Phil Collins on How He Came Up With the Drum Solo for 'In The Air Tonight' | The Big Interview
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- Phil Collins talks with Dan Rather about his first solo hit single, "In The Air Tonight," a track that's received revitalized attention in pop culture in recent years, largely due to its iconic drum solo.
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#philcollins #intheairtonight
He became the punching bag for anyone wanting to dismiss the music of the '80s. I hope one day that his work will be regarded with the respect that it deserves. Solo and with Genesis, this man created so many really great pop songs.
Didn't see that during Genesis concert... packed to the brim, not even storm and buckets of rain pouring on our heads discouraged anyone. But this was Poland in early 00s afair. He was always regarded as great performer, and one of my favorites since I was a kid.
could not agree more. his ...but seriously album is a true gem
just hit after hit after hit after hit..
He's definitely respected.
He's God damn amazing and the 80's is probably the best decade of pop music ever.
in the air tonight was really a unique masterpiece.
*is really a unique masterpiece
It is a MIAMI VICE masterpiece!!!! Still visualize Crockett & Tubbs at their very best when I hear this song!!!!
This song never ceases to send chills up my spine. It is a masterpiece!
Even better live! His son Nick nailed it when I saw them in Paris in 2017 and the audience loved it.
Its got three chords, its not a masterpiece.
@@Novaheart1998 well not so many notes maybe but probably still a few more than nowadays dreadful songs from the likes of david guetta.
still that song is so more powerful and intelligent than a lot of nowadays trash music.
music is beyond number of notes. it’s about emotions, feelings, momentum.
and that song is all that at the same time. so yes masterpiece for me
@@farodopi5170 a dogs fart is a better song than todays music.
@@Novaheart1998 How about a masterpiece of acoustic emotion then.
I performed on the 1998 tour of the Phil Collins Big Band and whenever we performed that piece, the air drummers in the audience popped up en masse and it was hard not to smile at it. Most of the places we played were audiences of about 6K (amphitheaters and smaller festival stages) or so, but the Pori Jazz Festival in Pori, Finland was on an island park and there were 30,000 people out there. They went nuts on that one.
Well jel
any link to that video ?
His work in the 80’s was amazing. I still listen to “No Jacket Required” quite often. It’s perfect.
NJR: One of my favorite CD's ever. And I only have like 900, lol.
Collins is a mug. Anyone who listens to his music is a bigger mug. The music was totally outclassed by its contemporaries. Folks who know nothing about music think it’s great, but it has not stood the test of time. Very forgettable. He admits himself in this interview that he struck it lucky a couple of times; no clue where it came from and then quickly ran out of ideas.
Wow....just pulled the album got some serious flashback of my junior high school days. Thanks for this.
Yep, that and Serious hits live are fantastic!
NJR was a Pop masterpiece and I still listen to it, “But Seriously” & “Both Sides” from 1993 regularly. But he really hit his peak creatively from 1985-1989. So those 2 albums are the ones I enjoy the most.
Idk if most people realize how great of a drummer Phil was/is.
And how much of an honor it was for him to pick a drummer for his solo career!
I think like many laymen, you are vastly overrating him. There have been far better technical drummers than Collins in the world of rock music and I'm sure even he himself could muster enough humility to admit that fact.
@@getreal1175 Rubbish.
@@AntediluvianAlchemyName one example.
@@AntediluvianAlchemy Technicality of playing is mainly lauded by pretentious jazz nerds, math rock weenies, and arrogant djent monkeyboys--although I may fall into one of those categorizations myself. Listen to Phil's drumming on "The Battle of Epping Forest" (Selling England by the Pound, 1973) and "Los Endos" (A Trick of the Tail, 1976) and try to enlighten us on how it isn't up to snuff, mate
One of the most iconic drum solos ever and brings back so much memories every time!
The Miami-Vice-scene was an absoluteley perfect match and iconic as well....
Miami Vice was THE iconic show of the 80's Kids these days could NEVER understand this show. Every actor wanted to be on that show and Phil Collins was on AND he was a bad guy -- Classic!
Not a solo.
@@alphanerd7221 I'm not a native english speaker, please forgive me! ;-)
The title says solo, in the video they used drum fill, a term I didn't know since I'm not a musician...
I never missed an episode of Miami Vice!!!
@@Tom_Err it’s a drum fill :)
And a great one.
One of the most recognizable pieces of music ever. Brilliant, that song never gets old.
That song still gives me goosebumps to this day
Reaction to title: it's not a drum _solo_ but a drum _fill_ . Or in his case: a drum _Phil_ .
