Released 28 March 1980 Genre Progressive rock | Recorded October–December 1979 Length 5:31 | |
Label Charisma/Virgin (UK), Atlantic (US) Writer(s) Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford | ||
"Behind the Lines" is a rock song by Genesis, from their March 1980 album Duke. The group's drummer and vocalist Phil Collins released a re-recorded version on his first solo album Face Value in February 1981.
Contents
Different versions
The Genesis version of the track is a dramatic art-rock piece, while the Collins version is lighter and played in a funk style. Lyrically the song is about pleading to a former lover, a subject which fit in with Collins' post-divorce solo album. There were a few minor changes to the words, however.
Collins revealed on the Classic Albums documentary on Face Value that his solo remake came about after "recording Behind the Lines, we ran the tape back at double speed and suddenly this other song appeared". Collins then set out to re-record the song on Face Value as a Michael Jackson Off the Wall-era disco track featuring the Earth, Wind and Fire horn section, the Phoenix Horns.
An edited version appeared as the B-side to "Turn It On Again", the lead single from Duke. This version is billed as "Behind The Lines - Part 2", as it edited out the long instrumental introduction to the song, and is in essence the second half of the original recording.
Tours
"Behind the Lines" was performed on the accompanying tour in 1980, and was also played as the show opener during Abacab tour in 1981. The song was also played in full in a medley in between "Dance on a Volcano" and "Follow You Follow Me" on the 1982 Encore tour, and a shorter version was included in an old medley ("Eleventh Earl of Mar"/"Behind the Lines"/"Firth of Fifth"/"The Musical Box") during January 1984 for the Mama Tour. The song was rehearsed and considered as the show opener for the We Can't Dance '92 tour.
The instrumental intro was used as an opener on the 2007 Turn It On Again tour. Tony Banks wanted to perform the full version but was vetoed by Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins, who did not want to perform the whole song. Collins performed his solo version on his Hello I Must Be Going '83, No Jacket Required '85, But Seriously '90 and Both Sides '94/'95 tours.