Phil Collins: "Michael Schumacher has a problem with its arrogance"
Steffen Rueth - November 14, 2002
Phil Collins: "Michael Schumacher has a problem with its arrogance"

Its new album "Testify" sounds familiarly, evenly typical to Phil Collins. With the Net newspaper spoke the singer about Songs, which are embarrassing him, leaving ambition and about it, why Becker is more pleasant to him than Schumacher.

It had become surprisingly calm in the last years around Phil Collins. Nearly it looked in such a way, as if the 51-Jaehrige with its third wife, who 22 years younger Orianne Cevey, became, and Nicholas (18 months) set common small son for which so slowly to the peace. But nothing there.

The former genesis genesis-Schlagzeuger made, "Testify" is called and shows a new plate her Phil Collins from its strongest side. Only the stress of a world tour it does not want to do itself any longer - also, because it hears ever more badly. Which umtreibt otherwise in such a way it, he betrayed Steffen Rueth in the interview.

Net newspaper: This morning in the hotel they played "You Can?t Hurry Love" with the breakfast. Does that make it happy?
Phil Collins: Tja, you can not escape from me simply. I am really surprised that that continues still in such a way. That the people simply constantly my songs play. My daughter Lily told me that in Los Angeles continuously "Another Day runs in Paradise" in the radio. I find that nice. Always there Daddy is, even if it is not straight in the country.

Net newspaper: What do you feel, if you hear yourselves?
Collins: Naja, sometimes, if I am in the restaurant, then present to hear her intentionally my music, because they think, I wanted that there. I do not want to listen myself however when singing, while I eat. Often I hear it not at all, what is not because of my broken left ear, but to it that I mean voice hardly still notice. But from time to time I am pleased also. If for example "Easy Lover" runs, then I find that still geil and turn it louder. I love this number. It sounds still fantastic and fresh also after nearly 20 years.

Net newspaper: Are there also Songs, which find you embarrassing today?
Collins: With "Against universe Odds" I think "Aehhh, that can I however today better."

Net newspaper: Does it make you proud that your music accompanies humans by the life?
Collins: Very proudly. I find it mad that I am so for a long time already thereby and in the meantime completely different age groups on my music.

Net newspaper: Don't you feel old, if suddenly three different generations come to the concert?
Collins: TC, honestly said already. If such a young girl comes and "ability says you please signs, it is for my nut/mother", then I must swallow first times. But I think not too much over the age. Which I do, takes place within a young world, even if I am no longer young. Singing and Songschreiben keep me lively.

Net newspaper: "Wake UP call", which sounds first Song on "Testify", like a musical Energy drink?
Collins: Yes, that is one my Lieblingssongs, therefore I wanted him as the first. It pulls you in into the plate. The text acts the people of one, which has a quantity of power, up-shaken and says "watches out times, lets it us anpacken." I feel this energy in me, but I see also a quantity of apathy with humans. That should not be. We humans are those, which form our life. We change the things. If we think all, we could not change anything, then we harm ourselves.

Net newspaper: Are you politically very much interested?
Collins: No. Certain points within the policy however fascinate me. Dishonesty and Heuchelei are that above all. I pursue primarily in England, but it probably applies to all politicians in the world. Most kuschen their whole career long, and only, after they sat down to the peace, they come raus and say their real opinion. That is nevertheless amusing. Politicians are to solve problems. But we select it.

Net newspaper: In "Don?t GET ME Started" sing you over the misuse of power of the media.
Collins: Yes, I thought, it am important to write over it. See times: Murdoch. Everything belongs in England. How can one limit that and balance its power? Everywhere it rains, and humans become wet. Only Murdoch and perhaps still, two others have this giant screen.

Net newspaper: A time long was Phil Collins of the Rupert Murdoch of the Popmusik. Where always one also came end of the 80's, at the beginning of the 90's, already there the songs of you or your group of genesis were.
Collins: I white, I know. But I could do nevertheless nothing for it, I only the Songs wrote. I believe, which many would not admit now in my position, but I had above all a giant portion pig. My career does not work today any longer completely so threateningly and intimidating. Here times a OSCAR for the "Tarzan" Soundtrack, there times a hit however I is not no more this over Phil.

