Awesome fact about Phil Collins #2: Musicians need him to make them sound good

Before you read this, did you read Awesome fact about Phil Collins #1? No?! Go read it now! I'll wait.

From left to right: Dude in Black Shirt, Dude in Black Shirt’s Boyfriend, Dude Trying To Hold In A Second Fart, A Photobomber, Some Chins, Dude Smelling That Other Dude’s First Fart, and PHIL COLLINS

Phil Collins has been sent to this good Earth for many things, I’m sure, but the one I care about the most is his mission to be the best musician in the entire galaxy.

He has proven this time and time again by making recorded sounds of joy on many albums and live sounds of ecstasy in concert halls around the world with his long-time band Genesis and his own band. All of these endeavors have produced platinum albums, #1 singles, and hundreds of sold out arenas---so it comes as no surprise that a few other musicians hanging around would beg for a just a few drops of his pure awesomeness.

It all began in 1970 when Collins was only 19 and asked to play percussion on George Harrison’s “The Art of Dying” from his album, All Things Must Pass. Not only was this the best song on the album, it was also the best song to be released in 1970.

In 1974 Genesis decided to pay their producer Brian Eno for his services on their album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in Phil Collins drum sessions for Eno’s album, Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy). Later Eno may or may not have said, “Genesis gave me the choice between a Lamborghini stuffed with £100,000,000 and Phil Collins drumming. I didn’t even have to think ONCE about that!”

He impressed Eno so much, he was asked to drum again on his albums Another Green World and Before and After Science. Listen to this to know why (and try not to soil yourself in the process):

Collins went on to collaborate---I’m sorry, I mean help out----other musicians with his drums, sprinkling the pure awesomeness wherever it was needed. A few notable saves include: David Crosby’s Thousand Roads, Paul McCartney’s Press to Play and Mike Oldfield’s QE2. 

And because he’s such a dude, he helped out his ex-Genesis bandmate Peter Gabriel on his album Peter Gabriel (3) and would play live with him from time to time, because let’s face it – it’s the right thing to do and the Universe needs it.

When Collins wasn’t drumming for himself or Genesis or other musicians in crisis, he also somehow found time to produce a few albums. He’s produced Frida Lyngstad’s (ABBA singer) first album, Something’s Going On and Eric Clapton’s albums Behind the Sun and August. And of course on all of these albums he produced he also drummed and/or sang because as the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” Collins also toured with Clapton in ’86 for some shits and giggles after the release and tour of his multi-platinum, multi-eargasm album Invisible Touch with Genesis.

I am sure there are other examples out there of his grace and goodwill towards musical humanity, but I need to go to bed now so I can thank God I got to live another day to hear Phil Collins music. If I missed any other notable collaborations, please share via a comment below. But for now I leave you with a brief video clip of him blessing all ears that can hear with Brand X---which his career with is an Awesome Fact About Phil Collins unto itself.

Phil Collins: YOU’RE WELCOME, musicians.