 The album is named after an incident at The Pump Room restaurant in Chicago , Illinois . Collins , entering the restaurant with former Led Zeppelin lead vocalist Robert Plant , was denied admittance because he did not meet the restaurant 's dress code of " jacket required " for dinner while Plant was allowed in . Collins was wearing a jacket and argued about it . The maître d ' argued that the jacket was not " proper " . Collins said in an interview with Playboy that he was , at that point , never so mad in his life . After the incident , the singer often appeared on shows such as Late Night with David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , denouncing the restaurant and telling his story . The management of the restaurant later sent him a complimentary sport coat and an apology letter , stating that he could come to the restaurant wearing whatever he wanted . 