💀
💯😩💅🏾🎶🤣
a drum solo can't be short? I think it can, and it's the most well known drum solo in history
Brilliant
Sir you won the internet today
Phil is a true legend that brought us legendary beats ❤
I like I love that intro in Miami vice they used Phil Collins in the Air Tonight.. I want to give a shout out to Phil Collins Don Johnson...♥️❤️
Probably one of the most if not THE most iconic drum piece in music!
Neil Peart’s solo in Tom Sawyer, maybe, but I can’t think of anything else that massive.
One of the worlds great talents! Much respect for Phil and what he has done!
Alcohol is destroying him...
@@thedbcooperforum sadly. Alcoholism is insidious. Worse than any other substance to get hooked on, except maybe nicotine. Both are SO hard to kick
@@Glostahdude yep, society accepts alcohol more than any addiction..
Nonsense!
@@AntediluvianAlchemy must be young
One of the most talented and under appreciated musicians there's ever been. Especially with the "establishment" in the UK.
Who says he's under appreciated. Source and names please. Smh
He just like the others shall have renaissance..
@@gary8306 gawd. The words undervalued, under appreciated, and my personal favorite, underrated have completely lost their original meanings. People have no clue. In what world is Phil Collins under appreciated? Certainly not this one.
@@Labyrinth1010 You're definitely an Ist & Ism & Phobic 'you people' person. How DARE
you! I'm speechless...I have no words...110%. No debate. End of story. Period. And then
some. // John has a valid point. He mentioned UK "establishment." Some are anointed by 'the machine' & get awards for sneezing. Others have peers bending over. Breathe...
In the air tonight and that specific drum line are already a timeless masterpiece.
People will still love this track in 500 years.
What's the difference between this drum fill and the drum fill at the beginning of the Eastenders theme music? Nothing much. Yet we don't hail the Eastenders theme music as a work of musical genius. This small bit of drumming by Collins is only overstated as amazing by the layman who does not have a big enough pool of reference to draw from in terms of what constitutes ground-breaking percussive work.
@@AntediluvianAlchemy I understand what you want to say. I have seen many amazing drummers perform, with pieces much more complex and difficult than that line from Phil Collins. From the drumming standpoint, it is nothing special. But what makes it so iconic is the entire song, the build up. Watch a live performance, that one in Paris for example. It is a longer version, the build up of the entire performance is special and almost hypnotic itself. Then, when that drum kit emerges from the ground, and Phil sits down at the perfect moment and begins to play, that is what makes this song *and* the drum part so special and iconic. Plus: It has been played thousands of times, over decades. It is part of music history if you ask me.
@@AntediluvianAlchemy masterpiece =/= ground breaking. The reason this drum fill is so iconic is exactly BECAUSE of it's simplicity, it's elegance; it's perfectly placed, it's classy, and feeds the feel of the song perfectly.
You can have a complex drum line that's completely inappropriate for the song, or feel of the song (basically anything Lars Ulrich has ever done), and you can have a beat so simple a 5 year old could play it, but the placement is so perfect, so appropriate, that it transcends the technical simplicity and becomes iconic. Hence, becoming a masterpiece. This particular drum fill has achieve the latter. And while musical taste is entirely subjective, I still feel quite confident in saying that this song, the feel of it, is one of, if not THE, best from the era. To put that in some context, because again music is subjective, I'm a metalhead, particularly modern metal. I don't generally like the 70s/80s era of music.
But yeah, the class, elegance, eloquence, and just the overall APPROPRIATENESS of the placement and use of this simple fill, is what elevates it to such a high status. And it absolutely does take a significant 'pool of reference' as you put it - more accurately, musical knowledge - to understand that.
It doesn't have to be technically complex; it just has to fit. And damn, does it ever fit!
@@AntediluvianAlchemy it doesn't have to be technically difficult to be great
One of the greatest musicians of all time in my opinion .
It's kind of surprising that Phil didn't mention Hugh Padgham's name when discussing this and give him a name drop or something. He did quite a bit of work to help Phil get that drum sound that started (as Phil said) with Intruder by Peter Gabriel. They discovered the sound by total accident, it's a great story.
I agree. He should have told the story about how they ‘accidently discovered the Gated Reverb sound.
Gated reverb
This song has stood the test of time. It is one of the greats of all time.
I will never get tired of this song.
To this day, I hear that song and just want to stop what I'm doing and listen to it. It's uniquely wonderful.
Phil Collins is a phenomenal legend!
