Face Value
Encyclopedia
Face Value is the debut solo album by Genesis
front man Phil Collins
, released in February 1981 on the Virgin
label internationally and Atlantic Records
in North America. The album is notable for the hit single, "In the Air Tonight
", whose dark mood was inspired by the fallout of Collins' first marriage.
mer, he was reluctantly given the role of front man of the group following original front man Peter Gabriel
's departure shortly after the release of their conceptual progressive rock
album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
. The first album where Collins took over was 1976's A Trick of the Tail
, which while still featuring the same type of progressive rock that the group had been recording since its 1969 debut, also featured several ballads and softer rockers. Their 1978 album, ...And Then There Were Three...
, featured their first crossover hit, "Follow You, Follow Me
". The song and the subsequent album was the beginning of the group's breakaway from their progressive rock past into a more commercial, radio-friendly pop sound which alienated older fans but brought out newer ones. Collins' radio-friendly vocals helped to make their subsequent follow-up, Duke
a big success. Following the recording and subsequent release of Duke, Collins took a leave of absence from the group to deal with his personal drama. Collins' first wife filed for divorce in 1979 and left Collins in the home they shared in England by himself. Collins reportedly stayed in his house for weeks working on songs that reflected his personal life. Initially, Collins did not want to record them for an album until Atlantic Records, Genesis' record label in America, and Virgin Records, his label overseas, offered him a solo contract. Collins would base the majority of Face Value on his impending divorce.
as a child in Chiswick
, decided to incorporate an R&B horn section, hiring the Phenix Horns
, who played backup for Earth, Wind & Fire
. Collins refused to listen to friends who had advised him not to use the horns and they would play a major role in the development of not only Face Value but Collins' subsequent other releases as he would continue to use them for most of his solo career.
Collins also used another then-controversial method in using drum programming rather than just live drum instrumentation despite his reputation as a drummer. Collins said he wanted to experiment with different sounds and was inspired by the works of his former band mate Peter Gabriel, who had used drum programming on his last album. Collins was often part of some of these sessions. Many of the songs' arrangements were done by Collins and session arranger Tom Tom 84. He also incorporated some classical
instruments, incorporating violinists to the album sessions. The last recording session for Face Value was in January 1981 prior to the release of the first single, "In the Air Tonight
", where Atlantic CEO Ahmet Ertegun
advised Collins to perform drums during the verses and opening of the song, whereas the album version did not feature live drumming until the now-famous bridge. Several songs on the album featured a biographical view into Collins' life at the time, mainly to the anger he felt at his impending divorce. "In the Air Tonight
" was often mistaken in America as a song in which Collins had seen a man drowning, something Collins has refuted to this day, stating that he did not know what the song was about, stating most of the lyrics were sung "spontaneously". Other songs such as "You Know What I Mean" and "If Leaving Me Is Easy
" were solemn ballads that talked of heartbreak. Other songs such as "I Missed Again
" also had a solemn tone but were revised as peppier songs while still focusing its theme of heartbreak. The jazz
y ballad "This Must Be Love" focused on Collins' then new romance at the time with who would be his second wife.
The album is noted for its usage of several genres. While technically a rock
and pop
offering, the basis of many of the albums' tracks were strongly R&B with lite funk
influences especially in the song, "I'm Not Moving", for which Collins sung his backgrounds with the vocoder
. The two instrumentals, "Droned" and "Hand in Hand", were progressive rock
instrumentals with the first featuring an exotic African sound, while "Hand in Hand", featured jazz elements and a children's choir humming the music and improvisational instrumentation by Collins and the Phenix Horns. "The Roof is Leaking" had Delta blues
and country
elements. The album featured a cover of The Beatles
' "Tomorrow Never Knows
", which included instruments and vocals playing in reverse
while Collins provided multi-layered background vocals and sparse drumming. After the song ends, Collins can be heard almost silently singing "Over the Rainbow
", the songs are listed as hidden tracks on the album, and would be the only time Collins used hidden tracks on follow-up releases. Collins omitted several tracks off the album including "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
" because he felt the album had "too many ballads".
" found modest success reaching number-fourteen in the UK and number-nineteen in the US, while the third single, "If Leaving Me Is Easy
", reached number-seventeen in the UK but was not released in America. Sales of the album reached five million alone in the United States and went five-times platinum in the United Kingdom and ten-times platinum in Canada. No solo tour was produced from this album and Collins would not perform live on his own until 1982.
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
front man Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, released in February 1981 on the Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
label internationally and Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
in North America. The album is notable for the hit single, "In the Air Tonight
In the Air Tonight
"In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The...
