What a genuine guy Ant is! Without him Genesis would not have taken off. John please interview Ant regarding his solo work. I’ve found it well worth listening to. A real talented musician.
This is a really interesting and informative interview with Ant, which gives us his perspective on the early years of Genesis and his thoughts on the band's development after he left. Thanks for sharing, John.
What an absolutely wonderful, honest and caring person you are Anthony. This interview is probably the most heartwarming and emotional out of all those in this series. I personally think that there would not have been a Genesis as we know it today if this guy hadn't been there!
Been fascinated by Ant’s music since end of the seventies. I think he was the most important member when it comes to Inventing the original Genesis sound. Wonderful to hear this interview!
ALL these Genesis interviews,👍👌. They've been my favorite band since I was a small child. What a bunch of Fantastic in depth interviews these are! I'm 42 now, but in my 30's I was so desperate for some NEW Genesis I started digging into each these guys solo careers including Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett and THE LEGENDARY Tony Banks. WOW what a surprise that was!! Genesis were Amazing just as they were, but I can only imagine how Great they would've been had Anthony Phillips stayed! Their solo albums were like listening to Genesis on whole another level. Just Amazing Stuff!! "Geese and The Ghost" , "Voyage Of The Alcolyte" and "Small Creeps Day" are absolute Masterpieces 💯 👌. Even solo Tony Banks is Fantastic. In conclusion these interviews are BAD ASS. 👌
I really appreciate this guys 12-string guitar playing. That pastoral sound that defined early Genesis created a sophisticated mood that can't be replicated. I try not to take for granted how two of my favorite musicians, Ant Phillips and Tony Banks were in the same band together
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview 🙏🏻 Ant is one of my musical heroes, and the reason I play 12-string acoustic guitar (very influenced by his style). I was fortunate enough to meet Ant by chance in a music store in the late-2000s, and you could not hope to meet a nicer chap.
What a pleasant, engaging, and honest man talking about some of my favorite music for fifty years. I love knowing the back stories of the musicians I admire, and all of the guys of Genesis have been so candid about everything. This interview answered some important questions for me. Cheers.
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES I've watched all of your Genesis documentaries you've recently uploaded, thank you so much - they are the best interviews with the band I've seen, and I've seen them all. Thanks again.
Ant also had great keyboard skills,... Ant played the keyboard arrangements on Mike Rutherford's first solo album entitled Small Creeps Day, definitely an underrated masterpiece.
Apparently those songs were all Genesis rejects! I dare say better than most bands best work. If Phil's marriage had not hit the buffers those tracks may never have seen the light of the day. To this day Mike shows no interest in reissuing or even discussing that album.
In interviews you can also tell Tony in particular has a sort of reverence for Anthony, and I can see why here. They have similar, no-nonsense personalities, and that was probably a very important part of "corralling" the sound of the band early on. Enormously influencial despite his short tenure with Genesis.
Reverence may be too strong a word but maybe not. I think they ALL admit he was most musically talented at the time-and maybe even remained so. I wonder if he may have even inspired Tony a bit becaues its interesting that Anthony-Tony, if you will, was a guitar player who played keyboards as well, while Tony was a keyboard player who also played guitar. I would love to have heard more details on what the arguments sounded like. On the Trespass album he says that by the time they recorded "there were no more arguments, we had so many arguments, there was nothing left to argue about". For some reason I can't even picture him arguing, but then I can't really picture Peter arguing either. Tony I can picture arguing:) THere's a picture floating around of him and Tony at that time which is pretty funny because they talk about how energetic he was as 'lead guitarist', but in the photo of him and Tony, he looks to be about 12, and Tony looks like he's about 30. And yet Tony talks about thinking of him as a 'leader'. So you can only imagine what the band would have sounded like had he stayed. In a way I may have liked it because if he was that much of a leader then maybe there would be a bit more guitar. I love Tony's keys, but there are tracks you listen to where he's doing nothing on a keys but repetition and yet you can hardly hear the guitar at all. It does come out as early dubstep though, so they were innovative in that way too. Nothing on Steve, but he just never had the confidence to really get his guitar in there, and in a band its nice to hear all ofit, thats what makes Dark Side so great musically. But up to Wind and Wuthering every one of their albums sounds so different, and I know my tastes aren't off when Anthony talks about how much he would have loved being part of Selling England by the Pound but was really not interested in any of the eightiest stuff. Just like me.
Great interview John . My favorite of the Genesis boys. What an absolute monster musician. How you didnt stop the interview and demand he pick up one of those guitars and play had to have taken a lot of self control :-) . Thanks for posting this.
I was a close friend of mike colman for the last 20 years of his life . I lived in stroud, and we met in early ni neties. He was a dear friend. He spoke very fondly of ant phillips. Miss him very much.
I liked Which Way the Wind Blows and God If I Saw Her Now from his Geese and the Ghost album, and I liked them when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I'm 54 now and my taste in music hasn't really changed.
The entire Geese and Ghost album has a profound effect on dreams should you listen to it while sleeping. Anthony is definitely a guitar bard and he tells beautiful stories with a single guitar!
@@breakfastplan4518 There's something about that guitar style like on musical box that messes with my brain, maybe its the tinnitus, but its like listening to Troutmask Replica to me, but its too bad because I want to listen to his music just from listening to him talk. There is a podcast that a guy from Nova Scotia did where he just calls him up, I'd like to make up a show just to listen to him. He'd be very good at talking people down from bridges. "Look here chap, we really don't have the people to clean up your mess, how about we go for a pint and you tell me your troubles".
That wasn't long enough !!! I was just getting in to it when it ended ;) I think of all the interviews, this one was the best because so little is ever heard from Ant in terms of interviews, and especially anything really in depth. I still love 'sides' to this day - it was the first solo album of Ant's that I bought and was always my fav. I so wish that when Phil left, they had talked Ant into coming back and done some instrumental stuff instead of the dreaded calling all stations .... could have been a whole new/old chapter for Genesis instead of the end of the line.
