Phil Collins "Dance Into The Light"

Dance into the Light is the sixth solo studio album by English drummer Phil Collins. It was originally released on 21 October 1996 on the label Atlantic. It features guest backing vocalists, including Arnold McCuller, and Amy Keys. It was the first album that Collins released as a full-time solo artist, having left Genesis earlier that year.

The album was received negatively by the majority of music critics, while other reviewers noted good points to the album. It was also a commercial disappointment, and despite hitting No. 23 on the Billboard 200, the album became Collins' poorest-selling album at the time (only 2002's Testify and 2010's Going Back sold less copies and charted worse). Dance into the Light was certified gold in the U.S., selling 850,000 copies. The album was Collins' first to not contain any American Top 40 hits, with the title track only reaching  No. 45 (although it cracked the top 10 in the UK). Collins would not chart again with an American Top 40 single until 1999's "You'll Be in My Heart", the main single from Disney's animated feature, Tarzan. However, six singles were issued from Dance into the Light: "Dance into the Light", "It's in Your Eyes", "You Ought to Know...", "No Matter Who", "Wear My Hat", and "The Same Moon". The former two singles were the only singles to make the Top 40, in the UK.

Despite the disappointing sales of the album, Collins' subsequent U.S. tour in support of the album, titled Trip into the Light World Tour, was one of the highest-performing tours of the year, regularly selling out arenas across the country. This album also marked the studio debut of the Vine Street Horns, who had replaced the Phenix Horns on the Both Sides of the World Tour.

After the disappointing sales of his prior album, Both Sides, Phil Collins returned with his most upbeat album since 1985's No Jacket Required. With the exception of "Just Another Story", the album contained numerous up-tempo tracks including the Beatles-inspired "It's in Your Eyes", "Wear My Hat", the Bob Dylan cover "The Times They Are a-Changin'" and the album's title track.

In the liner notes Collins states that he does not use a drum machine at all on this album; this was rumoured to be in response to many of his fans complaints that Both Sides was mostly backed by a drum machine.

"Dance into the Light" was the only song from the album to appear on Collins' ...Hits collection.


This was his last album of original material released in vinyl format, side one comprising tracks 1–6 and side two tracks 7–13. All CD versions of the album feature the track listing on the back cover split into two sides with separate colours for each, similar to vinyl sides. The booklet also features a different colour scheme for each "side" of the album.

Phil Collins "Both Sides"

Both Sides is the fifth solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Featuring an adult-oriented soft rock based sound, the release came out in November 1993. Collins notably created the album entirely by himself without any collaborations from outside songwriters and performers, and he picked up mixed to positive critical reviews with the release, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stating that the album's "artistically satisfying" songs feature "troubled, haunting tales".

A special two-disc edition of the album featuring the Live from the Board – Official Bootleg EP as a second disc, titled Far Side... of the World: Gold Souvenir Tour Edition after the final leg of the Both Sides tour, was released in Southeast Asia and Australia in 1995. It peaked at No. 13 in Australia.

The album achieved commercial success, reaching number one in the U.K., number eight in Australia, and number thirteen in the U.S. Collins also went on the highly successful Both Sides of the World Tour upon its release. That effort involved over a hundred performances in a tour that went over a year, and it showed that he remained a very popular live performer worldwide, despite the shifts in the Anglo-American musical landscape taking place.

A newly remastered, two-disc deluxe edition of the album was released on 29 January 2016, as part of the 'Take a Look at Me Now' series of Phil Collins studio album reissues.

Both Sides was notable for the fact that Collins made it entirely on his own, without usual collaborators producer Hugh Padgham, guitarist Daryl Stuermer, bassist Leland Sklar and the Phenix Horns. After recording demos at home, the album was finished in just six weeks at the Farm with the help of producer/engineer Paul Gomersall. For the first and only time in his career, Collins played all the instruments himself as well as taking care of the primary production duties. In addition, Collins wrote sleeve notes explaining the meaning of each song, another first.

