NEWS IN THE WORLD OF GENESIS - November 2002

November 30, 2002
Ray Wilson To Embark on European Tour With Saga; Wilson Dance Single Hits #1

According to the official Ray Wilson site, Ray will be touring with Canadian rock band Saga on their European tour next year starting around mid-February. The tickets for the shows include the first single from Ray's forthcoming album, Change, due for release in March. There is also a live clip from the recent Live and Acoustic tour in Germany. Click here to see the February and March tour dates for the Saga 2003 European gigs with Ray Wilson (more dates coming soon).

Also according to Ray's official site, the Armin Van Buuren single "Yet Another Day" featuring Ray Wilson is currently at #1 in the Dance Trend charts in Benelux, and it received it's first Radio 1 airing on Pete Tong's Show on Friday, November 29th.

November 30, 2002
Rabbit Proof Fence DVD To Feature Commentary By Peter Gabriel

The DVD for Rabbit Proof Fence is set for U.S. release on December 4, 2002. The Rabbit Proof Fence double disc DVD contains a number of extras including:

* A special feature length commentary recorded by Director, Phillip Noyce, Composer, Peter Gabriel, and Oscar nominated actor Kenneth Branagh.  

* A special Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence documentary, the story of the search for and training of the three young stars.

* Cast and crew interviews and biographies

* Theatrical trailers

* The Rabbit Proof Fence study guide

* A selection of press articles.

November 30, 2002
Collins' Testify Slips Out of U.S. Top 40 In Second Week of Release

According to Billboard, Phil Collins new album, Testify, has slipped out of the U.S. Top 40 albums chart in only it's second week of release. The album opened on the chart last week at #30 and has fallen to #41. The first single has yet to crack Billboard's Adult Top 40 Chart as well despite success on other Adult Contemporary charts. Sources report that the album is experiencing similar results in Europe where the Testify album fell from #15 to number #40 in the U.K. Albums Chart.

November 30, 2002
Another Gabriel Concert Review Available On-Line

Click here to read a review of the Peter Gabriel concert from the Mohegan Sun Arena on November 26th in Connecticut ("spoilers" warning: the set list revealed).

November 27, 2002
Gabriel Band Members Plan Second In-Store Appearance; Tony Levin Plans Solo Tour

Good news tonight for Gabriel fans in Canada... According to the official Tony Levin site, Rachel Z and Tony Levin from Peter Gabriel's 2002/03 touring band are planning another in-store appearance this Friday in Montreal at a HMV music store (1020 Rue Ste. Catherine Ouest). Rachel will be performing music from her current solo album, Moon At The Window. The songs will be done with a jazz trio, featuring Rachel Z on keyboards and Tony Levin on bass. 

Tony Levin will be taking his own band on the road in January 2003, while the Gabriel tour is on hiatus. Levin's solo tour will be in support of his latest live album, Double Espresso. According to Levin, "So far it's looking like it'll be in the northeastern U.S. and maybe some [dates] in the mid-west."

November 26, 2002
Official Phil Collins Site Offers Links To More Collins Promotional Appearances

The official Phil Collins site offers several new links to some of Phil's recent promotional appearances for his new CD, Testify:

1. You can hear a four part, 34 minute interview by BBC Radio London's Gary Crowley here
2. See Phil's TV interview for This Morning Live on Channel 6 in Montreal.
3. You can hear a lengthy interview for French Radio here (it is in English) and listen to a four track acoustic set he recorded for them!

November 26, 2002
Second Peter Gabriel Single Announced

The second single from Peter Gabriel's new album, Up, was shipped to U.S. radio about three weeks ago. According to Gabriel's U.S. record label, the single, "More Than This," will not be released commercially. A European commercial CD single is in the works (catalog #PGSCD14), but no track listing is available yet for the Euro CD single. Stay tuned!

November 26, 2002
Knebworth DVD Released Featuring Phil Collins and Genesis!