John, yet again with a splendid and informative effort. Much appreciated sir! Enjoyable insights on the early days of a group that has remained a mainstay for many of us older folk. So good to see him well, albeit 2014 Side accolade on format: i much prefer the raw (unfiltered) versions. Thanks again
Thank you for this wonderful interview. As much as I love the later albums, Trespass has a special place in my heart and it's the Genesis album I listen to the most. Anthony seems like a very nice guy and his observations are spot-on. I really enjoyed this.
Just getting around to this one, but I've seen your interviews with Collins, Hackett, and Banks and really wanted to offer thanks. Great job all around.
Anthony P. seems to me a very friendly and warm person. I understands why he left Genesis and I do love his solo albums. There a lot of intimacy in his work. A thing I miss in the work of his "successor". In my Opinion.
The song you’re thinking of Ant (at the beginning) is ‘The Serpent’ (earlier known as ‘She is Beautiful). Great interview. Man, to be a fly on the wall during the cottage era. What I’d give to hear early EARLY Genesis.
Great in depth Interview. Gives so many insights in the inner working of that band from the early days onwards. All people who are still thinking, early Genesis was all Peter Gabriel, should watch this.
Lots of reasons I came to like Genesis over the years but it all started when I found Trespass. "See a rippling stream that smiles and then goes by. I run to feel its comfort, but the water's dry." I was hooked. Visions of Angels was the first of its kind--the pastoral-apocalyptic love song. Anthony, if you are reading these comments, THANK YOU for giving me so many years of listening enjoyment. You and your bandmates mean the world to me.
My brother listened to later Genesis, but when I found Trespass it was like listening to a whole new band, which a lot of their albums were like. But The Knife really hit me: Stand up and fight, for you know we are right We must strike at the lies That have spread like disease through our minds Soon we'll have power, every soldier will rest And we'll spread out our kindness To all who our love now deserve Some of you are going to die Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide Those are some pretty heady lyrics. But I've noticed that really good songwriters have pretty good use of language and vocabulary-even when young.
@@mikearchibald744 The lyrics are still so relevant when you think that they spoof leadership, underscored by projection -- Trump accusing all and sundry of lying and Johnson's approach to the pandemic allowing too many people to die.
@@ambadad Probably ALL leadership, here in Canada as well. But absolutely, they struck me as true almost forty years after they were written. I remember reading the lyrics to teh Sex Pistols album and thinking those were some pretty heady lyrics for what is basically a kid. Some bands like Deep Purple were BUYING songs from people like Neil Diamond. And you look at some of what passes for lyrics in a lot of bands and its pretty sad. At the same time, you have to wonder about coming up with "the return of the giant hogweed". I reemmber Roger Waters sayign Genesis had its own Syd Barrett in Peter Gabriel, and I get what he means.
Great job! This, like the Hackett interview are the DEFINITIVE interviews of the band members reflections on their Genesis years; with no stone un-turned. Look forward to the rest of them.
Anthony's face at 54:52 as he's asked 'were you still a fan of Genesis in the eighties' pretty much should be a meme that sums up the whole 'early vs late' Genesis arguments. His answer shows he'd have made as good a diplomat as Mike.
Really interesting guy. Amazing how his tenure in the band was so short, and yet his shadow is so long over the band, and he is still asked to comment on stages of the band that had nothing to do with him.
He's a gem! Great subtle insights into early Genesis. Interesting take on Peter's role as a vocalist that limited him in influencing the music as he didn't really play anything. Definitely explains the continued musical success and initial similarity of the music when he left. I sure missed the lyrical excellence that Gabriel contributed though.
Trick of the Tale actually had that, but even then it was starting to sound 'updated', but in a way was a leap back to before the Lamb. But apart from Lamb peter didn't do all the lyric writing, its actually kind of fun to try to guess who 'added that bit'.
Love this. What a wonderful insight into a band I've followed attentively for over 45 years. Some very interesting points from someone who was actually there and being really candid about their beginnings. He had to leave the band, because of on stage issues, as previously mentioned, but not much his health problems. During the 47th minute he looks visibly choked about not still being a part of Genesis. Interesting point about Peter Gabriel being initially quite shy, having to get into character to perform on stage... But when talking about when Phil Collins took to mic, I'm a little surprised that Ant Phillips (no relation) didn't highlight More Fool Me... Phil had already performed lead vocal for Genesis, whilst Peter was their front man... Oh, one more thing... Ant mentioned that he couldn't recall anyone else who moved from back (🥁) to then front the a band (🎤) He forgot about the late, great Karen Carpenter 🙏. 🤔 ... An excellent interview, though the questions were difficult to follow as they were so quiet, sadly. Thanks for this post, so nice to hear and see what a marvellous man Ant was, still is. 👏👏👍
What a lovely guy Anthony philips is he was a integral part of genesis such a shame that he got glandalour fever which I think contributed to ant leaving the band of course ant and mike Rutherford were very close friends at first it looked like the band would split up thankfully they continued to be in my opinion the best band ever i All ways wonder if ant would have stayed with the band he would have been just as good as the others in the band brilliant interview well done Anthony philips 😅😅
I thought I'd read that the band name came about because at first Jonathan King was thinking of calling them Gabriel's Angels, and from there he came up with the idea of the "Genesis to Revelation" concept for the album. Genesis was then going to be the band name, but there was already the American band with that name around so they just released the album with no band name attached to it. But then that band disappeared and they grabbed the name in '69.
I had found the Trespass album in a department store bargain bin, at the time, for 2 bucks - there was no air play in the US, that I ever heard, other than I had heard "The Knife" on a college late night album track radio station - that album began my love of Genesis - then heard nothing new for a while and then I found the new Nursery Cryme album at the same store among now the current releases - from that point onward, I couldn't wait for the next albums!
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES really enjoying your interview footage on here. Thanks. Very insightful and great to hear these experienced artists reflect on their own development over many years. I come away from it reflecting on the old adage about % inspiration vs % perspiration and marvel at how much sheer hard effort is involved much of the time or at least the high levels of resilience required.
