Clockwise from left: Banks, Collins, Hackett, Rutherford, Gabriel

Website(s)
Genesis is a winning formed in . The band's notable former members include and , both of whom achieved additional success as solo artists and in other ventures. With approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, Genesis is one of the top 30 highest selling recording artists of all time. The band is widely known for two distinctly different musical phases. Early on in their career, their complex song structures, elaborate instrumentation, and theatrical made them one of the most revered bands of the 1970s progressive rock movement. Hallmarks of the band's music during this period included the 23-minute long "" and the 1974 , . In the 1980s and beyond, their music took a distinct turn towards , becoming considerably more -oriented and more accessible to the . This change of musical direction gave them their first #1 album, , as well as their only #1 single, "".
Initially fronted by Peter Gabriel, Genesis has experienced several personnel changes over the years. Collins took over from Gabriel after the latter's departure from the group in 1975. After nearly two decades of being the band's frontman, Collins left the group in 1996 and was replaced by former singer for the 1997 album . Wilson was released from the group in 1998 following the disappointing sales of the new album. After three decades of activity, the band announced that it was on an indefinite .
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History
The beginning: 1967-1969
The original Genesis lineup in 1967, with , , , and .
The band's origin lies in the late 1960s, when founding members and were students at . The original line-up consisted of Peter Gabriel (vocals), (guitar), Tony Banks (keyboards), (bass & guitar), and (drums). Genesis recorded its first album, , after striking a deal with , an alum of their school and a songwriter and who had a hit single at the time called "Everyone's Gone to the Moon". King supposedly dubbed the band Genesis because it was the first serious band he had worked with, or the genesis of his career. As he recalled later — "I named them Genesis because I thought it was a good name...it suggested the beginning of a new sound and a new feeling".
The album was released by . During the sessions, drummer Stewart left the band and was replaced by . The band recorded a series of songs reflecting the light pop style of the , of whom King was very fond, and King assembled these tracks into a pseudo-, layering on into the music during production. The band's first single, "The Silent Sun" ( (·)) was released in February 1968. The album sold poorly, and the band, feeling manipulated by King, told him they had broken up in order to get out of their contract with him. To this day, King asserts his responsibility for the band's subsequent success. He holds the rights to the songs on the From Genesis to Revelation album and has attempted to sell the rights for their re-recording.
Genesis recruited a new drummer, , playing occasional gigs until landing a new deal with founder . Through live performances the band became known for hypnotic melodies that were often dark and haunting. Phillips left the band in after the release of because of ill health and . The departure of Phillips traumatised both Banks and Rutherford, as Phillips had been a founding member and a primary force behind the band turning professional. There was also doubt over whether Genesis could go on without him.
Eventually, the remaining members renewed their commitment to Genesis, also deciding to fire drummer in the bargain. (1970) set the format for Genesis albums throughout the '70s. The album consisted of lengthy, sometimes operatic pieces and occasional very short, humorous numbers that typified the style of progressive rock of , , and . Trespass included elaborate arrangements and time signature changes — key elements that continued to be featured in Genesis's subsequent albums. Trespass featured the nine-minute "The Knife" which Gabriel, a believer in after having been influenced by a book on , wrote showing "how all violent revolutions inevitably end up with a dictator in power".
Genesis Timeline |
1967 | Gabriel, Banks, Phillips, Rutherford, Stewart
1968 | Gabriel, Banks, Phillips, Rutherford, Silver
1969 | Gabriel, Banks, Phillips, Rutherford, Mayhew 1
1970 | Gabriel, Banks, Collins, Hackett, Rutherford 2
1975 | Collins, Banks, Hackett, Rutherford 3
1977 | Collins, Banks, Rutherford 4
1997 | Wilson, Banks, Rutherford 5
ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL
1 David Thomas
2 Mick Barnard
3Bill Bruford
4 Chester Thompson, Daryl Streumer
5 Nick D'Virgillio, Nir Zidhyaku
joined Genesis on after successfully impressing the other band members with his drumming skills during an audition at Gabriel's parents' house. The band continued as a four-piece before playing a few shows with guitarist . As the band felt that Barnard was not up to their caliber of musicianship, they sought a proper replacement for Phillips. Late in 1970, , who performed in the band , placed an advertisement for a band in . Hackett went to see Genesis in concert and enjoyed the type of music they were playing. The band liked the tone of the advertisement, and after a meeting at his parents' apartment, hired Hackett immediately.