A DVD of the Knebworth concert from 1990 has been released in Europe and the U.S. The concert features performances by Phil Collins (as a solo artist) and Genesis. The North American version of the DVD was released by Pioneer and includes a new DTS and 5.1 surround sound mix in anamorphic widescreen format. 

November 21, 2002
Phil Collins' Testify Enters The U.S. Albums Chart

According to Billboard, Phil Collins new album, Testify, entered the U.S. Albums Chart at #30. This disappointing opening is perhaps more painful considering the heavy promotional activity Collins has been doing in the U.S. to promote the project for the past few weeks. In addition, the first single, "Can't Stop Loving You," has yet to crack Billboard's Adult Top 40 Chart despite some success on other Adult Contemporary Charts.

November 21, 2002
Phil Collins To Be Featured In The Jungle Book 2

According to the Internet Movie Database, Phil Collins is set to provide to voice to Lucky The Vulture in the movie The Jungle Book 2.

November 21, 2002
Peter Gabriel Offers Fans Access To His Video Diary

On the official Peter Gabriel site, fans can now access Peter's Video Diary. The diary is being added to on an on-going basis during the 'Growing Up' Tour and already includes three parts. Check it out!

November 20, 2002
Get Gabriel's "Animal Nation" On CD!

You can now order the soundtrack to The Wild Thornberrys. As previously reported, the soundtrack includes two rare Peter Gabriel songs, "Animal Nation" (which Gabriel is currently playing live on his North American tour) and a version "Shaking The Tree" with Gabriel, Youssou N' Dour, and Shaggy (formerly available on the Jungle 2 Jungle Soundtrack). Click here to get it! This is currently the only way to get these songs on compact disc.

November 20, 2002
Steve Hackett DVD Released In The U.S.A.

If you pre-ordered the U.S. DVD for Steve's Somewhere In South America through my site, you probably already have it in your hands as I type this. A review will follow shortly (There's just not enough hours in the day!).

November 20, 2002
Phil Collins Testify Album Enters The U.K. Charts At #15

Billboard reports, "Phil Collins' Testify (Face Value/East West) also made a more modest chart debut than he would have liked, opening at #15. The low debut places the set in danger of becoming his first solo album not to reach the top-10." No news yet on the U.S. debut, although it should be reported shortly.

November 20, 2002
U.S. Gabriel Concerts Revisited

I am in the process of pounding out my reviews of the East Rutherford, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania stops on the Gabriel 'Growing Up' tour. In the meantime, click here to read Billboard's review of the sold out Chicago show.

November 18, 2002
Greetings From East Rutherford, New Jersey!

It's 1 a.m. (EST), and I've just returned from the East Rutherford, New Jersey Peter Gabriel concert. One word - INCREDIBLE! The band was amazing and the stage effects were some of the best I've ever seen (probably Gabriel's best since The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway!). I'm off tonight to catch the show in Philadelphia, but a review complete with pictures will follow shortly. Stay tuned!

November 18, 2002
Watch The Phil Collins Live BBC Radio 2 Concert 

Courtesy of the BBC Radio 2 website, you can now watch the Phil Collins concert that recently aired using RealPlayer!

1. In The Air Tonight     2. Something Happened On The Way To Heaven     3. Another Day In Paradise     4. Can't Stop Loving You     5. Driving Me Crazy     6. One More Night     7. You'll Be In My Heart     8. I Missed Again     9. Against All Odds     10. Separate Lives     11. You Can't Hurry Love/Easy Lover     12. Lady Madonna/Sussudio     13. I Can't Dance     14. Take Me Home     15. My Girl/Get Ready

November 18, 2002
Intergalactic Touring Band CD With Ant Phillips Set To Be Reissued

According to the official Anthony Phillips website, Voiceprint Records are set to release the long-deleted Intergalactic Touring Band album on CD in January 2003.  Originally released in 1977, the album features contributions from artists such as Larry Fast, Rod Argent, Percy Jones from Brand X, Annie Haslam, Ben E. King, and Meatloaf.  More importantly, it also includes an appearance by Ant who plays acoustic guitar on one track, "Reaching Out."