The first time i heard "In the Air Tonight" was at the theater when i saw the movie Risky Business. I had just graduated from US Marine boot camp and was station at the NAS in Meridian Mississippi. I asked my friends who played that song and they said it sounded like Phill Collins of Genesis. I bought all the Genesis cassette tapes and none of them had it. Later i found out that Phil Collins had recorded a solo album so i bought it. That's when i found out the name of the song.
Why didn’t you just look up the soundtrack of the movie?
@@chezchezchezchez They didn't have the soundtrack at the exchange
As iconic as In the Air Tonight is, I Don’t Care Anymore puts it in the ground for the way that Phil builds the tension through both his drumming and his vocals. The way he explodes out of the bridge bringing intensity and edge. Masterful. For my money, it’s hands down his best track.
For tension, don’t overlook “Mama.”
@@yestfmf The one time I saw Genesis - Invisible Touch Tour - they opened with Mama. They performed it in the dark, except for a yellow up light on Phil when he did the “laugh”. During the bridge, as the tension built, a few more lights were added, and at “Don’t take it away, can’t you feel my heart!” the band erupts out of the bridge, and as Phil’s drums filled the arena we were hit with dramatic lighting and multiple lasers to full effect. Man do I miss the 80’s!
Love Phil Collins and all of his music !
All his albums in the 80s were brilliant especially hid first 2. In the air tonight imo is still his best solo song. Incredible tune. So iconic even 40+ years later.
I Don’t Care Anymore would be his second best from that time period
One Of My Favorite Artist Of All Time My Hero Phil Collins🥹🫡🙌🏽👑💝💫
Song writers are not heroes.
I remember hearing it as a little girl on Miami Vice, and feeling it deeply within me. To this day it is my favorite song.
So glad to hear him call it a face hug. So appropriate! Love 💕 Phil!!
Grew up with Phil's music. Legend.
"One more night" is another master piece
Phil Collins is very humble here. He composed so many wonderful songs before and after In The Air Tonight. He’s a creative genius in my view. 👏😀
He should be humble, because he knows it's just a standard drum fill which is way overstated in its perceived greatness by laymen with a small pool of reference in terms of quality percussive work in the world of rock drumming.
@@AntediluvianAlchemy A simple standard drum fill that's gets perceived as greatness by the vast majority ... a genius move!
What made him such a great artist was the fact that he was so versatile with his music. He had so many hits; Separate Lives, Sussudio, etc. Awesome musician! Still love his music ❤
Don't know whether you're aware, but he did a whole lot of other stuff outside of his solo work - Genesis (early and late - two different bands 😉), Brand X, big band etc etc. If you want to truly see his versatility give it all a listen. I don't think you'll be disappointed
And there was this little side project called Genesis, lol. Love both PC and Genesis. Brilliant musician and entertainer.
@peter g Neil Peart has said some of the best drumming he's ever heard was on the early Genesis albums. If Peart highly respected PC, not sure where that "unremarkable" comes from. Also, I have ears, lol.
@peter g 'phil's drumming in genesis was unremarkable' - it seemed to keep Tony Banks happy and he's not renowned for putting up with 'unremarkable'.
@peter g Uhhh, The point is Peart is far more qualified than you. Jesus.
Absolutely BRILLIANT! Phil Collins deserves SO much respect for his work! He really is an excellent musician and singer. Love him. I only wish I had managed to see him play live before I became ill❤️👑🇬🇧
Always a big Phil Collins fan not only for his music...but the way he preformed...unique and funny like he actually loved his music.
One of the greatest drum fills ever in music. I bob my head in time with it anytime I hear the song. A true talent, is Phil Collins. Love it.
"I bob my head in time with it anytime I hear the song"
wow, amazing. you must be the only one
"One of the greatest drum fills ever in music", no it isn't. You are obviously just not a big music lover for you to make such a myopic and lazy statement as that, you simply cannot have a comprehensive knowledge of music, let alone percussive work to make such an uninformed claim.
Also, I never trust a man who cannot even spell his own name correctly, assuming your name is actually Charles and not "Chalres".
I could listen to Phil Collins talk all day long!
He is a legend and I love him so!
One of the best drum fills EVER!! 🥁
Nah
@Free Speech that's why I specifically said, "ONE" of the best, not "THE BEST" drum filler!! But I know that your youtube name is FREE SPEECH, which you are entitled!!
That was a unique fill that gave the right emotion at the right time of that song. I always loved the heavy "touch" of Phil Collins as a drummer ....as a singer he was simply superb ...
Thanks Phil for all.
And that's why the majority of bands recording today have ABSOLUTELY no distinct sound when recording.
