From Genesis to Revelation was the first album by Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

, released in March 1969 on Decca Records

Decca Records

Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....

 in England (London Records in North America). It was produced by Jonathan King

Jonathan King

Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...

, who discovered them in 1967 while the members of Genesis were pupils at Charterhouse School

Charterhouse School

Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...

, King's alma mater.

Production

Genesis originally consisted of Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

, Tony Banks

Tony Banks (musician)

This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...

, Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford

Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...

, and Anthony Phillips

Anthony Phillips

Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...

, without a drummer. Once one of their demo tapes caught the attention of Jonathan King

Jonathan King

Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...

, he took them under his wing and, with the addition of schoolmate Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart (author)

Christopher 'Chris' Stewart , was the original drummer and a founding member of Genesis. He is now a farmer and an author.-Background and musical career:...

 on drums, recorded "The Silent Sun" as their first single. It was later described by the band as a "Bee Gees

Bee Gees

The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...

 pastiche" written specifically to win King's approval. Its February 1968 release on Decca Records was not a commercial success. Neither was the follow-up "A Winter's Tale" three months later. After replacing Chris Stewart with John Silver

John Silver

Jonathan Silver was the second drummer for the English rock band Genesis. He replaced Chris Stewart in the summer of 1968 and appears on their first full length album, From Genesis to Revelation, and on the Genesis Archive 1967-75 box set...

, King had them compose an album of songs loosely based on the Bible. The album was recorded in August 1968 during school holidays, and later overdubbed with strings and horns, to the band's chagrin. King sequenced the songs together like a concept album, with no gaps in between the tracks.

Release and reception

From Genesis to Revelation was issued several months later in a black sleeve with its title scribed in gothic gold on the top lefthand side. With little else to go by, the record shops stacked the LP in the religious sections. Its initial sales tally was 650 copies. Once the band began achieving worldwide success, From Genesis to Revelation briefly dented the US charts in 1974, peaking at #170.

The band's name was omitted from the sleeve because Decca had recently discovered that an obscure American act was also calling itself Genesis and asked the band to consider changing its name to avoid confusion, which King declined. The American "Genesis" in question was likely the LA-based group that released an LP called In The Beginning on the Mercury

Mercury Records

Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

 label in 1967.

Aftermath

Genesis split with both Decca and Jonathan King

Jonathan King

Jonathan King is an English singer, songwriter, impresario and record producer. He is also the author of three novels, Bible Two and The Booker Prize Winner , and Beware the Monkey Man , and an autobiography, 65 My Life So Far .King first came to prominence as an...

, preferring to strike out on their own musical terms. Although King had more experience and was aiming to present Genesis in a marketable way, they were feeling more and more constrained by King's attempts to curtail and limit their increasingly lengthy and adventurous new compositions. The band went professional in the autumn of 1969, and after replacing John Silver with John Mayhew on drums, Genesis began formulating the music that would lead to Trespass

Trespass (album)

Trespass is the second studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1970. Their last with guitarist Anthony Phillips, Trespass had a folk-flavoured progressive rock sound that was a marked departure from their earlier work....

the following year and were soon signed to Charisma Records

Charisma Records

Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...

.

Although initially released on Decca Records, From Genesis to Revelation has since been licensed to many smaller labels, who often issue it with different artwork or different titles. It is because of these licensing reasons that the album was excluded from the 2008 box set, "Genesis 1970–1975", which covers the rest of the band's era with singer Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

.

On 27 July 1990, the album was reissued in a two disc set. The second disc included the four tracks included on And the Word Was....., four early versions of songs on the album, and ten interviews.

On 25 October 2010, the album was released as a special edition on iTunes. It includes the bonus tracks from the 1990 reissue.

Track listing

All songs by Tony Banks

Tony Banks (musician)

This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...

/Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel

Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

/Anthony Phillips

Anthony Phillips

Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...

/Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford

Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...

. Copyright

Copyright

Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

 Jonjo Music Co. Ltd.

Original 1969 Release

Side 1:

1. "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" – 3:16
2. "In the Beginning" – 3:47
3. "Fireside Song" – 4:20
4. "The Serpent" – 4:40
5. "Am I Very Wrong?" – 3:33
6. "In the Wilderness" – 3:33

Side 2:

1. "The Conqueror" – 3:42
2. "In Hiding" – 2:40
3. "One Day" – 3:22
4. "Window" – 3:35
5. "In Limbo" – 3:32
6. "Silent Sun" – 2:15
7. "A Place to Call My Own" – 2:00

And the Word Was... (1987 Reissue)

1. "The Silent Sun (mono)" – 2:17
2. "That's Me (mono)" – 2:41
3. "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" – 3:16
4. "In the Beginning" – 3:44
5. "Fireside Song" – 4:58
6. "The Serpent" – 3:58
7. "Am I Very Wrong?" – 3:31
8. "In the Wilderness" – 3:39
9. "The Conqueror" – 3:22
10. "In Hiding" – 2:38
11. "One Day" – 3:21
12. "Window" – 3:33
13. "In Limbo" – 3:30
14. "Silent Sun" – 2:13
15. "A Place to Call My Own" – 1:59
16. "A Winter's Tale (mono)" – 3:31
17. "One-Eyed Hound (mono)" – 2:36

Bonus Disc (1990 Reissue)

