Phil Collins and Miami Vice

A little background on the series

When Miami Vice was first broadcast in September 1984, the crime series immediately set numerous new standards in the television landscape. Two cool cops in stylish outfits chased nasty drug dealers in the holiday-like atmosphere of the Florida metropolis. The colour scheme of the images was rich and innovative, the action scenes numerous and cinematic, and the list of prominent guest stars long. A key element in the success of the concept, conceived by creator/writer Anthony Yerkovich and realised by producer/director Michael Mann, was the inclusion of pop music and pop culture.

The soundtrack – absolutely brilliant!

The significance of the music began with the instrumental soundtrack, for which Mann hired Jan Hammer. Hammer was a jazz musician who was unknown to a wider audience at the time. He recalls:

„Michael [Mann] said he didn’t want the theme music to be generic TV drama music, so I pulled out a cassette and played him things I had done on my own. One — a high-energy, driving piece — ended up being the theme. … When we found out we were getting picked up, he told me I had total artistic freedom.“ (Hammer in Miami Vice at 40: An Oral History)

It soon became clear how right Mann had been in his choice. Both the Miami Vice Theme and Crockett’s Theme became worldwide top ten hits in 1986 and iconic 80s instrumentals. And Jan Hammer won a Grammy for them.

Pop culture and pop stars

In addition to the original soundtrack, contemporary pop songs played an important role in the series from the very beginning. Anthony Yerkovich explains:

„One element of my concept was the pop-culture phenomenon of music videos and MTV: I wanted to set the story to music in a dialectical fashion so that it commented on the narrative and characters, and vice-versa“ (Yerkovich in „Miami Vice at 40: An oral history“)

So it was only logical that musicians were also invited to make guest appearances or were happy to do so: Glenn Frey, Little Richard, Sheena Easton, Frank Zappa, Gene Simmons, Willie Nelson, Ted Nugent, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis and James Brown all made appearances. And, of course, Phil Collins. No other musician seems to be as closely associated with Miami Vice as he is. Why might that be?

Collins and Miami Vice – a liaison of success

On the one hand, the start of the Miami Vice series at the end of 1984 coincided closely with Phil’s rise to absolute superstar status. This sets him apart from many other celebrity guest stars in the series, who had already passed their most successful period (James Brown, Miles Davis, etc.) or had it still ahead of them (Bruce Willis). One could also refer to this as a kind of ‘musical-cinematic summit meeting,’ as both Phil Collins and Miami Vice were trendsetters and crowd-pullers in the mid-1980s.

Furthermore, Collins is the only musician who not only made a memorable appearance as an actor in Miami Vice, but also managed to include several of his hits as atmospheric background music for key scenes in the series. A personal side note: I suspect this is mainly because he is one of the few artists who cuts a fine figure in both fields (music and acting).

Phil as an actor in Miami Vice

I was unable to determine exactly how or why Collins came to be cast in his guest role in season 2, episode 12 (‘Phil the Shill’). Casting director Bonnie Timmermann sheds some light on the series’ search for celebrities:

„Every week we would make suggestions. … Maybe somebody suggested Phil Collins? It could have been Don, or Michael, or [late producer-director] John Nicollela… It could have been me… We’d read the scripts and say, “Hey, what about Phil Collins?” Then the journey is to find them, track them down.“ (Timmermann in „The now super famous guest stars of Miami Vice“)

There are indications that the character he played was a result of his involvement – and not the other way around. So the role was practically tailor-made for Collins. Collins himself writes in his autobiography that when he was first contacted, he assumed it would only be a brief cameo appearance. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the script included a role with a lot of dialogue and screen time.

At this point, I think it’s appropriate to take a closer look at the episode with Phil. What follows is a commented rewatch of this episode (season 2, episode 12). Unfortunately, the episode is slightly shortened in the older DVD version available to me, but at least it has the original English soundtrack and thus Phil’s familiar voice. Oh yes, from this point on, there will be massive spoilers about the plot. So if you want to see everything (again) with fresh eyes, you’ll have to stop reading the article now.

