Phil Collins - Recording Compendium (4)

Official stuff, demos, outtakes & more

Part 4: Hello, I Must Be Going! | 1982 - 1984

From mid-February, Phil will be at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm for a month and a half to produce ABBA singer Frida's first solo album. Alongside this, he also takes on the role of drummer and puts together a studio band consisting of himself, Daryl Stuermer, Peter Robinson, the Phenix Horns and bassist Mo Foster. The songwriters on the album include prominent names such as Brian Ferry, Giorgio Moroder, Rod Argent, Stephen Bishop and: Phil Collins.

During his stay in Stockholm, Phil takes the opportunity to play percussion on a live Swedish TV performance by Rupert Hine.

In spring, Phil and his drum kit set off for Rockfield Studios in Monmouth to record several songs from ex-Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant's first solo album over a period of three days.

In the meantime, several demos have already been created in Phil's home studio, which serve as a template for his upcoming second solo album.

Finally, from May to July, Phil is busy recording his album Hello, I Must Be Going! before touring with Genesis again from August. Final overdubs are recorded on days off in September.

Another song from the recording sessions is only released two and a half years later as a single B-side.

Deviant versions of the tracks are few and far between - two single edits and a 1985 version of The Man With The Horn sung with new lyrics for an episode of the TV series Miami Vice....

Even before the Genesis tour, Phil Collins plays for the first time at the Prince's Trust Rock Gala charity event as the drummer in an all-star band that includes The Who's Pete Townshend, Procol Harum's Gary Brooker and Ultravox's Midge Ure. The recording of the concert will be released the following year.

After Phil's second solo album was released in November, he goes on a solo tour for the first time and plays concerts in Europe and the USA until shortly before Christmas. Recordings of the concert in San Francisco and the last concert of the year in Pasadena will be released - the latter even as a video.

When Phil retires to their farm in May with Tony and Mike to compose and record the next Genesis album, he doesn't miss the chance to play the encores as one of the special guests at an Eric Clapton show in Guildford on 23 May. For him it is the first time to be on stage with his friend Eric, and he will play some of the encores more often in the years to come. Some of them he drums here for the first and last time...

While still in session with Genesis, Phil spontaneously helps out his predecessor Peter Gabriel, whose drummer Jerry Marotta has been injured and the open air gig on 9 July in London is in danger of falling through. He plays three Gabriel songs here for the first and last time.

Right after finishing the recording of the new self-titled Genesis album, he is already booked again as drummer and producer. Adam Ant wants him for two tracks of his upcoming album and has you come to ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm for that.

From the end of August, Mr. Collins is already "on the road" again - this time in the role of drummer on Robert Plant's The Principle Of Moments tour in the USA and Canada until the beginning of October. Here he drums covers of Elvis and Bob Marley for the first time, as well as a song from the first and two songs from Plant's second album, which were recorded by other drummers.

After just one month, Phil is already on a mommy tour with Genesis in the USA and Canada from the beginning of November until mid-December..

Immediately after that, Phil will be on the road from early January to late February on the second leg of the Mama Tour with Genesis in the U.S. and Canada plus five concerts as the tour finale in Birmingham, England.