Teigen after Gabriel

    I have a band colleague who runs a fan club (who would do such a thing :rolleyes: ) to late Norwegian singer Jahn Teigen. He is adamant that Teigen was offered / selected / given a session/ etc, etc by Genesis as a lead singer replacement after Peter's departure, but, obviously, subsequently declined the "offer" / wasn't selected / never happened etc. I have a masters degree of scepticism X/ re this claim, as I've never, ever read anything to even remotely collaberate this claim.......


    Can anyone back up / discredit this potential tall tale......

    Quote from The Other Fellow

    I have a masters degree of scepticism re this claim

    😂 Excellent, very well put.


    Weren't there about 400 applications, or so it's been reported? The claim re Tiegen feels bogus but with that number of hopefuls we'll never know the identity of most of them so it'd be a free-for-all of wild suggestions.

    Abandon all reason

    Yes everyone knows John Lennon was the first, second and third applicant for the job, so voraciously did he want the honor of stepping on stage to work with such luminaries as none other than his most revered contemporaries, exalted above all others. He of course withdrew before he even sang a note in their presence, so overcome was he with awe and fright but oh what might have been.


    I wonder if they considered meat loaf's application seriously.

    Quote from Schrottrocker

    I always found it strange that Mick Strickland (whatever became of him) was the only name that ever surfaced. Who else applied? I'd like to get some real names.

    Me too. One of the band, I think PC, said Nick Lowe sent in an audition tape.


    I find it a bit hard on Mick S. As you say, his is the only name that's known, and how many times have we read the story of how he struggled (with Squonk, was it?). He's become so associated with that.


    Update: a minimal bit of digging turns up these names mentioned regarding the post-PG singer search, from posts on a Steve Hoffman Music forum and the scribbled list in the Archive 2 book, showing that in fact names other than Mick S have been under our noses the whole time:


    Colin Blunstone according to a handwritten note by PC on a list in a boxset, and that Hackett included him on a Revisited album having liked him from his tape/audition.

    Jess Roden - worked with a range of musicians in the 60s/70s

    Allan Clarke, the Hollies

    Mike D'Abo, Manfred Mann singer

    David Dundas, the 'Jeans On' guy

    Andy Fraser - surely not the bassist from Free?

    Bernie Frost, a session singer with Status Quo among his previous experience (according to Trident engineer Stephen Tayler, who also recalls "other singers" auditioning who were "awful")

    Steve Gould, Rare Bird

    Paul Jones, also Manfred Mann singer and later the Blues Band

    Nick Lowe, as mentioned

    Noel McCalla, according to MR in a Musicians Only interview - when working on Smallcreep he remembered liking him from the auditions despite his not being quite right.

    Mick Rogers of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, but vetoed by Hackett as Rogers was a guitarist and expected to play guitar (Genesis: A Biography by David Fowler). They really mined the Mann connection there!


    The forum I mentioned has a discussion of the Jahn Tiegen claim, including the 'he was offered it but turned it down', which concludes it's a flight of fancy that's never had any kind of corroboration. The general view is that it springs from his having been in an early 70s Norwegian prog band of which he was the very theatrical front man, donning costumes, doing athletic moves including the splits and singing in a highly exaggerated operatic register. So it'd be one theatrical singer replaced by another.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited 2 times, last by Backdrifter ().

    Like 2

    Thanks for sharing. I wasn't aware of most of the names.

    I find all those stories about that selection process a bit odd

    "hundreds of tapes came in" - ok

    "no-one was right" - ok

    But do you really think they listened to hundreds of tapes, while recording a new album?

    I think they had a few checks, tried very few people and then Phil jumped in. That was probably less exhausting than the 1996 experience ...

    Quote from last-domino

    I find all those stories about that selection process a bit odd

    "hundreds of tapes came in" - ok

    "no-one was right" - ok

    But do you really think they listened to hundreds of tapes, while recording a new album?

    The '400 tapes' story has persisted for decades. If that figure came from the band (I can't remember) I'd say it's likely correct or close, and that it's doubtful they literally listened to every single one. Some probably lasted a few seconds, others discarded without listening. Somewhere, they've said they actually saw "12 to 20" singers.

    Abandon all reason

    Quote from last-domino

    I find all those stories about that selection process a bit odd

    "hundreds of tapes came in" - ok

    "no-one was right" - ok

    But do you really think they listened to hundreds of tapes, while recording a new album?

    I think they had a few checks, tried very few people and then Phil jumped in. That was probably less exhausting than the 1996 experience ...

    I can imagine the whole thing:

    Tony: "So, how many tapes did we get?"
    Steve: "About 400."
    Mike: "Yikes."
    Phil: "So, are we jamming or just collecting tapes now?"
    Tony: "Any of them stand out?"
    Steve: "Well, I haven't listened to all of them yet. But a few sound promising."
    Tony: "So, nothing good then."
    Mike: "Ouch. That's rough."
    Phil: "Speaking of rough, I heard this joke today. A singer and a drummer walk into a pub..."
    Steve: "Phil, focus!"
    Tony: "Hold on... wait. Do we even need a singer?"
    Mike: "I'm... thinking...."
    Phil: "... and the drummer says, 'Yeah, but can you sing this?'"
    Tony: "..."

    Mike: "..."

    Phil: "You get it? The drummer WAS the singer."

    Steve: "Well, lads. We've found our singer."

    They repeatedly stated that number is wrong. The real number was something around 30, meaning singers who were actually interviewed. I would say even 30 singers who all wouldn't stand the test is a lot, this suggests the band wasn't open for a new persona.

    So anyways,.......this Jan Teigan fan club manager bloke is now doubling down (as they do :rolleyes: ) on his Teigan statement (see above). "Apparently", there is a clip on Norwegian TV (NRK) with Phil saying directly to Teigan, "thanks for not taking the job!". Hmmm :/ .


    Of course, thus ensued an understandable episode of petty name calling, petted lips and temper tantrums re this, but as for the fan club chap.....no dignity X/.


    Anyway, "if", and not the little "if" either, I'll try to see if it's possible to find this so called TV clip.

    I haven't found any solid source to back this up. Every English-speaking site that mentions it only seems to cite Teigan himself.


    With no real evidence, sure, it's possible he was considered for an audition. Why not? If we’re going down the hypothetical route: without the tape of the "Lilywhite Lilith/Wot Gorilla?" medley, people would probably doubt they actually played it.


    Maybe he did know Mike through record labels or studio connections, and Mike thought about him for the gig. But honestly, I think the story’s been stretched. Without proper sources, we could just as easily claim any prog singer from that era was in the running.