Posted on 03/14/2023 4:03:36 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Many artists have one song they can’t escape, and Phil Collins is the same. At some stage, a creation stops being under the ownership of the artist who crafted it and becomes a part of the collective lexicon. Phil Collins’ pop behemoth ‘In The Air Tonight’ is one such piece that transcended the artist.
Following Peter Gabriel’s departure from the group, they desperately needed to reinvent themselves to survive, and Collins stepped up to become the band’s new singer. It was a decision which could have gravely backfired, but instead, it started the most commercially successful chapter of Genesis’ career, and for many, it’s their favourite era.
After his success as a swashbuckling frontman, Collins started a solo career in 1980 and announced himself with his debut single, ‘In The Air Tonight’. The track charted internationally and made him a star in his own right without the backing of Genesis. His drumming is perhaps one of the single most iconic fills to ever be extrapolated from the instrument and its a pattern that still stalks Collins to this day.
However, ‘In The Air Tonight’ is a painful reminder of a dark period in Collins’ life after the heartbreaking break-up of his first marriage. When he wrote the track, his mind was in a lonely place, and the artist used music as a form of therapy. Unexpectedly, it became the biggest hit of his career and continues to follow him everywhere he goes.
Speaking of the track to Rolling Stone, Collins said: “This song has become a stone around my neck, though I do love it. I wrote it after my wife left me. Genesis had done a tour that was far too long. She said to me, ‘We won’t be together if you do the next tour.’ I said, ‘I’m a musician. I have to go away and play. Just hold your breath when I’m over there.’ Then Genesis toured Japan. When I got back, she said she was leaving and taking the kids.
“At the time, Genesis had decided to change things up a bit, maybe rattle our cages. The idea was to record separately with these new Roland drum machines we’d been given. I set up a studio in the master bedroom of my house with a Fender Rhodes piano and a drum kit. One day I was working on a piece in D-minor, the saddest [key] of all. I just wrote a sequence, and it sounded nice. I wrote the lyrics spontaneously. I’m not quite sure what the song is about, but there’s a lot of anger, a lot of despair and a lot of frustration.”
He added: “Nobody knows what the song is about, and I kind of like the mystery. And now NFL players use it to work out. I saw a video recently of Steph Curry singing it in his car, and it was just in an ad for milk chocolate. Where will it end? But I’m not complaining. It paid for this house we’re in right now!”
While Collins views the song as “a stone around my neck”, he’s also gracious about the riches it has given him, including his luxury Californian mansion. Additionally, he’s acutely aware it’s better to be remembered for one song rather than none at all.
An honest explanation of the song.
Any chance PG tours again? I would love to see him in person and ride his bike around the the stage!
He’s touring this year.
“I Don’t Care Anymore” on his next solo album was basically the sequel.
The reason it is so great is that you can feel the raw emotion and hurt.
I would say the cover of ‘hurt’ by Jonny cash is the same
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI
That’s probably why he doesn’t like some of his music. He keeps having to sing his pain.
Tony Bennett was asked if he ever gotbtired of singing his music and he said that he loves singing his most famous songs, because he’s grateful for hisvsongs and how they made him more than a third rate lounge singer.
“I don’t care anymore” is a much better song to me
Maybe he meant Sussudio was a stone around his neck.
I recorded that episode. Still have the vhs.
Big fan of Genesis. Post Gabriel, not so much.
As a fan also of the Gabriel-era, heck I even think Trespass is one of their best albums, I love A Trick of The Tail, “Ripples” is probably my favorite Genesis song of all. I preferred Phil’s softer vocals to his “screaming” vocals he did later on.
I had never really listened to the words, but I liked the beat.
It was on a jukebox in an out of the way lodge-café in the foothills.
I played it with a couple other songs.
I could then clearly discern the lyrics and I was kind of creeping-out, people were repeatedly glancing at me.
I got up, paid the waitress in silence, and felt wtf for the rest of the day.
I returned to that location about fifteen years later.
I guess they felt obliged to play it for me just as I was starting to enjoy my coffee.
“Firth of Fifth” is a much better tune.
Agreed. TLLDOB is probably my favorite.
Phil’s drumming on “Riding the Scree” is phenomenal.
This song was around just as my first (and last) marriage was disintegrating.
That drum rift was something that always made me play along, sometimes very forcefully.
Still do. I have a fond place in my heart for this song. Sad to hear that Phil doesn't much like it.
Little known meaning is In the Air Tonight was written after Nancy Pelosi passed gas at a party Collins attended.😁
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