For Absent Friends -- Genesis

[bkbeban]

This is the very first song featuring Phil on lead vocals. The only other song he is on lead vocal prior to Pete's departure is More Fool Me from 1973's Selling England By The Pound. It really is amazing to go from this innocent British tale of less than two minutes sung by a shy 19 year old to his superstar career that would last 40 years after this record was made. Surreal.

[peonyification]

Phil sings this song not peter. their voices are really similar and hard to distinct.

[MrsAnabelaMagic]

Who sings this?

[knowur10sand18s]

If your firends really think this is Peters voice then theyve done more acid than Peter did.

[bananeskit]

@knowur10sand18s He didn't do acid.

[TygrasKittenKori]

Phil Collins sings this song while Peter provides the back up singing. But...This is a pretty good song for a debut if phil's singing talent.

[jameswcollett]

Most definitely it is Phil Collins on main. Likely Peter Gabriel is in there somewhere too. A beautiful vocal by Phil.

[Dijean56]

Really love this song.Thanks for posting it.

[Preliminimal]

Phil on voice, pretty obvious

[WingNutLCC]

they are both singing it a great song!

[shyshift]

Mostly Phil,Peter sings back up and the last verse "ambles down the street" is Peter.

[aleczko]

The first Phil singing for Genesis

[eurojammer47]

a medley of this and "Invisible Touch" sound like perfect.

[NormanStansfield1]

The music was written by Steve Hackett and I think Steve and Phil wrote the vocals. One of my favorite Gensis tunes.

[TheStrainers]

good job phil.

[TheBitterSweetgr]

Your friends are ALL WRONG....any serious Genesis fan knows that this is the first ever track sung by Phil....and superbly too I should add

[TheStrainers]

a lot of the older stuff fells like that,very english and peacefull sounding,suppers ready gave me that felling to,and im an american guy with english roots.

[shyshift]

Phil sings lead and Peter sings harmony. Same thing with Harlequin.

[BritneySpearsIlove]

it's steve lennon singing

[sceptile759]

@BritneySpearsIlove lolwut

[sockington1]

@BritneySpearsIlove who ?

[jmuehlenberg]

@BritneySpearsIlove Its Phil Collins singing. its written nowhere, but this is the first genesis song with collins as lead vocalist. ask steven wilson.

[supercj8899]

@BritneySpearsIlove If your name is "britneyspearsllove", dont tell us who sings this song.

[lungsounds1]

well I have quit. man I wanted to be a rock star...... I thought That God himself would come down and make it so...... Now I am 49.............is it over? my dream?>

[jimvanders]

they're idiots. It's Phil. Even today...40 years later.

[tahoevic]

This was their essence, too bad Peter got on hid high horse and left, DICK

You don't leave yor mates, mom, or wing man!

[YukiSoraChan]

crystal clear voice-Phil

[RadDudeski69]

Just to add Phil also sings the harmonies on this one.

[prowlermadmax]

It is Phill Colins singing this song. How can you not recognized his voice.

[SydneyCrosby87]

Collins

[maryemic]

This it's Phil! My favourite song of one of the best band EVER

[jforsyth2417]

its definitly phils first lead singing, and even though most people think its more fool me that was his first lead singing

[SprigganLook]

This song has been written and performed only by Steve and Phil, there's no Gabriel on this tune, it's a well known fact: so your friends are wrong.

I don't like Opeth's version, sorry... but I DO LOVE Richard Sinclair's one... please lend an ear to it, you can easily find it, on YouTube: the perfect marriage between Genesis and Canterbury and the best Genesis cover ever.

[UFOria212]

@SprigganLook hmm, never heard of Richard Sinclair.

Wow, that is a beautiful version. thanks!

[rael3554]

phil collins singing! :D words and music by steve hackett and phil collins

[Gigs507]

yes phil collins....

[Gentilseulement]

Banks explained that this song was composed by Collins and Hackett to show others what they can do. I would not have minded if they Collins and Hackett had done a whole album by themselves!

[Gentilseulement]

It feels fantastic when I listen this song and watch the image of the album.

[Jowsefwood]

This is actually Phil, this song was notably his first lead vocal performance.

[kyla2112]

It's clearly Phil.

[SlappaDeBassMon]

Lovely song that gives you vivid images. I like "For Absent Friends" by Opeth better personally :P but this is a very nice song.

[ladislas59]

@SlappaDeBassMon I prefer "For Absent Friends " in Steve Hackett's album " Genesis revisited" ; very good album !

[ukchrisp]

Definitely Phil Collins singing :)

[1984therocker]

Yep this is Phil! He isn't credited for vocals though. Collins and Hackett wrote this one.

