Does anybody know why Phil Collins wasn't immediately made lead singer?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Darby, May 22, 2015.

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  1. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Cause the OP asked for reasons he was not immediately made lead singer, not for posts lauding his singing

    I enjoy quite a bit of the stuff Collins sang on with Genesis, but gave the reason requested.

    I did feel CAS was a return to form after the overly Collins dominated previous two albums.
     
    Last edited: May 24, 2015
  2. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    thanks for the (q) tip! i cleaned my ears out real good, and holy crap! his voice is even WORSE than i thought!!
     
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  3. Andersoncouncil

    Andersoncouncil Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate NY
    That's your opinion and you are welcome to it. However, I've had enough of the Genesis/Collins haters. If you don't like them stay out of the thread---simple as that. I'm sure that Phil sings much better than you can.
     
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  4. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    Is there a way you could state your opinion without being so hateful? I mean, would you walk up to Phil Collins (who was a really gracious person when I met him) and say the things you posted in this thread straight to his face?
     
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  5. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    hateful? stating that you find someone's voice annoying is hateful? it's just an opinion. we're all critics, some of us just actually say what we think instead of just thinking it. anyway, he seems like a lovely person in real life. did you ever hear his piece on "this american life"? http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/339/break-up
     
  6. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    well, obviously i was just trying to get a rise out of the guy who told me to clean my ears out. geez, everyone needs to chill out here. have i mentioned my favorite artist is neil young???
     
  7. Andersoncouncil

    Andersoncouncil Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate NY
    ...and you have explicitly made my point. I am not a Neil Young fan. I personally can't stand his voice. But I will never post in a Neil Young thread. I respect him for his talent, but not my cup of tea.
     
  8. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    what does it matter if it's a neil young thread or not? you just said you can't stand his voice. pretty much what i said about phil collins. so we're the same, you and me.
     
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  9. GP

    GP Senior Member

    Location:
    Lynbrook, NY
    Phil was more of a 'lead drummer' in the early days...totally off the hook, and that's certainly where I appreciated him the most. In the aftermath of Peter Gabriel's rather theatrical stage presence, moving "vocals, Phil" from behind the kit wouldn't have been an obvious choice at that point, IMHO.
     
  10. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    There are many ways to state your opinion without demeaning another person. Really, did you have to write "because his voice is nasally and terrible."? Or, were you just "trying to get a rise" out of someone? Let's see, you could have said that you are not a fan of Phil Collins' voice and left it at that. Life's too short to spend energy insulting the talents and achievements of others, in my experience.
     
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  11. Thievius

    Thievius Blue Oyster Cult-ist

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY
    People can go on about Collins' voice until they're blue in the face and stick with their "I'm just answering the question" guns, but the fact is they didn't initially consider him for the job because he wasn't keen to do it. It had nothing to do with his voice or how good or bad he was. Otherwise, they would have brought in someone else. Whether you like the music with Phil at the forefront or not, Genesis became hugely successful with him on vocals and taking a larger role with the songwriting. So you're not answering the question, you're just stirring things up.
     
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  12. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    i'm sure phil will be fine without my support.
     
  13. BLUESJAZZMAN

    BLUESJAZZMAN I Love Blues, Jazz, Rock, My Son & Honest People

    Location:
    Essex , England.
    Probably the same as most other answers........Drummer and lead singer didn't really seem the way to go plus im not sure that Phil was that up for it at the time!!!
     
  14. barking spider

    barking spider Forum Resident

    Location:
    the netherlands
    Because Peter Gabriel couldn't play drums.
     
  15. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    Very interesting points.
    The fact that he and the band auditioned others (whether one or 400) says a lot about his ego, or lack there of. I can easily imagine most other musicians would say, "It's My Turn", I'll take the lead!
    Fortunately, he took the role, and over time he became one of the most Charismatic frontman in rock. (Ironically, possibly better than Peter, in that strict sense. Arguably, of course.)
     
  16. ti-triodes

    ti-triodes Senior Member

    Location:
    Paz Chin-in

    I love Phil as lead singer but under no circumstances can he be called charismatic. Maybe goofy and a bit of a spaz but not charismatic. Of course, none of the band was charismatic after Peter. Just look at the videos. I've never seen such uncomfortable looking guys in my life.
     
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  17. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    OK, perhaps "Charismatic" may have been too strong a description (chalk it up to my trying to be witty, and using a pun). I guess I failed.
    I admit when seeing PG on his Security tour I was enraptured with his stage presence, so I can only imagine seeing him front Genesis would have been (besides videos).
    However, I believe on stage Phil knows how to play to the audience despite not having the typical "rock star" presence. That "uncool anti-swagger" can be charming to some. Just maybe not you nor I.
    Over the years, it seems like he had successfully entertained the crowd in the half dozen Genesis shows I've attended.
     
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  18. Nostaljack

    Nostaljack Resident R&B enthusiast

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Most people thought that. That's why Genesis totally bottomed out after Gabriel left. After he left, they couldn't....oh, wait.

    Ed
     
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  19. Zach Johnson

    Zach Johnson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Always preferred Phil Collins' voice to Peter's. Peter had an interesting sounding voice, but was never really a great singer.
     
  20. BD70

    BD70 Active Member

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    Maybe, because he was a -as his solo career proved- boring middle of the road singer of romantic schlock?
     
  21. Part of the reason the transition was so smooth is that Collins' voice is fairly similar to Gabriel's.
     
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  22. Tristero

    Tristero In possession of the future tense

    Location:
    MI
    On a purely technical basis, I have to agree that Phil had better vocal chops overall. Gabriel could be hit and miss, especially in concert, though he grew more confident as a solo artist. What Collins' lacked initially was Gabriel's stage presence and charisma. Listening to some of Phil's early attempts at witty storytelling in the late 70s could be a bit painful, though he obviously came into his own after a while.
     
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  23. Rojo

    Rojo Forum Resident

    Great explanation. Basically, replacing Peter Gabriel was an impossible job, because he is such a charismatic guy and accomplished frontman.

    Chances of Genesis succeeding under that name after Peter left were very small IMO. It shouldn't have worked.

    I think they pulled it off because:

    1. Phil was a band member -- I'm sure this earned some sympathy from the established fan base -- and, of course, a very capable singer.

    2. They quickly understood they had to completely modify the stage show (at least initially) and abandon the whole theater thing and focus on the music.

    3. They had not a massive fan base yet

    4. Trick of the Tail had some great songs
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2016
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  24. Rojo

    Rojo Forum Resident

    Me too. I think Gabriel's voice works better for his solo material.
     
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