Surgery Left Phil Collins Unable To Play The Drums

HAMBURG — Phil Collins is drumming no more, for now.

The former singer and drummer for Genesis told a German newspaper that since he had surgery in April to repair a dislocated vertebra in his neck, he doesn't have feeling in his fingers and isn't able to pick up his sticks.

The 58-year-old musician was quoted by Hamburger Abendblatt on Monday as saying the only way he could drum is if he were to "glue drumsticks to my hands."

But that's not stopped his recording aspirations. He told the newspaper he plans a new CD that will feature covers of 30 songs from the Motown label in 2010.

"I want the songs to sound exactly like the originals," the paper quoted him as saying.

Collins, who lives in Switzerland, was in Hamburg to celebrate the first anniversary of the debut of "Tarzan" the musical. The show features music Collins composed for the 1999 animated Disney film, including the Oscar-winning song "You'll Be in My Heart."

Comments

[elWyatt]

I thought Phil was a good drummer and his voice worked fine for Genesis. Frankly, Genesis improved a lot after Gabriel left.... for a while. Then, as most rock bands do, they got old. In interviews, as far back as I recall, he always stated his admiration of the Motown classics and a wish to perform them. Why begrudge him his wish? You don't have to buy it if you're not interested.
I didn't find much I liked on his MOR albums, with or w/o Genesis, but he was far from completely lousy, they just didn't rock and were overproduced. Phil was a performer from childhood, and probably finds the lulls too quiet for his taste, now. I've no objection to his practicing his craft. He doesn't deserve insults just because the radio overplayed his tunes in the presence of non-fans.

[cungar]

As much as I begrudge Collins for the bland pop that Genesis and he produced in his latter years, his dual drumming with Chester Thompson during the 80's was some of the most exciting musicianship I've ever seen.

[jlab]

Nice guy, great sense of humor, fantastic drummer, responsible for some major crimes in songwriting.

[mykebee]

The 'Pillsbury Dough Boy of Rock & Roll' has committed no crimes.

[RSKaz]

Loved him in Brand X.

[ranchero42]

All is not lost! Brian Eno can help design drum patterns for Phil with keyboards alone. But he already knew that; they've worked together before.

[Jamie Kowalski]

They go waaaay back! Collins drummed on Eno's Another Green World (1975), including one of my all time favorite songs "Sky Saw."

[johnr49]

There are a number of excellent computer drum programs, but the experience of producing music on a computer bears no comparison to playing the instrument yourself, let alone performing live.

Get well soon, Phil!

[ConfuciusSay-]

Hope Mr. Collins makes a full recovery. I like his music.

[jlab]

Hope Mr. Collins makes a full recovrey. I h8 his music.

[Leper]

Hope Mr. Collins makes a full recovery. I am ambivalent about his music.

[HappyMarsden]

IMHO, the only thing he ever did that I liked and thought was good, was the one song "In the air tonight". I bought the record just for that. Oh, couldn't care less for any songs from Genesis either.

[cungar]

Try listening to early Genesis with Peter Gabriel. Some of the most interesting art/progressive rock to come out of the 70's.

[sparky09]

Sorry to hear of your hardship, Phil...Maybe you shouldn't have filed for divorce from an ex-wife by email...You know, karma's a bee atch...

[pinkyboo]

I think the story was he notified her that he wanted a divorce by fax.

[Punkynsnow]

Not any better. Either way is unacceptable.

[RSKaz]

There goes the reunion tour.

[sb250guy]

OK. Now what would account for that terrible singing?

[peacechants]

Have you always been this compassionate?

[CrackerJacker]

As has been said earlier and elsewhere: If any of you have any ideas on how to use my other two wishes, please - get in touch.

[jlab]

Oh come on, he was always very good as a drummer. His songs are awful, but the drumming was never the problem.

[worldman49]

Great, a very interesting thread about Phil Collins is interrupted by somebody who writes like a pre-programmed health insurance lobbyist who also believes in literally interpreting the Constitution as strictly as 7th century Arabs literally interpreted the Koran. No thanks to that bleak vision.

Sorry to hear about Phil Collins. His song "Take Me Home" (title?) was one of the best tunes of the 1980s.

[densestarr]

Phil Collins asked Jerry Wexler, 'Can I please play on an Atlantic Records session ?'
Wexler said 'No, I've got Bernard Purdie.'
Nuff said.

[gnomic]

well, nothing could hurt his inability to sing or dance.

[bushlies]

Phil, hasn't this been done to death already?

What's afer that? An album of "standards"?

Now THAT would be a novel idea, wouldn't it?