Chapter 55: Solsbury Hill (July 1975 - December 1977)

July - November 1975

Genesis, 1974. This photograph was taken the year prior to Peter Gabriel's departure.

TONY BANKS: "After Peter Gabriel left Genesis for reasons relating to looking after his family, we were soon signed onto Highway 61 Records courtesy of Dennis Wilson. The label was barely two years old at the time, but it was practically an extension of the Beatles' Apple Records, focusing mainly on the American market, and had brought in the likes of Bob Dylan and Alice Cooper. We kind of felt out of place there, and it didn't help that by the following year, the roster was practically bloated." (1997)

The first thing that Genesis had done since signing onto Highway 61 Records was notifying Jack Oliver, president of the label, about looking for a lead singer to replace Peter Gabriel. Oliver then arranged a meeting with Brian Epstein, Peter Brown and Lord Beeching about the band's problem, and then Brown made a call to Charisma Records to see if they had any artists on their label that were currently out of work.[1]

PETER BROWN: "Within a week or so, they'd found what Tony, Mike, Steve and Phil were looking for." (2007)

Kim Beacon performing live with String Driven Thing, 1975.

KIM BEACON: "String Driven Thing had recently broken up around the time that Peter [Gabriel] had left Genesis, and in a strange way, it seemed a bit like destiny that I was called up by Peter Brown of Apple Records about what was going on. Despite that we were on the same label, I hadn't had much interactions with Genesis, except maybe for a few meetings with Tony." (2015)

MIKE RUTHERFORD: "We tried Kim out on a few songs for a soundcheck, and my God, his voice just blew all of us away! His vocals were terrifically commanding, but they also had an angelic vibe to them. Right out of the gate, we clicked with him, and later made the announcement that he would be taking over vocals from Peter." (1995)

With Kim Beacon having passed the audition for Genesis, the group began recording that October in Trident Studios for their seventh studio album, A Trick of the Tail. The music was mostly composed by keyboardist Tony Banks and bassist Mike Rutherford, with drummer Phil Collins, guitarist Steve Hackett and Beacon occasionally providing their own contributions, with a couple of tracks - "Dance on a Volcano" and "Los Endos", the first and last tracks on the album, respectively - being written by all five members. The sessions went by pretty quickly, with Banks and Rutherford fondly recalling them as being some of the most fun Genesis had ever had.

2 February 1976

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail

Released: 2 February 1976

Recorded: October - November 1975

Producer: David Hentschel and Genesis

Track listing[2]

Side A

Dance on a Volcano

Entangled

Squonk

Mad Man Moon

Side B

Robbery, Assault and Battery

Ripples...

A Trick of the Tail

It's Yourself/Los Endos

In light of Peter Gabriel's departure in 1975, shortly after their tour for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, many critics assumed that Genesis would break up as a result, with Gabriel having been part of the group since its formation in 1967. They were proven wrong when A Trick of the Tail came out on Groundhog Day 1976, with many praising Kim Beacon's vocals, with some even saying he was a better vocalist than Peter Gabriel. The album soon hit #2 in the United Kingdom, with the Beatles' Rock 'n' Roll keeping it out of the top spot, but it still sold extremely well. It also reached a respectable #25 in America. The sole single was "Entangled" backed with "A Trick of the Tail" (#29 UK, #36 US).

Genesis soon went on tour for A Trick of the Tail lasting from 26 March to 11 July, with performances taking place in Canada, the United States and various European countries including France, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark. The tour was very much a coming out party for Kim Beacon, being the first time that he was touring the world, especially with a big name group such as Genesis, and he had to learn the material they had recorded with Peter Gabriel from 1969 to 1974. That didn't make the tour any less a success, however, and his performances were widely praised, especially "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", originally from 1973's Selling England by the Pound. As the tour went on, Beacon would notice Phil Collins slouching during the performances and reminded him about this, suggesting that he sit up straighter so as not to ruin his back, which Collins would soon take to heart. This was one of the first moments between the pair that would eventually cement a friendship that would last for years to come.