Phil, The Shill

For those who are not familiar with Miami Vice, here is a brief introduction to the main cast of the series. In addition to Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philipp Michael Thomas), the following characters play or investigate for the Miami Police Department:

Gina (Saundra Santiago), Trudy (Olivia Brown), Switek (Michael Talbott), Zito (John Diehl) and their boss Martin Castillo (Edward Olmos).

First of all, it is noteworthy that Collins plays a character named Phil. Is he playing himself? No! His name here is Phil Mayhew. Mayhew… hm… that rings a bell for Genesis fans. Could it be… is it possible that…? Well, I will answer that too. Or to put it in TV jargon: just stay tuned, it’s worth it…

The episode begins immediately with Phil appearing as the host of a trashy game show called Rat Race And this mixture of chatterbox and slightly sleazy quizmaster is a perfect role for him. Two contestants – one of them Switek, while Zito sits in the audience cheering them on – compete for a prize of £100,000. To do so, they have to answer questions in the worst game show manner and complete a race on a kitschy course. Switek wins the rat race (accompanied by Phil’s Life Is A Rat Race), but feels cheated because his buzzer malfunctions and his opponent now wins. As he leaves, he demands a second chance from Phil, who has to refuse. The quiz show has just been cancelled. This is also the birth of the running gag in this episode. It goes like this: Switek wants revenge on Phil.

Meanwhile, Crockett and Tubbs are investigating a major drug dealer named Tony Rivers. In order to bug his black Mercedes, Crockett gets beaten up by Rivers’ bodyguard (a diversionary tactic) while Tubbs installs the transmitter in the car. When the two hang out in a bar afterwards, they are surprised to see Switek on television. It turns out that Zito and Switek had called in sick. Instead, they are skiving off police duty. Not good! The next day, they get a telling-off from Castillo, including extra work.

Meanwhile, Rivers and his girlfriend Sarah Macphail (oh dear!) emerge from the bugged black car. Both witness the liquidation of two alleged traitors – just what gangsters and their girlfriends do in their spare time.

Now it’s Phil’s turn again. What Switek suspected becomes a certainty. We see Phil sharing the prize money from the game show with the actual winner (who, incidentally, is a complete idiot). So the buzzer was indeed rigged. Speaking of sharing: Phil gets £80,000. Well, life is a real rat race. And Phil plays the nasty little crook very convincingly. With the cash he’s swindled, he now goes on an extensive shopping spree: new sports car, fancy clothes, expensive watches.

In the jewellery shop, he flirts with a woman (‘You’ve got the look of a woman who doesn’t cry much’). He doesn’t know that she is Rivers’ girlfriend Sarah. And that she is only interested in luring Phil as bait. Sarah thinks Phil is English, by the way. But he counters: ‘Norwegian actually, but I had the operation, you know.’ Norwegian or not, Sarah has successfully charmed Phil, and the two arrange to meet for lunch.

In between, you see Crockett, Tubbs, Switek and Zito investigating/observing again. That’s right, we are in a crime series here!

Scene change. The doorbell rings at Phil’s house. We see him in a rather empty property. He has actually treated himself to a new place to live. Standing at the door is Izzy, a petty criminal who introduces himself as a kind of interior designer and ‘man with connections’. What we learn later: Izzy came at Switek’s behest, as he still wants to get back at Phil. Phil senses that something is not quite right, but believes he is safe enough. Crockett and Tubbs are not at all happy with Switek’s personal vendetta, but allow themselves to be appeased by Zito.

Because if Izzy finds out something about Phil, the police can also benefit. Gina has already done a little investigating into Phil. He apparently has a long career as a con artist in England behind him. Tubbs comments smugly on his place of birth (‘Whitechapel, London’): ‘That’s the home of Jack the Ripper’.

Scene change. Phil in swimming trunks by his own pool. Izzy has furnished Phil’s home with all kinds of art and hip furniture. He meets Sarah there for lunch. We learn that he would like to throw a party. ‘Non-stop sex, drugs and rock “n” roll,’ he imagines. Sarah says she can at least help with the cocaine.

