General Information Artist: Phil Collins Title: Face Value Label: Atlantic / Columbia Record Club Catalog number: TP 16029 Format: 8-Track Cartridge, Album, Club Edition Year: 1981 Country: US Edition: Club Edition (CRC) Genre: Rock / Pop Rock Description Face Value is the seminal debut solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins, released in February 1981. Driven by the emotional fallout of his first marriage's collapse and a temporary hiatus from the band Genesis, Collins poured his personal heartbreak into songwriting. The album became an international sensation, reaching No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 on the US Billboard 200. The album features the legendary track "In the Air Tonight," famous for its dark atmosphere and iconic, explosive drum break. A fascinating piece of studio history is the pioneering use of the "gated reverb" drum sound on this track—a technique stumbled upon by Collins and producer Hugh Padgham while working with Peter Gabriel, which went on to define the sonic landscape of 1980s pop and rock music. Condition Tape: Presumed MINT (unplayed) Case: Factory-sealed, never opened Notes for collectors This particular copy is an incredibly rare find for physical media enthusiasts: a Columbia Record Club (CRC) issue on the 8-Track tape format, preserved in pristine, factory-sealed condition. By 1981, the 8-track cartridge format was rapidly losing ground to the compact cassette and was nearing obsolescence. Major labels were phasing them out, and club editions (available only via mail-order subscription) were manufactured in severely restricted quantities compared to standard retail vinyl or cassettes. Finding a major 1981 pop/rock release on 8-track is difficult enough, but discovering a club-licensed variant that has remained completely sealed and unopened for over four decades is an extraordinary rarity. Matrix/Labels Spine Identifier: "CRC" (printed on the bottom edge label, indicating Columbia Record Club) Catalog Number: TP 16029 (Featured on front slipcase artwork and spine label) Copyright Details: 1981 Atlantic Recording Corporation