Steve Hackett Addresses Phil Collins, Tony Banks And Mike Rutherford’s Chemistry In Genesis

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett recently spoke to Ragon Linde and shared details about the band’s early rehearsal sessions. The musician also revealed his former bandmates Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford‘s roles and harmony.

Hackett joined Genesis in 1971, shortly after he had placed an advertisement in Melody Maker to find a new band. Singer Peter Gabriel reached him because the band needed to find a new guitarist to replace Anthony Phillips. Hackett’s first album with Genesis was ‘Nursery Cryme.’ Then his contribution to the band’s brand new sounds drew significant attention, especially his advice to use a mellotron in the songs.

However, the guitarist’s journey in the band didn’t last long, and he decided to part ways with Genesis in 1977 to become free to determine his artistic direction. While working on his last record with them, ‘Wind & Wuthering,’ the band’s eighth studio album, Hackett realized that Banks and Rutherford didn’t pay attention to his ideas or creations. Even though Hackett played with Genesis only for six years, he’s one of few people that witnessed their early years.

Therefore, in his interview, Hackett highlighted their chemistry, saying that Rutherford was pedaling one note while Banks was playing the keyboard as if the chord changed as a very talented musician. Then, Collins improvised while Rutherford and Hackett served as rhythm guitarists in the rehearsal sessions. He added that the bass pedal was like an intoning bell and the mellotron section was very important, which can be seen in ‘Can-Utility and the Coastliners.’

Regarding Genesis’ chemistry, Hackett said in his interview:

“There was something that used to take place with Genesis’ sessions when we were rehearsing, Genesis jams. Mike Rutherford tended to pedal one note. Luckily, Tony Banks was sufficiently gifted as a harmonically driven keyboard player to make you think that the chord had changed because he was so fluent in that.

One example would be ‘Can-Utility and the Coastliners,’ where you have a mellotron section. It’s beautiful compositionally. You have got Phil improvising, Rutherford, and myself as rhythm guitarists powering over the same thing. The bass pedal is like an intoning bell. These things can work very well, particularly if you get the right lights.

You can check out the interview and the song below.