Phil Collins Goes Motown

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The idea for Phil Collins’ new collection of Motown covers ”“ his first LP in eight years ”“ goes back four decades. “I used to go to the Marquee Club a few times a week and see mod bands like the Who,” he says. “They played a ton of Motown and Stax songs, and I used to go home and check out the originals.” With help from the Funk Brothers ”“ he flew three members of the original Motown band to his home studio in Switzerland ”“ Collins has recreated the sound and arrangements of Sixties Detroit soul with incredible precision. “I’m calling it Going Back because it’s a journey back through the songs that made me want to be a musician,” he says.

Collins originally planned to record exclusively lesser-known Motown songs like ”˜In My Lonely Room’ and ”˜Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever,’ but his longtime friend Clive Davis persuaded him to include hits like ”˜Heat Wave’ and ”˜Dancing in the Streets.’

Collins plays all the drums himself, though it was an enormous challenge because of recent neck surgery and nerve damage he sustained after years of performing. Now Collins can barely grip anything with his left hand. “We had to attach the drum stick to my hand with gaffer tape and a wristband,” he says. “I kept hoping I wasn’t going to poke my eye out when I went to adjust my hat.” Collins also says the record could be his last: “All my life, I’ve put out music and people have criticised it. Why keep doing that? I don’t need the money. In the future I think I’ll write songs in my basement and never play them for anybody.”