55 Years Ago: Genesis' 'Drummer Wanted' Ad Lands Phil Collins

In 1970, Genesis was in the middle of some changes. Founding guitarist Anthony Phillips decided to leave. The other members – Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford – figured it would be a good time to get a new drummer, too.

Even though Genesis was still a relatively new band, they had already gone through three drummers. Original member Chris Stewart was soon replaced by John Silver, who left shortly after recording their debut album, From Genesis to Revelation. John Mayhew played on the second LP, Trespass, before being ousted.

Genesis began holding auditions for his replacement. "I thought it was important that we ought to try and get a drummer who was of equal stature," Tony Banks said in the documentary Genesis: A History.

At this point, Phil Collins was familiar with Genesis, but only by reputation. "I saw the name constantly in the back pages of Melody Maker," he said in the Making of Nursery Cryme documentary. "They always seemed to be working. I wasn't aware of their music at all."

Their future would change forever after he noticed an ad in the music paper on Sept. 2, 1970. "I used to scour the back pages for jobs, and there was one advert with a box around it – [manager] Tony Straton-Smith, who I knew very, very well, and I knew where to find him," he said. "I went to the Marquee Club bar."

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Collins was curious about the ad because there was no mention about which band was looking for a new drummer. "He said it was for Genesis," Collins added, "and I thought, 'Oh, at last I will get to find out what the music is like.'"

He arrived at the home of Gabriel's parents, where the band would sometimes rehearse, and quickly understood this wasn't going to be a typical audition. "There was a grand piano out on the patio. There was a sunshade to put your drums underneath," Collins said. "There was a swimming pool, and I was early, as usual. One of the guys said, 'We've got 10 guys ahead of you, so why don't you go have a swim?'"

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As he enjoyed his time in the pool, Collins said "I was listening to all the other guys audition, because it was open air, in the backyard. So by the time I came out to do my bit, I knew all the pieces, the audition pieces, and I waltzed through it."

Everyone was impressed. "The way he sat down at the kit, I knew he was a good drummer before he even played a note," Gabriel said. Banks added: "I think there was little doubt at the end of that session that Phil was the best. Certainly Peter and I felt that."

Gabriel noted that "they say a band is only as good as its drummer – and Phil is a great drummer."