Peter Gabriel-led era: 1970-1974
Collins and Hackett made their studio debut on the album (Originally Released November, 1971), which featured the epic "The Musical Box" ( ()) and Collins's first lead vocal performance on "For Absent Friends". , released in October , contained what many consider to be one of the group's most celebrated works — the 23-minute "" ( ()) and the -inspired "Watcher of the Skies", that solidified Genesis’s reputation as songwriters and performers. Gabriel's flamboyant and theatrical stage presence, which involved numerous costume changes and surreal introductions to each song, made the band one of the most talked-about live acts in the early 70s UK rock scene.
Peter Gabriel painted his face white and partially shaved his head during the tour in 1974.
followed in and was well received by critics and fans. According to one biographical account, Gabriel was very conscious of lyrics and references that might suggest a slant towards American audiences. He was keen to avoid this and insisted that the album carry the title Selling England by the Pound, also the title of the manifesto at the time. The album contained "Firth of Fifth" ( ()) and "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", songs that remained part of Genesis's in future live performances. During this period, guitarist Hackett became one of the first to use the "" technique normally credited to and "" popularized in the 80's by . These techniques were used in the song "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight".
Genesis ventured into a more ambitious project with the double disc ( ()) (1974). The album was released , . The story features the supernatural journey of protagonist , a youth in , and his journey through a parallel reality. During his adventure, Rael encounters several bizarre characters such as The , borrowed from , and the Slippermen during some satirically twisted circumstances. Interpretation of the Lamb remains a matter of speculation as there is no official explanation of its meaning.
Rather than the lengthy tracks featured on prior albums, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway collected many shorter tracks connected by a variety of . This change was due to the album's production, as well as the appearance of bolder electronic keyboard sounds and a departure from songs featuring British themes to those that were . The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway strained relations between members of the group, particularly Banks and Gabriel. The other members of Genesis essentially wrote the music to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway without Gabriel's participation (with the exception of "Counting out Time" and "The Carpet Crawl"). Gabriel focused on the story and its lyrics separately from his bandmates (with the exception of the song "The Light Dies Down on Broadway" written by Banks & Rutherford). Genesis embarked on a world tour promoting The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and, since this was a , performed it in its entirety.
Gabriel announced his departure from Genesis in , following the The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour. He felt estranged from the band, and his marriage and birth of his first child added to his personal strain. Gabriel explained his departure in a letter to fans entitled Out, Angels Out: |
The vehicle we had built as a co-op to serve our songwriting became our master and had cooped us up inside the success we had wanted. It affected the attitudes and the spirit of the whole band. The music had not dried up and I still respect the other musicians, but our roles had set in hard.
Gabriel's first solo album (, ) featured the single "", an allegory about his departure from Genesis.
Phil Collins-led era: 1975-1996
Phil Collins performing "That's All" in , . Also visible are Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and .
The group began auditioning lead singers without a clear idea about the kind of singer they were looking for, although they knew that they did not want a voice too dissimilar from Gabriel's. Phil Collins, whose backing vocals had featured previously in the Genesis sound of the Gabriel era, was given the job of coaching prospective replacements, including of . "I really wanted to have a crack at it...[b]ut I wasn't about to ask. I wanted someone to ask me", Collins recalled later in an interview. Eventually, Genesis settled with Collins as their new lead singer, hoping that their fans would be more forgiving if the new lead vocalist came from within the ranks.