", whose dark mood was inspired by the fallout of Collins' first marriage.
Conception
By 1978, Phil Collins had been part of Genesis for eight years. After spending the first five of those years as a drumDrum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
mer, he was reluctantly given the role of front man of the group following original front man Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
's departure shortly after the release of their conceptual progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
The Lamb Lies down on Broadway
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a double concept album recorded and released in 1974 by the British rock band Genesis. It was their sixth studio album and the last album by the group to feature the involvement of lead singer Peter Gabriel.-Premise:...
. The first album where Collins took over was 1976's A Trick of the Tail
A Trick of the Tail
-B Side:*This is the first song in the Genesis catalogue to feature an ellipsis in its name, used to convey the mysteriousness of the track. All future issues of this track omit the elipsis, however....
, which while still featuring the same type of progressive rock that the group had been recording since its 1969 debut, also featured several ballads and softer rockers. Their 1978 album, ...And Then There Were Three...
...And Then There Were Three...
...And Then There Were Three... is the ninth studio album by the British band Genesis and was released in 1978. It is the band's first album as a trio.-Background and recording:...
, featured their first crossover hit, "Follow You, Follow Me
Follow You, Follow Me
"Follow You Follow Me" is a 1978 single by Genesis. The music was written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford, with lyrics by Rutherford. Originally released as the last track from their 1978 album …And Then There Were Three…, the single was Genesis's first to reach the American Top 40...
". The song and the subsequent album was the beginning of the group's breakaway from their progressive rock past into a more commercial, radio-friendly pop sound which alienated older fans but brought out newer ones. Collins' radio-friendly vocals helped to make their subsequent follow-up, Duke
Duke (album)
Duke is the tenth studio album by British band Genesis, released in March 1980.-Overview:The release of Duke followed solo albums by Genesis members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford ....
a big success. Following the recording and subsequent release of Duke, Collins took a leave of absence from the group to deal with his personal drama. Collins' first wife filed for divorce in 1979 and left Collins in the home they shared in England by himself. Collins reportedly stayed in his house for weeks working on songs that reflected his personal life. Initially, Collins did not want to record them for an album until Atlantic Records, Genesis' record label in America, and Virgin Records, his label overseas, offered him a solo contract. Collins would base the majority of Face Value on his impending divorce.
Production and music
Sessions of what became Collins' first solo debut album, Face Value, took place in Los Angeles in 1980. In what was then considered a controversial move at the time, Collins, who grew up listening to American R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
as a child in Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, decided to incorporate an R&B horn section, hiring the Phenix Horns
Phenix Horns
are Earth, Wind & Fire, Phil Collins and Genesis's brass main section. The four members were Don Myrick on saxophones, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet and Michael Harris on trumpet.-The Pharaohs:...
, who played backup for Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
. Collins refused to listen to friends who had advised him not to use the horns and they would play a major role in the development of not only Face Value but Collins' subsequent other releases as he would continue to use them for most of his solo career.
Collins also used another then-controversial method in using drum programming rather than just live drum instrumentation despite his reputation as a drummer. Collins said he wanted to experiment with different sounds and was inspired by the works of his former band mate Peter Gabriel, who had used drum programming on his last album. Collins was often part of some of these sessions. Many of the songs' arrangements were done by Collins and session arranger Tom Tom 84. He also incorporated some classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
instruments, incorporating violinists to the album sessions. The last recording session for Face Value was in January 1981 prior to the release of the first single, "In the Air Tonight
In the Air Tonight
"In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The...
", where Atlantic CEO Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
advised Collins to perform drums during the verses and opening of the song, whereas the album version did not feature live drumming until the now-famous bridge. Several songs on the album featured a biographical view into Collins' life at the time, mainly to the anger he felt at his impending divorce. "In the Air Tonight
In the Air Tonight
"In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The...
" was often mistaken in America as a song in which Collins had seen a man drowning, something Collins has refuted to this day, stating that he did not know what the song was about, stating most of the lyrics were sung "spontaneously". Other songs such as "You Know What I Mean" and "If Leaving Me Is Easy
If Leaving Me Is Easy
"If Leaving Me Is Easy" is a song by Phil Collins from his 1981 album Face Value. Released as the third single from the album, it reached #17 in the UK, but was never released as a single in the United States. It is notable mainly for Collins' high falsetto lyrics in its chorus.-Involvement of Eric...
" were solemn ballads that talked of heartbreak. Other songs such as "I Missed Again
I Missed Again
"I Missed Again" is a song from the Phil Collins album, Face Value. This song is the seventh song on the CD and the first song on the second side on the record....
