"Still A Long, Long Way To Go..." - The Phil Collins Story, Part Two by Alan Hewitt.

The success of the "Against All Odds" single in 1984 left Phil's profile higher than ever; coupled with the great success achieved in Genesis, he was now one of Britain's most successful artists. After a short break following the mammoth US tour undertaken by Genesis in support of their eponymous album, Phil was soon back in the saddle working upon what, upon its release in February 1985, was to be his most successful album so far. The first fruits of his labours appeared in January 1985 in the form of the single "Sussudio". A big ebullient tune with a rhythm reminiscent of (although not copied as some critics maintained) of Prince's "1999" record. The single charted at the number 12 position in the UK and gained similar chart positions in most other territories. The single was accompanied by an extremely amusing video of Phil as a pub musician whose band are dying a death until they play their last number, "Sussudio".

The album, titled "No Jacket Required" was released on February 11, 1985 to coincide with the first date of the massive world tour. The album drew its title from an incident which had happened to Phil whilst in the USA when he was refused entry to a hotel because he didn't have the requisite jacket! Needless to say, the album charted at the number one slot both at home and elsewhere. With this record, Phil proved that he was not just content to rest upon his reputation as a writer of quality pop songs; and there were several songs with a deeper meaning to them, including the poignant "Long, Long Way To Go" and "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore?", so relevant to recent events in Phil's own life.

Phil's tour to promote the album began in the UK at the Royal Concert Centre in Nottingham on February 11 and was to last for five months and take in well over a hundred shows including Phil's first visits to Australia and Japan as a solo artist (and a whole year before Genesis made it to Oz, but that's another story!). With three albums under his belt, Phil turned in his most convincing shows yet with a set which typically comprised the following tracks...

I Don't Care Anymore / Only You And I Know / I Cannot Believe It's True / This Must Be Love / Against All Odds / Inside Out / Who Said I Would? / If Leaving Me Is Easy / Sussudio / Behind The Lines / Don't Lose My Number / The West Side / One More Night / In The Air Tonight / Like China / You Can't Hurry Love / It Doesn't Matter To Me / Hand In Hand / Take me Home / People Get Ready / It's Alright / And So To F...

The shows were a surprise in many ways and, as usual, the slapstick humour inherent in Phil's character shone through the set. Especially amusing was Phil's reference to "brown trousersville" before playing "Against All Odds", a song he had never done before this tour, and the ever growing introductions to the ever expanding troupe of musicians he had on stage with him, especially poor old Chester Thompson who, if Phil was to be believed, slept in the hotel corridor! It was also good to hear the old Brand X track "And So To F..." in the set along with the Gospel standard "People Get Ready".

A selection of tickets for the "No Jacket Required" tour

While Phil was on tour in the UK yet another of his production projects was released. Phil had always been a fan of US funksters Earth, Wind and Fire and so, when one of their number, Philip Bailey, came to work on a solo album, he engaged Phil to produce it. This wasn't without some small problems when the record company took exception to Phil's work and feared that the resulting album would be "too white" for such a prominent member of the black music community (who said racism was a one-way street?!). They needn't have worried, the single from the album - "Easy Lover" - shot straight to the number one slot in the UK aided, no doubt, by an absolutely hilarious video in which we see Phil as one of the EWF horn section (I loved the dance routine, boys!).

Enter March, and Phil was at it again with the second single from the album, a plaintive love song, "One More Night", released on March 7, although the video had been aired in the UK in the run-up to the UK tour on a music show called "The Tube". Like its predecessor, this single also contained a non album track, "I Like The Way", which was in contrast to the up tempo B side to "Sussudio": "The Man With The Horn". In fact, the album also contained an extra track on the CD edition, "We Said Hello, Goodbye". Unusually for a second single from an album, "One More Night", charted higher than its predecessor, reaching the number four slot in the UK a position, helped no doubt by the tour and the recent success of "Easy Lover".

One more single from the album was released in the UK in early July. This time the highly popular stage favourite: Take Me Home once again accompanied by an amusing video which was shot on location at the various cities on the tour with the punch line coming at the end of the clip with a voice-over of Phil's wife; Jill complaining hat the tea has been ruined waiting for him to get home and despite Phil's protestations that he has been to various cities; Jill has the last words..."You've been down the pub again; haven't you?"

