# In 1981, Phil Collins wanted his favourite singer on his first record. The phone never rang

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1981-phil-collins-wanted-his-favourite-singer-on-his-first-record-the-phone-never-rang/
- Published: 2026-11-01T14:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-01T15:14:39+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1981-phil-collins-wanted-to-get-one-of-his-favourite-singers-on-his-first-record-the-phone-never-rang/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- David Crosby did not contribute to Phil Collins’s 1981 debut.
- Collins wanted Crosby to add unusual harmonies.
- They later worked together on *But Seriously*.

## Summary

Phil Collins wanted David Crosby, one of his favourite singers, to contribute harmonies to his 1981 debut solo album, *Face Value*. Collins later recalled that Crosby was often out on his boat and felt he was not in a good place at the time, so the hoped-for collaboration never happened.

Collins made the album while processing the separation from his wife, and producer Ahmet Ertegun encouraged him to develop his demos into a solo record. The article says Collins later worked with Crosby and Eric Clapton on *But Seriously*, released in 1989, and suggests that waiting gave Collins more time to develop as a songwriter.

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