock records? And so, we had met and played together on a few occasions. Phil was in pain, and Chester makes it sound like 2008 didn't happen because Phil was just being difficult. A couple of the Drum Duets were released as singles in several places in South America and some countries in Europe, which is kind of cool. In fact, most of the names of the drummers appear almost always at the end of the credits in the album covers. Steve saw it as a compromise joining the band. I never went in under any pretense of thinking it was going to be anything other than what it was. Thats where you started hearing Motown and stuff. Show more 8:40. I dont know. Theres a great jazz community, too. Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on musics A list. The first couple of years, I pretty much put it together. !-REACTION RisbyDaCreator 10K views 2. Ginger Baker: mainly a composer as soloist. But at this point Id be curious to see it. They were great writers. Weird. Yes, it`s true, but none of them became the permanent lead singer in their bands like Collins. Theres quite a music community here in Nashville, man. The vocalist is the frontman, he/she has to move around face the audience, etc and a drummer is normally attached to his kit. They sent over some cassettes. They just edited in that other day of his recording. Again, as humans, we adapt. When my mom showed me that letter I wrote in fourth grade where I had outlined I hadnt done everything in that letter, but so much of it had already happened it kind of blew me away.