Net newspaper: Do you know, how one down-loads music or films from the InterNet?
Collins: No, at all no notion. I betrayal them times which: I opened past week my all first E-Mail.

Net newspaper: How ask?
Collins: Yes, that never itched me. I had also never a computer, before I had purchased in the studio. The only computer in the house was one for plays. Sometimes there I sit and daddel so rum. Recently however, and that is the reason, why I could be attached to the InterNet, make I totally gladly photos of Nicholas, our baby and work on those digitally. That makes fun.

Net newspaper: Must be mad to see growing up your small son and all this again experience.
Collins: Is it also. I have a 30-jaehrige daughter, a 25-year old son, who by the way lives in Frankfurt, a 13-jaehrige daughter and a 18 months old son. Great it is above all to see it together. Now Christmas they will be for the first time all at a place. We celebrate all together Christmas in the mountains. Insanity or? I am now 51 and no longer as ambitiously and bit as I it in former times was.

Net newspaper: As you before seven years with Orianne together came, how has there the press reacted?
Collins: Dreadfully. Straight ones in England one accused to me, would make always already in my music I everything wrong, what only wrong one can make. Okay, does not disturb me. But with the private life the point comes, where it becomes widerlich. I know that I am a public property somewhere, in addition, I am only normal humans. I made thus the necessary information about my separation from Jill and the new relationship with Orianne and would leave hoped, one me public thereafter alone.

Net newspaper: Was however not like that.
Collins: Was not at all like that. The press rooted so for a long time in the shit, until it could not smell it any longer. It is no matter to those that one can destroy the life of humans thereby. Amusing way came the same people, which titelten only, "it is 45? it is 23", briefly thereafter on and begged around a Homestory.

Net newspaper: Was the relationship with Orianne actually the result of a Midlife Crisis?
Collins: That says itself then always fast, but I do not think that that was the crucial point. My marriage was simply unfortunate, Jill and I did not get along together. Then I became acquainted with one much, very fascinating and intelligent woman, who was coincidentally 21 years old at the time. I fell in love with it. Their age never played a role for me. The great is: We love ourselves still just as strongly as at the beginning.

Net newspaper: They live close Geneva in the house of ex running driver Jackie Stuart. Are you interested in formula 1?
Collins: Logically, I admire Rubens Baricchello. That is at least as talentiert as Michael Schumacher, but he must always stand in the shade. Rubens will become times champion sometime, but it certainly champion, so long Schumacher it does not instruct that he is to drive to the side.

Net newspaper: Don't you like Michael Schumacher?
Collins: I have so my problems with him (laughs). Now, I met him times in Hockenheim, together with Jackie. It was very nice to me, and he is probably a friend of my music. We have our telephone numbers exchanged with that ulterior motives, times together to crickets or so. But it never called back. Although Orianne and I determines two or three times a message on its answering set spoke.

Net newspaper: Why didn't it announce itself?
Collins: No notion. Everyone knows that it has a problem with its arrogance. How finds her German it?

Net newspaper: We respect it, but do we do not love correctly it actually.
Collins: See, exactly that I imagined. Look it times, Boris Becker that is a man, who by the people is loved, because he shows weaknesses unehliche children into the world sets and all that. Schumacher? That is only perfect. For it that must be frustrating. But it is debt. It can be nicer. It does not stand anywhere written that you must be an arrogant Hurensohn, only because you the fastest running driver of the world is. And at all: The car is anyway with distance the fastest car. Everyone can win in such a Ferrari.

Net newspaper: What do you drive for a car?
Collins: Rank a Rover.

Net newspaper: No sports cars?
Collins: No, no. I had only times in former times briefly a Ferrari, when I lived still in England. There I met with Eric Clapton, we am gladly one frequent drink gone. On the return trip then it wanted to always steer and I only the courses changed.

Net newspaper: are there many common characteristics between race drivers and musicians?
Collins: some are nice, and some are not nice. I hope, you keep me as a nice person in recollection.

Translated from Original Source: Copyright © 2004 Netzeitung.de