Then they see the black Mercedes again. Crockett and Tubbs follow it, but lose it. Rivers has also discovered the bug in the car. Now he’s really angry. He kills a drug courier named Stewart (soso…), whom he believes to be the wrong snake. Meanwhile, Gina and Trudy, disguised as caterers, board Rivers’ boat. There, they plant the next bug.

The party is now getting started at Phil’s house. And what a party it is! Cool music is playing (including Clapton’s Knock On Wood, freshly produced by Collins). Crockett and Tubbs (code names ‘Burnett’ and ‘Cooper’) are also among the guests. Then it’s time for a freeze frame. At 25:42, you can see Phil sitting by the pool with three women. And the blonde on the left is actually Jill Tavelmann! So Collins smuggled his wife into the series. There are two more scenes with Jill, which unfortunately were cut from my DVD version. In the most brilliant one (available on YouTube), you see Izzy lecturing Jill about Hemingway. Phil joins them, turns briefly to Jill, then looks at Izzy and says dryly, ‘I like your taste’ – a wonderful Collins moment!

Otherwise, things aren’t going so well for Phil at the party. He tries to set up a drug deal that goes against Rivers’ interests. Sarah finds out about it and leaves the party with Phil under a pretext. On Rivers’ boat, the small-time crook gets a thorough beating from the big bad guy. Switek, who is observing, is pleased. Phil tries to de-escalate the situation in the best Genesis manner (‘I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding here’). Rivers offers him a deal. Phil will keep his life if he acts as a middleman in a drug deal with Burnett and Cooper.

Back at Phil’s house. The party is over, and Phil tries to make a getaway with the last of the money. But Burnett-Crockett and Cooper-Tubbs force him to cooperate so they can arrest Rivers. Then there’s a showdown in an empty amusement park: Rivers is killed in a shootout with the police, his entourage is arrested, and Phil actually manages to escape in the commotion. With £70,000 in drug money. And with Sarah, who apparently wants a new start as a gangster’s wife. Angel of vengeance Switek wants to go after them immediately – he had previously bugged Phil’s car. But his boss warns him with a stern look: ‘The case is closed.’

Finally, the grandiose final scene: Switek and Zito are sitting at home in front of the television. While channel hopping, they stop at a televangelist (‘Heal! … Praise the Lord!’). It’s Phil with his ‘assistant’ Sarah. Out of sheer frustration, Switek shoots the telly. Then the credits roll to Life Is A Rat Race, and you’re fascinated by how Phil anticipated his role in Jesus He Knows Me (1992) back in 1985.

Last but not least, the explanation for the Genesis names: the appearance of Mayhew, Macphail and Stewart is obviously no coincidence, but a joke by the scriptwriter/director. As can be read on the internet (miamivice.fandom.com), characters named Banks, Hackett and Bruford also played minor supporting roles in this episode. Why Rutherford and Gabriel are missing, however, remains an open secret.

Conclusion: Phil The Shill is a highly entertaining series episode with a focus on quirky characters, wordplay and the lead actor Phil Collins, whose role as a multi-talented con artist may lie within his acting comfort zone, but which he fills with great passion. For once, police work and action are not the focus here, nor are Messrs Crockett and Tubbs, as colleague Switek steals the show with his private feud. The numerous Collins-related Easter eggs and, last but not least, the song recorded exclusively for the series ensure that this episode will continue to attract the attention of Phil fans and Genesis nerds for a long time to come.

The Collins soundtrack in Miami Vice

However, Phil Collins’ connection with Miami Vice began much earlier. Right from the start of the series, the creators chose one of his biggest hits as part of the soundtrack. And as the series progressed, his songs appeared again and again. Let’s take a look at them in order.