@@Ukedc259 I totally agree with you - hard work and resilience is true of all of them. Plus not letting the negative voices from critics, disgruntled fans etc set you back.
16:41 Important (17:32 "Box of tricks") 23:36 The Knife 25:00 lmao 49:46 Ant is behind it all! (The Genesis Conspiracy Theory... nah, i'm just kidding) 56:09 In another universe Ant was involved in every Genesis album... 57:25 and he would've been the showman, also love the detail of Peter forgetting the lyrics. 59:00 LMAO
Whilst Anthony was an integral part of this band early on, out of all of these interviews he does seem to be able to look back almost from the outside looking in, seems to be the most objective about it all.
Probably because he doesn't have all the history. He became more a solo artist so the 'band' history is probably more 'remote'. One thing that would be interesting to know is whether he had as much trouble as Steve getting his guitar into the mix. Since Tony thought of him as 'the leader' I'm thinking probably not.
@@mikearchibald744 An interesting point, because that's high praise coming from Tony. Maybe why he treated Steve with such a cold shoulder about so many things.
@@jeffsilverman6104 True. But Steve seems a shy quiet guy NOW, and back then he seemed to give wallflower a good name. Part of it I think is the usual stuff from keyboardists like Wakeman and Emerson, which is that they tended to not like guitarists who would crank their amps up so you could never be heard. He most definitely wanted to keep his keyboards up there, in many cases thats good, in some cases like earlier albums you could hardly hear peter even though the keys were only repeating a chord pattern. I've not often seen the cold shoulder, they ALL seem a little perplexed that he left. Tony says that he left just as he was getting the most stuff in. And I don't think I've ever heard a bad word about him from Tony, even though it couldn't be fun having a guitarist who was constantly making excuses because of his marital problems or because he was off making his own album. Tony did make that joke that he 'mixed him out of the live album' and then laughs, but then you noticed, 'hey, I DO hardly hear the guitar". So I think they did take it personally in as much as that upper middle class public schooling will allow.
@@mikearchibald744 All these years later it's still hard to know how to look at all of it. They are a complicated, highly creative group of people who literally constructed a complicated, creative bubble. It was Peter's performance art up against Tony's virtuosity and everything in between. I think Steve got caught in the middle of something, joining them at the outset of their immense creative peak. How intimidating that must have been. I don't think any of them knew where it was going, just enjoy the ride. But as reserved as they all can be in conversation, a single word or feeling can cut like a knife. You can feel their intensity. I pray for Phil's health now, he does not look good.
@@jeffsilverman6104 Amen. I have to admit I'm not listening to a lot of their music now but love the interviews, they are as interesting as the music. They are pretty lucid and erudite fellows compared to the mudslinging and monosyllabic breakups of american bands (or pink floyd). Its weird to watch the videos of six years ago of Phil and see him now. Clearly he was doing weights to try to deal with his back but I know when you bulk up with weights you can come down hard when you stop, so hopefully thats it and he'll improve. He certainly must at least have the money for pretty good physiotherapists, despite the many wives. I had the thought after listening to Phil's interview that Steve may not regret leaving genesis but may regret HOW he left genesis because he and phil were likely closest, and now phil says he never saw him much and seeing him takes him back to how he left so Steve kind of lost three guys that at least are friendly-ish. Again thats in the realm of upper middle class british guys so its not like they're having sauna's and snapping towels gleefully at one another. So its very nice that he's such good friends with Anthony now. They both seem like nice guys, its nice to have friends:)
Yes, the good thing is that Ant didn't stay in the band and seems happy to talk about the band even though has more albums than ALMOST anybody in Genesis. Pete has almost the fewest but I get the feeling his patience with talking about Genesis has a much shorter cut off point. Although I may be wrong in that.
He seems like a very nice chap, apart from being, of course, a talented musician. One can only wonder what Genesis would have sounded like had he continued in the group. Maybe a continuation of the naive pastoral feel from Trespass?
@@jeffsimon9594 Ant and Mike did collaborate once or twice throughout their careers, but that's not the same as a full early Genesis reunion. As for Phil, he wasn't even in the band at the time, so he barely knew Ant. He was invited for Ant's debut album and accepted mostly as a favour.
Possible, but Steve wasn't exactly a heavy metal player. The knife has great guitar work on it, but that was written by Peter. Ant was the guy who played hard stuff, and he liked 'prancing around' so I don't think its a given that it would be pastoral. Peter seems to be the guy who was always trying to get them heavier. And while Steve is a fantastic guitarist, his private life always seemed to leave him 'outside' the group. Its interesting that the fights seemed to have gotten worse AFTER Ant left, despite the two replacements not really doing any songwriting. Did Ant's leaving 'cause' all that?:) When TONY thinks of you as the group leader, thats really something. I actually didn't find Trespass THAT pastoral, and certainly not naive. Lyrically they are as heavy as stuff that came later, and instrumentally they were already going all over the map. "Fang, Son of Great Fang..." was a precursor to 'she's a lady' which of course begat '666'.
It was the Serpent that was the She is Beatiful. But also an instrumental on From Genesis to Revelation later because Twilight Alehouse. Twilight Althouse sounds a lot like Get Em Out By Friday.
Now you mention it, Twilight Alehouse has an abrupt ending and Get 'Em Out By Friday has an abrupt start - maybe they would have originally segued into each other. Vinyl limitations being what they were, they were never going to get it on Foxtrot at the time unless they did a double.
@@Sphat90 yeah the chorus sounds a lot like 'Get Em Out by Friday' and the verses have a similar mood. I'm pretty sure that they are related. I would like to know.
I can completely empathise with what he says about regret not coming into it. Having been hit with COVID nothing else really mattered other than what was right for the body and mind.. survival mode. I can only wish to find musicians in the same league to work with, I just never could find any and ended up quitting music completely because of it.
