Biography
Genesis started life as a progressive rock band, in the manner of Yes and King Crimson, before a series of membership changes brought about a transformation in their sound, into one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, the group has provided a launching pad for the superstardom of members Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, and star solo careers for members Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Steve Hackett. Their roots go back to 1965 and a pair of rival groups, the Garden Wall and the Anon, formed by students at the Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. They merged, with the result that 15-year-olds Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, and Michael Rutherford joined with 14-year-old Anthony Phillips, calling themselves the New Anon and recording a six-song demo featuring songs primarily written by Rutherford and Phillips. Charterhouse alumnus, recording artist, and producer Jonathan King heard the tape and arranged for the group to continue working in the studio, and it was also King who renamed the band Genesis. Genesis then lost two members. Mayhew left over the unhappiness with aspects of his playing, and was replaced by Phil Collins, a former child actor turned drummer who had previously played with Flaming Youth — he also added an occasional additional lead vocal to their sound. Much more unsettling was the departure of guitarist Anthony Phillips, who had developed crippling stage fright. For some time afterward, Genesis worked as a four-piece with the guitar parts covered by Banks’ keyboards. Finally, just prior to Genesis beginning work on their next album, their lineup was completed with the addition of guitarist Steve Hackett, a former member of Quiet World. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_(band)
Album & Cover
Trespass is the second studio album from the English rock band Genesis, released in October 1970 on Charisma Records. Their last with guitarist Anthony Phillips and only record with drummer John Mayhew in the band’s line-up, Trespass displayed a folk-flavoured progressive rock sound of the group that was a marked a departure from pop tunes on their first album, From Genesis to Revelation. Genesis soon became one of the first groups signed to the fledgling Charisma label, founded by Tony Stratton-Smith, and they recorded their second album, Trespass. This record, showed the first signs of the band that Genesis would become. The music was still folk-based, some of the songs couldn’t quite carry their length, and they had some way to go in terms of vocal and instrumental finesse, but it had reach if not grasp — most of the album was comprised of extended pieces, sung with dramatic intensity, and with complex parts for all of the instruments. Trespass was not a commercial success and it received some mixed reviews upon release. Following the band’s growth in popularity in the 1980s, it peaked the UK chart at No. 98 for one week in 1984. The album is the first Genesis album released in the US. However the album reached No. 1 in Belgium, leading to the band’s first overseas concerts there in March 1971. “The Knife” was released as a single in May 1971. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trespass_(album)
The album cover was painted by Paul Whitehead, who also did the covers for the band’s next two albums. Whitehead had finished the cover and then the band added ‘The Knife’ to the running order. Feeling that the cover no longer fitted the mood of the album, they asked Whitehead to redo it. When Whitehead was reluctant to do so, the band members inspired him to slash the canvas with an actual knife. The whole thing was then photographed, but came out blue when reproduced due to lighting in the room.
Cover Location:
Who Did What: Artwork – Paul Whitehead.
Label:
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One Looking For Someone White Mountain Visions of Angels |
Side Two Stagnation Dusk The Knife |
Credits
Acoustic Guitar [12 Strings], Electric Bass, Guitar [Nylon], Cello, Voice – Michael Rutherford
Acoustic Guitar [12 Strings], Lead Guitar [Electric], Dulcimer, Voice – Anthony Phillips
Composed By, Arranged By, Performer – Genesis
Drums, Percussion, Voice – John Mayhew
Engineer – Robin Cable
Organ, Piano, Mellotron, Guitar, Voice – Anthony Banks
Producer – John Anthony
Voice [Lead], Flute, Accordion, Tambourine, Bass Drum – Peter Gabriel
Written-By – A. Phillips, J. Mayhew, M. Rutherford, P. Gabriel, A. Banks