Season 1 – Episode 1/2 (Pilot) ‘Brother’s Keepers’: In The Air Tonight (First broadcast: 16 September 1984, song used from approx. 75:43 to 79:08)

David Rosenbloom, editor of the pilot episode, summarises it as follows:

„[Director] Thomas Carter came up with the idea of using the Phil Collins song “In the Air Tonight” when Don calls his wife from a phone booth on the highway, with this neon sign in back that says “Bernay’s Café.” It was almost surreal. It captured most of what the series might become. That song went on to be the one most associated with the show.“  (Miami Vice at 40: An oral history)

Yes, they created an iconic scene, both for the series and for Phil’s song. But first things first. In the 90-minute pilot episode, everything has to find its place first. The Crockett-Tubbs team doesn’t exist yet. Without knowing it, both are hunting the same man, a Colombian drug lord named Calderone. Tubbs is not only hunting a ruthless criminal, but also his brother’s killer. Crockett has to cope with his divorce from his wife Caroline and the lack of contact with his 6-year-old son. He finds solace in an affair (with his colleague Gina). Shortly before we hear In The Air Tonight, Crockett has uncovered the mole in his department who was supplying Calderone with information.

It’s his former partner and a friend of the family. After so much emotional turmoil, it’s time to calm down. So Crockett and Tubbs cruise through the night in a black sports car. No one says anything, everyone is lost in their own thoughts, all you can hear is Phil singing. Until Crockett stops to call his ex-wife from a phone box and get reassurance that their love was real (accompanied at that very moment by the line ‘it’s all been a pack of lies’). In any case, Phil’s song fits the atmosphere perfectly here – even without knowing that Collins was in a similar emotional situation to Crockett when he wrote the song.

Season 1 – Episode 8 ‘No Exit (Three Eyed Turtle)’: I Don’t Care Anymore (First broadcast: 9 November 1984, song plays from approx. 35:30 to 40:00)

A musically very interesting episode. Shortly after the start, we hear Phil’s song. But wait a minute! That’s not Phil’s song at all! It’s almost the same drum groove, it’s almost the same flat synth pad sounds that create the same atmosphere, but the chords being played are definitely different. And the vocals are missing. At this point, it becomes clear that Jan Hammer (with an eye to Phil’s song, which can be heard later in the episode) has created a small homage to Phil in advance by putting together a kind of ‘clone of his song’. And at this point – long before AI – that is a very creative musical achievement in its own right. Incidentally, this track by Hammer does not appear on any official soundtrack to the series. However, it can be listened to on YouTube under the episode title ‘No Exit’, including the accompanying soundtrack.

This episode is also very successful in other respects. Tony Amato (a very young Bruce Willis) is Crockett and Tubbs’ adversary this time around. And he quickly becomes the object of everyone’s antipathy, not because he deals illegally in weapons, but because he beats and humiliates his wife Rita in the worst macho manner. Shortly before the end, the original version of I Don’t Care Anymore plays, and we hear almost the entire song while Amato is being arrested.

„I don’t care what you say, we never played by the same rules anyway
I won’t be there  anymore,  get out of my way, let me by, I got better things to do with my time“

It is not difficult to imagine that these lyrics were written by Amato’s wife. Her gruelling struggle for freedom and dignity, the second plot of this episode, fits perfectly with Phil’s song.

Amato’s joy at being released on bail is ultimately short-lived. Rita waits for him outside the courthouse and shoots him.

Season 2 – Episode 1/2 (double episode) ‘Prodigal Son’: Take Me Home (first broadcast: 27 September 1985, song used from approx. 82:45 to 84:45)

This time, Tubbs and Crockett are investigating in New York. And to kick off season 2, there’s another feature-length double episode. They take on a Colombian drug cartel, and there are plenty of shootouts, car chases and dead bodies. Tubbs meets his old flame Valerie (played by Pam Grier, who later made an even more prominent comeback with Tarantino). Jan Hammer’s theme song Tubbs And Valerie is therefore quite prominent in this episode. Valerie is investigating undercover against a villain named Frank Sacco (played by James Russo, who shone a year later in the drama Extremeties). Tubbs realises that he still has feelings for her. Crockett falls for a beauty named Margaret, who seduces him but soon spies on him.

