Drumeo has released the uncut version of Phil Collins’s interview for their ‘Drummer First’ documentary, where the former Genesis drummer revealed the one musician he wished he had collaborated with during his career.
“The only person I got to know a little bit but didn’t play with is Joe Zawinul,” Collins said. “You know, I just love what he does and did. We played the [Zawinul] Syndicate, and my band. We played the North Sea Jazz Festival, and there was Tower of Power, and Buddy Guy.”
He recalled, “Joe Zawinul came to my caravan. It was indoors, but there were no dressing rooms, and it was like meeting God, you know. And he invited me over to his caravan, and we had a couple of slivovitzes, and we exchanged numbers. I stayed in touch with him. He used to send me postcards, and I would send him messages. But I wish I’d have played with him, although I would’ve been scared stiff.”
Zawinul also admired Collins. In a past radio interview, Collins noted that Zawinul appreciated Genesis’ music and often played their song ‘Follow You, Follow Me’ on the tour bus.
“Joe Zawinul from Weather Report, I remember meeting those guys, and they said, ‘We used to play ‘Follow You, Follow Me’ on the bus all the time,’” he shared (via Ultimate Guitar). “It was a direct song, and it blew open in America, and suddenly we had lots of female fans, as well as the guys; they could still like us without thinking we changed.”
Joe Zawinul died of a rare form of skin cancer on September 11, 2007, at the age of 75.