Genesis’s first post-Gabriel album, (), was well received, outselling all previous Genesis albums. The album featured a markedly clearer production than previous albums, which came courtesy of new producer , who had previously served as engineer on Nursery Cryme. Another influential factor was that Collins, in the opinion of some, sounded "more like Gabriel than Gabriel did". The album featured "Ripples", "Dance on a Volcano" ( ()) and "Entangled". Despite the success of Trick of the Tail, the group remained concerned with their live shows considering Gabriel's elaborate performances. Collins felt confident that he could handle live vocal duties, but definitely needed another drummer while he sang. , drummer for and , offered to drum while Collins attended to vocal duties — a suggestion that was palatable to the band.
Bruford joined on tour in 1976 as drummer. For their tours starting in 1977, the -trained , a veteran of and , took over live drumming duties to allow Collins to concentrate on vocals. Collins’s approach to live Genesis shows differed from the more theatrical performances of Gabriel, and his interpretations of prior songs were lighter and subtler. Years later, Gabriel told Collins at the 1982 reunion show that Collins sang the songs better than Peter, but never quite like him. Also in 1976, Genesis recorded , released in January . This was the first of two Genesis albums to be recorded at the Relight Studios in , the . The album got its name from 's novel , whose last lines — "how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth" also inspired the names of the seventh and eighth tracks of the album. The album featured "Blood on the Rooftops" and "Afterglow" ( ()), as well as the complex multi-part suite "One for the Vine". The animated movie featured bits of "Afterglow". The band signed with a new manager , and all their songs were thereafter published through his company, .
Hackett's departure
Genesis (clockwise): Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins and Tony Banks in May 1980.
Guitarist Steve Hackett had become increasingly disenchanted with the band by the time Wind & Wuthering was released. Following the departure of Gabriel, he became the first band member to record a solo album. The freedom he experienced during the making of (1975) led him to feel constricted at what he regarded as the confines of Genesis. Hackett wanted a quarter of the Wind & Wuthering album to be given over to his own material, which, according to Collins, was "a dumb way to work in a band context". Genesis tried to placate him by giving extra songwriting credits on the two instrumental tracks "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers..."/"...In That Quiet Earth" (originally intended to be a single track, composition credit to all four band members), but the Hackett-composed "Blood on the Rooftops" was never performed live by the band and his composition "Please Don't Touch" was rejected for inclusion on the LP. Following the release of the E.P. (1977), consisting of extra tracks from the Wind & Wuthering sessions, Hackett left the band.
The live album of the tour became Hackett's final release with Genesis. Rutherford took over his guitar duties in the studio and would alternate guitar and bass duties with for live performances. The group continued as a , a fact reflected in the title of their album . This album began another change away from 10-minute-plus progressive epics and towards shorter, more radio-friendly tracks. It yielded their first radio hit, "Follow You Follow Me" ( ()). The song's popularity caused ...And Then There Were Three... to be the band's first US Gold selling album.
A change in musical direction
in concert with Genesis in October 1981.
In 1979, Genesis almost lost Collins as he moved to in an attempt to save his first marriage. However, two months and a divorce later, Collins returned to the UK and immersed himself in (1980). Collins later claimed that his marriage breakup accelerated his growth as a songwriter, and Duke became the first Genesis album with which he pulled equal songwriting weight with Banks and Rutherford. Duke continued the departure from the sounds and concepts that identified Genesis in the 1970s. Lengthy, complex themes and music gave way to shorter, more "accessible" pieces. The use of the was a consistent element in forthcoming Genesis albums as well as in Collins's solo albums. The more commercial Duke was well received by the mainstream media and was Genesis’s first UK Number 1 album, and the tracks "Misunderstanding" ( ()) and "Turn it on Again" became two of the band's standbys.
Genesis followed Duke with 1981's , which featured and and a collaboration with (EWF) on the track "No Reply at All" ( ()). Much of the rehearsing for Abacab was done in the newly built Genesis studio — , in , , where all four of Genesis’s subsequent albums were recorded.