Phil and the band on stage

On a more serious note, Phil made history when, on June 13, 1985, he took the stage at London's Wembley Stadium as part of Bob Geldof's effort to raise global awareness of the plight of the famine victims in war-torn Ethiopia as part of the massive "Live Aid" project. He was accompanied on stage by Sting to perform "Long, Long way To Go" - an appropriate choice for this occasion. No sooner had his set finished at Wembley, than he was whisked aboard the Concorde to fly straight to JFK Stadium in Philadelphia to perform there as well not just as a solo artist; but also to drum on the sets by Eric Clapton and the reformed Led Zeppelin.

Phil's tour wound down with a last few dates in the USA, and a final show at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 1 after which a well-earned rest was in order. Not that that was the end of material issuing forth from the ubiquitous Mr Collins. In keeping with the previous tour, a live video was released, called "No Ticket Required", and a video EP titled "No Jacket Required" was released, including all the promotional videos for the album's singles and a live film for "Who Said I Would?"

Never one to rest on his laurels; Phil was back in the charts in November 1986 with the contribution to the soundtrack to the new Taylor Hackford film, "White Nights". The track "Separate Lives" was a duet with Marilyn Martin and entered the charts at the number four position. Phil's involvement with film also took an upward turn with a cameo appearance in the hit TV series "Miami Vice" which signalled another branch of Phil's career which was to develop still further in 1988, but more of that next time!

Phil Collins UK Discography 1984 - 1986

Title	Label	Type	Catalogue No.	Release Date	Chart Position
Against All Odds/Making A Big Mistake	Virgin	7" single	VS674 (PS)	?.4.84	2
Sussudio/The Man With The Horn	Virgin	7" single	VS736 (PS)	14.1.85	12
Sussudio(extended)/The Man With The Horn	Virgin	12" single	VS736-12 (PS)	14.1.85
No Jacket Required	Virgin	LP	V2345	11.2.85	1
No Jacket Required	Virgin	CD	CDV2345	11.2.85	1
Easy Lover/Woman	CBS/Virgin	7" single	A4915 (PS)	?.2.85	1
Easy Lover/Woman	CBS/Virgin	12"single	A4915-12 (PS)	?.2.85
One More Night/I Like the Way	Virgin	7" single	VS755 (PS)	7.3.85	4
One More Night(Extended)/I Like The Way	Virgin	12" single	VS755-12 (PS)	7.3.85
One More Night/I Like The Way	Virgin	7" picture disc single	VS755	14.3.85
Take Me Home/We Said Hello Goodbye (Also issued as limited edition with luggage tag as part of sleeve)	Virgin	7"single	VS777 (PS)	?.7.85	19
Take Me Home(Extended)/Take Me Home/We Said hello Goodbye	Virgin	12"single	VS77-12 (PS)	?.7.85
Separate Lives/Only You & I Know	Virgin	7"single	VS818 (PS)	?.11.86
Separate Lives/only You & I Know (Limited edition with white sleeve and film poster)	Virgin	7" single	VSS818 (PS)	?.11.86
Separate Lives/Only You & I Know	Virgin	12"single	VS818 (PS)	?.11.86
Separate Lives/Only You & I Know	Virgin	7" picture disc single	VSSD 818	?.11.86