Collins claims this album to be his favorite. "Both Sides is my favorite album, from a songwriting and creative perspective. It was very much a solo album. I played everything, the songs just streamed out of me, and as a writer that's the kind of thing that you dream of," said Collins in 2016. It was also written in response to the failure of his marriage to second wife Jill Tavelman. "It was the second divorce! Personal relationships at that time were tangled, is a better way of saying it, and it all came very spontaneously," he said. As a result, it is seen as his most personal album. "In the end I had 17 songs, and kicked out all those that did not fit that mood. As far as performance is concerned this has more heart and soul than anything I have done before."


Collins expresses both his feelings and personal problems and addresses political issues over the course of the album. He touches on politics and "the daily cloud of terrorism Britain seems to live under" on "We Wait and We Wonder", but also on a maturing disenchantment with the youth culture on "We're Sons of Our Fathers". The overall sound of Both Sides marked a return to the dark and melancholy style of his early albums Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going!, which were largely grounded on the themes of relationship breakdown and loss. Mirroring the circumstances in which those albums were conceived, Collins' marriage to Jill Tavelman was also failing around the time that Both Sides was written. About the influence of his emotions on his songs he adds: "I have reached this point. Very intimate, very private songs seem to flow easily. I suddenly felt I had a lot to say."

Several instrumental tracks were recorded and subsequently released as extra tracks on both singles for "Everyday" and "We Wait and We Wonder". These instrumental tracks include "Rad Dudeski" and "Don't Call Me Ashley". In addition, there were other various B-sides that were released from the Both Sides sessions ("Take Me with You", "For a Friend") and a few cover songs that made it on other various albums.

There has been discussion about a song called "Deep Water Town". It is from the Both Sides sessions and did not make the cut. It was never released or widely circulated amongst collectors. A very early "demo" of it was released on the official fanclub in 2011. In fact, this is more of an improvisation from which only a bit of the chorus will make it to the completed track. This completed track features an atmospheric drum machine, keyboard sounds (no piano) and vocals by Collins telling a story about a disaster at sea and families left behind.


In November 2004, Collins himself commented on the song on the forum of his old official website: "DEEP WATER TOWN...again I scratch my head and ask how did someone get it... I don't think it was ever released, or am I going slowly senile. It was a pretty song about a disaster at sea, and the families left behind. Obviously one of my more cheerful pre-divorce moments. Circa Both Sides...."

Phil Collins "Serious Hits...Live!"

Serious Hits... Live! is the name of Phil Collins' 1990 live album, released on vinyl and CD. It is also the title of the 2003 DVD video release of his concert at Berlin's Waldbühne on 15 July 1990. (The original 1990 VHS and Betamax version of the video was titled Seriously Live.) The songs on the CD version are taken from various concerts during the Seriously, Live! World Tour. At the Brit Awards in 1992, the album brought Collins a nomination for British Male Artist.

When compiling the tracks for the album, instead of providing the experience of a complete live concert, the producers took the approach of putting together a "hits only" selection of songs. On the final song of the album, Collins thanks the fans in Chicago.

The live video and DVD version features one entire concert. The live performance at Berlin's Waldbühne has been hailed by Collins as his best performance due to the energy of the German people after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The DVD presents an in-depth look at his solo concert experience. Special moments include the crowd not allowing the concert to continue with prolonged applause after "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" and the lighter vigil during "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore".

Track listing

All tracks written by Phil Collins, except where noted.

Original 1990 LP

Side 1

1. "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" (Collins, Daryl Stuermer) 4:59
2. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" 3:28
3. "Who Said I Would" 4:28
4. "One More Night" 5:49

Side 2

1. "Don't Lose My Number" 4:42
2. "Do You Remember?" 5:40
3. "Another Day in Paradise" 5:36
4. "Separate Lives" (Stephen Bishop) 5:16

Side 3

1. "In the Air Tonight" 6:35
2. "You Can't Hurry Love" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) 2:54
3. "Two Hearts" (Collins, Lamont Dozier) 3:07
4. "Sussudio" 7:14

