Anthony Phillips

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Anthony Edwin Phillips
Background information
Also known as Ant
The Vicar
Vic Stench
Born 23 December 1951 (1951-12-23) (age 56)
Origin London, England, UK
Genre(s) Classical
Rock
Instrument(s) guitar
Years active 1967 - Present
(solo: 1977-present)
Label(s) Virgin, Voiceprint
Associated acts Genesis
Mike Rutherford
Camel
Website www.anthonyphillips.co.uk

Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips (b. 23 December 1951, Chiswick, West London) is an English musician, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the release of their second album, Trespass. He left due to suffering from stage fright, after being told by his doctor that the best thing would be to leave the band. He is known for his twelve string guitar work, and his influence can be heard throughout Genesis's early output.

Genesis's first album after Phillips's departure, Nursery Cryme, featured two songs which were holdovers from the days when Phillips was in the band: "The Musical Box" (originally called F#) and "The Fountain Of Salmacis." "The Musical Box" especially remains a favourite of fans, but few recognise Phillips's contribution to the composition.

After leaving Genesis, Phillips studied classical music (especially classical guitar) and made recordings in collaboration with Harry Williamson, Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins, among others. His first solo album, The Geese and the Ghost, was issued in 1977. Filled with pastoral ballads and extended compositions, it was considered out of place with the rise of punk music and was not a strong seller.

Phillips released his second album in 1978, entitled Wise After the Event. This was followed the next year by Sides. Both of these albums were produced by Rupert Hine and were intended to reach a mainstream audience, though neither album was successful in that regard.

In its initial release in the UK, Sides was accompanied by a more experimental album entitled Private Parts and Pieces; in the U.S. and Canada the two albums were issued separately. Private Parts and Pieces II: Back to the Pavilion followed the next year, and several further sequels were issued in the 1980s and 1990s.

Phillips began writing material with Andrew Latimer of Camel in 1981, and was a featured performer on that band's album, The Single Factor (released in 1982).

Phillips released a mainstream pop album entitled Invisible Men in 1983. He later claimed that this project went "horribly wrong" as a result of commercial pressures, and would subsequently eschew mainstream success in favour of more specialised material.

Phillips remains involved in a variety of musical projects, including extensive soundtrack work in England. In the mid-1990s, he released an album entitled The Living Room Concert, which featured solo acoustic versions of his earlier material. He also provided archival material for the first Genesis box set, Genesis Archive 1967-75, released in 1998.

Several of his albums feature artwork by Peter Cross.

Contents

[edit] Discography

[edit] with Genesis

[edit] Solo Albums

[edit] Compilations

  • Harvest of the Heart (1985)
  • Anthology (1995)
  • Legend (1997)
  • Legend (1999) [Different release than above]
  • Soft Vivace (2002)
  • All Our Lives (2002)
  • Soundscapes (2003)

[edit] Collaborations

  • Tarka (1988, with Harry Williamson)
  • Gypsy Suite (1995, with Harry Williamson)
  • Meadows of Englewood (1996, with Guillermo Cazenave)
  • Missing Links Volume 3: Time and Tide (1997, with Joji Hirota)
  • Live Radio Sessions (1998, with Guillermo Cazenave)
  • Wildlife (2008, with Joji Hirota)

[edit] Guest On Other Albums

  • Mike Rutherford: Smallcreep's Day (1980)
  • Camel: The Single Factor (1982)
  • Iva Twydell: Duel (1982)
  • Asha (Denis Quinn): Open Secret (1987)
  • Asha (Denis Quinn): Mystic Heart (1989)
  • Asha (Denis Quinn): Amadora (1991)
  • David Thomas & Ronnie Gunn: The Giants Dance (1996)
  • Mother Gong: Battle of the Birds (2004)
  • ProgAID: All Around The World (2004)

[edit] External links

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