Handwritten Phil Collins Genesis Lyrics to Auction

Two pages of handwritten working lyrics to Genesis's That's All with visible differences from the final released version will be among the highlights of The King’s Trust 50th Anniversary Auction: Featuring the Phil Collins Archive at Julien's Auctions later this year.

The collection spans 1980 to 1995, the stretch of Collins's career that took in his peak years as a solo artist and his time fronting Genesis and will go under the hammer in London this November. Items come directly from his personal collection including handwritten documents and personal correspondence as well as stage clothes and instruments.

The lyrics on lined notebook paper to the song That’s All, handwritten by Collins in black ink include variations from the final version including “Just as I think it’s going alright / I found out I’m wrong, when I thought I was right / It’s always the same, kind of a game to me,” as opposed to the final version which runs “Just as I thought it was goin' alright / I found out I'm wrong, when I thought I was right / It's always the same, it's just a shame, that's all.”

Other variations include, on this version: “I could leave but I won’t go / Though my heart might tell me so / It’s an odd trick but it still works every time,” as opposed to the final version which is “I could leave, but I won't go / Though my heart might tell me so / I can't feel a thing from my head down to my toes.”

Released in October of 1983, That’s All was as the second single from the band’s self-titled album, Genesis, and became their first top 10 hit in the United States. It has an estimate of $6,000–$8,000.

Also included in the sale is a letter, handwritten by Phil Collins on floral stationery, to Beat Magazine which reads: “I apologize for the notebook, it is my wife's!!! Thanks again for your friendliness on our last visit. Enclosed are a couple of pics of me which hopefully you could include in the drummer's book. The playing picture is not very recent, but it’s the only one I could get hold of quickly. My cymbal set-up carries so much that I’ve just put down a cymbal setup I use more than others. Also enclosed are the albums that I have played on, maybe you could use these instead of any prepared information, as there’s quite a lot! I would be honored to appear in the book, so I hope everything’s of good enough quality. Thanks again, Phil Collins.”

The back of the letter shows the list of albums played on by Collins, as mentioned in the letter, with stars beside "The Best Ones” according to Collins. Together with the two original black and white photographs mentioned by Collins in the letter, with the annotated cymbal setup, drawn by Collins on the back of a photo in black ink, the lot has an estimate of $2,000–$3,000.

Other highlights include a Premier 1035 snare drum played by Collins through the 1970s and 80s, signed with a self-portrait doodle and a personal note on the batter head, and a Grammy nomination certificate for Two Hearts.

All proceeds from the auction will go directly to The King's Trust which has supported more than 1.5 million young people across the UK and around the world. Collins has been involved with the Trust, formerly The Prince's Trust, since 1982 when he appeared at the charity's first-ever rock concert. He became its first Ambassador under the then Prince Charles and has remained closely connected to the organization.