The Geese and the Ghost

Production

In 1969, just prior to an extensive tour for Genesis, Phillips and bassist Mike Rutherford wrote a collection of music, committing the material to tape to preserve a record of the work. Among the tracks was a piece entitled "D Instrumental", a song that would eventually become the album's title track. Following his departure from Genesis in 1970, Phillips wrote many of the songs that would ultimately constitute the rest of the album. He started to take a greater interest in classical music. At one point he listened to a piece by Jean Sibelius and had "one of those strange revelations - I was terribly limited" and felt "narrow as a musician". His guitar playing, he thought, also lacked enough technique. To further develop his musical abilities, Phillips spent time learning to play the piano, classical guitar, and orchestration, which lasted for four years. During this time, Phillips kept in contact with Rutherford. At one point, the two agreed to produce a joint album of music based on pieces the two had developed on 12-string guitar before and during Phillips's time in Genesis.

Development for the album was put aside until 1973 when he re-connected with Rutherford to work on small projects including a prospective single release, "Silver Song"/"Only Your Love", that included Genesis drummer Phil Collins on vocals. This material convinced Genesis label Charisma Records to front the money for initial work on an album to begin.

Always intending the album project to be a collaboration with Rutherford, Phillips found it difficult to schedule time when the two could work together, as Rutherford's Genesis schedule was proving hectic during the recording of their double album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. In 1974, an injury to Phillips' Genesis successor, Steve Hackett, provided the opening Phillips and Rutherford needed and a great deal of work on the album was recorded in October of that year. While Rutherford rejoined Genesis, Phillips continued work on the album until another break allowed them to continue work on the album in the summer of 1975.

With the album in a nearly-finished state in 1976, Charisma Records ultimately decided against releasing it, leaving Phillips without the financing to complete recording. After meetings with Virgin, Phillips put the material aside and concentrated on his burgeoning career in library music and other projects. In October 1976, however, word came that US record label Passport Records was interested in releasing the album. This gave Phillips the impetus he needed to complete The Geese & the Ghost. Still unable to find a UK distributor, Phillips and Genesis manager Tony Smith created the "Hit & Run" label to secure a UK release for the album.

Reissues

The album was first released on CD in 1990 by Virgin Records. This original CD release contained the bonus track "Master of Time" (demo).

On July 20, 2007, a remastered 2CD version of the album was released in Japan by Arcangelo Records as a limited edition mini-vinyl sleeve. Disc 1 contained the remaster of the album (with "Lute's Chorus Reprise" added as shown below). Disc 2 contained the tracks listed below. On April 14, 2008, a standard jewel case version of the 2CD remaster was released in the UK by Voiceprint Records.

On April 7, 2015, Esoteric Recordings (a Cherry Red Records label) released a 3-disc deluxe edition of the album. Disc 1 contains a 2015 stereo remaster of the album. Disc 2 contains the bonus material (as on the 2007/2008 release), with one more extra track: the previously unreleased 1973 recording of "Only Your Love", originally intended to be the B-side of "Silver Song". Disc 3 contains a 2015 5.1 surround sound mix of the album on a DVD. The deluxe edition also includes a poster and a 24-page booklet with photos and extensive liner notes.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's 1977 and 2008 liner notes.

Charts

Album