Who Dunnit? (song)

Song: Who Dunnit?Band: GenesisAlbum: Abacab (1981)Running time: 3:23

"Who Dunnit?" is a song by Genesis. It was released on their 1981 album Abacab. Referred to by singer/drummer Phil Collins as "the band's punk track," "Who Dunnit?" is a notorious Genesis song, as it is often voted by fans as Worst Genesis Song Ever. However, the band have always defended it, especially keyboardist Tony Banks, saying that the track is simply misunderstood.

The song was created during the "Abacab" sessions with Banks messing around with a Prophet Five synthesiser, changing the tones of certain notes while holding the keys down, which produced some very strange sounds. Banks' keyboard experiment didn't appeal as much to Collins or guitarist Mike Rutherford, but the pair eventually agreed to record it, just to keep Banks happy. Rutherford added bass, and Collins put on some "filthy" drums, sang it in a thick Cockney accent, and wrote a silly, simplistic lyric for it:

Was it you or was it me?Was it he or she?Was it A or was it B?Or was it X or Z?

When Genesis played the finished "Abacab" album to Atlantic Records in the United States, it was still unclear whether "Who Dunnit?" would make it onto the album, as the band had another song, the straightforward "You Might Recall," that was also a strong contender. But upon hearing "Who Dunnit?", Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun, liking the bizarre nature of the tune, told the group, "You've got to put that track on the album."

Genesis played "Who Dunnit?" live on the subsequent "Abacab" tour, with the group wearing funny hats and Tony Banks a snorkel. The song received a less-than enthusiastic response from audiences on many nights, sometimes being booed outright. Says Banks of "Who Dunnit?": "It was supposed to be a joke, but I think it also has a certain charm that I like a lot."

Personnel:

Tony Banks: keyboards
Phil Collins: drums, vocals
Mike Rutherford: bass

References: "Genesis: Chapter & Verse" (published 2007)Interviews from "Abacab" bonus DVD (2007)