Mike + The Mechanics

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Mike + The Mechanics are an English rock/pop band formed in 1985 as a side project of Mike Rutherford, a founding member of Genesis, that became a successful band in its own right. They are best known for their hit singles "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)", "All I Need Is a Miracle", "Over My Shoulder", "The Living Years" and "Word of Mouth".

The main lineup for the band were Rutherford, vocalists Paul Carrack and the late Paul Young (formerly of chart band Sad Café), keyboardist Adrian Lee and drummer Peter Van Hooke. By their 1995 album Beggar on a Beach of Gold only Rutherford, Carrack and Young were permanent members of the line-up until Young's death in 2000.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Mike + The Mechanics made their début with their eponymous album in 1985. This highlighted Rutherford's innovative guitar work and the vocal talents of the two Pauls, amongst other guest vocalists.

Initially, the group's albums were released between Genesis albums. This ended with the temporary disbanding of Genesis in 1998.

Printed on the single Silent Running was a notation that it was from the movie "On Dangerous Ground". This was confusing as the 1986 movie it was used in was the little known movie "Choke Canyon" released in the UK as "On Dangerous Ground".[1] This has also been open for debate considering there is not a character named Tommy in the movie, yet in the music video the father addresses his son as Tommy. Also, the actors in "Choke Canyon" do not resemble anyone in the movie clips that are featured in the music video.

The song "The Living Years" from the album of the same name was to be the height of their critical success to date; the US #1 single was written by both Mike Rutherford and the successful Scottish singer/writer/composer B. A. Robertson about the deaths of both their fathers. It was written about the dissension between Rutherford and his father, a situation that was never rectified prior to the death of his father. Robertson's father died just 12 weeks before the birth of his son. The song was sung with great passion by Carrack, who had lost his own father when he was only eleven years old. The album also featured the song "Nobody's Perfect" which received considerable airtime as the music to a successful television advertising campaign for Tennent's bitter.

The group's third album, Word of Mouth, followed in 1991 with less commercial and critical success although the lead single, with vocals by Paul Young, reached Number 13 in the UK.

The fourth album, Beggar on a Beach of Gold, was a high-water mark in the quality of their material, with both the album and first single "Over My Shoulder" charting well with many considering the album the band's best work.

Their fifth studio album was released in 1999 and was the band's second eponymous album, Mike + The Mechanics. It is generally known as the M6 album, the "Hits" album being their fifth release. As the band no longer had a distribution deal with an American record label, M6 was available as an import only.

After a hiatus following Young's death from a heart attack on July 15, 2000, the band reformed in 2004 as Mike + The Mechanics featuring Paul Carrack, releasing the album Rewired.

In 2007, interviewed during the Genesis reunion tour, Rutherford stated that Mike + The Mechanics had "run its course."

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Compilations

  • 1996 Hits : #3 UK, #6 Germany
  • 2004 Rewired + Hits - The Latest + The Greatest : #42 UK

[edit] Singles

Year Song UK singles US Hot 100 Canada singles German singles Album
1985 "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" 21 6 8 8 Mike + The Mechanics
1986 "All I Need Is a Miracle" 53 5 10 26
"Taken In" - 32 39 -
1988 "Nobody's Perfect" 80 63 - - Living Years
1988 "The Living Years" 2 1 1 13
1989 "Seeing Is Believing" - 62 46 -
"Nobody Knows" 81 - - -
"Revolution" - - 82 - Rude Awakening Soundtrack
1991 "Word of Mouth" 13 78 36 27 Word of Mouth
"A Time and Place" 58 - - -
"Everybody Gets a Second Chance" 56 - 21 51
1995 "Over My Shoulder" 12 - 22 44 Beggar on a Beach of Gold
"A Beggar on a Beach of Gold" 33 - - 64
"Mea Culpa" - - 45 -
"Another Cup of Coffee" 51 - 53 61
1996 "All I Need Is a Miracle '96" 27 - - 81 Hits
"Silent Running '96" 61 - - -
1999 "Now That You've Gone" 35 - - 64 M6
"Whenever I Stop" 73 - - -

[edit] Band

[edit] Mike + The Mechanics

[edit] Session and guest musicians

  • Dereck Austin - keyboards
  • Ray Beavis - saxophone
  • Alan Carvel - backing vocals
  • Katie Cassoon - backing vocals
  • Clem Clempson - guitar
  • Rupert Cobb - keyboards, programming & trumpet
  • Martin Ditcham - percussion
  • John Earle - saxophone
  • Sal Gallina - Yamaha WX7
  • Paul McGee - backing vocals
  • Louis Jardin - percussion
  • John Kirby - vocals
  • Alan Murphy - guitar
  • Christopher Neil - backing vocals
  • Andy Newmark - drums
  • Tessa Niles - backing vocals
  • Abbie Osmon - backing vocals
  • Pino Palladino - bass
  • Steve Piggot - keyboards
  • Gene Stashuck - vocals
  • Linda Taylor - backing vocals
  • Ian Wherry - keyboards
  • Paul "Wix" Wickens - keyboards
  • Sharon Woolf - backing vocals

[edit] Pop culture references

  • In the BBC television series The Office, Tim identifies Gareth's favourite band as Mike + The Mechanics (which is not meant to be a compliment).
  • "All I Need Is A Miracle" is the theme song to The Edwin J. Hill Social Club.
  • The lyrics for "Silent Running" are used in an issue of the comic book Supreme Power.

[edit] External links