November 17, 2002
Enter New Peter Gabriel Contest - Winner To Meet Peter Gabriel In San Diego!

VH-1 is sponsoring a new contest with Universal Records, Peter Gabriel's U.S. record label, for all fans who live in The United States (people outside the U.S. are not eligible to participate). One Grand Prize Winner will be drawn and will receive the ultimate prize for any Gabriel fan with an estimated value of $1820! 

The winner will receive:

* Roundtrip coach air transportation for the Grand Prize Winner and one guest from an airport near winner's residence to San Diego, California (estimated value: $1200).

* Two nights hotel accommodations for Grand Prize Winner and one (1) guest (estimated value: $400).

* Two tickets to see Peter Gabriel live in concert and two backstage passes to meet the band (estimated value:$120).

* An autographed vinyl copy of Peter Gabriel's new album Up (estimated value: $100).

To enter the contest click here. Entries must be received by December 1, 2002. 

November 17, 2002
Gabriel Band Members Plan In-Store Event In New York

According to the official Tony Levin site, Rachel Z, the pianist on the Gabriel tour, has arranged an in-store appearance in New York with Tony Levin on Wednesday, November 20th, at 12:30 p.m. Rachel and Tony will perform some of Rachel Z's new jazz material followed by an autograph signing to help promote her new album, Moon at the Window, and Tony Levin's new album, Double Espresso. Even though Peter Gabriel is not scheduled to attend... You never know, right?! Besides, why not go and check out the free in-store performance? You might just find out that you like what these musicians have to offer sans Gabriel.

November 14, 2002
Phil Collins Autograph Signing In New York This Weekend!

Phil Collins will be offering fans a rare opportunity to get his autograph on Saturday, November 16th, at 10 a.m. at FYE located at 51st Street in New York City. If you live in the area, stop by and be sure to tell Phil that World of Genesis.com sent you!

November 14, 2002
More News On Phil Collins Stage Adaptation Of Disney's Tarzan Announced

According to USA Today, Aida scenic designer Bob Crowley and M. Butterfly playwright David Henry Hwang, whose revisionist Flower Drum Song opened last month on Broadway, are providing the set and libretto to the stage adaptation of Walt Disney's Tarzan. Like the film, the show will feature songs and orchestrations by Collins and Mark Mancina, who are writing new material.

November 12, 2002
Phil Collins Assists Hospital Children’s Charity

According to the official Phil Collins site, during 2002, StarCards have been asking celebrities to sign Great Ormond Street Hospital playing cards - amongst them was Phil Collins. Starcards and Great Ormond Street Hospital now have an extensive and totally unique portfolio of celebrity signed playing cards to auction in celebration of the 150th anniversary of their chosen charity. 

The main online auction of 300+ items will run from November 11th until November 20th 2002. To bid for these exclusive signed cards go to the Starcards website.

November 10, 2002
Fan Provides Review of Peter Gabriel Canadian Press Conference And Free Concert

Marc Bossé, a Peter Gabriel fan and frequent visitor of my site, has provided us with a short analysis of Peter Gabriel's recent Canadian press conference and free concert in Quebec City on Friday, November 8th.

According to Marc, "Peter gave [the media] a four song private concert with the complete stage and lighting at 5 p.m. There were about 40 people there. He played "Red Rain", "Darkness", "Growing Up" and "Animal Nation." After that, we went to the press room where Peter and Robert LePage answered our questions."

During the free dress rehearsal concert, Bossé reported that the 1,000 or so fans, were really pleased with the concert. Click here to see the set list. Mr. Bossé says that he will be providing us with a transcription of the interview with Gabriel and LePage shortly. (Special thanks to Marc for this contribution!)