Excellent interview very informative. I’m actually glad Ant left Genesis because if he stayed I don’t believe we have got the prolific wealth of music we now have from his solo career.
great interview. I remember buying 'The geese and the Ghost' rock it was not, it up there with Olias of SunHillow favourite albums on vinyl. Love that term pontsy music, no problem with it
@@lemming9984 had to look it up. poncy- pretentious or affected Its a term you don't hear very often, not in north america No matter I love Anthony Philips poncy music as he describes it
The Geese and The Ghost by Ant, Olias Of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson, Smallceep’s Day by Mike Rutherford and Voyage Of The Acolyte by Steve Hackett are 4 of my Favorite Solo L/P’s-C/D’s ever. Shows where my Music Taste is incorporated in and The Main Band and Genre as well.
@@philseida5428 I had all those albums on vinyl in the day. Loved ;Private parts and pieces', Wise After the Event, the artwork was also killer with the giant squirrel and a VU meter in its ear I think :)
I wonder though had he stayed would we have had all those fabulous albums Ant has given us down the years? If memory serves I must have over 30 AP albums
While that seems true keep in mind that Tony, Mike and Phil are constantly asked the 'selling out' questions, which can hardly be fun to answer and likely puts them on their guard. If you watch interviews in their heyday they seem pretty easy to get along with. As John said, Tony was quite reserved and not really excited about doing an interview at all, and its not like these guys had much interest since 1992. I think any of them would be perfectly pleasant to have a conversation with. I'm half deaf so I don't think I'd even understand half of what Mike or Tony would say.
Along with an original composition (Pennsylvania Flickhouse) and covers of songs by the Beatles and Rolling Stones (much like John Mayall's Bluesbreaker did), didn't Phillips's pre-Genesis band Anon do any Lovin' Spoonful songs? (Do You Believe In Magic, Fishin' Blues, Did You Ever Make Up Your Mind?, Daydream, You Didn't have to Be So Nice, Summer in the City etc...)
They are certainly likeable in interviews, apparantly less so to one another during writing sessions. But it looks like a different interview from the one thats on the album by album interviews. But type in Trespass interviews and they get into this. I remember it because he had such a poetic line "...I started well.....then came unstuck". Now who else but a brit would put it like that. But yeah, it was pretty much that.
Also speaking of Ant's pre-Genesis band Anon, they performed covers of songs by the Rolling Stones and Beatles but what about Manfred Mann ("If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (Bob Dylan)) and Lovin' Spoonful? ("Do You Believe In Magic?")
I don't know, I listened to the Knife, and I read the lyrics and I don't really see how its a 'spoof' of revolutionary songs because it certainly sounds pretty revolutionery. Certainly it sounds more like a young mans fancy of revolution, where you kind of skip over the ugly bits, but certainly when listening to Biko you can tell Peter has some political views that come out of his lyrics. So it is what it is, kind of like the way that Ian Anderson says that "thick as a brick' was meant as a spoof of a concept album but became almost a template for concept albums. Like any art, the fact is that the artist doesn't ultimately get to determine how their work is interpreted. PS, we don't find out who was at the front door!
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What a gentle, kind and humble bloke! I had never heard him before. Enjoyable interview.
What a genuine guy Ant is! Without him Genesis would not have taken off. John please interview Ant regarding his solo work. I’ve found it well worth listening to. A real talented musician.
This is a really interesting and informative interview with Ant, which gives us his perspective on the early years of Genesis and his thoughts on the band's development after he left. Thanks for sharing, John.
My pleasure. So glad you like it
What an absolutely wonderful, honest and caring person you are Anthony. This interview is probably the most heartwarming and emotional out of all those in this series. I personally think that there would not have been a Genesis as we know it today if this guy hadn't been there!
Been fascinated by Ant’s music since end of the seventies. I think he was the most important member when it comes to Inventing the original Genesis sound.
Wonderful to hear this interview!
Thanks for your fantastic response!..and being the first to comment too!
ALL these Genesis interviews,👍👌. They've been my favorite band since I was a small child. What a bunch of Fantastic in depth interviews these are! I'm 42 now, but in my 30's I was so desperate for some NEW Genesis I started digging into each these guys solo careers including Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett and THE LEGENDARY Tony Banks. WOW what a surprise that was!! Genesis were Amazing just as they were, but I can only imagine how Great they would've been had Anthony Phillips stayed! Their solo albums were like listening to Genesis on whole another level. Just Amazing Stuff!! "Geese and The Ghost" , "Voyage Of The Alcolyte" and "Small Creeps Day" are absolute Masterpieces 💯 👌. Even solo Tony Banks is Fantastic. In conclusion these interviews are BAD ASS. 👌
Fascinating interview - thoughtful man who seems at ease with himself
ANTHONY PHILLIPS IS AN AMAZING ARTIST AND THE DRIVING FORCE TO BRINGING GENESIS TOGETHER ! RESPECT !
Thank you, once again. In one interview, I’ve learned more from Anthony than I’ve heard from him whilst following the band for 35 years. Wonderful!
I really appreciate this guys 12-string guitar playing. That pastoral sound that defined early Genesis created a sophisticated mood that can't be replicated. I try not to take for granted how two of my favorite musicians, Ant Phillips and Tony Banks were in the same band together
My favorite Composer. Great music and he seems like a great guy.
Thoroughly enjoyed this interview 🙏🏻 Ant is one of my musical heroes, and the reason I play 12-string acoustic guitar (very influenced by his style). I was fortunate enough to meet Ant by chance in a music store in the late-2000s, and you could not hope to meet a nicer chap.
What a pleasant, engaging, and honest man talking about some of my favorite music for fifty years. I love knowing the back stories of the musicians I admire, and all of the guys of Genesis have been so candid about everything. This interview answered some important questions for me. Cheers.
Ant is a fantastic musician and writer in his own right. Great interview. Thank you for publishing this, John.
My pleasure!
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES I've watched all of your Genesis documentaries you've recently uploaded, thank you so much - they are the best interviews with the band I've seen, and I've seen them all. Thanks again.
@@drwugong so nice to hear that ! Thanks so much!
Ant also had great keyboard skills,... Ant played the keyboard arrangements on Mike Rutherford's first solo album entitled Small Creeps Day, definitely an underrated masterpiece.
