Thanks John. Lovely tribute to Richard of sorts. Without your work, these wonderful guys would fade into the mists of time. Instead, your work will keep their personalities and stories alive forever for future generations. Well done!
I’d just started listening to his podcast before he died. He came across a super nice guy a key reason Genesis stayed together and became the success they did.
Radio Rich Pickings was his podcast, where you can get your fill, its sad for the family but good to know he outlasted his cancer and in a way for us fans, he's always here-though thats little consolation to his family and friends. Its odd we learn more about Peter from this than about Richard (ok, I guess we have to buy his book), or even from Peter. Anthony Phillips also talks in interviews about how he helped Peter cobble together some demos. I found it surprising that he finds it hard to write lyrics, I would have thought it the other way around, but what do I know. Fripp produced his second album, and has said Peter on piano doing 'here comes the flood' is as close to Peter's true personal musical expression as you can get. Certainly Trespass comes across as an album by somebody who has lyrics just flowing out of them. But I was surprised when Tony admits to Peter being the best lyric writer and Peter saying 'you never said that at the time'. Wow, they really were a tough crowd. While he doesn't mention it, it seems 'interesting' that Richard stopped working with Genesis once they had sort of found their footing, then went on to tour with Peter at a point when he had little money, so it seems that Richard really shone best when he was most needed, and everybody deserves a friend like that. My favourite story of his is found on a few places online where they were in Italy on tour and wearing camo pants and stopped to use a payphone and somebody called the police thinking they were terrorists. So Peter, Richard and the band all got arrested, and only got out when they sang "In the Humdrum" acappella in the jail cell. And people wonder why musicians always have very different perspectives on their career than fans do. I don't agree that Genesis fans have such dogmatic views, certainly a small vocal minority do. The simple fact is that later they were only 3/5 as good, something thats just numerically inevitable. I remember when the video for Land of Confusion came on and VERY few musical artists were doing stuff like that, i was amazed they showed it let alone it becoming a hit, this is a country that didn't notice the irony of Springteens Born in the USA or Mellencamps "pink houses". But its good to have people like Anthony Phillips and Richard MacPhail backing people up in saying that early Genesis was 'something else'. It was just musical insanity in a way that very few people were producing. I'd call it Britains response to Frank Zappa.
Both Genesis and VDGG were cult bands, here in Canada, for a long time. It wasn’t until Phil Collins took over on vocals, that they finally became popular here.
Genesis were big all over Canada, as was prog. I'm on the east coast of Canada where NOBODY played, but there was a very dedicated group of young men who were hugely into prog. As Tony would say, thats where I first heard Nursery Cryme, Triumverate, Hero and Heroine, Low, Saga (oddly enough not Rush) from my brothers eight track. Oddly enough kind of hated Genesis for the reason he mentions, they'd have a great 'bit' and then go on and you'd never hear it again. And The Lamb was just way beyond my comprehension (still is), in fact most of their lyrics were. Then when I got older I was into all the pop stuff, but once I grew up and was looking for 'sustained listening' then that early stuff had no comparison. As the guys say about London, Ontario, the fans wanted Phil to work so bad they laughed at his bad jokes. As I dig back into the old eighties stuff I realize that was likely the 'prog' time of canada as with Much Music that was the last time there was a real dedicated musical sound. It was generally much more political than american stuff, and there were charts that would be TOTALLY made up of canadian artists. Some embarassing, but most not. But we were always halfway between Britain and America in both comedy AND music. Sadly I suspect Phil has nothing but bad memories of at least Vancouver. Both for trying to fix a failing marriage, and naked roadies.
Thanks John. Lovely tribute to Richard of sorts. Without your work, these wonderful guys would fade into the mists of time. Instead, your work will keep their personalities and stories alive forever for future generations. Well done!
You're very kind. Thank you
I’d just started listening to his podcast before he died. He came across a super nice guy a key reason Genesis stayed together and became the success they did.
A lovely interview with a lovely interesting man. RIP
Thanks for this John.
