1982 Ex Phil Collins Pearl BLX

1982 Pearl ex Phil Collins Custom BLX Concert Tom In Natural Birch #112

DRUMS
20 x 14" Bass Drum # No Serial number.
8 x 5.5" Concert Tom #193830
10 x 6.5" Concert Tom #193831
12 x 8" Concert Tom #193832
15 x 12" Concert Tom # 193833
16 x 14.5" Concert Tom #193834
18 x 16" Concert Tom #193836* (There was no 193835)
14 x 8" Snare Drum #193837 BLX-414ED

HARDWARE
Ludwig Speed King Bass Drum Pedal
Slingerland Dynamo Hi-Hat #809
Premier Trilok Double Tom Stands
Premier Tom Mounting Blocks
Premier Lokfast Snare Stand
Premier Stool

HEADS
High Toms - Remo Weather King Clear Diplomat
Low Toms - Remo Weather King Clear Ambassador
Snare - Remo Weather King Coated Emperor
Bass Drum Batter - Ludwig

If you have any information about the kit or indeed any questions, please contact me.

Phil Collins performed with the kit for the following projects;
Genesis - 1982 'Three Sides Live' World Tour.
Phil Collins - 1982 'Hello, I Must Be Going' European Tour.
Phil Collins - 1983 'Hello, I Must Be Going' North American Tour.
Robert Plant - 1983 'The Principle of Moments'
Genesis - 1983 'Genesis' Album Sessions.
Eric Clapton - May 23rd 1983 - Civic Hall, Guildford
Peter Gabriel - July 9th - Selhurst Park, London
Robert Plant - 1983 UK Tour Rehearsals

The unique Pearl BLX drum set can be seen on the Phil Collins VHS release 'Live At Perkins Palace' and was also featured in RHYTHM Magazine, Issue #182.

My Background with the set.
"As a wide eyed 17 year old, I was incredibly fortunate to meet Phil Collins backstage after a warm up show for the Genesis 1980 'Duke' UK tour.

We chatted for a while. shared some laughter and general thoughts about drumming and drummers. It didn't seem real, could this really be happening to me, chatting to my idol like he was an old friend?

Genesis were indeed my favourite band and Phil my favourite drummer and this had been the case since 1976 when my musical world lit up upon hearing the band's music for the first time.

A year later, they were to open my eyes to the whole new world of touring when at 14, I saw my first ever concert on June 24th, 1977. The band were playing 3 sell out nights to 54,000 people at Earls Court, London as their 'seven month 'Wind & Wuthering' world tour was drawing to a triumphant close. 

As I searched for my seat that night, I found myself right above the stage and their equipment, with the twin gleaming monster sized drums sets that were book-ended by an array of percussion, stretched the full length of that massive arena stage.

From the moment I saw that vision, everything in my future was to change, touring was for me, however that was to be!

I saw the band multiple times in the following years and by 1981, I had followed the band into Europe and was helping with merchandise and talking with Phil on a regular basis and saw my first shows from the side of the stage.

In 1982, I was invited to join the band once again and I arrived for their world tour at the production rehearsals in Peroria, Illinois, America in July. It was behind those closed doors that I first set sight on Phil's incredible brand new custom built Pearl BLX Concert Tom set.

A few months earlier, a remarkable coup had been made to entice Phil away from Premier drums by the legendary head of Pearl's European market, Roy Holliday and here just a few month's later, was this remarkable set of drums.

The Genesis tour was set to rumble around North America and Europe with myself on board for three months and along the way, I was learning the ropes from their crew in almost every department as a keen young rookie.

Below is a shot of the breakdown of the Genesis stage set that I took after the first show in Peoria, with drum tech Mike Kidson packing Phil's drums.

In late August, I was given the amazing opportunity of being allowed to play the Pearl set during the soundcheck at an outdoor baseball stadium, the CNE in Toronto. At 19, it was an unbelievable experience!