[SuperTdarling]

It's Collins.

[siriusjiones]

It's Phil Collins. Pete was the main vocalist back then, but Phil was contributing from early on in his tenure. That was part of the reason Pete felt he could depart after Lamb.

[angelo7513]

Si comprende subito che è Phil Collins.

[Robinator7991]

great song

[Robinator7991]

great son

[Crochetify]

A wonderful, sad little song evoking an England gone forever. I've always loved it, I suppose the ideas behind it of loss, sadness and a very English way of coping with it appeal to my pent up nature.

[ladislas59]

Hit me ... but I prefer the version in "Genesis revisited" by Steve Hackett .

[Yogurt2345]

great, I confirm that's Phil's voice :)

[2snagglepuss]

singing praise him,praise him........

[TheDekstro]

phil singing here..

[ballerino0]

Phil Collins sings it!!!!

[Marillionboy]

Does anyone else agree this song is extraordinarily evocative, You can just picture the church, the village green, the bus coming to collect them. It just to me captures what English Sundays in the Seventies were like. Its such a modest little song but there's something so fascinating about it.

[breatjb]

@Marillionboy i tottaly agree with you man!from BRAZIL

[davyedge]

@Marillionboy . Agree with you 100%! You've summed up exactly what I'm thinking whenever I listen to this track!

[dermotoblong]

@Marillionboy yep

[bluehen111]

One of the first songs that Genesis lets Collins sing. And it is a challenging song to sing in tune. Go try it!

[767fife]

@bluehen111 the first one

[Polydrusus]

If you like this song please check for the version by troubleclef that is fantastic.

[sidf78]

phil collins sings...sure...

[kamz73]

Collins and Hackett made their studio debut in 1971 on Nursery Cryme, which features the epic "The Musical Box" and Collins's first lead vocal performance in "For Absent Friends", the song was also the first written by new members Collins and Hackett within the band.

[MrLuigi42]

@kamz73 - Fuck Noel Gallagher!

[Burt472]

Masterpiece.

[unknownkingdom]

I'm in a computer lab. There are two dumb college girls going on and on and on about how drunk they were at a party over the weekend, and how unfair their professors are.

I'm glad I'm listening to this song on my headphones.

[Daltonjabs]

@unknownkingdom that is a win on your part

[moco635]

@Daltonjabs You have chosen the right path my young friend.I wish my son or daughter in college wud listen to this stuff.All the best from NYC.

[lilmilye]

genesis with peter was the best time !!!!.. I like collins too, but it's a total different sound.

[autumnclaw]

This one is Phil singing, although the verson we have is Peter ^^.

[YouthOobe]

trust yourself only my friend: this is the first unofficial rehearsal with phil singing, before 'more fool me' in Selling England. fine at ears, though nothing to do with gabriel's dissociated vibrations.

[elisaloba]

so beautiful thanks for sharing!!!!

[IlaMoon]

yes, you're right. It's the first Genesis track sung by Phil ;)

[composer54]

@IlaMoon

Hi there. :) Yes, I think the same, it is sung by Phil Collins, but... Backing vocals are from Peter Gabriel as well and I recognize his voice during the voice doubled places.

[2c26]

@composer54 Yup. True.

[yaswicoaches]

By the way...Phil Collins didn't have a predominant voice in the music industry when this song came out. So I don't think many Genesis fans were really "looking" for his voice on the albums. and then there were three.....

[yaswicoaches]

I use to listen to this everyday when I was 13 and 14 back in '77-'78. I never realized it was Phil singing until 2008. But I hadn't listened to it "with intention" until then.

[TonioLogoluso]

You're absolutely right: he's Phil Collins who sings this wonderful ballad

[blackwater009]

Yep, it's Collins alright. One of the rare leads by Collins before Gabriel's departure.

[heehaa99]

Written and played by Steve Hackett. Sung by Phil Collins........

[Jolle61]

Collins sings

[dakkota74]

Yup, This is the first Genesis song that features Phil on vocals.

[jessicafischerqueen]

Wonderful upload thanks- and for your absent friends- anyone who thinks- even for a millisecond- that Pete is singing this track has no ears.

Not that a true Genesis or Phil fan would need to, but you can confirm this information in less than a second on Google.

God Bless you Phil

[TrandomnesstwO]

Aw that was too short.

[txeire]

i agree. always the sign of a good song. too short.

[idiamin59]

@TrandomnesstwO

it´ s too good too

[sceptile759]

thought so :)

[haalord]

yes, Phil Collins.

: )

[txeire]

there is no doubt that is PHIL singing this song. you are right..take a bow. :-)