Shortly before the end of the episode, Phil’s song Take Me Home comes on. But oh dear, what happened here? In my DVD version, the sequence with the song has been severely shortened, so that you only hear Take Me Home for two minutes. In the original, the song is about 90 seconds longer. They cut out a sex… pardon me… bed scene between Tubbs and Valerie, in which you can’t really see anything. It’s certainly not the case that this scene is essential to the episode. But nothing happens that a 6-year-old couldn’t watch, and it’s a shame that a song by Collins falls victim to prudish (?) editing. At least you can watch the whole thing uncut on YouTube.

Take Me Home fits perfectly with the scenes it accompanies. It addresses two kinds of ‘coming home’. First, Tubbs’ return to the arms of the woman he still loves. And then, as they check in at the airport, Crockett and Tubbs’ return to Miami, their home.

Season 2 – Episode 12 ‘Phil the Shill’: Life Is A Rat Race (First broadcast: 13 December 1985, song used from 5:04 to 5:32 and in the credits (42:00 – 42:30)

Everything essential has already been written about the corresponding episode. Collins aficionados know, of course, that this song is based on The Man With The Horn, a song by Collins that was recorded in 1982 during the recording sessions for Hello, I Must Be Going! Unlike this song, we still do not know the complete version of Life Is A Rat Race, only the 30 seconds known from the series episode. Whether such a version exists at all or only this fragment is probably known only to Collins himself.

Season 2 – Episode 23, ‘Sons and Lovers’: Long Long Way To Go (First broadcast: 9 May 1986, song plays from approx. 38:25 to 40:20)

We recall the start of the series. It was about a villain named Calderone. He is now dead, and we see in flashbacks that Tubbs is responsible for his death. Tubbs also seems to have had an affair with Calderone’s daughter Angelina. She reappears in the season 2 finale to save Tubbs’ life. Angelina’s half-brother Orlando wants to avenge his father’s death. To intensify the unfolding emotional drama, Angelina shows Tubbs their son. Although they are placed under police protection, Angelina and the baby are kidnapped. Worse still, Tubbs is right there when Angelina is murdered. She is blown up in a car while tied up. There is no trace of the baby. And Orlando escapes.

Long Long Way To Go by Phil is not only an atmospherically powerful song. Its lyrics make it a very fitting soundtrack here. We see images of Angelina’s funeral. The Miami Vice team dressed in black. Silence, reflection, tranquillity. We see a grieving Tubbs and flashbacks with Angelina and the baby. We see the moment of Angelina’s death, the explosion of the car, the finality of this act. And Phil sings:

„Someone’s loved one’s heart stops beating in a street somewhere“

Bull’s eye! For me, this is the ultimate goosebumps moment, alongside the very first episode of Miami Vice. And proof of how brilliantly music and images complement each other, and what a great instinct the producers of this series have when it comes to choosing songs, time and time again.

Season 4 – Episode 20 ‘A Bullet for Crocket’: In The Air Tonight (First broadcast: 15 April 1988, use of the song: fairly early on + almost in its entirety)

The following two episodes were not available on DVD, so I had to watch the relevant excerpts on YouTube.

In The Air Tonight is one of the few songs that appears twice in the series. Apparently, the creators believed in the special magic of the track. In the scene in question, there is initially a confrontation between Tubbs and Crockett on one side and a group of Colombian gangsters on the other. After a shootout, their leader Rique escapes. There is a car chase and finally a showdown on a railway track. All of this takes place at night, creating references to both the song lyrics and the pilot episode. Up to this point, the action presented seems like one of many in the series. But then Crockett is inattentive for a moment. A bullet from Rique’s girlfriend’s gun hits him and leaves his life hanging by a thread. The song ends with this scene.

As the story unfolds, we see a sequence with many flashbacks and flash-forwards. Crockett is eliminated as a protagonist. But he survives.

