I Missed Again

The essence of *I Missed Again* lies in its particular way of addressing frustration. What could have been a heartbreaking ballad about a breakup transforms, thanks to Phil Collins' vision, into a track with a lighter pulse and even a touch of irony. The original idea, titled *I Miss You, Babe*, explored the sadness of his first wife leaving him. However, Collins decided to give it a twist, rewriting the lyrics and modifying the rhythm so that the song had a less melancholic air. This reorientation is perceived in the instrumentation, where the piano, according to co-producer Hugh Padgham, was treated in such a way that its sound expanded enormously, filling the entire sonic space and creating the sensation of a more complex production than it actually was. The recording took place between August and October 1980, and the result was a track that, for the critics of the time, represented one of Collins' most funky explorations to date, also highlighting the tenor saxophone solo by British musician Ronnie Scott.

This track is part of *Face Value*, Phil Collins' first solo album, released in 1981. While in many places *In the Air Tonight* was chosen as the first single, in the United States and Canada it was *I Missed Again* that paved the way. The album, released with Virgin in the UK and Ireland and with Atlantic internationally, explored Collins' emotions, partly influenced by the end of his marriage to his first wife, Andrea. The song was officially released on February 27, 1981, and despite its less somber approach than other tracks on the album, it reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1981 and number 14 in the UK. The music video, released in 1983, featured Collins playing the various instruments against a white background, and it received a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Form. The song also found its place in popular culture, appearing in National Basketball Association commercials and in BBC and NBC montages related to moments of failure or mistakes.