Side 4

1. "A Groovy Kind of Love" (Carole Bayer Sager, Toni Wine) 3:30
2. "Easy Lover" (Philip Bailey, Collins, Nathan East, Philip Gale) 4:46
3. "Take Me Home" 8:39

DVD track listing

1. "Hand in Hand"
2. "Hang in Long Enough"
3. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
4. "Don't Lose My Number"
5. "Inside Out"
6. "Do You Remember?"
7. "Who Said I Would"
8. "Another Day in Paradise"
9. "Separate Lives"
10. "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning"
11. "The West Side"
12. "That's Just the Way It Is"
13. "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven"
14. "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore"
15. "One More Night"
16. "Colours"
17. "In the Air Tonight"
18. "You Can't Hurry Love"
19. "Two Hearts"
20. "Sussudio"
21. "A Groovy Kind of Love"
22. "Easy Lover"
23. "Always"
24. "Take Me Home"

The version of "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore" performed on the Serious Hits... Live! recording differs considerably from the original version on the album No Jacket Required, having been re-arranged into a ballad style.

Phil Collins "...But Seriously"

...But Seriously is the fourth solo studio album by English rock musician Phil Collins. It was released on 24 November 1989, becoming the best-selling album of 1990 in the UK. It reached No. 1 in the UK and US for fifteen and three nonconsecutive weeks respectively. The album has been certified quadruple platinum in the US and nine times platinum in the UK. It also produced five Top 40 singles in both countries, including the US No. 1/UK No. 2 "Another Day in Paradise," which received the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. It is one of the best selling albums in British, Spanish, French and German history.

A two-disc remastered version of the album was released on 10 June 2016 and contains live songs and demos. The photo of Collins on the front cover was updated to reflect his contemporary look.

While much of the album follows the same formula as Collins' previous album, No Jacket Required (1985), there was also a move towards more organic production as Collins chose to utilise live drums instead of the drum machines used heavily on No Jacket Required. He also prominently used keyboards and electric piano but fewer synthesizers. The album also features a sole instrumental track, "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning", which recalls the jazz-influenced instrumentals featured on his first two albums, Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going.

As the title suggests, the album is a change of pace from the lighter tone of Collins' previous work. Collins expanded his focus to the exploration of socio-economic and political themes. There is emotional turmoil underneath the polished studio production and many of the songs are unambiguous and unveiled in their melancholy. While incorporating political themes, ...But Seriously does not abandon the theme of relationships. But unlike some of his earlier work, Collins takes a more mature and reflective approach when looking at the relationships in his life.

"Another Day in Paradise" was released as the lead single and became the album's biggest international hit. It is a sympathetic look at the plight of the homeless. The song was inspired by Collins' visit to Washington, D.C. There; he was struck with the widespread poverty in which so many people live and the struggles that homeless people face. He was equally struck by the abandonment of these people and the complacency of the city as a whole, despite being the nation's centre of government (hence the irony used in the title of the song).

Another politically themed song on the album is "Colours", which voices Collins' condemnation of the segregation and oppression of black and coloured people in South Africa under apartheid. Arguably the song with the most progressive rock influence in this album (as he was known for as a member of the band Genesis), "Colours" did not see much commercial success as it is almost nine minutes long and radio stations had no interest in playing it. The political theme is also evident in the second song on the album "That's Just the Way It Is", which deals with The Troubles of Northern Ireland. This was a minor chart hit in the summer of 1990 and in the lyrics Collins makes reference to the gridlock of Ulster's sectarian differences most notably in the line "If we'd agree that we can disagree, we could stop all of this today."


The album also features a dramatic, gospel-influenced track, "I Wish It Would Rain Down", which features Eric Clapton prominently on guitar and became one of the album's biggest hit singles. "Father to Son" is a song in which Collins explores his connection with his own son, Simon. The song has a positive, inspirational tone as he seeks to guide his son through some of the trials of life and love, and to reassure him that, "if you look behind you, I will be there".

In the UK and the US, ...But Seriously contained five Top 40 singles. In terms of the number of hit singles from one release, ...But Seriously remains the most successful album by Phil Collins.