Thank you so much John - what a gent Richard was!👍👍
You're very welcome !
Delightful, as always, John. Thanks for making this wonderful Genesis archive available to fans.
Thank you John, what terrific archive of work you have.
Thanks. Your appreciation means a lot to me!
Your interviews are so interesting. Thanks.
Glad you like them!
Interview gold - as interesting a listen as to hear the musicians themselves.
Thanks Much appreciated!
RIP, Rich.
RIP Mr MacPhail
Radio Rich Pickings was his podcast, where you can get your fill, its sad for the family but good to know he outlasted his cancer and in a way for us fans, he's always here-though thats little consolation to his family and friends.
Its odd we learn more about Peter from this than about Richard (ok, I guess we have to buy his book), or even from Peter. Anthony Phillips also talks in interviews about how he helped Peter cobble together some demos. I found it surprising that he finds it hard to write lyrics, I would have thought it the other way around, but what do I know. Fripp produced his second album, and has said Peter on piano doing 'here comes the flood' is as close to Peter's true personal musical expression as you can get. Certainly Trespass comes across as an album by somebody who has lyrics just flowing out of them. But I was surprised when Tony admits to Peter being the best lyric writer and Peter saying 'you never said that at the time'. Wow, they really were a tough crowd.
While he doesn't mention it, it seems 'interesting' that Richard stopped working with Genesis once they had sort of found their footing, then went on to tour with Peter at a point when he had little money, so it seems that Richard really shone best when he was most needed, and everybody deserves a friend like that. My favourite story of his is found on a few places online where they were in Italy on tour and wearing camo pants and stopped to use a payphone and somebody called the police thinking they were terrorists. So Peter, Richard and the band all got arrested, and only got out when they sang "In the Humdrum" acappella in the jail cell. And people wonder why musicians always have very different perspectives on their career than fans do.
I don't agree that Genesis fans have such dogmatic views, certainly a small vocal minority do. The simple fact is that later they were only 3/5 as good, something thats just numerically inevitable. I remember when the video for Land of Confusion came on and VERY few musical artists were doing stuff like that, i was amazed they showed it let alone it becoming a hit, this is a country that didn't notice the irony of Springteens Born in the USA or Mellencamps "pink houses". But its good to have people like Anthony Phillips and Richard MacPhail backing people up in saying that early Genesis was 'something else'. It was just musical insanity in a way that very few people were producing. I'd call it Britains response to Frank Zappa.
Thanks Mike .. terrific, thoughtful, wonderfully perceptive comments !..as always..
@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Well its in lieu of cash, so its gotta be right?
Both Genesis and VDGG were cult bands, here in Canada, for a long time. It wasn’t until Phil Collins took over on vocals, that they finally became popular here.
They broke in Italy, but in America, Im really proud that Genesis broke in Quebec and Montreal before the US. Soo they broke in Canada first!
Genesis were big all over Canada, as was prog. I'm on the east coast of Canada where NOBODY played, but there was a very dedicated group of young men who were hugely into prog. As Tony would say, thats where I first heard Nursery Cryme, Triumverate, Hero and Heroine, Low, Saga (oddly enough not Rush) from my brothers eight track. Oddly enough kind of hated Genesis for the reason he mentions, they'd have a great 'bit' and then go on and you'd never hear it again. And The Lamb was just way beyond my comprehension (still is), in fact most of their lyrics were.
Then when I got older I was into all the pop stuff, but once I grew up and was looking for 'sustained listening' then that early stuff had no comparison. As the guys say about London, Ontario, the fans wanted Phil to work so bad they laughed at his bad jokes.
As I dig back into the old eighties stuff I realize that was likely the 'prog' time of canada as with Much Music that was the last time there was a real dedicated musical sound. It was generally much more political than american stuff, and there were charts that would be TOTALLY made up of canadian artists. Some embarassing, but most not. But we were always halfway between Britain and America in both comedy AND music.
Sadly I suspect Phil has nothing but bad memories of at least Vancouver. Both for trying to fix a failing marriage, and naked roadies.