Face Value

TRACKS
(Click on track to see lyrics)

Me: Roland Drum Machine, Vocals, Drums, Prophet, Rhodes, Vocoder
John Giblin: Bass
Daryl Steurmer, Guitar
Shorokav: Violins

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS

Me: Vocals, Roland D.M., Drums, Prophets
John Giblin: Bass
(Cameo appearances by Daryl, EWF Horns, children of L.A and Shankar)

Produced by Phil Collins
Assisted by Hugh Padgham
Engineered by Hugh Padgham (8 track engineering by, Phil Collins)
Assistant engineers: Nick Launay (London) Karen Segal (L.A.)
Recorded at Old Croft, The Townhouse, Village Recorder L.A.
Mastered at Sterling Sound NY

EWF Horns courtesy of Earth Wind and Fire Arranged by Tom Tom 84
Music Preparation by Maurice Spears
Strings arranged by Arif Mardin
Strings (courtesy of Martyn Ford)
Violins: Gavyn Wright (leader), Ken Sillitoe Richard Studt, Irvine Arditti, Bruce Dukor, Peter Oxen, David Woodcock, Liz Edwards, Bill Benham.
Violas: Brian Hawkins, Roger Best, Simon Whistler
Cellos: Clive Anstee, Nigel Warren-Green, Tony Pleeth
Double Bass. Chris Lawrence

All Songs written by Phil Collins Except 'Behind The Lines' written by Banks, Collins, Rutherford and `Tomorrow Never Knows' written by Lennon and McCartney

Many thanks to: Geoff Banks (cook, chauffeur and good bloke), Steve Jones, Dale Newman, Andy,Mackrill, Tony Smith, Carole Willis, Hit and Run, Run It NYC, Townhouse, the Wonderful EWF Horns and Tom Tom, Ahmet, Arif, John Kalodner, Geoff Levinson, Nick and Leslie and the Queen Victoria, Eric and Patti, and my lovely children Simon arid Joely

Eric appears courtesy of R.S.O. Bish appears courtesy of WEA

Photography: Trevor Key

HERE IS an intriguing irony about the way Phil Collins achieved the recognition and credit he deserved for his work with Genesis. For it was only when Peter Gabriel left the group in 1975 that the group's numerous admirers realised Collins was significantly more than just `the drummer'. With an aplomb that staggered all who observed it, Collins literally stepped from behind the drum rostrum, took stage centre and, more astonishingly showed himself to have every required ingredient for being a front-man: a voice, a presence and a personality

To critics and fans alike, it may indeed have been a surprise - but to the other members of Genesis and to the friends who were aware of his wide ranging abilities, it merely confirmed what they already believed. As Tony Banks, the original Genesis keyboards player remarked at the time Collins joined Genesis: "Peter (Gabriel) and I thought he would be very good for the band. Quite honestly be became far better than l ever thought he would. He ended up being by far the best musician in the band"

Phil Collins was born in Chiswick on January 30, 1951, and though be didn't quite emerge playing the drums, it was a bit like that. His first childhood recollection is the toy drum he was given when he was five,and later, the toy drum kit made for him by his uncles. At the age of twelve he graduated to his first full drum kit. At this stage, however, drumming did not entirelv monopolise Collins' life. He, like millions of others, occasionally dreamed of being a footballer although the reverie tended to stop once he actually played. At fourteen he entered the Barbara Speake Stage School and, sometime afterwards, auditioned for a role in the West End production of 'Oliver' He played the Artful Dodger for nine months, until his voice broke, and for a time acting seemed the most likely career for him to pursue.

Meanwhile he was also flirting with music, experiencing his first semi-pro date as a drummer with a West London group called The Charge. Having got his first taste of another kind of performing, Collins was hooked. Numerous in minor groups came and went before he joined a short-lived but much publicised band called Flaming Youth. When it was extinguished in 1971, Collins auditioned for Genesis. The group was about to record its third album, Nursery Cryme,, and Collins joined in time to work on that.

He's been with them ever since, of course, and became the lead vocalist from A Trick Of The Tail' (1976) onwards. He carried on drumming as well, although when Genesis play live a second drummer is also hired - to allow Collins as much flexibility as possible.

As well as being an occasional member of Brand X, Collins' other part-time activities include numerous session credits, among them Eno's Another Green World' and 'Before And After Science,' John Cale's Helen Of Troy' Robert Fripp's Exposure, Mike Oldfield's QE2' and John Martyn's Grace And Danger'

Eventually, he decided to make a solo LP Face Value,' now released by Virgin following the extraordinary success of his single 'In The Air Tonight': `The songs have been around for a year or so, and eventually there were enough that I had confidence in. I just thought it was about time I did some songs exactly the way I wanted to. I recorded most of it at home on eight-track in the interests of getting the right spirit, then transferred it to twenty- four track. I had to go to Los Angeles to record some of the people, so I did the vocals there as well. In general I tried to do as much as possible myself.'