Watch a young PHIL COLLINS with pre-GENESIS band FLAMING YOUTH

09 November 2020

New and rare footage of Phil Collins' pre-GENESIS band FLAMING YOUTH has surfaced on YouTube.

A half hour set from German television recorded in December 1970 and broadcast on WDR Koln Germany shows the young psych/progressive rockers just prior to the point where they broke up. You can watch the set below.

The band formed out of a touring act backing John Walker from THE WALKER BROTHERS and were originally known as HICKORY, recording a 1969 single Green Light/The Key. They changed their name to FLAMING YOUTH and recorded their sole album, Ark 2, for the Uni label, having teamed up with producers Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley who had penned The Legend Of Xanadu for DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH.

The band performed a five song set for Dutch television station Dutch TV Station TROS studio, which was thought to be the only known footage off= the band until this new set appeared.

It features a youthfully hirsute Collins singing on both Changes and the band's take on Gustav Holst's Planets. The full set contains Earthglow, Guide Me Orion, Weightless, The Planets, Changes, In The Light Of Love and Pulsar.

Soon after Collins auditioned for and joined GENESIS, replacing drummer John Mayhew. FLAMING YOUTH guitar player Ronnie Caryl also auditioned for GENESIS but lost out to Steve Hackett.