Genesis gig guide 1974

There was just one single released form the album and that was I Know What I Like which was released in February 1974 and which reached the number nineteen spot in the UK charts during April 1974. The single’s B side; Twilight Alehouse actually dated back to 1969 and had long since been a stage favourite with the fans. It has never been released on a Genesis album.

The single also featured on Top Of The Pops during the spring of 1974 with the BBC’s Pan’s People dance troupe dancing around a Maypole in the studio to the single playback. Apparently a video was made prior to the performance but at the last moment was withdrawn as the band were not happy with the finished product. As a note of interest: Twilight Alehouse was issued as a one-sided flexi disc in October 1974 free with the current edition of Zig Zag Magazine. No serial number was given to it nor was it issued with a picture sleeve,. This disc was later re-issued to the first 1000 or so UK members of Genesis Information in October 1976.

After a number of gigs in Europe, Genesis finally made it back to Italy, a country that had supported the band so well since 1971. It was here that the band played in front of such staggering audiences as 20,000 or more. From Italy, the band took a short break in readiness for their return to America, to continue the performances that had wowed audience there the previous year. Peter Hammill supported the band at a number of gigs and was introduced on stage by Peter Gabriel. Their show at Montreal on 20th April was privately filmed using tripods and the film was overdubbed with the soundtrack from the FM radio broadcast of the following night’s performance there.

Interesting to note that during either the UK or European tour, a professionally shot promotional film of Genesis performing live was made. Exactly where this was done is in doubt but general opinion has it that the show was either oxford or Bristol in late 1973. The tracks filmed were: Watcher Of The Skies/Dancing With The Moonlit Knight/I Know What I Like/Musical Box/Supper’s Ready. All of these were complete with between song stories and costumes. The film is presently in the BBC archives as an Old Grey Whistle Test film. Only I Know What I Like and Willow Farm have ever been screened on TV since it was made.

(Editor’s note: Of course, we now know that this film was actually shot at Bray Film Studios on 30th and 31st October 1973 and was to have been given a cinematic release which failed to materialise).