Saw it on the TV - We take a look at some of the recent additions to the TWR visual archive.

Even though Genesis are no longer a going concern that does not mean that collectors of the visual side of their career do not have new (and not so new) material coming to light. Indeed the game of visual and audio archaeology will continue for a considerable time to come. This also goes for the individual band members too as I hope this feature will demonstrate.

OK, so we start with Genesis themselves. Perhaps the most important visual document that has appeared recently has to be The Last Domino film which was recorded during the rehearsals for the band’s last tour and was indeed made as a possible commemoration of the tour that never was as COVID very nearly out paid to it. Taking in the preparations for the tour this is very much a warts and all presentation similar to the Access All Areas documentary from 1991 or indeed, Phil’s superb The Long Goodnight back in 2004/05. In each case the band are shown at work and at play as they prepare the shows that those of us who were lucky enough saw in 2021/22. With no other official release planned from these gigs, this film is all the more important as effectively it is the last official document of the band live.

Moving back a few years to 2014 and the ill-fated Together And Apart project. Opinions were mixed about this at the time and have been ever since. The almost total omission of Steve's solo career was without doubt the most contentious issue. Producer John Edgerton, well aware perhaps of the project’s shortcomings eventually managed to release the out-takes from the interviews conducted for it and they make fascinating viewing. The footage of the five of them together reveals even further the ongoing tension between certain members even after all these years whilst the interviews with Anthony Phillips, Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer are also revealing and given us a far better viewpoint of their place in the band’s story.

For me personally, being name checked by Mr Collins during his interview is something I will always treasure. Having watched these interviews several times now, it still begs the question: why on earth wasn't more used in the finished project? I guess we shall never know but at least we have them available to use at last which is the main thing. Especially when you consider that out-takes from other documentaries especially the Genesis Songbook appear to have been destroyed.

Steve may well have been omitted from that documentary but fortunately another documentary maker; Paul Gosling filled the breach with a series of mini documentaries under the title “Somewhere In The Eighties” . Each of them took a look at some of the albums by Steve which are rightly regarded as seminal by his fans as well as a couple of the less well regarded ones from the early Eighties. I found the ones on Cured and Till We Have Faces particularly informative. Paul placed the focus firmly on those involved in each album with major contributions from Nick Magnus and Dik Cadbury as well as John and Steve. During Lockdown which already seems a lifetime ago, Steve also gave his fans the Lockdown Tapes as I have called them. Each one a short vignette featuring a different aspect Steve's career from demonstrating how he came to write and record some of his best known tracks, to actual demonstrations of guitar technique which will fascinated the musos among his fans. Steve comes across as both honest and humble during these and fans will revel in the insights contained during this extensive series.

In addition to these more recent Genesis recordings, there are also two archival releases which merit a particular mention. The 1973 Shepperton film is already legendary among Genesis fans and has been available for years in varying degrees of quality. Recently a group of fans under the auspices of The Genesis Museum managed to acquire a print of the film and after much assiduous work and a fair expenditure of money, produced what must surely be the DEFINITIVE version of this historic footage. Every previous version pales into insignificance when compared to this one.
Sonically and visually this is perfection and a must for any serious fan of the band.

Another legendary item from a few years later has also been given a well deserved facelift and restoration. This is the band's concert film from the Lyceum Ballroom during the Duke Tour of 1980. Like it's predecessor, this one has appeared in many guides and lengths but what we finally have is the complete performance in glorious high resolution with the previously missing section of Ripples restored along with all the between song stories and … The Knife. The work expended on this represents an unthinkable amount of man hours and such dedication to the cause of preserving the band’s legacy puts official efforts to shame.

Of late Anthony Phillips and Tony Banks have both been subject to extensive interviews including the previously mentioned Together And Apart out takes. Tony and Ant both come across as incredibly honest and candid interview subjects (I can vouch for this) and the available interviews including the ones conducted for their respective box sets by Cherry Red Records are essential viewing.

Of all the band members, Mike has been the only one not really subject to extensive interviews and a documentary about The Mechanics is long overdue. However, over the last few years the band’s performances have increasingly been captured either for TV broadcast such as their performance from the House of Independents in 2017 as well as an excellent private film from their gig in Frankfurt in 2016. With the band about to embark on another tour early next year, I am sure there will be more items for the archive to look forward to.