Apparently those songs were all Genesis rejects! I dare say better than most bands best work. If Phil's marriage had not hit the buffers those tracks may never have seen the light of the day. To this day Mike shows no interest in reissuing or even discussing that album.
Geese and the Ghost is the best unofficial Genesis album of all time.
This is a wonderful interview with Anthony Phillips
what a wonderful guy
Without a doubt the most underrated Genesis member.
A real genius...!!!!
In interviews you can also tell Tony in particular has a sort of reverence for Anthony, and I can see why here. They have similar, no-nonsense personalities, and that was probably a very important part of "corralling" the sound of the band early on. Enormously influencial despite his short tenure with Genesis.
Reverence may be too strong a word but maybe not. I think they ALL admit he was most musically talented at the time-and maybe even remained so. I wonder if he may have even inspired Tony a bit becaues its interesting that Anthony-Tony, if you will, was a guitar player who played keyboards as well, while Tony was a keyboard player who also played guitar.
I would love to have heard more details on what the arguments sounded like. On the Trespass album he says that by the time they recorded "there were no more arguments, we had so many arguments, there was nothing left to argue about". For some reason I can't even picture him arguing, but then I can't really picture Peter arguing either. Tony I can picture arguing:)
THere's a picture floating around of him and Tony at that time which is pretty funny because they talk about how energetic he was as 'lead guitarist', but in the photo of him and Tony, he looks to be about 12, and Tony looks like he's about 30. And yet Tony talks about thinking of him as a 'leader'. So you can only imagine what the band would have sounded like had he stayed. In a way I may have liked it because if he was that much of a leader then maybe there would be a bit more guitar. I love Tony's keys, but there are tracks you listen to where he's doing nothing on a keys but repetition and yet you can hardly hear the guitar at all. It does come out as early dubstep though, so they were innovative in that way too. Nothing on Steve, but he just never had the confidence to really get his guitar in there, and in a band its nice to hear all ofit, thats what makes Dark Side so great musically.
But up to Wind and Wuthering every one of their albums sounds so different, and I know my tastes aren't off when Anthony talks about how much he would have loved being part of Selling England by the Pound but was really not interested in any of the eightiest stuff. Just like me.
@@mikearchibald744
YOU used the term ‘verbal diarrhea’?
@@Zerpersande Yes, it was a great comment.
@@mikearchibald744 It was an 'on the spectrum' comment
Superb interview. And what an erudite and humble chap. Thank you so much for making this available John.
My pleasure !
Looking forward to another great insightful interview. Thank you John for all these.
More to come!
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Can’t wait.
Anthony Philips, you're a great man! I'm happy to hear your side of the story.
I’ve really enjoyed this series of interviews with the guys from Genesis. Thanks for sharing these!
My pleasure !
Great interview John . My favorite of the Genesis boys. What an absolute monster musician. How you didnt stop the interview and demand he pick up one of those guitars and play had to have taken a lot of self control :-) . Thanks for posting this.
Great comments! Thanks
Damm no groupies for Genesis??? guess it wasn't rocknroll ehj
I was a close friend of mike colman for the last 20 years of his life . I lived in stroud, and we met in early ni neties. He was a dear friend. He spoke very fondly of ant phillips. Miss him very much.
I liked Which Way the Wind Blows and God If I Saw Her Now from his Geese and the Ghost album, and I liked them when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I'm 54 now and my taste in music hasn't really changed.
The entire Geese and Ghost album has a profound effect on dreams should you listen to it while sleeping. Anthony is definitely a guitar bard and he tells beautiful stories with a single guitar!
@@breakfastplan4518 There's something about that guitar style like on musical box that messes with my brain, maybe its the tinnitus, but its like listening to Troutmask Replica to me, but its too bad because I want to listen to his music just from listening to him talk. There is a podcast that a guy from Nova Scotia did where he just calls him up, I'd like to make up a show just to listen to him. He'd be very good at talking people down from bridges. "Look here chap, we really don't have the people to clean up your mess, how about we go for a pint and you tell me your troubles".
Love it! Thanks.
Thank you too!
That wasn't long enough !!! I was just getting in to it when it ended ;) I think of all the interviews, this one was the best because so little is ever heard from Ant in terms of interviews, and especially anything really in depth. I still love 'sides' to this day - it was the first solo album of Ant's that I bought and was always my fav. I so wish that when Phil left, they had talked Ant into coming back and done some instrumental stuff instead of the dreaded calling all stations .... could have been a whole new/old chapter for Genesis instead of the end of the line.
Fascinating stuff, great to see Anthony's enthusiasm in this conversation!
The Geese and the Ghost ....Brilliant!
private parts and pieces 1 for me astonishing awesome some tracks are impressive homemade masterpieces
A true gentleman, and a great composer.
What a line to end on - Genesis 'No sex, drugs & Rock & roll!'.. No... No... Noo... Nooo!
- another great interview!
John, yet again with a splendid and informative effort. Much appreciated sir!
Enjoyable insights on the early days of a group that has remained a mainstay for many of us older folk.
So good to see him well, albeit 2014
Side accolade on format: i much prefer the raw (unfiltered) versions.
Thanks again
Yes the unfiltered versions are certainly going down well here! Thanks for appreciating my stuff!
In hiding is by far the most beautiful song on the first album ❤
Thank you for this wonderful interview. As much as I love the later albums, Trespass has a special place in my heart and it's the Genesis album I listen to the most.
Anthony seems like a very nice guy and his observations are spot-on. I really enjoyed this.
I've been getting into his solo albums lately and loving them. Wise After the Fact is absolutely wonderful.
I always want to ask him if he ever felt the hankering to try working within a band again, even as a songwriter.
Agree but I can't listen to the closing track it is way too depressing..
Just getting around to this one, but I've seen your interviews with Collins, Hackett, and Banks and really wanted to offer thanks. Great job all around.
Thanks so much !
Anthony P. seems to me a very friendly and warm person. I understands why he left Genesis and I do love his solo albums. There a lot of intimacy in his work. A thing I miss in the work of his "successor". In my Opinion.