Thank you Sir. PHIL 😁👍🏻
True, they all sound the same
You'd have to live to 100 to be able to hear the majority of bands today. Stop exaggerating just because you can't express love for Phil without having to take a pot shot at something else.
The buildup of the song is what makes it so great. A lot of groups have tried to duplicate it but failed.
I remember "In the Air Tonight" very well when it was new! Breath taking!
This song is and always has been my favorite! The drum solo was so amazing and I stop and play my air drums every time I hear it. An amazing song.
Same here. It's something that I have to do.
My favorite song of all time. Just love it. The 88th Extended Remix is spectacular. It runs about 7 or so minutes. I listen to this song at least 1time every week.
Dan Rather's interviews are the best!!
I'd never heard of him before, Rick - wrong side of the Atlantic, I guess. What I do immediately like though, is that he gives the interviewee plenty of space to talk. Sounds so obvious doesn't it, but a lot of these interviewers are so obsessed with the sound of their own voice that they talk more than listen.
He's listening to the reply and thinking his next question, not talking over the interviewer or directing them. Used to watch him when I had satellite service in the UK.
Phil is a drummer legend....fortunately Genesis very popular when I was in high school.....thanks....
PHIL is the greatest! The entire composition is genius. The way it builds to the “face hug”. I think that DYNAMICS are sooooo important and often forgot in modern music.
Pffffft!
Genesis, as a whole, was an incredibly talented band with Steve Hackett being so underrated as an amazing guitarist. Tony Banks piano playing was completely off the charts. I believe they were the most talented rock band ever.
Pink Floyd.
Don't let your own personal biases cloud your judgement!
What a great, fantastic and exquisite artist. I'm 50 and his songs are still in my car's playlist.
I usually find myself singing his songs very loud ( almost yelling) while driving...😊
Gated reverb became THE drum sound of the 80s.
Hugh Padgham!
A true living legend!
I was a young teen when that Miami Vice episode first aired. It was the coolest thing on TV and solidified where I would be on Friday nights.
Drumming is a sound that goes straight through your body into your heart.
There is a huge rock formation in Africa that has many indentations, showing how they have been used as drums for thousands of years, the sound reverberates through the rocks just like modern drums.
One of the greatest musicians ever.
Pfffffft!!!! Slap some sense into yourself, ffs.
Watching Dan Rather, such a serious journalist and interviewer, squirming with the pleasure of listening to Phil explain the drum fill is awesome. We all have soul 🙂
I want to see Rather doing the air drums to this!
@@AllAmericanGuyExpert That would be too cool - babam babam pow! 😀
One summer I went to visit my cousin in Astoria Oregon and he had a mix tape of In the Air Tonight and Axel F over and over and we spent all summer just listening to those 2 great songs over and over and over again. Good times!
Great musician, singer/song writer. He is one of the best of all time. Tragic that his health no longer gives him the ability to perform anymore. ❤
He was destroyed by those greedy wives of him
Remember exactly where I was the first time I heard “In the air tonight”. Long time ago with good friends, none of us had heard anything like it before. Like he says, a true once off.
He's the best in my opinion ... Thanks for the memories of the 80s .
It worked for me!... I always head for the volume with a grin on my face. 😃
I think that the drum intro is a complete contrast to the "vocal in a crypt" that follows... each one increases the impact of the other.
Love it!
I also want to get us a big big big shout-out to Dan Rather he's one of my favorite news anchors besides and along with Peter Jennings I will always miss Peterson and sea was my favorite of all times...😥♥️❤️💞🌹🌍
Thank You, AXS TV and
Dan Rather, God Bless &
God Speed To You All, Including Your Audience, Especially
Dan Rather &
Phil Collins - Respect & Appreciation From,
" The City By The Bay " ,
San Francisco !
The song was badass back in 1981 and it remains so to this day. Never get tired of hearing it
One of the first songs I fell in-love with.
" Oh dear what do I do now?" Mr. Collins you can bask in the glory of knowing you wrote one of the greatest songs of all time.
An incredible song and who doesn’t love that drum part in the song.!!!
That’s what makes greatness such an amazing quality. It isn’t always evident at the time, but is eventually defined by the passing of it.
One of the most underrated prog drummers ever. I had been listening (and trying to emulate) him since 1971/72 when this came out. His earlier drumming was killer. I was thrilled to see him get some recognition when Face Value dropped. He was a fantastic drummer. One of my top few.
Who says he is underrated???Names and sources please. Smh.
@@gary8306 Names and sources? Seriously? I don't have time to educate you on 50 years of what I've seen and listened to. What are you - an idiot? Look it up.