PHIL COLLINS: "Thank God Kim Beacon was there to take over lead vocals. I don't want to imagine what might've happened to Genesis if we hadn't brought him into the group." (2003)

January - July 1976

Nancy and Ann Wilson, 1976.

Following the success of Dreamboat Annie, Pete Ham and Heart set to work on making the band's sophomore effort, tentatively titled Magazine, intended for a July 1976 release. The Wilson sisters Ann and Nancy were enjoying this newfound success and had a good working relationship with Ham and Highway 61 Records.[3] What could possibly go wrong?

ANN WILSON: "I don't know who it was that made up that article for Rolling Stone, but what happened was that they used a photograph of me and Nancy topless - from chest up, of course - and the public ran with the story that we were in an incestuous relationship. We and those in charge of Apple were outraged with the tabloid." (1985)

"It was only our first time!" Rolling Stone magazine had claimed, taking the Wilson sisters' quote out of context. What they had actually meant to say was that the success of Dreamboat Annie had been their first, not whether or not they were incestuous lesbian lovers. Pete Ham was so infuriated by the tabloid that he wanted to have Rolling Stone sued for libel and the journalist who wrote the article fired and blacklisted.

JACK OLIVER: "Pete just wouldn't let up about what Rolling Stone had claimed. Nor would Ann and Nancy. Michael [Fisher, Ann Wilson's then-boyfriend] was also angered by the tabloid. They were so caught up in the controversy that they ended up putting their follow-up album on hold. We've tried getting Pete to calm down, even saying that a lawsuit would only draw more attention. He did eventually settle down, of course." (2009)

A barracuda is a snake-like predatory fish that can be found in tropical and subtropical oceans. In Heart's famous 1977 single, the metaphorical barracuda refers to anyone on the dark side of music business, whether they be the local promotion person or the president of a record company.

PETE HAM: "Those goddamned journalists didn't do their fucking research. I swear, they're nothing more than a bunch of snakes. No, scratch that - barracudas would be a more accurate depiction of those fuckers!" (1976, to Jack Oliver)

Only five planned tracks for what could have been Magazine had been recorded - "Heartless", "Just the Wine", "Magazine", "Devil Delight" and a cover of Badfinger's 1970 hit "Without You". But rather than simply leaving them on the cutting room floor, four of the tracks were released as non-album singles - "Heartless"/"Just the Wine" (#11 US) on July 19 and "Without You"/"Devil Delight" (#59 UK, #18 US) on November 1. The overall affair had left everyone involved feeling very drained, especially after a radio promoter asked Ann Wilson about her lover (whom she thought was Michael Fisher, but the promoter had actually meant Nancy), causing Ann to storm back to her hotel room. Frustrated, she began work on what would become one of Heart's biggest hits, and had also taken inspiration from a remark made by Pete Ham concerning journalists.

17 December 1976

Genesis - Wind & Wuthering

Released: 17 December 1976

Recorded: September - October 1976

Producer: David Hentschel and Genesis

Track listing[4]

Side A

Eleventh Earl of Mar
One for the Vine

Your Own Special Way

Pigeons

Side B

Inside and Out
Blood on the Rooftops
Nightbird
In That Quiet Earth
Afterglow

Throughout September and October, Genesis had relocated to Hilvarenbeek in the Netherlands to record their next album, Wind & Wuthering. Nearly seventy minutes' worth of music had been recorded for possible inclusion, but they could only include less than sixty minutes' worth, which caused a bit of friction in the band, most notably for Steve Hackett, who felt that his contributions would end up being overlooked in favor of Tony Banks' instead.

