Mel Collins

1.1. Family and Musical Influence

Collins hails from a musical family. His mother, Bebe Collins, was a singer, and his father, Derek Collins, was a saxophonist and session musician who toured with notable artists such as Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey. This environment fostered an early appreciation for jazz in young Mel, who cited Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins as influences in a 2002 interview.

1.2. Musical Education and Early Bands

Collins began his formal musical education at the age of 10, learning the piano. He later took up the clarinet at 12, before ultimately transitioning to the saxophone. After honing his skills, he began playing with local bands around Croydon, South London. Upon turning 18 in September 1965, he obtained a work permit and joined The Dagoes, a touring support band, performing in concerts for artists like Bo Diddley and P.J. Proby. On 16 May 1966, he joined Phillip Goodhand-Tait's The Stormsville Shakers, marking his first professional recording experience. The band later reformed as Circus in 1967.

2.1. Early Career and First Bands

Collins's initial professional engagements included his work with Phillip Goodhand-Tait's The Stormsville Shakers, with whom he recorded a single in December 1966 and a four-track EP in Paris. The band was subsequently renamed Circus in 1967, releasing two singles that year and an album in 1969 after Goodhand-Tait embarked on a solo career.

2.2. King Crimson

Collins's most prominent role in progressive rock was with King Crimson. He first joined the band in 1970, initially as a guest on their second album, In the Wake of Poseidon, before becoming a full member. During this period, he played on Lizard (1970) and Islands (1971), and also contributed to live performances, where he shared mellotron duties with Robert Fripp. King Crimson disbanded after their US tour in spring 1972, which was documented on the live album Earthbound. Collins remained in the US with fellow band members Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace, joining Alexis Korner's Snape. He later contributed as a session musician to King Crimson's 1974 album Red.

After a long hiatus from the band, Collins returned to the King Crimson fold in 2011, contributing to the King Crimson ProjeKct 7 album A Scarcity of Miracles, marking his first appearance on a King Crimson-related album since 1974. In September 2013, Robert Fripp confirmed Collins's full return to King Crimson, becoming a member of the "King Crimson VIII" lineup. He remained with the band, participating in live activities, including their final tour in Japan in December 2021.

2.3. Other Major Bands and Projects

Beyond King Crimson, Collins has been a member of several other significant musical groups. He was a member of Kokomo from 1974 to 1976 and participated in their temporary reformation in 1982, May 2008, and again from 2015 to 2016. He joined Camel in 1977, contributing to albums like Rain Dances and Breathless, and toured Japan with them in January 1979. Collins also played with The Alan Parsons Project on albums such as Eye in the Sky (1982) and Ammonia Avenue (1984).

From 2002 to 2007, Collins was a member of the King Crimson offshoot group 21st Century Schizoid Band, which featured other former King Crimson members. He also joined Pete Haycock's reformation of the Climax Blues Band in 2013. Currently, Collins is a member of Dire Straits Legacy, a band dedicated to performing the music of Dire Straits. This group features other former Dire Straits touring members and is regarded as "the closest you're going to get!" to the original band. They have released a studio album titled 3 Chord Trick.

2.4. Session Work and Notable Collaborations

Collins has an extensive career as a session musician, collaborating with a vast number of prominent artists across various genres. His saxophone solo on The Rolling Stones' 1978 hit single "Miss You" is one of his most recognized contributions. In 1983, he joined Dire Straits for their eight-month-long Love over Gold Tour and performed on their live album Alchemy. The following year, Collins recorded the iconic saxophone solo on the title track of Tina Turner's massively successful album Private Dancer.

His collaborations include work with 10cc, Alexis Korner, Alvin Lee, Joan Armatrading, Bad Company, Bryan Ferry (including his first Japan tour in 1977), Eric Clapton, Pino Daniele, Roger Waters (including the second leg of his 'Pros and Cons' tour in 1985), Gerry Rafferty, Tears for Fears, Go West, Joe Cocker, David Sylvian, Terence Trent D'Arby, Phil Thornalley, and Miyuki Nakajima (on her 1990 album Yoru wo Yuke). He also provided saxophone for the animated film When the Wind Blows in 1986. In 1985, Collins was part of the supergroup 'Willie and the Poor Boys', appearing in their video with Bill Wyman and Jimmy Page. He also participated in the production of Pete Sinfield's 1973 album Still, co-writing one of its songs. From 1996 to 2004, he was a band member on the German talk show Die Harald Schmidt Show. In 2003, Collins provided liner notes for the King Crimson Collectors' Club release "CLUB23", which featured a 1972 live concert by Fripp, Collins, Burrell, and Wallace.

2.5. Bands by Year

The following is a chronological overview of Mel Collins's affiliations with various bands and musical projects throughout his career:

• Eric Burdon: 1965, 1980
• Phillip Goodhand-Tait and the Stormsville Shakers: 1966
• Circus: 1967-1970
• King Crimson: 1970-1972, 1974 (session), 2013-2021
• Alexis Korner: 1972-1982
• Kokomo: 1973-1975, 1982, 2015-2016
• Alvin Lee: 1973-2000
• Bad Company: 1974-1982
• Snafu: 1974-1975
• Humble Pie: 1974-1975
• Uriah Heep: 1975
• Chris Squire: 1975
• Phil Manzanera: 1975-1987
• Bryan Ferry: 1976-1993
• Eric Clapton: 1977
• Small Faces: 1977
• Streetwalkers: 1977
• Camel: 1977-1984
• Joan Armatrading: 1977-1983
• The Rolling Stones: 1977-1978
• Richard Wright: 1978
• Ian Matthews: 1978-1979
• Roger Chapman and the Shortlist: 1979
• Gerry Rafferty: 1978-1994
• Anthony Phillips: 1977-1980
• Sally Oldfield: 1980-1983
• Jim Capaldi: 1980-1988
• The Byron Band: 1981
• Marianne Faithfull: 1981
• Caravan: 1981
• The Alan Parsons Project: 1982-1984
• Cliff Richard: 1982-1983
• Dire Straits: 1983
• Wang Chung: 1983 (alto sax solo on "Dance Hall Days")
• Tears for Fears: 1983-1985
• 10cc: 1983
• Eberhard Schoener: 1983
• Roger Waters and the Bleeding Heart Band: 1984-1987, and 2000
• Go West: 1985
• Clannad: 1985, 1994-1998
• 21st Century Schizoid Band: 2002-2004
• Dire Straits Legacy: 2020-present

