Songs that Changed Music: Genesis - Turn It On Again

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By the time Genesis had come together to record Duke, the band had nine albums and over a decade of experience under their belt. In the early seventies, Genesis had earned a reputation, and a cult following, for writing long and complex compositions with progressive sounds and theatrics. Gabriel’s departure in 1975, and guitarist Steve Hackett’s in 1977 certainly affected the band’s dynamic and sound, as they shifted towards a more pop oriented style. The band’s commercial success only grew with this shift and Collins on the mic; 1978’s …And Then There Were Three (Genesis’ first album after Hackett left the band) produced the band’s first UK top ten single, “Follow You, Follow Me”. While the band achieved remarkable success – the album hit number 3 in the UK and number 14 in the US – the band members have often described it as a difficult album for them both creatively and dynamically.

In the midst of recording Duke, Banks told Sounds in October 1979, “I think a lot of it is down to not having worked together for a while…Good ideas are coming out in rehearsals which hasn’t happened for some time.”

“Turn it On Again” is a phenomenal example of what could come out of this time of working and writing together. It evolved out of various pieces of material that the band had developed for other projects. In 2009, Banks explained:

“Mike wrote the main riff on ‘Turn It On Again’, which is really what is best about the song. We kind of put that bit – the bit he didn’t use on Smallcreep’s Day, curiously enough – with the bit I didn’t use on A Curious Feeling, and put these two together. We made it much more rocky, both bits became much more rocky, my bit was a bit more epic, and Mike’s bit was a bit slower and a bit more heavy-metal. And then Phil gave it a much more straightforward drum part (perhaps neither of us would ever have thought that we would want that on that bit) and it made it into something much better, I think.”

Rutherford’s infectious riff is the first deceptively simple element of the song. Its driving pulse hides a complex rhythmic structure. Rutherford explained that he only realized the hidden complexity, when Phil suggested that he play the riff at a faster speed: “…and then he said to me, ‘Do you realize it’s 13/8?’ and I said, ‘What do you mean it’s in 13? It’s in 4/4, isn’t it? ‘No, it’s in 13.” There’s a few ways to interpret the meter, but it comes down to a constant and smooth shift between alternating groupings of 4, 5, 6 and 7. And yet, Collins’ seemingly straightforward drum part completely masks the challenge of these tricky changes.

Collins’ vocal melody and performance also perfectly compliment the instrumentals’ dynamic drive, making the uneven phrasing seem natural and balanced. His passionate performance draws out Rutherford’s philosophical lyrics, telling the story of a man raised on television who is unable to distinguish the technological medium from reality.

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Which songs would you like to see us cover in this series?

Producelikeapro
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Decades later, I can never get enough of this song.

realityjunky
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Still my favorite Genesis song. Always gets me pumped up.

gastondoumerc
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That isolated vocal of Phil is absolutely stunning

UBZUKki
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My absolute favourite Genesis song.
That guitar riff is one of the most epic ever to be played.
And the timing has never been repeated anywhere.
Phil is in such powerful voice here.
Totally epic❤

divernater
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Turn It On Again is a fantastic track, but Duke is an extraordinary album. A touch of pop? Certainly. But some solid prog rock roots as well. And the fact that the “pop single” from Duke, Turn It On Again, has a 13/8 signature speaks volumes.

HunchbackJack
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Glad that I am not the only one, who finds this song remarkable!

luemmel
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I love this song so much...yet, it makes me happy and a bit melancholy at the same time...The unique combination of lyrics and music...it brings me joy, yet it tugs at my heart strings. I think it's that strange 'double emotion' that pulls me in and keeps me there making it one of my all time favorites to this day--always somewhere there in the back of my mind, never to be forgotten. I'll just sing it out loud out of nowhere from time to time...as I so often do many of my favorites. These days, it makes me long for my childhood--which, albeit interestingly, was a bittersweet mix of good and bad resulting in many simultaneous happy and melancholy feelings as well. Ironic...

MicheleLiveAndInColor
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My Dad used to play this endlessly in the car when I was young. I really liked it then and still do at 40.

oliw
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I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It's one of my favorite Genesis tunes from the Phil Collins era. The Duke album came out just as I was about to enter junior high. I heard "Turn It On Again" on my uncles hifi, then "MIsunderstanding" became a huge FM radio hit and I heard it at home and in the car all the time. That turned me into a Genesis fan. One of the first cassettes I purchased from the 3-for-a-penny Columbia Club was Abacab! To this day, Duke and Abacab are my favorite Genesis records. Their next album was good, too, still in a straight-ahead rock-n-roll genre. Subsequent albums, including Phil's solo work, became much to pop-oriented for me. I was a prog rocker and their first radio hits from the two aforementioned albums still had elements of their prog roots, like the odd time signature on "Turn It On..."

ChrisDoyle
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“Duke” is such a great album, this song is definitely the best song on the album!! 😀👍

abacadaniel
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Great song and duke is my favourite album of all times, along with going for the one and passion and warfare.

soothsayerbh
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great great great video.Genesis are one of the best band ever

riccardochifari
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There was another project which Genesis funded with the proceeds from Duke that would have a huge impact on the touring industry. Their lighting director, Alan Owen, worked with 2 audio engineers from ShowCo to develop a robotic light that would eventually become known as "Vari-Light" after the production rights were purchased by Phillips Lighting about 5 years later.

allenshort
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Love it! I've always been more of a Gabriel-era fan, but strangely, Duke is my favorite Genesis album.

room
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I'm able to play this song on drums very well. I've never been too good at odd time, though it's just a matter of counting. The list of various time signatures seems quite daunting, but I've always played this song by feel. Music is such a mystery, it's like magic.

jamesrobbins
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I love you Genesis!!! I love you Phil Collins!!! Forever!!! 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

SOLOLULA
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My first Genesis song. I fell in love with the tune immediately at age 12.

ancientdesertsr
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This song does what I consider the pinnacle of “pop” music...it’s def not your typical pop nursery rhyme but it’s done so seamlessly the masses were satiated w out needing to know how brilliant it was and absolutely still is...great review of it as well....

alanagottalottasay
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Never going back again FM deceptively brilliant and under rated.

finallyoverlanding
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