STEVE HACKETT: "I hadn't been feeling all that happy since Peter had left to look after his family, and then eventually, a solo career. Kim did everything he could to serve as the peacemaker for the band, even suggesting we put out a double album. I know his heart was in the right place, but the last time we put out a double album [The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway], it didn't make the numbers we were expecting. I did end up getting a couple of more contributions on the final album, it wasn't enough to make we want to leave." (1989)

KIM BEACON: "I know I was barely in Genesis for a year when we started work on Wind & Wuthering, but I did feel a bit sorry for Steve. He wanted a quarter of his material on the album, but Tony and Mike insisted on having the best material for it. Phil agreed with them, even saying that splitting the writing equally was a bit of a dumb idea. But even then, Phil and I tried to help Steve, but there wasn't anything more we could have done to keep him around. We still wished him well, however." (2003)

The most notable contribution on the album was Kim Beacon's first solo contribution to Genesis, "Nightbird", a slow waltz track about a couple in the moonlit night following a rainstorm. The rest of the band was astounded by the beauty of the track, with Phil Collins calling it one of his favorite Genesis songs. The first single off of Wind & Wuthering, "Your Own Special Way" and a full version of "It's Yourself" (#11 UK, #15 US), was released under Highway 61 Records on 18 February 1977, with "Nightbird" and the non-album B-side "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers" (#14 UK, #6 US) being released as a single in June, quickly reaching the Top 10 in America in the midst of Bee Gees domination.

Steve Hackett performing live with Genesis, 1977. Phil Collins is barely visible from behind Hackett.

Wind & Wuthering had been released two weeks before New Years' Eve and was a commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic (#4 UK, #13 US), with "Nightbird" and "Your Own Special Way" being acclaimed as the best songs from the album. "They're ballads that are destined to become timeless classics for years to come," New Musical Express wrote in its review on the album, also praising Kim Beacon's vocal performances.

KIM BEACON: "I'm glad I had my big break with Genesis in the 70s. If I hadn't been invited to sing for them, I don't know where I'd be today. Mind you, Genesis has always been a unit, not just a front man and a band. Just because I'm the front man doesn't mean I'm the most important member. We're all important in our own ways, and that's something I've always believed in since first joining. I'm just glad that most of our fans have understood that." (2015)

Despite this success, not all was well in the Genesis camp. After being part of the band since recording for 1971's Nursery Cryme, Steve Hackett left the band after seven years as Genesis' guitarist following the Wind & Wuthering tour, lasting from 1 January to 3 July. Recordings from the tour would be used for their live album Seconds Out, released 14 October on Highway 61 Records, primarily sourced from the 11-14 June shows at Palais des Sports in Paris, France.

MIKE RUTHERFORD: "Now that we were reduced to a quartet once again, I ended up taking on both bass and guitar duties, but we needed a replacement for Steve on guitar whenever we went on tour. Alphonso Johnson auditioned for us but didn't make the cut. However, he knew someone called Daryl Stuermer and put his name forward." (1992)[5]

The rest of Genesis was impressed by Daryl Stuermer's guitar work, and from 1978 to the present, he became the band's touring guitarist. The main lineup now consisted of Banks, Rutherford, Collins and Beacon, although they would only end up making one album together as a quartet before the current, iconic lineup would be born...

1 January 1977

Dennis Wilson, 1977.

As 1976 drew to a close, Highway 61 Records had a healthy roster that was a mixture of seasoned veterans and up-and-coming music stars. But perhaps it was a little too healthy, as there were more artists signed up to Highway 61 Records than there were on their sister label, Apple Records, almost at a ratio of two to one.

DENNIS WILSON: "Highway 61 Records was not even five years old by then, and already, there was the issue about some artists being sidelined in favor of others. No disrespect to those involved at the time of formation, but I don't think the likes of Elton John or Neil Young could've foreseen that the label would face the problem of having a bloated roster. So I did some searching and requested an audience with Peter Grant and the Yardbirds about the issues facing Highway 61." (2001)

Swan Song Records had a very small roster; the Yardbirds, Bad Company, and the recently-signed Sad Café. Two other artists, Maggie Bell and the Pretty Things, would depart by the end of 1976; counting them, that was a total of five artists (soon to be three) compared to Highway 61's thirty to forty artists. Dennis Wilson concluded that Swan Song could not sustain itself simply for having two big-selling bands, and he worked out a strategy so that both Highway 61 and Swan Song could share the load of artists between them, and therefore kill two birds with one stone.