November 9, 2002
Phil Collins To Perform At Victoria's Secret Holiday Show

Hold on to your Wonder Bra! The New York Post has announced that Phil Collins will be performing at the Victoria's Secret Holiday Show on November 14th which will be broadcast on the CBS TV Network (in the U.S.) on November 20th. Among the other acts scheduled to perform are Destiny's Child and Marc Anthony. 

The event will be hosted by Sugar Ray's front man, Mark McGrath and will feature supermodels like Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen, Karolina Kurkova, Bridget Hall, and many others.

November 9, 2002
Peter Gabriel Offers Special Free Concert For Canadian Fans

According to the official Peter Gabriel site, on Friday, November 8th, there was a special open dress rehearsal for fans who had already purchased tickets to see Peter Gabriel in Quebec. The free event took place at La Colisee (the same venue as the real Quebec gig), and the first 1000 fans, who had tickets for the real show, got in free! 

November 9, 2002
Hackett Posts Pictures From Recent Gigs In Malta

On the official Steve Hackett site, you can now check out exclusive photos from Steve's recent concerts in Malta with his brother John on flute and Roger King on keyboards.

As an added bonus, Steve has a limited number of souvenir programs available, the first 50 of which have been signed by Steve himself! You can get your hands on one simply by ordering anything from the website (until stock runs out). This is strictly on a "first come, first served" basis.

November 9, 2002
BBC TV Interview With Phil Collins Available On-Line

The BBC has posted a RealPlayer clip of Phil's appearance on the TV program, Breakfast, also featuring another special guest, Robert Palmer. On the U.K. morning show, Phil talks about his deafness, his new Testify album, and more. Check it out!

November 9, 2002
Lyrics & Liner Notes To Phil Collins' New CD Available On-Line

The official Phil Collins site now offers the complete lyrics and liner notes from the booklet to his new album, Testify. The album is due for release in the U.K. on Monday and the U.S. this Tuesday!

November 7, 2002
Dale Newman Interview Now On-Line

An exclusive interview with Dale Newman is now available on-line right here at World of Genesis.com. Dale talks about his own music as well as his 27 years of tenure as Genesis personal Guitar Tech, Roadie, and staff member at the band's private studio, The Farm! Click here to check it out!

November 7, 2002
Phil's New Single Hits #1 On U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart

According to Phil Collins' official site, Phil's single "Can't Stop Loving You" reached #1 in the U.S. Adult Contemporary airplay charts last week with a total of 2479 plays. "Can't Stop Loving You" had the largest increase in plays of any single, up 264 on the previous week.

November 7, 2002
Review of Recent Phil Collins Concert Available On-Line

The official Phil Collins site has posted an overview of Phil's November 6th concert recorded for broadcast by BBC Radio 2. Click here to read it and see exclusive photos!

November 6, 2002
Ray Wilson To Release Live & Acoustic DVD

According to the official Ray Wilson site, Wilson will be releasing a Live and Acoustic DVD that will be recorded during his first German date this month at Hohennauen (near Rathenow) on November 12th. No further information is available at this time.

November 6, 2002
Hackett Delays The Euro Release of His Forthcoming DVD

According to the official Steve Hackett site, the European version of Hackett's new DVD, Somewhere In South America, has been delayed until January 2003 due to technical problems. Steve's label, Camino, is currently considering whether they should delay the European VHS and accompanying 2-CD set of the concert until next year as well. If you would like to encourage Steve to release the VHS and CD versions of the project despite the fact that the European DVD won't appear until next year e-mail Camino. 

The good news is, the U.S. (North American - Region 1) version of the DVD, which is being released by Music Video Distributors, is still scheduled to be released on time on November 19th! If you haven't already ordered your North American compatible version of the DVD click here. Orders taken before the scheduled release date can get the DVD for 30% off (under $14 U.S. plus shipping!).

November 6, 2002
Peter Gabriel Concert In New York Cancelled

According to Ticketmaster, the recently added Peter Gabriel concert scheduled for November 22nd in New York City has been cancelled. This was to be the second night at New York's Madison Square Garden. While no official explanation has been given, it is suspected that the gig was axed due to lack of ticket sales.