What a nice guy that chap is.
The song you’re thinking of Ant (at the beginning) is ‘The Serpent’ (earlier known as ‘She is Beautiful).
Great interview. Man, to be a fly on the wall during the cottage era. What I’d give to hear early EARLY Genesis.
Great in depth Interview. Gives so many insights in the inner working of that band from the early days onwards. All people who are still thinking, early Genesis was all Peter Gabriel, should watch this.
I’m delighted you got so much from it !
“I always knew you’d reach the dizzy heights, and leave me stranded far below” From Ant’s excellent Song “Lucy Will”.
Lots of reasons I came to like Genesis over the years but it all started when I found Trespass. "See a rippling stream that smiles and then goes by. I run to feel its comfort, but the water's dry." I was hooked. Visions of Angels was the first of its kind--the pastoral-apocalyptic love song. Anthony, if you are reading these comments, THANK YOU for giving me so many years of listening enjoyment. You and your bandmates mean the world to me.
My brother listened to later Genesis, but when I found Trespass it was like listening to a whole new band, which a lot of their albums were like. But The Knife really hit me: Stand up and fight, for you know we are right
We must strike at the lies
That have spread like disease through our minds
Soon we'll have power, every soldier will rest
And we'll spread out our kindness
To all who our love now deserve
Some of you are going to die
Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide
Those are some pretty heady lyrics. But I've noticed that really good songwriters have pretty good use of language and vocabulary-even when young.
@@mikearchibald744 The lyrics are still so relevant when you think that they spoof leadership, underscored by projection -- Trump accusing all and sundry of lying and Johnson's approach to the pandemic allowing too many people to die.
@@ambadad Probably ALL leadership, here in Canada as well. But absolutely, they struck me as true almost forty years after they were written. I remember reading the lyrics to teh Sex Pistols album and thinking those were some pretty heady lyrics for what is basically a kid.
Some bands like Deep Purple were BUYING songs from people like Neil Diamond. And you look at some of what passes for lyrics in a lot of bands and its pretty sad. At the same time, you have to wonder about coming up with "the return of the giant hogweed". I reemmber Roger Waters sayign Genesis had its own Syd Barrett in Peter Gabriel, and I get what he means.
Ant looks fantastic
Nice Man !!
He inspired music on my early albums with Holding Pattern with using multiple 12 string bits.
Anthony is cool because he is aware of his place...very cool.
Nice guy, great musician.
Well done John again...great interview
What a modest genius. Just another gem in the musical world.
I just wish we had a video of Ant playing live somewhere,in a pub or something.
The wind blew okay. Thanks for this wonderful interview.
My pleasure
Great job! This, like the Hackett interview are the DEFINITIVE interviews of the band members reflections on their Genesis years; with no stone un-turned. Look forward to the rest of them.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate your comments!
what a cool dude
Anthony's face at 54:52 as he's asked 'were you still a fan of Genesis in the eighties' pretty much should be a meme that sums up the whole 'early vs late' Genesis arguments. His answer shows he'd have made as good a diplomat as Mike.
Really interesting guy. Amazing how his tenure in the band was so short, and yet his shadow is so long over the band, and he is still asked to comment on stages of the band that had nothing to do with him.
He's a gem! Great subtle insights into early Genesis. Interesting take on Peter's role as a vocalist that limited him in influencing the music as he didn't really play anything. Definitely explains the continued musical success and initial similarity of the music when he left. I sure missed the lyrical excellence that Gabriel contributed though.
Trick of the Tale actually had that, but even then it was starting to sound 'updated', but in a way was a leap back to before the Lamb. But apart from Lamb peter didn't do all the lyric writing, its actually kind of fun to try to guess who 'added that bit'.
What a wonderful interview!
Thanks !
Love this. What a wonderful insight into a band I've followed attentively for over 45 years. Some very interesting points from someone who was actually there and being really candid about their beginnings. He had to leave the band, because of on stage issues, as previously mentioned, but not much his health problems. During the 47th minute he looks visibly choked about not still being a part of Genesis. Interesting point about Peter Gabriel being initially quite shy, having to get into character to perform on stage... But when talking about when Phil Collins took to mic, I'm a little surprised that Ant Phillips (no relation) didn't highlight More Fool Me... Phil had already performed lead vocal for Genesis, whilst Peter was their front man... Oh, one more thing... Ant mentioned that he couldn't recall anyone else who moved from back (🥁) to then front the a band (🎤) He forgot about the late, great Karen Carpenter 🙏. 🤔 ...
An excellent interview, though the questions were difficult to follow as they were so quiet, sadly. Thanks for this post, so nice to hear and see what a marvellous man Ant was, still is. 👏👏👍
Very interesting. Thank you! I'm a fan since 1981 and love all the periods.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful interview and man, I wonder if in later years ,you got to work with your ole buddy-Mike Rutherford-luv ya ‘ANT’, GOD BLESS!!!!!!!!!
He worked with Mike on his first solo album, then later worked with Mike on Mikes first solo album Smallcreeps Day.
What a lovely guy Anthony philips is he was a integral part of genesis such a shame that he got glandalour fever which I think contributed to ant leaving the band of course ant and mike Rutherford were very close friends at first it looked like the band would split up thankfully they continued to be in my opinion the best band ever i All ways wonder if ant would have stayed with the band he would have been just as good as the others in the band brilliant interview well done Anthony philips 😅😅
Before the formation of Anon in May 1965, he and Rivers Jobe played in The Spiders (a Beatles-type band).
I thought I'd read that the band name came about because at first Jonathan King was thinking of calling them Gabriel's Angels, and from there he came up with the idea of the "Genesis to Revelation" concept for the album. Genesis was then going to be the band name, but there was already the American band with that name around so they just released the album with no band name attached to it. But then that band disappeared and they grabbed the name in '69.
I had found the Trespass album in a department store bargain bin, at the time, for 2 bucks - there was no air play in the US, that I ever heard, other than I had heard "The Knife" on a college late night album track radio station - that album began my love of Genesis - then heard nothing new for a while and then I found the new Nursery Cryme album at the same store among now the current releases - from that point onward, I couldn't wait for the next albums!