@@gary8306 Names and sources? Are you kidding me? I'm talking about drummers I've known over 50+ years of drumming myself. And it's indisputable his name isn't usually mentioned in the top prog drummers lists. That said, who the f*ck are you? SMH? Like you're some kind of authority? I appreciate you like him, as I do, but pump the brakes a little. I'm trying to throw him a compliment.
My favorite ever response to one of these TV show questions about 'how did you come up with the blah blah blah," was when a writer responded, "I thought it up." It's the type of a question no creative person would ask themselves or any one else. "How did you..." is not how the process works.
One of the best I love this music in the 80s love this music now this man has a lot of talent
that is a beat that never will go out of style it will life on for every
What a sound ! Amazing artist , his song is recognized all over the world just in the first 2 beats.
What great musical genius!!! Thanks so much for sharing it!!!
The impact that song had, the quality level, how it marked an era, and simply put, the eternity of it all.. is crazy! I mean, just to paint a picture... Miami Vice’s most iconic scene is to the sound of that song (in the show’s 1st episode); in the - very underrated - movie Risky Business, you also have a classic scene with that song; many years later in 2009, you hear it in the movie the Hangover; series Cobra Kai uses a remix version in a season ending; also heard in Tulsa King’s final episode of season 1; also used many times in commercials (like the Cadbury’s Gorilla); the basketball team Miami Heat uses the song numerous times, and you had Floyd Mayweather make one of his entrances with it too; ofc, Vice City had the song and even Phil in GTA Vice Stories, and another game like NBA 2k14 also used it, for example; rappers like 2Pac, DMX, or Nas, used samples of it; the song(and album) even influenced one of the most influential albums of the past few decades 😅 Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak, influenced by those sounds, especially the albums leading single, Love Lockdown……
More than 40 years later you still hear the song in many “places”! In the Air Tonight will remain one of the very best songs ever created!
I think how caught the vibe of In the Air Tonight with the Genesis song Mama.
Phil was the man with his songs!
This was an awesome clip to watch. Super entertaining! Phil’s a musical genius.
Genius is really all that needs be said!
I love thus guy. HE was the music of my childhood. I'd love to meet him and give him a hug.
Also don't forget that HE is one of very few authorities of the American Civil War. Side hobby.
Face Value, one of the all time classic albums
Inside Out is another masterpiece. It's got great drum work and an awesome guitar tone. Phil is an amazing talent from the 80's who's music still resonates today. MUCH REPSECT
The greatest drum Phil ever
Good to see both Phil and Dan 💪
One of my all time favorite songs. Love the album. Bought it a couple times - vinyl, CD. Had such a crush on Phil Collins. Followed since Genesis w/Peter Gabriel.
Definitely one of the most iconic drum riffs ever!!!!!!!!! It'll get your attention alright.
My all-time favorite song: I was 16 when it was released and immediatly loved it: I have been struck by the entire song, especially the second line with the echo ("Well, I remember".......)
Phil Collins. Such great songs!
3rd biggest group and solo artist of all time so people need to respect the power of the Phil.
It truly was spine tingling stuff. However, I would like Phil to use it again in a subsequent piece, mainly, like chocolate, you just can't get enough of it. Fabulous piece of drumming.🦍🍫🥁🥁🥁
Amazing man. Bless him for another 30 years❤️❤️ Much love from a 16 year old teen🇨🇭🇨🇭🔥
Bloody perfect. That’s the point. It comes only once. Brilliant work.
Great to hear the origin story of this iconic riff. Love the description of the conflict fans lock artists into - they want him to repeat that sound in future songs but then if he did they would complain that he is doing the same old thing.
Still the best damn song of all time . Remember cranking it up in my slammed VW bug in 1986 with 4 6x9s. Good old days
I think everyone was worrying, but Phil looks and sounds good and strong, which makes me happy.
Collins is without doubt one of the top 5 greatest singer/song writers ever. 🎶🥁
In your opinion.
@@AntediluvianAlchemy not just mine
Love that drum solo!!
Never knew he called it the "Facehugger sound"! That's awesome!
Yep, who doesn't remember air drumming or dashboard drumming in there car to this! Classic! Tom Petty's album damn the torpedo's had a unique drum sound to it as well.
Without a doubt the best soundtrack to setup or adjust a home theater! If you can get this song to give you chills then everything else will sound 1000 times better!
My Favorite Song of all time
one of my top 3 of all time!
I absolutely love Phil!!! I love that song so much but I hate how he got hurt for it tho...my heart goes out to him !