30/11/2021
Song #1
Artist: Genesis
Title: You Might Recall (it might also be the only one - or maybe I'll do a random song every day - who knows...)
Album: Abacab B-Side
Times Played Live: Sadly never performed by the band
This is an interesting Genesis song and probably not the one anyone might guess would be the first one I am writing about. It was originally written during the Abacab sessions but ended up not making the final cut for the album. The song was released on a 3 song single called 3X3 in 1982 along with Paperlate and Me and Virgil and also as the b-side of the Paperlate single. I know it’s confusing. To confuse things even further the 3X3 single was only released in the UK but the songs did appear on the fourth side of their live album Three Sides Live in 1982 along with two b sides from the Duke album (Evidence of Autumn and Open Door). Anyway You Might Recall is considered by many fans to be a song that really should have been included on the Abacab album…and most feel it should have replaced Whodunnit?. For good reason as well, as it is a pretty awesome song. There is a lightness and bounce to it that is infectious. The simple three note ascending and descending keyboard motif to begin with, along with Phil Collins’ loose drumming style immediately sets the vibe. Tony plays an electric piano on this track which I love the sound of. It is almost Supertramp sounding. Mike Rutherford’s guitar riff in the chorus is light and catchy and wonderful. He doesn’t have a huge number of lead riffs that stand out to me but this one is definitely one of my favourites. Phil’s vocals are also excellent, weaving all over his range and executed with confidence and intensity as the song builds from the verses to the choruses. There is something deeply infectious about this tune. It all sounds so very light and fresh, yet is set to a fairly contemplative reflective backward looking and not particularly happy lyric with lines like "Cause there was a time I thought I'd be the one Who'd leave and start again” and "my hopes are as the leaves upon the water Just sunk in the night”. I’m not sure who wrote the lyrics but it sounds very much like Phil from that era - much of the lyrics he wrote at this time were related to the marital troubles he was having with his first wife - which fueled his first solo album Face Value just a year prior and Hello I Must Be Going a year after this was written.
Magical Musical Moments:
1. Phil’s drums at the beginning through the intro and 2:04-2:22
2. Mike’s guitar riff in the verses at 1:00, 2:44
3. Double track vocals “you might recall” at 1:25, 4:33
4. The triple drum hit at 2:53 - I love little flourishes like this that Phil drops into songs
5. Phil’s entire vocal delivery on this song is amazing.
Overall You Might Recall has a series of highly infectious moments that repeat and build in a wonderfully perfect way. It would have been an amazing addition to the Abacab album in my opinion.
Lyrics:
What was it you said to me
Back in the days when things looked fine
'Bout how we would be together
Until we left the earth behind
Oh, it's funny how things can change
Cause there was a time I thought I'd be the one
Who'd leave and start again
But now I'd stay forever
Ooh my hopes are as the leaves upon the water
Just sunk in the night
And though I know you couldn't care, you oughtta
Ah, the end of a life
Or maybe when you're older, and you're thinking back
You might recall
Now did I act carefully, did I do right?
Or were we meant to be, all of our lives
In love and harmony, all of our lives?
So now, take my hand
Come, hold me closely
As near as you can
Believing all that we could be
And all that we have been
And all that we are
Everyday seems summertime
The river flow with wine
Ooh when you were here with me
I wish we'd stayed that way forever
Oh my hopes are as the leaves upon the water
Just sunk in the night
And though I know you couldn't care, you oughtta
Ah, the end of a life
Or maybe when you're older, and you're thinking back
Well you might recall
Now did I act carefully, did I do right?
Or were we meant to be, all of our lives
In love and harmony, all of our lives?
So now, take my hand
Come, hold me closely
As near as you can
Believing all that we could be
And all that we have been
And all that we are
Oh my hopes were as the leaves upon the water
Ah, sunk in the night
And though I know you couldn't care, you oughtta
Oh, the end of a life
And maybe when you're older, and you're thinking back
Oh, you might recall
Now did I act carefully, did I do right?
Or were we meant to be, all of our lives
In love and harmony, all of our lives?
So now, take my hand
Come, hold me closely
As near as you can
Believing all that we could be
And all that we have been
And all that we are
https://youtu.be/YsV-1FDLTW0
From the original US version of Three Sides Live. I didn't see the original version on YouTube so I thought I should throw it up. Great tune.Lyrics:What was ...