At 36 mins "we played with Nick Drake quite a lot" IMAGINE THAT!!
Back then he was just another subdued folkie on the circuit. Dying mysteriously followed by decades of hype does wonders for your legend status.
THAT guy.
Anthony looks like he could pass for Allan Holdsworths little brother.
Lol true
There’s a guy in Panic At The Disco whom is Jimmy Osmond 😁❤️
Oh yes, absolutely! LOL
little ?
@@XanAxDdu AH 1946, AP 1951
What a nice guy!
Ant, he looks 27 to me
An interviewer’s dream. What a charming man.
Yes indeed. A lovely guy.
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES really enjoying your interview footage on here. Thanks. Very insightful and great to hear these experienced artists reflect on their own development over many years. I come away from it reflecting on the old adage about % inspiration vs % perspiration and marvel at how much sheer hard effort is involved much of the time or at least the high levels of resilience required.
@@Ukedc259 I totally agree with you - hard work and resilience is true of all of them. Plus not letting the negative voices from critics, disgruntled fans etc set you back.
Wouldn't it be charming too if he'd do some music in collaboration with another comparable sweet soul - I mean Roger Hodgson?
16:41 Important (17:32 "Box of tricks")
23:36 The Knife
25:00 lmao
49:46 Ant is behind it all! (The Genesis Conspiracy Theory... nah, i'm just kidding)
56:09 In another universe Ant was involved in every Genesis album...
57:25 and he would've been the showman, also love the detail of Peter forgetting the lyrics.
59:00 LMAO
Whilst Anthony was an integral part of this band early on, out of all of these interviews he does seem to be able to look back almost from the outside looking in, seems to be the most objective about it all.
Probably because he doesn't have all the history. He became more a solo artist so the 'band' history is probably more 'remote'. One thing that would be interesting to know is whether he had as much trouble as Steve getting his guitar into the mix. Since Tony thought of him as 'the leader' I'm thinking probably not.
@@mikearchibald744 An interesting point, because that's high praise coming from Tony. Maybe why he treated Steve with such a cold shoulder about so many things.
@@jeffsilverman6104 True. But Steve seems a shy quiet guy NOW, and back then he seemed to give wallflower a good name. Part of it I think is the usual stuff from keyboardists like Wakeman and Emerson, which is that they tended to not like guitarists who would crank their amps up so you could never be heard.
He most definitely wanted to keep his keyboards up there, in many cases thats good, in some cases like earlier albums you could hardly hear peter even though the keys were only repeating a chord pattern.
I've not often seen the cold shoulder, they ALL seem a little perplexed that he left. Tony says that he left just as he was getting the most stuff in. And I don't think I've ever heard a bad word about him from Tony, even though it couldn't be fun having a guitarist who was constantly making excuses because of his marital problems or because he was off making his own album.
Tony did make that joke that he 'mixed him out of the live album' and then laughs, but then you noticed, 'hey, I DO hardly hear the guitar". So I think they did take it personally in as much as that upper middle class public schooling will allow.
@@mikearchibald744 All these years later it's still hard to know how to look at all of it. They are a complicated, highly creative group of people who literally constructed a complicated, creative bubble. It was Peter's performance art up against Tony's virtuosity and everything in between. I think Steve got caught in the middle of something, joining them at the outset of their immense creative peak. How intimidating that must have been. I don't think any of them knew where it was going, just enjoy the ride. But as reserved as they all can be in conversation, a single word or feeling can cut like a knife. You can feel their intensity. I pray for Phil's health now, he does not look good.
@@jeffsilverman6104 Amen. I have to admit I'm not listening to a lot of their music now but love the interviews, they are as interesting as the music. They are pretty lucid and erudite fellows compared to the mudslinging and monosyllabic breakups of american bands (or pink floyd).
Its weird to watch the videos of six years ago of Phil and see him now. Clearly he was doing weights to try to deal with his back but I know when you bulk up with weights you can come down hard when you stop, so hopefully thats it and he'll improve. He certainly must at least have the money for pretty good physiotherapists, despite the many wives.
I had the thought after listening to Phil's interview that Steve may not regret leaving genesis but may regret HOW he left genesis because he and phil were likely closest, and now phil says he never saw him much and seeing him takes him back to how he left so Steve kind of lost three guys that at least are friendly-ish. Again thats in the realm of upper middle class british guys so its not like they're having sauna's and snapping towels gleefully at one another. So its very nice that he's such good friends with Anthony now. They both seem like nice guys, its nice to have friends:)
Ant is a good lad, love Trespass
Ant has been a huge influence on my own music since I first bought 'Geese' in 78.
I find it hard to watch this ! What a lovely guy god ! Who wouldn’t want to play with him ! Very pain full to hear this
I should say I massively loved that period
Yes, the good thing is that Ant didn't stay in the band and seems happy to talk about the band even though has more albums than ALMOST anybody in Genesis. Pete has almost the fewest but I get the feeling his patience with talking about Genesis has a much shorter cut off point. Although I may be wrong in that.
He seems like a very nice chap, apart from being, of course, a talented musician. One can only wonder what Genesis would have sounded like had he continued in the group. Maybe a continuation of the naive pastoral feel from Trespass?
Ant & Mike & Phil did carry on sporadically working together. Ant is the keyboardist on Smallcreep's Day (1980)
@@jeffsimon9594 Ant and Mike did collaborate once or twice throughout their careers, but that's not the same as a full early Genesis reunion. As for Phil, he wasn't even in the band at the time, so he barely knew Ant. He was invited for Ant's debut album and accepted mostly as a favour.
Possible, but Steve wasn't exactly a heavy metal player. The knife has great guitar work on it, but that was written by Peter. Ant was the guy who played hard stuff, and he liked 'prancing around' so I don't think its a given that it would be pastoral. Peter seems to be the guy who was always trying to get them heavier. And while Steve is a fantastic guitarist, his private life always seemed to leave him 'outside' the group. Its interesting that the fights seemed to have gotten worse AFTER Ant left, despite the two replacements not really doing any songwriting. Did Ant's leaving 'cause' all that?:) When TONY thinks of you as the group leader, thats really something.