PETER GRANT: "Dennis seemed very pleased with this proposal, and so the two of us arranged for a meeting with several other executives at Apple and Highway 61." (1989)

Blue Öyster Cult, 1975. They were among several artists initially signed onto Highway 61 Records who decided to transfer to Swan Song Records.

It was a very lengthy meeting, and a lot of discussions took place, but by the end of it all, it was agreed that beginning on New Year's Day 1977, Swan Song Records would officially become a subsidiary of Apple. Those who were signed onto Highway 61 Records were given an advance reminder that they had the opportunity to transfer to Swan Song Records. Some artists such as Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and Blue Öyster Cult were eager about the transfer; others such as Bob Dylan, Kiki Dee and Tom Petty chose to stay at Highway 61. (A select few like Nigel Olsson and Tom Scott would depart the following year.) Dave Edmunds would stay as record producer for Highway 61, but he would also release his own material on Swan Song Records.

TONY BANKS: "Genesis was among those who chose to transfer to Swan Song Records, and I think it was very symbolic in retrospect; we had brought in a new guitarist, and now we were part of another label under Apple. This marked the beginning of what the press would call 'Phase Two' of Genesis." (2003)

With a lot of hard rock and punk artists being signed onto Swan Song Records, the label would inevitably be branded as a hard rock label, given it had the likes of the Yardbirds, Bad Company, Aerosmith and Blondie on their roster. Those who were part of the label at any given period of time would dismiss these claims as "stereotypical bullshit" and that "there's more to Swan Song if you listen more closely!" Parents even tried to prevent their children from buying any album off of Swan Song Records, saying that their music was dangerous and could corrupt, with the odd exception, but even that didn't stop sales.

May 6, 1977

Heart - Little Queen

Released: May 6, 1977

Recorded: 1976, February - April 1977

Producer: Pete Ham

Track listing[6]

Side A

Barracuda

Love Alive

Sylvan Song

Dream of the Archer

Magazine

Side B

Little Queen

Treat Me Well

Say Hello

Cry to Me

Go On Cry

Not wanting "Magazine" to be left on the shelves, Heart added in overdubs so that it could blend right in with the new recordings from February to April. These recordings resulted in the long-awaited followup to Dreamboat Annie, Little Queen (#21 UK, #4 US), released that May alongside the lead single "Barracuda" (#47 UK, #5 US) alongside the non-album B-side, "Kick It Out". The album received mixed to positive reviews from critics, while the "Barracuda" single got a more positive reception, earning Heart another Top 10 hit. The follow-up single, "Little Queen"/"Treat Me Well" (#16 US) did not sell as much, but it was still a reasonable enough hit that Heart, along with several of their stablemates at Highway 61 Records (as well as those on Swan Song Records), were starting to grow a following among rock music groups.

That December, Heart put out an extended play, Without You. Side A consisted of both sides of the "Heartless"/"Just the Wine" single as well as "Kick It Out", and Side B featured their cover of "Without You", as well as "Devil Delight" and "Here Song". Later CD releases of Little Queen would feature the extended play as bonus tracks.

Nobody could explain why at the time, but with Apple, Highway 61 and Swan Song Records having the respective talents of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Yardbirds under their belts, people would end up talking about who just got signed up under any of the three labels. Even if these new artists were relatively unknown by the public, they would certainly get people talking and wondering what they had to offer.