Abacab also featured a more forceful live drum sound from Collins, including the use of where the live (or artificially reverberated) sound is relayed through a set to rapidly cut off the sound when it reaches a particular threshold volume. This results in a powerful "live" sounding yet very controlled drum sound. This distinctive sound was originally developed by Peter Garbriel, Collins and co-producer/engineer when Collins was recording the backing track for "Intruder", the first song on Gabriel's 1980 solo album. This, as well as Padgham's production, had been apparent on (1981), Collins’ debut solo album. The "gated" drum sound would become an audio trademark of future Genesis and Collins albums.
"Invisible Touch" and "The Way We Walk" tour
Cover of the "" single.The cover is inspired from the Beatles' album . The guitar riff accompanying the song owes its debt to 's — subtly acknowledged in the line " will put it right".
In 1982, the band released the double live album . The U.S. version of this album had three sides of live material (hence the album's title) plus one side of studio tracks. The studio side included the song "Paperlate" ( ()), again featuring the EWF horn section. In the UK, the three songs on the "Paperlate" side of the album had previously been released on the EP . This enabled the UK version of Three Sides Live to also contain further live material, albeit from earlier tours. The year was capped with Genesis performing in the company of Gabriel and Hackett under the name "" for a one-off concert at the ( ()). The concert was hastily put together to help raise money for Gabriel's project, which was suffering from considerable financial hardship.
The (1983) album (sometimes referred to as "Shapes" for its game-piece cover) was their third consecutive number 1 album in the UK. The album featured radio friendly pieces such as "" ( ()) and "That's All". Genesis also re-introduced the band's flair for lengthy pieces in "Home by the Sea", which did particularly well in for its use of the . The album track "Just a Job to Do" became the theme song of the 1985 detective drama .
Genesis released their highest selling album, (1986), at the height of Collins’s popularity as a solo artist. The album yielded five US Top 5 singles, "Throwing it All Away", "In Too Deep", "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight", "" ( ()) and "" ( ()). The title track went to #1 in the United States, the only Genesis song to do so (despite only climbing to #15 in the UK). In 1987, Genesis became the first band to sell out four consecutive nights at . Genesis were the first band to use , screens and the Prism sound system, all of which are now standard features of arena rock concerts.
Genesis performing "" in , (, ).
Earlier that year, Collins saw a spoof of himself on , a satirical British show that featured politicians and celebrities in form. Impressed with the representation, Collins and Genesis commissioned the show's creators, and , to work on the video for "Land of Confusion". The video was a sarcastic commentary on , played to the perception of each coalition's leaders as being "trigger happy" with the "button". As well as puppet versions of Banks, Collins and Rutherford, the video also showed dressed as . It was nominated for the "Video of the Year", losing to Gabriel's .
"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" was used in a commercial (as was Collins' ""), while "In Too Deep" was featured in the film . The instrumental "The Brazilian" was used in the (whose score was written by ).
After a hiatus of five years, Genesis reconvened to release in 1991 — Collins’s last studio album with the group. The album featured the successful singles "", "", "" ( ()), "", "" and "" (US release only) as well as lengthy pieces such as "Driving the Last Spike" and "Fading Lights". The album also included "Since I Lost You", which Collins wrote in memorial of the death of 's son, Conor. After serving Genesis for over 25 years, Collins left the band in March 1996, stating: |
Having been in Genesis for 25 years, I felt it time to change direction in my musical life. For me now, it will be music for movies, some jazz projects, and of course my solo career. I wish the guys in Genesis all the very best in their future. We remain the best of friends.
Ray Wilson Era: 1997-1998
with in the background, performing with Genesis in early 1998.
Rutherford and Banks elected to go on, and were able to fill in the gaps of missing members. Drumming duties were shared by , an session drummer who had played with , and from the progressive rock band . The difference in the two play styles was noticeable, as D'Virgilio played softer, simple rhythms in comparison to Zidkyahu's pounding of the . Regular touring guitarist Stuermer was touring, ironically enough, with Collins's solo tour. , who had played with and , was recruited as a replacement. Finally, Banks and Rutherford replaced Collins with ex- singer . Other considered performers included from Rutherford's to ex- vocalist (and two-time Banks collaborator) to Gabriel. was offered an audition just before he died tragically. According to producer , the only other serious candidate was David Langdon, who had never sung with a band before; hence Wilson got the job.