" also had a solemn tone but were revised as peppier songs while still focusing its theme of heartbreak. The jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
y ballad "This Must Be Love" focused on Collins' then new romance at the time with who would be his second wife.
The album is noted for its usage of several genres. While technically a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
offering, the basis of many of the albums' tracks were strongly R&B with lite funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
influences especially in the song, "I'm Not Moving", for which Collins sung his backgrounds with the vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
. The two instrumentals, "Droned" and "Hand in Hand", were progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
instrumentals with the first featuring an exotic African sound, while "Hand in Hand", featured jazz elements and a children's choir humming the music and improvisational instrumentation by Collins and the Phenix Horns. "The Roof is Leaking" had Delta blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
and country
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
elements. The album featured a cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows
"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver but the first to be recorded. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney song, it was written primarily by John Lennon...
", which included instruments and vocals playing in reverse
Reverse
Reverse may refer to:*The reverse side of currency or a flag; see Obverse and reverse*A change in the direction of:**the movement of a motor or other prime mover; see Transmission **an engineering design: see Reverse engineering...
while Collins provided multi-layered background vocals and sparse drumming. After the song ends, Collins can be heard almost silently singing "Over the Rainbow
Over the Rainbow
"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...
", the songs are listed as hidden tracks on the album, and would be the only time Collins used hidden tracks on follow-up releases. Collins omitted several tracks off the album including "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
"Against All Odds " is a song by British singer Phil Collins recorded for soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which its protagonist implores an ex-lover to "take a look at me now", knowing that reconciliation is "against all odds" while considering it worth trying...
" because he felt the album had "too many ballads".
Chart performance and sales
Released on 9 February 1981, Face Value became an immediate success, reaching number-one in the UK, Canada, and other European countries, while peaking at the top ten in the United States. "In the Air Tonight" became the album's biggest success, reaching number-two in the UK, number-one in three other countries, and becoming a top twenty hit in the United States. The song has gone on to become one of Collins' most requested and enduring hits in his solo catalog to this day. Other songs such as "I Missed AgainI Missed Again
"I Missed Again" is a song from the Phil Collins album, Face Value. This song is the seventh song on the CD and the first song on the second side on the record....
" found modest success reaching number-fourteen in the UK and number-nineteen in the US, while the third single, "If Leaving Me Is Easy
If Leaving Me Is Easy
"If Leaving Me Is Easy" is a song by Phil Collins from his 1981 album Face Value. Released as the third single from the album, it reached #17 in the UK, but was never released as a single in the United States. It is notable mainly for Collins' high falsetto lyrics in its chorus.-Involvement of Eric...
", reached number-seventeen in the UK but was not released in America. Sales of the album reached five million alone in the United States and went five-times platinum in the United Kingdom and ten-times platinum in Canada. No solo tour was produced from this album and Collins would not perform live on his own until 1982.
Track listing
All tracks written by Phil Collins except as indicated.- "In the Air TonightIn the Air Tonight"In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The...
" – 5:32 - "This Must Be Love" – 3:55
- "Behind the Lines" (Lyrics: Mike RutherfordMike RutherfordMichael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
. Music: Tony BanksTony Banks (musician)This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford.) – 3:53 - "The Roof Is Leaking" – 3:16
- "Droned" – 2:55
- "Hand in Hand" – 5:12
- "I Missed AgainI Missed Again"I Missed Again" is a song from the Phil Collins album, Face Value. This song is the seventh song on the CD and the first song on the second side on the record....
" – 3:41 - "You Know What I Mean" – 2:33
- "Thunder and Lightning" – 4:12
- "I'm Not Moving" – 2:33
- "If Leaving Me Is EasyIf Leaving Me Is Easy"If Leaving Me Is Easy" is a song by Phil Collins from his 1981 album Face Value. Released as the third single from the album, it reached #17 in the UK, but was never released as a single in the United States. It is notable mainly for Collins' high falsetto lyrics in its chorus.-Involvement of Eric...
" – 4:54 - "Tomorrow Never KnowsTomorrow Never Knows"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final track of The Beatles' 1966 studio album Revolver but the first to be recorded. Credited as a Lennon–McCartney song, it was written primarily by John Lennon...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) – 4:46
Personnel
- Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
: vocals, drums, percussion, VocoderVocoderA vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, RolandRoland Corporationis a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
CR-78Roland CR-78The Roland CompuRhythm CR-78 is a drum machine launched in 1978. Although primitive by today's standards, the CR-78 represented an important advance in drum machine technology at the time...
drum machine, Prophet-5 synthesizer on tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12; Fender RhodesRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
, claps - John GiblinJohn GiblinJohn Giblin is an internationally renowned session bassist who has worked with the following artists:*Eric Clapton, Sting, Mark Knopfler, Phil Collins * Peter Gabriel...
: bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 1, 9, 10, 12 - Daryl StuermerDaryl StuermerDaryl Mark Stuermer is an American musician who plays guitar and bass for Genesis during live shows, and lead guitar for Phil Collins during most of his solo tours and albums.-Biography:...
: guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s; banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
on track 4 - ShankarL. ShankarLakshminarayanan Shankar, also known as L. Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian-born American violinist, singer and composer.-Early life:...
: violins on tracks 1, 5, 6; tamboura on track 5, "voice drums" on track 5 - Alphonso JohnsonAlphonso JohnsonAlphonso Johnson is an American jazz bassist who has been influential since the early 1970s.-Biography:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Johnson started off as an upright bass player, but switched to the electric bass in his late teens. Beginning his career in the early 1970s, Johnson showed...
: bass on tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 11 - J. Peter RobinsonJ. Peter RobinsonJ. Peter Robinson is a composer whose works include Nightmare Cafe, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Return of the Living Dead Part II, Vampire in Brooklyn , The World's Fastest Indian, and The Bank Job.He also composed some music for the English version of Godzilla 2000...
: prophet on track 3 - Joe Partridge: slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
on track 4 - Stephen BishopStephen Bishop (musician)Stephen Bishop is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and guitarist.-History:Bishop was born in San Diego, California, and attended Will C. Crawford High School...
: background vocals on track 2 - Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
: guitars on tracks 4 & 11 - Arif MardinArif MardinArif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...
: string arrangements on tracks 8 and 11 - EWF HornsPhenix Hornsare Earth, Wind & Fire, Phil Collins and Genesis's brass main section. The four members were Don Myrick on saxophones, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet and Michael Harris on trumpet.-The Pharaohs:...
:- Don MyrickDon MyrickDon Myrick was a saxophonist.He played alto, tenor and soprano sax and was a member of Earth Wind & Fire's original horn section, The Phenix Horns Esq. from 1975 through 1982. Previously, Myrick had been a member of the musical group The Pharaohs...
: alto and tenor saxophones, alto sax solos on track 11 - Louis Satterfield: trombone
- Rahmlee Michael Davis and Michael HarrisMichael HarrisMichael Harris is an award-winning Canadian author, investigative journalist, and radio personality who hosts an afternoon radio talk show, "Michael Harris Live", on Ottawa-based CFRA, and was a columnist for The Ottawa Sun newspaper until March 2011.Born in Toronto, Ontario, to Audrey McDonald ...
: trumpets; flugelhorns on track 11 - Ronnie ScottRonnie ScottRonnie Scott was an English jazz tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner.-Life and career:Ronnie Scott was born in Aldgate, east London, into a family of Russian Jewish descent on his father's side, and Portuguese antecedents on his mother's. Scott began playing in small jazz clubs at the age of...
: tenor saxophone, solo on track 7
- Don Myrick
- Other background vocals on track 6 by several children choirs in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Album
| Year | Charts | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
NZ |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
|||||||
| 1981 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | ||||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Charts | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Rock |
CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
NZ |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
NL Top 100 MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
NL Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
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| 1981 | "In the Air Tonight In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The... " |
2 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| "I Missed Again I Missed Again "I Missed Again" is a song from the Phil Collins album, Face Value. This song is the seventh song on the CD and the first song on the second side on the record.... " |
14 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 88 | 35 | 23 | 28 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | ||
| "If Leaving Me Is Easy If Leaving Me Is Easy "If Leaving Me Is Easy" is a song by Phil Collins from his 1981 album Face Value. Released as the third single from the album, it reached #17 in the UK, but was never released as a single in the United States. It is notable mainly for Collins' high falsetto lyrics in its chorus.-Involvement of Eric... " |
17 | — | — | — | — | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | ||
| "Behind the Lines" | — | — | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Thunder and Lightning" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988/1989 | "In the Air Tonight ('88 Remix) In the Air Tonight "In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The... " |
4 | — | — | — | 47 | — | 3 | 17 | 23 | 4 | 20 | 6 | — | — | 2 | |
| 2007/2008 | "In the Air Tonight" (Re-release) | 14 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||||||||||
Certification
| Country | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1,750,000+ | 7x Gold |