Footnotes

1. Phil Collins was part of jazz fusion band Brand X from 1975 to 1977 as well as 1979. He left the band at various times due to his commitments with Genesis in OTL. In TTL, he leaves Brand X for good before Unorthodox Behaviour is released, meaning he is committed full time to Genesis and even devotes more time to his family. Bill Bruford became the new drummer for Brand X before leaving at the end of July 1976. Joe Blocker then takes over between August and October before being replaced by Chester Thompson. Thompson is then followed up by Kenwood Dennard (1977-1978), Chuck Burgi (May-October 1978) and Mike Clark (October-December 1978) before returning in 1979, occasionally being swapped out for Clark. Brand X breaks up in 1980 per OTL and their future after that remains unchanged.
2. The track listing remains unaltered for A Trick of the Tail, with the exception of "It's Yourself", an outtake from said sessions, preceding "Los Endos". For TTL, all tracks are sung by Kim Beacon with Phil Collins providing secondary vocals on "Robbery, Assault and Battery".
3. Heart was planning on releasing another studio album for Mushroom Records, but they were dropped by the label who deemed Heart as a one-hit wonder.
4. Once again, all tracks for TTL's Wind & Wuthering are sung by Kim Beacon, barring the instrumental track "In That Quiet Earth". "Pigeon" and "Inside and Out" from the Spot the Pigeon EP are also included; for TTL, Phil sings lead on the verses to "Pigeons" and the chorus of "Inside and Out". Kim Beacon sings lead on "Inside and Out" while doing backing vocals for "Pigeons". "Nightbird" is sourced from Beacon's 1979 solo album Ravenna; I simply pretended that it had been written as early as 1976. "Match of the Day", "Wot Gorilla?" and "All in a Mouse's Night" end up being part of an extended play called Spot the Gorilla, released May 1977.
5. Daryl Stuermer was indeed recommended as a replacement for Steve Hackett in late 1977. Like in OTL, he isn't a full-time member of Genesis, but he did at least perform live as both lead guitarist and bass player between 1978 and 1992. Stuermer later rejoined Genesis for their Turn It On Again Tour in 2007 and is planned to reunite with them for The Last Domino? Tour in early 2021 (originally scheduled for 2020, but it has been delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). In addition to touring with Genesis, Stuermer has also played on Mike Rutherford's Acting Very Strange, three of Tony Banks' solo albums (The Fugitive, Still and Strictly Inc), and all of Phil Collins' solo studio albums barring Both Sides and Going Back.
6. All tracks are sourced from Little Queen, excluding "Magazine", taken from the 1978 release of the album of the same name.

Author's Comments

Before I get to the commentary on this chapter, I'd like to say this; I'm sure you know this by now, but a new Blogger format has been introduced. I suppose it works fine on mobile phone, but I don't think it works at all for personal computers. (I write these posts on my laptop, so I probably wouldn't know and could be wrong.) I'm sure there's good intentions behind this, but not everybody uses a mobile phone; there's probably more out there who prefer to use social media on computer, but again, I could be wrong. I don't want Blogger to make the wrong choices in the future; I've seen it happen before on DeviantArt, and this happening to Blogger as well is a potential worse case scenario.

Okay, that aside, I bet you didn't expect to see this chapter coming, huh? I personally was not expecting to write this chapter either, but here we are. Yep, Genesis is now a big part of the story, and they've brought in a new vocalist in the form of Kim Beacon. He's probably one of the most obscure artists out there, and despite being part of String Driven Thing, there's hardly much information about him. He sang on Tony Banks' A Curious Feeling in 1979 and released two solo albums before dying in 2001. That sounds like a pretty cruel fate, doesn't it? Dying without even making a dent in music history. Thankfully, this story has him survive to at least 2016 (and still lives to this day) and gives him a proper chance in the spotlight. We'll see how this affects Genesis in the near future.

Another unexpected bit was Swan Song Records becoming part of Apple; that label had a similarly cruel fate of shutting down in 1983 and didn't have that many artists under its belt, but hopefully we'll be able to fix both problems. Apple is really dominating the music scene, isn't it? Not much to say about Heart, though, and there probably won't be much happening for them in future chapters.

Thanks to danielmartin273 for helping in writing this chapter out, mainly suggesting ideas on what should happen.