Genesis Trick of the Tail Documentary

A short film about how the album was written and recorded.
I have tried to tell a complete story of the album and each track, un-earthing lots of rare facts and photos. You will also hear new mixes to show how the new singer auditions could have sounded.
All of the Colin Elgie illustrations have been cleaned up.
Ok, I admit I sound like a scouse Alan Partridge and I'm no Steve Wilson with the mixing, but I like it anyway!

[progrockdocs]

It's been very heart-warming to have so much positive feedback on this video. I had great fun making it and do intend to do others (in a month or so perhaps). My intention was to shed as much light on the more obscure and unknown elements and (judging by the comments) I have succeeded in this. Granted the sound mixing isn't the best, but the 'audition vocals' have at least got a lot of people thinking about the horrors of what could have been!

If you want to hear more obscure Genesis elements check out "Behind the Multitrack" on Youtube who has done some incredible work in isolating track parts. Back to the day job now I'm afraid. Man, I wish I could make these videos for a living....🤓

[vomaximus]

I can literally remember the day I first heard A Trick Of The Tail, I'd been up to Tottenham Court Road in London and bought myself a new pair of speakers. I popped into a record shop while I was there. Got home that evening and within 30 minutes the speakers were in position and I carefully lowered the stylus down onto the lead-in groove of of Track 1, Dance On A Volcano.
My new speakers were far more efficient than my old ones and it was pretty loud. I just sat there, gobsmacked at what came out. This is a beautifully engineered album and from memory Charisma Records were always good pressings.
This first track left me stunned, and by the time side two finished 40 minutes later, my mouth was still wide open.
Consummate musicianship and songwriting. An absolute Classic for all time.

[heavin]

Thank God they went with Phil. I cant imagine the last 40 years without his voice...

Thank you for this! Nicely done

[robertshetsen]

My favorite band and its so true after all this time I am still listen to it and loved just as I was 20

[Audioholics]

If Collins didn’t step up as lead singer, Genesis would have been finished.

[DanBlakerd]

My absolute favorite album of the era. I was nineteen when it was released and very much intrigued by what Genesis and Yes were creating at the time. It’s amazing how many times I can listen to this and Yes’ Close to the Edge’, how innovative they sound and well they’ve held up through the decades. Astounding works of art.

[Lachenmann]

Beautiful work. I studied abroad in England in 1991. Very long story: my friend and I went to Banks' house in Surrey. The piano that was purchased for "The Lamb" and subsequently employed on "A Trick of the Tail" was in his living room, and he said to me "...that since you're into historical things, that piano was used on The Lamb..." I played that final arpeggio at the end of "The Chamber of 32 Doors", which was akin to touching the Holy Grail.

[philipo]

Wonderful documentary - so much better than anything you’d come across on TV

[lauskop]

That was really a treat. Brilliant.
This series of six masterpieces from "Nursery Cryme" to "Wind & Wuthering" in half of a decade is unmatched. Those were the Hackett years.
And just like the Beatles they were so unbeliewebly young. Amazing

[rikprince]

Picked this up the day it came out. Then went home and sat there slack-jawed with headphones on for the next three days. Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant!

[alanparsonsfan]

Ripples is my favorite Genesis piece. The melody and harmonies are wistful and the instruments set the mood perfectly, just gorgeous. The lyrics are some of the best metaphors outside of Joni Mitchell: "Some are wise and some, otherwise". Who writes like that! Trick is a lot of fun, and have always liked it. But the mood and deep insight of Ripples is just top level.

[daveschwartz]

After hearing the potential replacements for Gabriel, I’m soooo happy that Phil Collins took that spot! Excellent video!

[ramongarcia]

My first exposure to Genesis was to hear "Entangled" on the radio when I was a teen. My reaction was to turn off the lights, close my eyes, and put my head close to the radio horn. My favorite song ever since then, more than 40 years ago.

[gkirms]

So glad that Phil took over the lead vocal duties. Without him at the helm they wouldn't have become what they did.

[allanwalli]

As a nerdy 16 year old, I was the only kid I knew that was into I still love it. This album is magical. It has that rare power to engage and transport the listener that never fades, indeed it grows with age.
Thanks for some very interesting insights. If it wasn’t for YT I would still think I was the only fan anywhere, well, at least in Canada!

[killianlpc]

That is a superb timeless record. From the opening sequence Dance On A Volcano you just knew things were going to be fine, what an opener. All in between brilliant too, and bookended by the brilliant Los Endos reprising many parts of the album in different arrangements. A masterpiece.

[JohnSmith-ofvh]

Undoubtedly one of their greatest records & must have made the critics scratch their heads.

[Chuckles..]

The thing I love about Trick Of The Tail is the continuity it has with Genesis preceding The Lamb. Trick Of The Tail picks up where Selling England By The Pound left off. I felt like I had my favorite band back the first time I heard Trick. Trick Of The Tail for me is like part two of Nursery Cryme.

[saturdayplayer]

Been listening to this for over 40 years. Still as fresh now as it was then. My cassette version still going strong.

[BaconTomatoCheese]

Great video, lots of info I hadn’t heard before. A lot of people maintain that their sound changed after Gabriel left, but in my opinion it changed after Steve Hackett‘s departure following Wind and Wuthering…