Season 5 – Episode 21/22 (double episode) ‘Freefall’: Land Of Confusion (Genesis) (First broadcast: 21 May 1989, use of the song: no idea, duration: just over 4 minutes)

And now we’ve actually come to the end. Not just the end of Collins’ musical involvement in Miami Vice, but also the absolute end of the series. Because it ends with Freefall, the last (double) episode of season 5. Instead of a solo song by Phil, we hear him here with a hit by his band. Land Of Confusion is undoubtedly a great track, but it gets a bit lost here. This is mainly because the song has been mixed heavily into the background for long stretches and is barely audible. The characters’ dialogues and sound effects dominate the audible action here.

This makes the use of this song very different from Collins’ previous solo songs. It gives the impression that the music is not that important at this point. Nor does it have any particular atmospheric connection to the visuals. It degenerates into background noise, like in a supermarket. That’s a bit of a shame and, for me personally, the weakest use of a song featuring Collins in this series. But at least we can say that this iconic 80s series begins with Phil and ends with him.

Of particular interest here is perhaps the special song edit of Land Of Confusion. The creators have put together a truly confusing piece in the first 40 seconds. Song of Confusion, somehow. We hear the instrumental intro, then jump to the first instrumental part of the bridge (beginning of Simmonds’ drums) and then to the second instrumental part of the bridge (half-time part). Then the second verse (‘Oh Superman …’) starts and we hear the song in the correct order from there until the end. One would like to know who came up with such an idea and why.

In the end, Crockett and Tubbs hang up their badges. A great series comes to an end. But Collins’ connection to Miami Vice will outlive even this.

The soundtrack releases for Miami Vice

Between 1985 and 2006 (long after the series had ended), a total of 10 soundtrack albums for the series were released. Phil Collins was also featured here with some of his songs.

Miami Vice (1985) – In The Air Tonight
Miami Vice II (1986) – Take Me Home.
The Best Of Miami Vice (1989) – both songs

Well, that’s it. At least almost…

Surprisingly, his smash hit Against All Odds can be found on The Best Of Miami Vice (1996). However, this song was never used in the series, which calls into question the purpose of such compilations.

While something like this is merely curious, one thing is rather annoying. Where, pray tell, is Life Is A Rat Race? Fans of Phil would surely have loved to have this song, recorded exclusively for the series, on an official recording. Either it is not available, or no one thought that far ahead.

Reunion with Don Johnson (The Seriously… TV Special)

In an interview from 1986, Phil expressed interest in reviving his character Phil Mayhew from Miami Vice for an appearance in another season episode. We now know that this did not happen. In 1990, Don Johnson made a guest appearance in a 48-minute TV special with Collins called Seriously…. Collins and Johnson both play themselves. Essentially, this film is a cleverly made promotional film aimed at promoting the musician’s latest album and upcoming tour in an entertaining way.

The plot revolves around the programme director of a television station who plans a TV show with Phil that will appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Since he considers Collins alone to be unsuitable for entertaining viewers (which is impressively refuted by Phil’s numerous and varied performances in this film), he now calls the phone numbers of celebrities who are to appear on the show with Collins in order to increase the ratings. And the first celebrity he contacts is Don Johnson.

Don takes the call on a boat in a pose reminiscent of Miami Vice. He calls Phil a mate and mentions the time they spent together on the series. He sees no need to participate in the show with Phil: ‘Let the guy sing and play, that’s what I would like to see.’ Consequently, he declines – as do all the other celebrities. In the end, the programme makers also come to the conciliatory conclusion: Collins alone is entertainment enough!

The Miami Vice film – once again with music by Phil

Long after the series ended, its cult potential was revived in the summer of 2006, not for television, but for the big screen. On board are the two hitmakers behind the series, Michael Mann (director, producer) and Anthony Yerkovich (screenwriter). Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas are not involved, so the two main characters are recast with Colin Farrell (Crockett) and Jamie Foxx (Tubbs) (as is the rest of the cast).

