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For Current Updates Click HERE for the "Anthony Phillips UK Website."
As a founding member and the original guitarist of Genesis, Anthony Phillips has long been among the handful of musical pioneers that shaped the history of progressive British rock.
Today, a dozen solo albums and two decades later, Anthony Phillips continues to be on the cutting edge of progressive music, a genre that fuses the most passionate elements of classical, jazz and rock.
Recently he completed and released two compelling albums, Tarka and Slow Dance (Virgin worldwide). Tarka is a project he began recording in 1977. It is a collaboration with acoustic guitarist Harry Williamson, and is an ambitious work that was recorded with a full symphony orchestra over a period of 11 years.
A highly accomplished piece of English pastorial music, that mixes a classical orchestra with acoustic guitars and jazz solosists, it was originally written as the film score for Tarka The Otter, a classic British children's novel, written by Williamson's father, Harry. The score was never used however, and laid uncompleted in the vaults of a recording studio for a full decade.
With the help of producer Simon Heyworth (known of his work on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells ),
In 1992, Phillips released his 13th solo album, Slow Dance. Written, performed and recorded entirely by Phillips in his home studio, Slow Dance is unquestionably his most innovative and compelling work in the "new age" genre, to date.
Having attended a private boarding school in England with Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, Phillips, and the other three formed the group Genesis, soon after graduating in 1967. Drummer John Mayhew joined soon after, and was later replaced by Phil Collins.
Along with The Moody Blues, King Crimson, Yes and ELP, Genesis would be among the forefathers of the British progressive movement, one that employed the newest technology to combined the urgency of rock with the sophistication of classical.
In 1970, after three years and two albums, Phillips left the group to pursue serious study of both guitar and piano. After a few years teaching, he returned to the music scene, with his first solo album, Geese & The Ghost.
The album, which featured performances by Genesis members Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins, was released on Passport/Arista Records, and re-established Phillips on the conmtemporary rock scene.
After a second similiar album, Wise After the Event (produced by Rupert Hine) in 1978, Phillips decided to concentrate on instrumental guitar and synthesizer music.
Between 1979 and 1986, Phillips recorded nine albums for JEM Records, among them, Sides, 1984, Invisible Men and series of acoustic guitar albums entitled, Private Parts And Pieces, Volumes I through VI.
In between album projects, Phillips scored music for several British TV dramas, and national advertising campaigns. He also performed on Mike Rutherford's first solo album, Smallcreep's Day.
In addition, Phillips has produced other artists and even co-wrote the recent British pop hit, "Tears On The Ballroom Floor", for the band, Bucks Fizz.
Though Phillips has kept a lower profile than his former bandmates in Genesis, his contribution to contemporary music has been no less important.
When other rock musicians have sold out to the whims of record company conglomerates and fickle radio programmers, Anthony Phillips has remained true to his art.
And for that alone, his loyal fans have remained faithful.
Anthony Phillips
c/o: Pilato Entertainment Group
P. O. Box 17775
Rochester, NY 14617
716-464-5288
Fax: 716-454-7897