The following shot was an image taken by myself from the wings behind Phil's drums later that same day whilst 60,000 fans watched the band perform 'Supper's Ready.



With the tour concluded, the final Genesis performance of 1982 saw them reunite with Peter Gabriel in October for a special one off show at Milton Keynes and Phil would undertake drum duties for this special one off performance.

To be able to watch Phil drum from right alongside him stage left while he performed from behind the Pearl set such classics as 'Supper's Ready', 'The Musical Box', 'Back in New York City', 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway', 'Fly On A Windshield', 'In The Cage' and 'Firth Of Fifth' among others, was the ultimate icing on the cake, or so I thought!...

For the next 10 months, the Pearl drums were in almost constant daily use. There was but one set made by Pearl along with a small drum kit for Phil's son Simon (who I would many years later go on to manage), so the drums were backwards and forwards over the Atlantic as Phil undertook his first ever solo tours in 1982 and 1983.

In March of 1983, Genesis returned to their own Fisher Lane Farm Studios where they went on to record the self titled 'Genesis' album which included future classics such as 'Mama' and 'Home by the Sea' featuring the Pearl set.

A string of live guest performances behind the set also took place with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Eric Clapton among others, before Phil took to the studio once again with Robert Plant where the Pearl was given a wonderful showcase on the resulting 'The Principle of Moments' album.

July of 1983 saw Phil in rehearsals with Robert Plant as they worked on a set for a North American tour which would see Phil perform the show behind the drums.

By this stage, a second Pearl set was clearly needed, one on each side of the Atlantic and Phil's team put in the call to Pearl's top A&R manager in Nashville. Remarkably, he had no idea who Phil Collins was, despite him being one of the biggest selling artists in the world and unbelievably, he said no to the request.

24 hours later, Phil was signed with Gretsch drums and he undertook the Robert Plant tour with a new set of drums - Phil has been with Gretsch ever since!

In 2009, I had just returned to drumming myself when my tour management work in the industry allowed when I received a call to say that unbelievably, Phil's 1982 Pearl kit could be obtained!  

The set had remained in storage for a few years before being passed to a drummer friend of Phil's (by then) former drum tech. Naturally, it goes without that saying the deal was done and that amazingly, some 25 years after I had toured with Phil, Genesis and the Pearl drum set, it would come into my personal ownership.

Now that really is the ultimate icing on the cake and shows that dreams do come true!"....

I managed to unearth a lot of rare information about the drums and their inception from the head of Pearl Drum in Japan and from none other than Roy Holliday himself who has since become a dear friend.

To bring this full circle, in 2012, I was asked to take the drums to the Genesis own Fisher Lane Farm Studios where I was to record Phil's former Pearl drum set in his own legendary stone room with the session being engineered by none other than the producer, Nick Davis, who has worked on many Genesis albums over the years.



Surreal is the only word to describe the feeling of knowing my history with this kit and that Phil had recorded the Pearl drums in this same room 29 years years earlier.

Since that tour in 1982, I have stayed in touch with Phil and many of the crew members, although sadly a few have since departed us, but all are agreed, it was a very special tour and time.

Through my work with his son Simon, I have also met up with Phil a number of times since obtaining the Pearl set and during one visit to his home, he told me he still felt that to this day, the Pearl set of drums had the definitive 'live''In The Air Tonight' drum sound.

Anyone who knows me, knows well that this incredible set of Pearl drums will never leave me. Quite simply, it was and will always remain, my ultimate set of drums!

A full website for the kit will (one day!) be launched at www.philcollinsdrums.co.uk that will detail the full history and use of the kit that will also feature many more never before published photos of Genesis and Phil Collins.

Recording with the Pearl drums in 2012.

All Images are copyright © and are used here with the kind permission of:-
Graham Collins, Robert Ellis (Repfoto), Philip Kamin, Robin Prichard, Rhythm Magazine.
Reproduction of these images is restricted by the copyright owners.

If you have any information about the kit or indeed any questions, please contact me.