The film borrows heavily from the series in terms of content and style, but also adds its own touches. However, the remake was not particularly well received by critics or cinema audiences, meaning that it remains firmly in the shadow of the 1980s series. At least the film does not do without Phil’s music. Once again, In The Air Tonight can be heard, but in this case not by Collins himself, but in a cover version by the relatively unknown band Nonpoint. Here we hear the familiar song in a crossover version of nu metal and pop. Although the whole thing is arranged in keeping with the genre, well performed and even incorporates Collins’ iconic drum break, this version was unfortunately a complete flop.

Phil’s virtual return to Miami

At the end of 2006/beginning of 2007, Rockstar Games released Vice City Stories for PlayStation (Portable and 2) as part of the successful Grand Theft Auto video game series. The game concept of the series combines action with racing and adventure elements, whereby the player has to work their way up the criminal career ladder bit by bit by completing various assignments in a shady milieu.

Vice City Stories is interesting in two respects. Firstly, the setting of Vice City is clearly a copy of Miami in 1984 (the year the TV series started). And secondly, Phil Collins appears as an animated character in this game. As a player, your task in a total of three missions is to protect Phil from hired killers and ensure that the pop star can perform his concert in Vice City. Collins not only lent his voice to his animated counterpart for the extensive dialogue scenes, but his mega-hit In The Air Tonight is also featured in a cutscene, performed by the virtual Collins. Incidentally, you can watch this as often as you like after successfully completing your missions.

Further side notes: Within the game world of Vice City Stories, there are several radio stations where you can listen to Easy Lover and Turn It On Again (Genesis) in addition to In The Air Tonight. And actor Philip Michael Thomas (Ricardo Tubbs from Miami Vice) lends his voice to your character’s brother in the game.

With Vice City Stories, Phil Collins has somehow managed to return to the world of the series of yesteryear 17 years after the end of Miami Vice, albeit in a digital and altered form.

Miami Vice – Looking beyond the Collins horizon

Collins may be the member of Genesis who had the greatest influence on Miami Vice as a musician (and actor!). He may even be the musician most closely associated with the series. However, in terms of the number of songs used in the series, his colleague Peter Gabriel is ahead. Seven of his songs (Collins had five without Genesis) were part of the series soundtrack.

And Phil’s bandmate Mike contributed three songs to the series with his band Mechanics. That makes a total of 16 songs from the Genesis camp. Looks like a nice playlist.

For anyone who wants to revisit the episodes featuring Peter and Mike’s songs in detail, here are the names of the individual songs and (in brackets) the corresponding episodes:

Peter Gabriel

The Rhythm Of The Heat(“Evan”, season 1, episode 22)
Biko (“Evan”, season 1, episode 22)
Red Rain (“Stone’s War”, season 3, episode 2)
Mercy Street (“Killshot”, season 3, episode 3)
Sledgehammer (‘Better Living Through Chemistry’, season 3, episode 8)
We Do What We’re Told(‘Forgive Us Our Debts’, season 3, episode 11 and ‘Deliver Us from Evil’, season 4, episode 21)
Don’t Give Up (‘Redemption in Blood’, season 5, episode 2)

Mike + The Mechanics

Par Avion (‘Yankee Dollar’, season 2, episode 14)
Hanging By A Thread (‘Baby blues’, season 3, episode 9)
Nobody’s Perfect (‘Hard knocks’, season 5, episode 8)

A new Miami Vice film – pie in the sky, even with Collins?

In spring 2025, information appears online that another Miami Vice film is in the works. Production is still at a very early stage, so no statements can be made about the cast and content. According to industry insiders, director Joseph Kosinski has been commissioned to work on the project. He recently successfully filmed the sequel to Top Gun, so he is familiar with remaking 80s material. It is currently impossible to say to what extent we will hear In The Air Tonight again. We can only hope that Kosinski has followed the story of Miami Vice closely and comes to the right conclusion. Which must be: there is no Miami Vice without Phil Collins. And let’s be honest: without Collins, something would be missing, seriously…

Author: Rainer Löser