3.1. Solo

• Saxophone Ballads (1987)

3.2. Phillip Goodhand-Tait and The Stormsville Shakers

• "You can't take love / J.C.Greaseburger" (Single, 1966)
• The Stormsville Shakers (EP, 1966)
• 1965 & 1966 / Ricky-Tick...40 Years On (2008)
• 1965-1967 (2012)
• One And One Is Two: Complete Recordings 1965-1967 (2015)

3.3. Circus

• "Gone Are The Songs Of Yesterday / Sink Or Swim" (Single, 1967)
• "Do You Dream? / House Of Wood" (Single, 1968)
• Circus (1969)
• When Circus Came To Stormsville 1967 (2009)

3.4. King Crimson

• In the Wake of Poseidon (1970)
• Lizard (1970)
• Islands (1971)
• Earthbound (1972)
• Red (1974)
• Ladies of the Road (2002)
• Live at the Orpheum (2015)
• Live in Toronto (2016)
• Radical Action to Unseat the Hold of Monkey Mind (2016)
• Live in Vienna (2017)
• Sailors' Tales (1970-1972) (2017)
• Live in Chicago 28 June 2017 (2018)
• Meltdown: Live in Mexico City (2018)
• Music is our Friend: Live in Washington and Albany (2021)

3.5. A King Crimson ProjeKct

• A Scarcity of Miracles (2011)

3.6. Camel

• Rain Dances (1977)
• A Live Record (Live, 1978)
• Breathless (1978)
• I Can See Your House from Here (1979)
• Nude (1981)
• Pressure Points (Live, 1984)

3.7. Kokomo

• Kokomo (1975)
• Rise and Shine! (1976)
• Kokomo (1982)
• Live in Concert, 1975 (1998)
• To Be Cool (2004)

3.8. Alexis Korner

• Accidentally Born in New Orleans (1973) (Alexis Korner & Snape)
• Live On Tour In Germany (1973) (Alexis Korner & Peter Thorup With Snape)
• Alexis Korner (1974)
• The Party Album (Live, 1980)

3.9. 21st Century Schizoid Band

• Official Bootleg V.1 (2002)
• In The Wake of Schizoid Men (2003)
• Live in Japan (2003)
• Live in Italy (2003)
• Pictures of a City - Live in New York (2006)

3.10. Dire Straits Legacy

• 3 Chord Trick (2017)

3.11. Other Bands and Projects

• The Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky (1982); Ammonia Avenue (1984)
• The Byron Band: On the Rocks (1981)
• Dire Straits: Alchemy (Live, 1984)
• Jakko Jakszyk and Mel Collins: King Crimson's Night (Live, 2006)
• Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins: A Scarcity of Miracles (2011)
• The Rolling Stones: Some Girls (1978)
• Alvin Lee: In Flight (Live, 1974); Pump Iron! (1975)
• Pete Sinfield: Still (1973)

3.12. Session Work

Mel Collins has contributed to numerous albums as a session musician for a wide range of artists, including:

• Joan Armatrading: Show Some Emotion (1977), Walk Under Ladders (1981), The Key (1983)
• Bad Company: (various albums, 1974-1982)
• Jim Capaldi: (various albums, 1980-1988)
• Roger Chapman: (various albums, 1979)
• Eric Clapton: Slowhand (1977)
• Clannad: (various albums, 1985, 1994-1998)
• Joe Cocker: Cocker (1986)
• Pino Daniele: Musicante (1984), Bonne Soirée (1988)
• Terence Trent D'Arby: Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (1987)
• Bryan Ferry: Let's Stick Together (1976), In Your Mind (1978), The Bride Stripped Bare (1978), Taxi (1993)
• Dana Gillespie: Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle (1974), Big Boy (1992)
• Go West: (various albums, 1985)
• Richie Havens: Common Ground (1983)
• Phil Manzanera/801: (various albums, 1975-1987)
• Ian Matthews: (various albums, 1978-1979)
• Miyuki Nakajima: Yoru wo Yuke (1990)
• Sally Oldfield: Celebration (1980), Playing in the Flame (1981), Strange Day in Berlin (1983)
• Robert Palmer: Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley (1974), Pressure Drop (1975)
• Anthony Phillips: (various albums, 1977-1980)
• Cozy Powell: Tilt (1981)
• Gerry Rafferty: Snakes and Ladders (1980), Sleepwalking (1982), North and South (1988), On a Wing and a Prayer (1992), Over My Head (1994), Another World (2000), Life Goes On (2009)
• Cliff Richard: (various albums, 1982-1983)
• Roger Waters: The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984), Radio K.A.O.S. (1987)
• David Sylvian: Gone to Earth (1986)
• Tears for Fears: Songs From The Big Chair (1985) (on "The Working Hour")
• Phil Thornalley: Swamp (1988)
• Tina Turner: Private Dancer (1984)
• Wang Chung: Points on the Curve (1983)
• Richard Wright: Wet Dream (1978)
• Philip Lynott: The Philip Lynott Album (1982)