"Another Day in Paradise" – No. 1 (1989)
"I Wish It Would Rain Down" – No. 3 (1990)
"Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" – No. 4 (1990)
"Do You Remember?" – No. 4 (1990)
"Hang in Long Enough" – No. 23 (1990)


In Canada, "Another Day in Paradise", "I Wish It Would Rain Down", "Do You Remember?" and "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" all reached No. 1, with Phil Collins achieving four number one hits in the same calendar year, 1990.

In support of the album, Collins' embarked on a worldwide tour, called Seriously Live!. In total, there were 113 shows over 3 continents and it led to the release of a live album and video Serious Hits... Live!.

Phil Collins "12"ers"

12"ers (pronounced 12 Inchers) is a compilation album by the English singer-songwriter Phil Collins, the lead vocalist and drummer for the rock band Genesis. The album contains six tracks from his 1985 hit album, No Jacket Required, remixed. All special extended remixes are by John 'Tokes' Potoker, except for "One More Night" remixed by Hugh Padgham. The remixes on this album were originally released on various 12-inch LP singles which were taken from the album No Jacket Required, hence the name.

In Japan & Brazil, the release was originally a 4-track EP, released on 12" and cassette. The main difference is the omission of remixes for "Who Said I Would" and "Only You Know And I Know" and the inclusion of an edited remix for "Take Me Home" which clocked in at 6:10. When the album was released on CD in 1988, it was the full 6-track album, including the full length remix of "Take Me Home".

Don't Lose My Number, Take Me Home, Sussudio and One More Night were all released as 12" singles A-sides. Only You Know and I Know was released as the B-side of the Separate Lives 12" single. Who Said I Would is exclusive to the CD edition of this compilation.

Phil Collins "No Jacket Required"

No Jacket Required is the third solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was originally released on 25 January 1985 on Virgin (UK and Ireland), Atlantic (US and Canada), and WEA (rest of the world). It features guest backing vocalists, including Helen Terry, Peter Gabriel and Sting. Some of the songs, like "Don't Lose My Number" and "Sussudio", were based around improvisation. Other songs, like "Long Long Way to Go", had a political message. "One More Night", "Sussudio", "Don't Lose My Number" and "Take Me Home" were released as singles, with corresponding music videos. All four singles were top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Sussudio" and "One More Night" reaching number one. The three singles that were released in the UK all reached the top 20 on the UK charts.

The album was received favourably by the majority of music critics, although opinions have become more negative in subsequent decades and it has rarely been featured in "Best Albums of the 1980s" lists since. It won three Grammy Awards including for Album of the Year in 1986. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that Collins was "quietly revolutionising and expanding the role of the drums in pop record making". Rolling Stone reviewer David Fricke wrote that, "Like his '81 and '82 outings, Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going!, No Jacket Required is not an album that waits to be liked". Collins' most commercially successful solo album, it reached number one in several countries, including the US (where it was at the top of the charts for seven weeks), the UK and Canada. According to the RIAA, the record sold over twelve million copies in the US, and in the UK, the album sold over two million copies, and was certified 6× platinum. It was the second-best-selling album of 1985 in the UK, beaten to first place by Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms. Worldwide, the album has sold over 25 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Many of the songs, including "Take Me Home", and "Long Long Way to Go", have been featured in episodes of Miami Vice and Cold Case, and "The Man with the Horn" was re-written and re-recorded for the episode "Phil the Shill". "We Said Hello Goodbye" was remixed for the film Playing for Keeps.

Following the release of the album Collins embarked on the successful No Jacket Required World Tour. At the end of that tour, Collins performed at both the London and Philadelphia Live Aid concerts on 13 July 1985. During the tour, Collins recorded the song "Separate Lives" with Marilyn Martin for the movie White Nights, which was a number-one hit in the US and a top-ten hit in the UK. Remixes of six songs from the album were later included on the 12"ers compilation album, released in 1987.

