In 1973 Phil decided on a trip to Africa. Here he wrote a couple of songs, which he recorded with the Pan African Rumba Band. One was called Bwatue, and the other was 'Niko Mchumba Engombe', which he sang in Swahili. In Tanzania, while walking along a beach in Dar es Salaam, he was attacked and robbed by three black men. During the beating, his throat was damaged, causing him to loose the ability to sing the higher notes. His voice was never the same again.