EMI Records is one of the world biggest record labels. Robbie Williams, the Spice Girls, the Rolling Stones, Kylie and The Beatles are just a few of their big-name artists. Phil Armorgie, Head of National Promotions and Regional Artist Development at EMI, has been working for the label for over 20 years. Here he tells us about the most memorable day in his career.
"I've always been a really huge fan of Ultravox and a few years ago we [EMI] were just releasing a 'Midge Ure and Ultravox' best of.
I was in a meeting with Midge [the lead singer], who I'd met him a few times before, and we were chatting away. Midge said to me; "Phil are you coming to the Shepherd's Bush gig?", and being a cheeky Scouser [Liverpudlian], I was like, "Oh yeah mate, I'm well there, I can't wait. Listen mate, any chance of drumming with you?"
And he asked; "Are you a drummer?", and I said "Yeah, I don't wanna do the show or anything, I just wondered if there's any chance of jamming with you?", and he said "Sure, come down for the sound check."
So I went down there and Midge was practising with Russell Watson because they were doing Vienna together, and Midge's manager said to me; "You're on after him". So I was standing there waiting to get on stage, absolute bottle gone [scared], thinking 'one of my heroes has asked me to drum with him!'
Midge was on stage and had just finished with Russell Watson. He was on the mic and shouted "Where's Phil? Where's Phil?". As I walked up to the stage and the drummer said to me "You better not be as good as me!" and I laughed, "No chance mate!"
Midge gave me a hug and I got behind the drum kit. He sent me a few demos of what they were playing and he said; "Just pick one of them and we'll do it with you". So we clicked into this track, and to this day I can't remember how it went because I was just so nervous.
I had a friend there who had just a normal handheld camcorder. And if you know what a sound check is like, it's all just normal white lighting... But then all of a sudden the lights went down and all the proper show lights go on! And then out of nowhere, all of these cameramen appeared!
Midge, who was playing the keyboard and singing at the time, just looked at me and just nodded.
God bless him - because of the work we'd done and because he knew I was such a big fan, he'd got it filmed properly. And then the next day in work there was a video of the set on my desk; all spliced together like a proper gig you see on the telly!
It was just unbelievable. Even doing the job I do, that was probably the highlight of my career, big style, and it probably always will be."