The album (1997) sold well in Europe, with the track "Congo" ( ()) peaking at UK# 29. However, the album failed in America without reaching the Billboard Top 50. Genesis cancelled a planned American tour due to the album's commercial failure. Genesis has, for all intents and purposes, disbanded, but many of the members remain in regular contact. The 1970-75 lineup of Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett and Rutherford, recorded a new version of "The Carpet Crawlers" ( ()), done over many separate sessions, for . Collins, Banks and Rutherford performed an rendition of "" at the Music Managers Forum in honor of their manager Tony Smith in 2000. Most of the original members were involved in the two Archive boxed-set compilations. re-releases of most of Genesis’s studio albums have been announced, though they are still being mixed by Nick Davis.
Reunion rumours
Rumors of a Genesis reunion continue to resurface. In November 2005, Gabriel told the press that "the odds are better than ever before" of a Genesis reunion. Those comments followed reports by Collins that he was open to talks about reuniting. Steve Hackett confirmed that he had received a call from Genesis’s management about a possible reunion. However, at the end of November 2005, Genesis's management issued a statement in response to the growing speculation regarding Genesis members' activities saying, "There are no decisions by Genesis to perform anywhere whatsoever at this time. This situation will not alter in the next twelve months." In an April 2006 radio interview, Collins revealed that the band had discussed new live staging of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway during their meeting in November 2005.
According to Rolling Stone magazine (, ) Genesis is now considering reuniting their classic five-man lineup for a tour in the near future.
Inspiration and influences
A wide range of music ranging from to mainstream rock and influenced Genesis. Banks drew his influences from of , who, according to Banks, was "[t]he first person who made me aware of the organ in a rock context". Other organists included 's and the 1960s progressive rock band . Classical influences include , , and .
Many of their contemporaries and immediate predecessors — , , — affected the band's music. Collins has cited and the jazz outfit , while Gabriel's early career with Genesis was influenced by the music of and . Musical arrangements on the band's first album From Genesis to Revelation were influenced by the works of The , , and The as Jonathan King was a self-professed admirer of their music. Though similar to the extent that both Gabriel and relied on on-stage theatrical performances, neither claimed the other to be an influence.
As a group that influenced the growth of the progressive rock genre, Genesis has been cited as an influence for many progressive rock groups such as , , , , , , and . Several Genesis such as , and routinely perform Genesis’s older material from the "Peter Gabriel" era. Incidentally, Collins became the first artist to cover a Genesis song — "Behind The Lines", which he included as the third track of .
Past members of Genesis have also "covered" Genesis material live on solo shows — Gabriel played "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and "Back in NYC" while Hackett has performed "In That Quiet Earth", "Los Endos", "Horizons" and "Blood On The Rooftops". Hackett has also performed "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" on solo tours and on tour with his short lived supergroup in 1986. Ray Wilson covered the biggest amount of Genesis Songs during his solo concerts. On his two solo live albums and you can find the Genesis songs "Carpet Crawlers", "Follow you Follow me", "", "The Lamb lies down on Broadway", "", "Shipwrecked" and "". Surprisingly he also interpreted two solo career songs of his two predecessors in Genesis as he sang "" (Collins) and "" (Gabriel). reworked "Back in NYC" on the released 1998 . The band covered "" on , as did on their 2005 album . Disco-pop band Alcazar, also from , has covered parts of " in their song ".
See also:
Album cover art
The cover was designed by .
Genesis's album covers incorporated more complex and intricate art to reflect the themes presented in their albums. Their first album, From Genesis to Revelation was a plain black album cover with Genesis written in a green on the top left of the cover. The album covers of this album have changed with its numerous re-releases. Genesis's three subsequent album covers were developed by popular graphic artist , who also developed the Charisma "" logo. The Foxtrot album cover is popular among Genesis fans; the front cover depicts a feminine figure in a red dress with the head of a fox. Whitehead stated in an interview that 's "" was an inspiration for the character he created. After Whitehead moved to , Genesis signed with the reputed , whose artists had created high profile album covers for 's and Led Zeppelin's . Hipgnosis's first Genesis album cover was for The Lamb, which for the first time in Genesis's history featured a male model. The model, credited simply as "Omar" on the album sleeve, portrayed the The Lamb protagonist "".
