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With so many reunions occurring in the summer of 2007, Genesis is clearly one of the most anticipated. The British pop-rockers have found massive popularity throughout the last three decades and launched successful solo careers for both frontmen Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins.
The band was formed by teenage Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks in 1965 at a Surrey school. They began as a pop band, and evolved into a more rock sound by the ?70s, when Collins joined the band as a drummer. Eventually they settled into a more theatrical tone with elaborate song structures and instrument use for most of the decade. The 23-minute song "Supper?s Ready? typifies this change. Other examples from the time include "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," which told the story of Raul, a Puerto Rican living in New York City. After touring with the album, Gabriel left the band and Collins took over at the helm.
The band found success with "A Trick of the Tail" in 1976 ? the major concern, however, was was live shows, mostly because Gabriel was known as quite a performer. The first performance from the band was released as "Genesis: In Concert." The band continued to produce artistic efforts that were most successful in the UK. The breakthrough album in the U.S. was "Invisible Touch" in 1986. Hits from the album included "Throwing it All Away," "In Too Deep," "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," "Land of Confusion" and the title track, which was their first No.1 album in American.
Genesis became the first group ever to sell out four consecutive shows at London?s Wembley Stadium ? they were also the first to use Vari*Lite technology and the Prism sound system, which are now the norm in large rock concerts. After a massive tour, which included a brief reunion with Peter Gabriel, the band went on hiatus for five years.
However, they came back in a big way ? in 1991, they released "We Can?t Dance," Collin?s last album with the group. The album included the hits "Jesus He Knows Me," "No Sun of Mine," "Hold on My Heart," "Tell Me Why" and "I Can?t Dance."
While some mark Collin?s departure in 1996 as the end of the band, the group did continue, headed by Mike Rutherfod and Tony Banks. In 1997, they released "Calling All Stations," which was very popular in Europe, but less so in America. In the end of the ?90s, the band toured extensively abroad, and then went into an extended hiatus through the summer of 2007.
This summer, Collins, Rutherford and Banks announced "Turn it on Again: The Tour," four decades after the band first formed. The tour features shows across 12 countries, including North America. This year also marks the band?s induction into the second annual VH1 Rock Honors with Ozzy Osbourne, Heart and ZZ Top.
With approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, Genesis are one of the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time.[1] The group's members have included Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, both of whom achieved success as solo artists and in other music ventures.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Genesis evolved from a 60's pop band, with moody, simple guitar-driven melodies, to a progressive art rock band, with complex song structures, elaborate instrumentation, and theatrical concerts (with 23 minute songs such as "Supper's Ready" and the 1974 concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway), to a more pop oriented sound. Genesis's change of musical direction to accessible music with melodic hooks gave them their first #1 album in the United Kingdom, Duke, and their only #1 single in the United States, "Invisible Touch".
Initially fronted by Peter Gabriel, Genesis have changed personnel several times over their history. Collins took over from Gabriel after the latter's departure from the group in 1975. After over two decades of being the band's frontman, Collins left the group in 1996 and was replaced by former Stiltskin singer Ray Wilson for the 1997 album Calling All Stations. Due to the commercial failure of the album, and after three decades of activity, the band announced that they were on an indefinite hiatus.
On 18 October 2006, the BBC announced that members of Genesis, including Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, had agreed to reunite for a world tour and were exploring the possibility of recording new material.
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