November 5, 2002
New Yorkers Get Yet Another Chance To See Phil Collins For Free In Concert

Just in case you live in the tri-state New York area and you missed your chance to get free tickets to see Phil Collins perform on Carson Daly's program, you are going to be pleased to hear you have another shot at seeing Phil live for free. According to Billboard, Phil will be performing on November 15th at Rockefeller Plaza in New York as part of NBC's popular Today morning TV show. Collins will most likely perform two or three songs, one of which will undoubtedly be the new single, "Can't Stop Loving You."

As you might think, the show starts very early in the morning. So, if you want to check it out, be sure to get there at the crack of dawn, because only a limited amount of audience members will be allowed to watch the event. 

According to the official Phil Collins site, other major network television performances by Collins surrounding the album's release will include ABC-TV's The View, CBS-TV's The Early Show, NBC-TV's Last Call with Carson Daly, and The Caroline Rhea Show. Collins will also be featured on a special Comcast Cable special on Sunday, November 17th.

November 5, 2002
Phil Collins To Perform One-Hour Live Radio Concert To Promote Testify

According to the official Phil Collins site, on the release date of Phil Collins' new album, Tuesday, November 12th, Collins will perform live for a one-hour, exclusive radio concert, which will be syndicated to 150 stations nationwide via Premiere Radio Networks. Contests winners from around the country are being flown to New York for this special event.

November 3, 2002
Peter Gabriel Auction Offers Premium Seating For North American Concerts 

According to the official Peter Gabriel site, you can buy choice seats for every concert on Peter Gabriel's tour, and benefit Witness in the process. 

"Conceived by musician Peter Gabriel and founded in 1992, Witness uses video to advance human rights. Witness has provided video cameras and training to over 150 groups in 50 countries around the world. Witness helps them use video as evidence before courts, regional commissions and the United Nations, as a tool for public education, and as a deterrent to further abuse. Witness also gives local human rights groups a global voice, by distributing their video to the media and broadcasting it on-line at www.witness.org."

Go to www.witnessauction.org for the on-line auction now!

November 3, 2002
Peter Gabriel Talks About Next Studio Album In New U.S. Interview

According to an article from The Chicago Sun Times, Peter Gabriel comments that he has some 80+ unreleased non-album tracks in various states of completion. He hopes to have his next album out by the end of 2003 or early 2004 (I/O, we assume). This next album has "lighter" more pop-orientated material, that Gabriel describes as "a little rockier." Gabriel also states that one of the tracks from this up-coming album will be played on the 'Growing Up' 2002 North American Tour (one can only assume that he refers to "Animal Nation," but who knows?).

In the interview, Gabriel also discussed his new album and touring with the new material. Gabriel explained, "I want to do pretty much all of the new album. I haven't yet worked on 'The Drop,' because I've forgotten how to play it, but I'm hoping to relearn it. Then we do three from Ovo, so that is almost two hours of music. That leaves us about 30 or 40 minutes to do oldies. There will be some familiar elements, but I'm not going to do "Biko" on this tour, for example, or one or two other stalwarts that have been put out to rest for a while." Be sure to read the brief, but informative interview for yourself at the link above!

November 3, 2002
Phil Collins Gives His Shoes To Charity

According to the East Anglian Daily Times, more than 60 celebrities are said to be handing over their footwear for a special internet auction being organized by the British charity LEPRA, whose head office is based in Colchester, England. The organization fights Leprosy in countries hardest hit by the disease such as India, where 78% of the worlds Leprosy cases exist. 

Among the contributors are Phil Collins, Pierce Brosnan, Jude Law, Liz Hurley, Guy Ritchie, and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The internet auction takes place between November 8th and 25th at www.eBay.co.uk.

November 3, 2002
Phil Collins' Recent Interview For Capital Radio Available On-Line

Phil's recent interview with Capital Radio is now available on-line courtesy of Mr. Collins' official site! Click here to listen to it (Windows Media Required).