Through the rest of the 1970s, various Hipgnosis artists, of whom Colin Elgie contributed heavily, designed all Genesis studio albums. The Trick of the Tail album cover was representative of many of the characters in the album — the robber from "Robbery, Assault and Battery", the beast from the title track and a image of old age reminiscing about youth from the song "Ripples". Beginning with Duke, Genesis albums featured caricatures designed by Bill Smith Studios. Genesis's highest selling album Invisible Touch featured the artwork of Assorted Images which had previously designed album covers for and . The We Can't Dance cover features the work of Felicity Bowers — the cover is reminiscent of Wind & Wuthering, and is presented in hazy . The Calling All Stations and the compilation Turn it on Again: The Hits covers were designed by .
Criticism
"...brush back your hair, and let me get to know your face." in costume as an old man. Gabriel's costumes illustrate the band's musical concepts.
Genesis's progressive rock roots made them unlike many of their contemporaries such as or . Indeed, one article in speaks of a 1977 cartoon that depicted an arena of "either asleep, moribund,[or] comatose" fans watching Genesis perform live, with the band's name emblazoned on a banner above the stage reading "GENESNOOZE". Much of the criticism surrounding the band in the 1970s was centred around progressive rock in general, which many dismissed as "intellectual" or "pretentious". Gabriel's theatrics appeared unpalatable to mainstream rock fans as well as many Genesis fans. This was exemplified during live performances of Gabriel's last Genesis album, The Lamb, during which he appeared on stage as various characters in his storyline such as the Slipperman. The storyline for The Lamb, which was independently developed by Gabriel, proved hard to understand and accept and caused friction within the band. Collins recalled later, "He'd be in a Slipperman costume trying to get a mike anywhere near his throat, and be out of breath - all twisted up. Towards the end I felt the singing wasn't really being heard; the songs weren't really being heard".
Genesis' transition from playing lengthy complex material to more compact, radio friendly material was not well received by many critics; one particular review of ...And Then There Were Three... read, "[i]n short, this contemptible opus is but the palest shadow of the group's earlier accomplishments. Not only is the damage irreversible, it's been widely endorsed: ...And Then There Were Three... is Genesis’s first U.S. gold record". Collins himself has often been criticized for Genesis's transformation from a progressive rock outfit to a mainstream rock / band, playing much the same type of music that Collins did as a solo artist. "I don't feel we've bastardized the way we were", Collins said in an interview with Music Express. "On a generous day I'll blame me for the change, but I just think it is us growing up, listening to different things".
Discography
Main article:
Notes

""
^ Welch, Cris. The Complete Guide to the Music of Genesis. London: Omnibus Press. 1995

King, Jonathan. "In the Beginning". (sleevenotes). 1993 release
^ Ostrich, Michael. .
^ Young, John. Trouser Press Magazine. March 1982

Malamut, Bruce. . March 1974
Bowler, Dray. "Genesis: A Biography". London: Sidwick & Jackson. 1992
Alspach, Steve.
"Gabriel, Peter. " August 1975
"Genesis Archive #2". Gelring Limited. Atlantic Recording Corporation. 2000
""
""
Genesis. Inside Genesis 1975-1980 Classic Rock Legends, 2004
^ Page 371
""
""

""
. 2005
. Vari*Lite
"".Entertainment Wire. 2006.
Popke, Michael. .
Sine, Richard. .

""
.
. 2006. Worldofgenesis.com. 2006
. Beat Instrumental. Apr. 1976
. Melody Maker. 2006.
. Circus. Dec. 1974

Maconie, Stuart. . Q Magazine. Dec 1994.
Bloom, Michael. . RollingStone.
. Musical Express. 1990

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