“As well as the originals”: The only band that could cover Motown, according to Phil Collins
In many ways, the spirit and energy of Motown was the perfect fit for the 1960s. During a decade when anything felt possible, Motown captured the hunger for change and the livelihood that defined an entire generation. While many other bands attempted to cover songs under the Motown umbrella, according to Phil Collins, only one was able to truly do it with the same sense of optimistic fervour.
Growing up, Collins was like any other aspirational musician. And, like any other enthusiastic kid in the 1960s, he became the epitome of the musical protégé, studying the works of others and dreaming of one day occupying his own stage. During this era, there were several strands of cultural force that would later define the entire decade, not just within pop rock and outfits like The Beatles but another entity entirely.
Throughout the 1960s, Motown didn’t just offer diverse voices a platform to shine, it sparked an entire microcosm of cultural energy, tapping into the same infectious style that captured young minds like Collins. This would be the era that made a name for some of the most influential figures of all time, including The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and more.
Because of its immense sonic dominance, Motown also became a conduit for others to explore their own artistry. While some focussed on the obvious pertinence of groups like the Fab Four, using their perceived structural simplicity and effortless charismatic appeal to craft their own artistic identity, others, like Collins, looked further afield, embracing the enjoyment of a more holistic approach.
And with that came an appreciation for ambition and tenacity. Not everyone could successfully pull off Motown covers, largely because most Motown legends had an innate feel and flavour that only those within the movement truly possessed. However, every now and then, an outsider managed to get it right—and according to Collins, only one group ever operated at that high a standard.
“I was a big fan of The Action,” Collins told Sounds in 1982. “They used to do Motown covers, and they were the only band I ever heard who did them as well as the originals. So that’s what my group did as well, so I was playing drums and singing ‘Uptight’, ‘Land Of A Thousand Dances’, ‘Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever’.” According to Collins, The Action was the only group that could not only capture the essence of Motown but did so with a glaring British feel, almost like they could do it without having to come across as imitations.
This is also something Collins carried over into his own art. Aside from feeling inspired to deliver similar covers, his open-mindedness when it came to different artistic avenues he wasn’t as necessarily well versed in as others meant that he was always open to absorbing more influences, leading to a refinement that few others knew how to achieve. After all, for Collins, it was never really about sticking to one lane, which is ultimately what made others become so endeared to his craft in the first place.
