Phillips was the drummer in the Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno supergroup 801 on their 1976 album "801 Live". He replaced Judas Priest drummer Alan Moore to record on the band's "Sin After Sin" album (1977) and went on to record Michael Schenker's 1980 debut album "The Michael Schenker Group", as well as in Mike Rutherford's "Smallcreep's Day". In the early 1980s, Phillips formed part of RMS with session musicians Mo Foster and Ray Russell. He was the drummer for The Who on their 1989 American reunion tour and appeared on solo recordings by band members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.