1. "A Winter's Tale" – 3:31
2. "One-Eyed Hound" – 2:31
3. "That's Me" – 2:38
4. "Silent Sun (Single Version)" – 2:12
5. "Image Blown Out" – 2:11
6. "She is Beautiful" – 3:46
7. "Try a Little Sadness" – 3:18
8. "Patricia" – 3:05
9. "Interviews" – 21:53

Bonus Disc (2005 Reissue)

1. "Patricia (demo 1967)" – 3:08
2. "Try a Little Sadness (demo 1967)" – 3:21
3. "She is Beautiful (demo 1967)" – 3:48
4. "Image Blown Out (demo)" – 2:49
5. "The Silent Sun (single A-side)" – 2:15
6. "That's Me (single B-side)" – 2:40
7. "A Winter's Tale (single A-side)" – 3:32
8. "One-Eyed Hound (single B-side)" – 2:34
9. "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet (demo 1968)" – 3:16
10. "In the Beginning (demo 1968)" – 3:32
11. "In the Wilderness (rough mix without strings 1968)" – 2:59
12. "One Day (rough mix 1968)" – 3:08
13. "Image Blown Out (rough mix 1968)" – 2:13

Related Songs

1. "Hidden in the World of Dawn" – 3:10
2. "Sea Bee" – 3:05
3. "The Mystery of the Flannan Isle Lighthouse" – 2:36
4. "Hair on the Arms and Legs" – 2:42
   • Tracks 1–4 are 1967 demos
5. "The Magic of Time" – 2:01
6. "Hey!" – 2:28
   • Tracks 5–6 are 1968 demos
7. "Build Me a Mountain" – 4:13
   • 1968 rough mix

All these tracks are available on Genesis Archive 1967-75

Genesis Archive 1967-75

Genesis Archive 1967–75 is a 1998 boxed set by progressive rock band Genesis.This set features live recordings and rarities from the band's classic years when Peter Gabriel was lead singer. The first two of the four discs consist of a previously unreleased live recording of The Lamb Lies Down on...

released in 1998.

Personnel

• Peter Gabriel
  Peter Gabriel
  Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
  
   – vocals, flute
  Flute
  The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
  
  
• Anthony Phillips
  Anthony Phillips
  Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
  
   – guitar, vocals
• Tony Banks
  Tony Banks (musician)
  This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
  
   – organ
  Organ (music)
  The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
  
  , piano, vocals
• Mike Rutherford
  Mike Rutherford
  Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
  
   – bass guitar, guitar, vocals
• John Silver
  John Silver
  Jonathan Silver was the second drummer for the English rock band Genesis. He replaced Chris Stewart in the summer of 1968 and appears on their first full length album, From Genesis to Revelation, and on the Genesis Archive 1967-75 box set...
  
   – drums, vocals, except on "Silent Sun"
• Chris Stewart
  Chris Stewart (author)
  Christopher 'Chris' Stewart , was the original drummer and a founding member of Genesis. He is now a farmer and an author.-Background and musical career:...
  
   – drums on "Silent Sun"

• Strings & Horns Arranged & Conducted By Arthur Greenslade
  Arthur Greenslade
  Arthur Greenslade was a British conductor and arranger for films and television as well as for a number of performers. In the 1950s he was pianist and arranger with the Oscar Rabin Band. He has arranged for Jack Jones, Chris Farlowe, Serge Gainsbourg, Genesis, Cat Stevens, Diana Ross and Dusty...
  
   & Lou Warburton

UK LP Releases

• Decca
  Decca Records
  Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
  
   LK 4990 (1969): Mono 1st issue, contains insert with art, lyrics and credits. Record has red labels with an unboxed Decca logo and a red "peep hole" on the back of the cover. Mono copies are extremely rare and fetch very high prices (upwards of $1,200 USD for a copy in good condition).
• Decca
  Decca Records
  Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
  
   SKL 4990 (1969): Stereo 1st issue, contains insert with art, lyrics and credits. Record has blue labels and a blue "peep hole" on the back of the cover.
  • On the labels, 1st issues contain both the boxed Decca logo and the unboxed logo. The labels were used interchangeably. The unboxed logos are more rare.
• Decca
  Decca Records
  Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
  
   SKL 4990 (1974): Reissue, retitled In The Beginning

U.S. LP Releases

• London
  London Records
  London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
  
   XPS 643 (1974): 1st issue, with art, lyrics and credits.
• London
  London Records
  London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
  
   LC50006 (1977): 2nd issue, retitled In the Beginning
• London
  London Records
  London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
  
   820 496-2 (1987): CD reissue, retitled And the Word Was.....
  • This release included four additional mono tracks. The first two appear before the contents of the original album (which are in stereo), the other two afterward:
    • A mono version of "The Silent Sun"
    • "That's Me"
    • "A Winter's Tale"
    • "One-Eyed Hound"
  • This reissue marked the first U.S. availability of From Genesis to Revelation on CD. It was apparently meant to capitalise upon the group's (and likely Gabriel's) surging popularity in the U.S., as suggested by the timing of its release (closely on the heels of Invisible Touch
    Invisible Touch
    Invisible Touch is the 13th studio album by the band Genesis, released in 1986. It reached No.1 in the UK where it remained in the charts for 96 weeks, making it by far the most commercially successful album of their career, eventually selling over 15 million copies worldwide...
    
    ) and its liner notes which document the band's early history, up to …And Then There Were Three…, which was not familiar to most of the group's American audience.

External links