The "No Jacket Required" World Tour, 1985
Royal Theatre,	Nottingham	England	11.2.85
Apollo Theatre	Manchester	England	12.2.85
Apollo Theatre	Glasgow	Scotland	13.2.85
City Hall	Newcastle	England	14.2.85
City Hall	Sheffield	England	16.2.85
Royal Albert Hall	London	England	17-22.2.85
National Exhibition Centre	Birmingham	England	23.2.85
Philipshalle	Dusseldorf	Germany	25.2.85
Vorst Nationale	Brussels	Germany	26.2.85
Ahoy Sportpaleis	Rotterdam	Holland	27.2.85
Scandinavium	Gothenburg	Sweden	1.3.85
Isstadion	Stockholm	Sweden	2.3.85
Valbyhallen	Copenhagen	Denmark	3.3.85
Stadthalle	Bremen	Germany	4.3.85
Palais Omnisports de Bercy	Paris	France	6.3.85
Festhalle	Frankfurt	Germany	7.3.85
Olympiahalle	Munich	Germany	8.3.85
Hallenstadion	Zurich	Switzerland	10.3.85
Boeblingen	Stuttgart	Germany	11.3.85
Patinoire de Malley	Nantes	France	13.3.85
Salle D'Expositions	Bordeaux	France	14.3.85
Masion des Sports	Toulouse	France	15.3.85
L'Espace Tony Garnier	Lyon	France	16.3.85
Halle des Fetes Beaujoire	Lausanne	Switzerland	17.3.85
National Exhibition Halls	Sydney	Australia	3-4.4.85
National Exhibition Halls	Sydney	Australia	6-7.4.85
National Exhibition Halls	Sydney	Australia	10-11.4.85
Westlakes Oval	Adelaide	Australia	17.4.85
Entertainment Centre	Perth	Australia	20.4.85
The Big Egg	Tokyo	Japan	23.4.85
The Dome	Fukuoka	Japan	25.4.85
Castle Hall	Osaka	Japan	26.4.85
Rainbow Hall	Nagoya	Japan	27.4.85
Worcester Centrum Centre	Worcester MD	USA	12.5.85
Forum	Montreal	Canada	13.5.85
Madison Square Garden	New York NY	USA	15-17.5.85
The Spectrum	Philadelphia NY	USA	20.5.85
Virginia Coliseum	Hampton VA	USA	21.5.85
Coliseum	Greensboro NC	USA	22.5.85
The Omni Centre	Atlanta GA	USA	23.5.85
Mid South Coliseum	Memphis TN	USA	25.5.85
Lakefront Arena	New Orleans LA	USA	26.5.85
Sam Houston Centre	Houston TX	USA	28.5.85
Reunion Arena	Dallas TX	USA	29.5.85
Frank Erwin Centre	Austin TX	USA	30.5.85
?	Phoenix AZ	USA	1.6.85
?	Laguna Hills CA	USA	2.6.85
Forum	Los Angeles CA	USA	4-6.6.85
Forum	San Francisco CA	USA	7-8.6.85
?	Sacramento CA	USA	11.6.85
McNichols Sports Centre	Denver CO	USA	13.6.85
Kemper Arena	Kansas City KS	USA	15.6.85
Rosemont Horizon	Chicago IL	USA	17.6.85
Riverfront Coliseum	Cincinnatti OH	USA	19.6.85
Merriweather Post Pavilion	Columbia MD	USA	21.6.85
Hartford Civic Centre	Hartford CT	USA	22.6.85
Saratoga Performing Arts Centre	Saratoga Springs NY	USA	23.6.85
Maple Leaf Gardens	Toronto	Canada	25.6.85
Joe Louis Arena	Detroit OH	USA	27.6.85
?	Cuyahoga Falls NY	USA	28.6.85
Madison Square Garden	New York NY	USA	1.7.85

The "Behind the Sun" Tour, 1986/87 with Eric Clapton
Kalvoyre Festival (Isle of Calves)	Oslo	Norway	3.7.86
Roskilde Festival	Roskilde	Denmark	4.7.86
Grand Casino (Jazz Festival)	Montreux	Switzerland	10.7.86
Juan Les Pins Festival	Antibes	France	12.7.86
National Exhibition Centre	Birmingham	England	14-15.7.86
Royal Albert Hall	London	England	11-12.1.87
Coliseum	Oakland CA	USA	11.4.87
Pacific Amphitheatre	Costa Mesa CA	USA	13.4.87
Forum	Los Angeles CA	USA	14.4.87
Ebony Showcase Theatre (with BB King)	Los Angeles CA	USA	15.4.87
McNichols Sports Arena	Denver CO	USA	16.4.87
Civic Centre	St Paul MO	USA	18.4.87
Rosemont Horizon	Chicago IL	USA	19.4.87
Limelight Club (with BB King)	Chicago IL	USA	20.4.87
Market Square Arena	Indianapolis IN	USA	21.4.87
Joe Louis Arena	Detroit MI	USA	22.4.87
Richfield Coliseum	Cleveland OH	USA	23.4.87
Capital Centre	Landover MD	USA	25.4.87
Civic Centre	Providence RI	USA	26.4.87
Madison Square Garden	New York NY	USA	27.4.87
Wembley Arena	London	England	6.6.87