Phil Collins reignites feud with Paul McCartney with pithy documentary quip
Phil Collins has apparently reignited his longstanding feud with Paul McCartney by suggesting that McCartney removed him from the re-released Beatles Anthology documentary on Disney+. Though Collins and McCartney previously reconciled over a book-signing incident from 2002, Collins revealed at a Q&A celebrating the 45th anniversary of his album Face Value that footage of him has disappeared from the new version of the documentary. The row highlights the complicated relationship between the two musicians and raises questions about editorial decisions made when archival content is re-released for new platforms.
Collins explained that the original 1995 ITV broadcast of Beatles Anthology featured George Harrison discussing Collins' cover of 'Tomorrow Never Knows' from his 1981 album Face Value. When Collins recently watched the Disney+ re-release, the footage had been removed entirely. Speaking at the Q&A event in London with Steven Wilson, Collins speculated that McCartney may have disliked the mention, saying "I don't know, maybe McCartney didn't like it." McCartney has yet to respond to the accusation, though he previously called Collins "sanctimonious" over the two-decade-old book incident.
- Collins alleges McCartney removed him from re-released Beatles Anthology documentary.
- Footage of George Harrison praising Collins' song cover has vanished from Disney+ version.
- The pair had reconciled over a 2002 book-signing dispute but feud has reignited.
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Phil Collins and Paul McCartney have had a troubled relationship for years. The two musicians had a significant falling out in 2002 over a book-signing incident, though they appeared to have moved beyond it afterwards.
The Beatles Anthology was originally broadcast on ITV in 1995 as a comprehensive exploration of the band's history, featuring interviews and archival material from various contributors. The documentary has now been re-released on Disney+ as part of new digital initiatives around the Beatles' legacy.
When older content is re-released on new platforms, decisions must be made about which material to include or exclude. The question of how archival material is edited or altered during such releases can become contentious, particularly when prominent figures are involved.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
If footage was genuinely removed between the original broadcast and the Disney+ re-release without explanation, this raises legitimate concerns about archival integrity and editorial transparency. Given the documented tension between Collins and McCartney, the timing and nature of this removal naturally invites scrutiny. Viewers deserve to understand why historical content is altered, particularly when such changes align with creators' personal preferences, as this raises questions about whether editorial decisions were made on merit or other grounds.
The case against
Documentary re-releases routinely involve editorial changes based on pacing, narrative focus, runtime, technical quality, and viewer engagement—factors unrelated to personal disputes. A brief mention of Collins' version of a song, while interesting, may not be central to the Beatles Anthology's core purpose, and its removal could reflect straightforward editorial judgement rather than animus. Without evidence specifically demonstrating that McCartney ordered the removal for retaliatory reasons, attributing it to a feud relies on speculation that conflicts with how professional archival projects typically function.