I actually didn't find Trespass THAT pastoral, and certainly not naive. Lyrically they are as heavy as stuff that came later, and instrumentally they were already going all over the map. "Fang, Son of Great Fang..." was a precursor to 'she's a lady' which of course begat '666'.
It was the Serpent that was the She is Beatiful. But also an instrumental on From Genesis to Revelation later because Twilight Alehouse. Twilight Althouse sounds a lot like Get Em Out By Friday.
Now you mention it, Twilight Alehouse has an abrupt ending and Get 'Em Out By Friday has an abrupt start - maybe they would have originally segued into each other. Vinyl limitations being what they were, they were never going to get it on Foxtrot at the time unless they did a double.
@@Sphat90 yeah the chorus sounds a lot like 'Get Em Out by Friday' and the verses have a similar mood. I'm pretty sure that they are related. I would like to know.
John, thank you for these. Did you do a full Peter Gabriel Unfiltered ?
I can completely empathise with what he says about regret not coming into it. Having been hit with COVID nothing else really mattered other than what was right for the body and mind.. survival mode.
I can only wish to find musicians in the same league to work with, I just never could find any and ended up quitting music completely because of it.
Excellent interview
Excellent interview very informative. I’m actually glad Ant left Genesis because if he stayed I don’t believe we have got the prolific wealth of music we now have from his solo career.
But no groupies.
The 12 string changed my perspective and playing forever..took me for a spin how to tune the fucking thing..lol
Great interview Anthony
Very good!
great interview. I remember buying 'The geese and the Ghost' rock it was not, it up there with Olias of SunHillow favourite albums on vinyl.
Love that term pontsy music, no problem with it
It's not "Pontsy", it's "Poncey", meaning airy-fairy, self indulgent etc.
@@lemming9984 had to look it up. poncy- pretentious or affected Its a term you don't hear very often, not in north america
No matter I love Anthony Philips poncy music as he describes it
@@genuinefreewilly5706 Me too, There's nothing wrong with a bit of ponce from time-to-time!!
The Geese and The Ghost by Ant, Olias Of Sunhillow by Jon Anderson, Smallceep’s Day by Mike Rutherford and Voyage Of The Acolyte by Steve Hackett are 4 of my Favorite Solo L/P’s-C/D’s ever. Shows where my Music Taste is incorporated in and The Main Band and Genre as well.
@@philseida5428 I had all those albums on vinyl in the day. Loved ;Private parts and pieces', Wise After the Event, the artwork was also killer with the giant squirrel and a VU meter in its ear I think :)
"She Is Beautiful" became :"The Serpent" on From Genesis to Revelation.
Wow Genesis played gigs with Nick Drake, who knew?!! Any posters or documentation of when the gigs were?
What a great interview. Anthony What a wonderful person would have been nice to Genesis if he would have stayed.
But Phillips's stage fright was too much for him.
I wonder though had he stayed would we have had all those fabulous albums Ant has given us down the years? If memory serves I must have over 30 AP albums
@@musicman920 Agree, some much talent, ….. you 💭 wonder!!!!!
Ant and Steve are for me the most likeable Genesis members.
While that seems true keep in mind that Tony, Mike and Phil are constantly asked the 'selling out' questions, which can hardly be fun to answer and likely puts them on their guard. If you watch interviews in their heyday they seem pretty easy to get along with. As John said, Tony was quite reserved and not really excited about doing an interview at all, and its not like these guys had much interest since 1992. I think any of them would be perfectly pleasant to have a conversation with. I'm half deaf so I don't think I'd even understand half of what Mike or Tony would say.
"we were all influenced by stevie winwood". wow. how cool.
We had a guy in Norway named Oluf. Anthony reminds me a bit of him.
why not Hello Oluf !
Cool guy love Trespass
Along with an original composition (Pennsylvania Flickhouse) and covers of songs by the Beatles and Rolling Stones (much like John Mayall's Bluesbreaker did), didn't Phillips's pre-Genesis band Anon do any Lovin' Spoonful songs? (Do You Believe In Magic, Fishin' Blues, Did You Ever Make Up Your Mind?, Daydream, You Didn't have to Be So Nice, Summer in the City etc...)
AP, for me has composed more beautiful music than any Genesis musician. And more of it
I recall hearing somewhere he left the band over stage fright? The whole band were likable fellas, including Anthony.
They are certainly likeable in interviews, apparantly less so to one another during writing sessions. But it looks like a different interview from the one thats on the album by album interviews. But type in Trespass interviews and they get into this. I remember it because he had such a poetic line "...I started well.....then came unstuck". Now who else but a brit would put it like that. But yeah, it was pretty much that.
This Album is dedicated to Richard Mc Phail
At 54th minute, just want to mention Dave Grolsh is the other drummer to go to up front vocalist I can think of (although not in the same band).
Grohl is a man. Grolsch is a beer. 😁
@@stvartak7164 🤣 predictive text! 😉
@@stvartak7164 And a damn fine man, and a damn fine beer!
Also speaking of Ant's pre-Genesis band Anon, they performed covers of songs by the Rolling Stones and Beatles but what about Manfred Mann ("If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (Bob Dylan)) and Lovin' Spoonful? ("Do You Believe In Magic?")
Nice chap
I don't know, I listened to the Knife, and I read the lyrics and I don't really see how its a 'spoof' of revolutionary songs because it certainly sounds pretty revolutionery. Certainly it sounds more like a young mans fancy of revolution, where you kind of skip over the ugly bits, but certainly when listening to Biko you can tell Peter has some political views that come out of his lyrics. So it is what it is, kind of like the way that Ian Anderson says that "thick as a brick' was meant as a spoof of a concept album but became almost a template for concept albums. Like any art, the fact is that the artist doesn't ultimately get to determine how their work is interpreted.
PS, we don't find out who was at the front door!