walking upstream…
Phil Collins
photo: raph_ph · cc by 2.0 ↗Phil Collins
Phil Collins joined Genesis as its drummer in 1970 and became the band's frontman in 1975, then launched a parallel solo career in 1981 with 'Face Value' and its brooding, gated-drum single 'In the Air Tonight.' A largely self-taught drummer steeped in jazz big bands and Motown soul, he became one of the defining pop stars of the 1980s, stacking up hits like 'Against All Odds,' 'Sussudio,' and 'One More Night' that fused confessional balladry with brass-driven R&B. Much of his sound was built in the studio with producer Hugh Padgham, pairing meticulous craft with an everyman voice that made stadium-scale feeling seem intimate.
the sound in question
1981
In the Air TonightPhil Collins
walk the tributaries ↓
Earth, Wind & Fire1970s · Funk / Soul / R&B / Disco
Collins was so taken with Earth, Wind & Fire's brass that he brought in their horn section — the Phenix Horns — to play on his early solo albums, and he later shared a transatlantic hit with EWF singer Philip Bailey on 'Easy Lover'; their punchy, syncopated horn stabs became a signature of his dance-pop.
listen: upstream & here
1978
SeptemberEarth, Wind & Fire
1985
SussudioPhil Collins
listen forCue the bright, staccato horn hits that punctuate Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September,' then drop into 'Sussudio' — the same tight, syncopated brass drives the groove, blown by the Phenix Horns, the section Collins borrowed straight from EWF.
Diana Ross1960s–70s · Pop / Soul / R&B
Introduced to Motown as a young drummer, Collins built a lifelong devotion to the label's sound, and in 1982 he took the Supremes' Diana Ross-fronted 'You Can't Hurry Love' to number one in the UK with a near-faithful remake; the buoyant, tambourine-snapping Motown pulse she helped define became a recurring color in his catalog.
listen: upstream & here
1966
You Can't Hurry LoveDiana Ross
1982
You Can't Hurry LovePhil Collins
listen forPlay the Supremes' original 'You Can't Hurry Love,' with Diana Ross out front, then Collins's cover — he chases the same skipping bassline, hand-clap backbeat, and eager, head-over-heels vocal, right down to the arrangement's forward tumble.
The Beatles1960s · Rock / Pop rock
Collins has described the Beatles as a major early influence, singling out drummer Ringo Starr's song-serving playing; the band's gift for melody and for building a modest pop song into a swelling emotional climax runs straight through his own balladry.
listen: upstream & here
1970
Let It BeThe Beatles
1984
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)Phil Collins
listen forPut on the Beatles' 'Let It Be,' then Collins's 'Against All Odds' — both open hushed at the piano and climb patiently toward a big, gospel-tinged release, letting a plainspoken vocal carry the weight before the arrangement blooms.