Some of the songs from the album emerged from Collins' improvisations with a drum machine, including the singles "One More Night" and "Sussudio". Collins started singing "one more night" to an attempt of making a beat similar to The Jacksons, and improvised "sus-sussudio" in another. Collins tried to replace the lyric with another phrase but decided to keep that way, leading to lyrics about a schoolboy crush on a girl at his school. Another song created mostly through improvisation, "Don't Lose My Number", was described by Collins as having been written mostly during the recordings for his first solo album, Face Value. Collins added that he does not fully understand the meaning of the lyrics, described by reviewer Stephen Holden of The New York Times as "vague, sketching the outlines of a melodrama but withholding the full story".


Other songs were written with a more personal message. "Long Long Way to Go" is often considered one of Collins' more popular songs never to be released as a single (although it received considerable airplay), and was at that point in his career his most political song. Former Police lead vocalist Sting provided backing vocals for the song. Sting and Collins first met through Band Aid, and became good friends after performing together in Live Aid. Collins was working on a song, and thought that Sting, having played at Band Aid, would relate to it very easily. Collins asked Sting to help him provide vocals for this song, and Sting accepted.

"Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore" is another song in which Collins was making a personal message. The song was made in response to everyone around him getting a divorce, including his manager, friends and himself years before. Collins later said that he sang this at Charles, Prince of Wales' 40th-birthday party, not knowing that the Prince's divorce from his wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, would happen a short time later. The Phil Collins Big Band played this live on tour. In later years, Collins performed a re-arranged version of the song as a ballad as part of his Seriously, Live! World Tour, differing considerably from the original up-beat album version.

"Take Me Home" is another song in which the meaning was originally very vague. At first listening, it appears that the song is about going home, but this is not true. Collins has stated that the song lyrics refer to a patient in a mental institution, and that it is very much based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Peter Gabriel, Helen Terry and Sting all provide backing vocals. The music video (shot during the NJR tour) features Collins in multiple cities around the world, including London, New York City, Tokyo, Moscow, Sydney, Paris, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles (Hollywood), San Francisco, and Memphis (Graceland). At the end of the music video, Collins arrives home and hears a woman (presumably his wife) from inside the house asking him where he has been. He replies by saying he has been to some of the cities mentioned above. The woman replies "You've been down at the pub, haven't you?", as Collins grins at the camera.

"We Said Hello Goodbye" appeared as a B-side to "Take Me Home" and "Don't Lose My Number" originally, and as an "extra track" on the CD release of the album. Producer Arif Mardin composed the beginning portion of the song. A remix of the song with additional guitars and without an orchestra was released the following year (1986) on the soundtrack for the movie, Playing for Keeps. This remixed version received some radio airplay around the time of the soundtrack's release (which coincided with the No Jacket Required period), though it did not chart. Collins has mused that the song is unfairly classed as a "second class citizen", stating that the song would have been looked at differently if it were added to the album. According to The New York Times reviewer Caryn James, the song is "a straightforward comment on leaving home".


"The Man with the Horn" was originally recorded during sessions for Collins' second solo album Hello, I Must Be Going! in 1982. However, the song was not released until it appeared as the B-side to "Sussudio" in the UK, and as the B-side to "One More Night" in the United States. Collins has said that he has "no emotional attachment" to the song. Music by The Jackson 5 inspired Collins to write the song "I Like the Way", which also did not appear on the album, originally appearing as the B-side to "One More Night" in the UK and "Sussudio" in the US. He called the song "dodgy" and has cited it among his least favourite songs.

The album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Collins, entering the restaurant with former Led Zeppelin lead vocalist Robert Plant, was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant's dress code of "jacket required" for dinner while Plant was allowed in. Collins was wearing a jacket and argued about it. The maître d'hôtel argued that the jacket was not "proper". Collins said in an interview with Playboy that he was, at that point, never so mad in his life.


After the incident, the singer often appeared on shows such as Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, denouncing the restaurant and telling his story. The management of the restaurant later sent him a complimentary sport coat and an apology letter, stating that he could come to the restaurant wearing whatever he wanted.