Biography
While Phil Collins concentrated on his solo path during 1985, longtime Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford launched the side project Mike + the Mechanics. The lineup paired Rutherford on bass with former Ace and Squeeze member Paul Carrack on vocals and keyboards, ex-Sad Café singer Paul Young on vocals, keyboardist Adrian Lee, and drummer Peter Van Hooke. Their self-titled debut arrived late that year and quickly generated two Top Ten singles, “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” and “All I Need Is a Miracle,” both of which peaked in the early months of 1986. Although the sci-fi atmosphere and spaced-out keyboards of the first single suggested a nod to the grittier progressive roots of Genesis, the band’s prevailing catalog—most notably the wistful 1989 chart-topping eulogy “The Living Years”—positioned Mike + the Mechanics as a polished melodic pop act comfortable in an MTV landscape. Rutherford’s virtuosic riffs, interwoven with the moody and evocative voices of Carrack and Young, gave the group a refined edge among its contemporaries. The ensemble periodically stepped back from activity, returning in 2010 with new vocalists Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar.
After the debut’s success, Rutherford rejoined Genesis and Carrack resumed his solo work, leaving Mike + the Mechanics silent until the 1988 album The Living Years. That release outperformed its predecessor, anchored by the number-one single “The Living Years.” Another stretch of inactivity followed before Word of Mouth surfaced in 1991, failing to match the commercial heights of the first two records. Four years later came Beggar on a Beach of Gold, a modest hit in the U.K. In spring 1996 the band issued the greatest-hits collection Hits, followed three years later by M6. Paul Young died of a heart attack on July 15, 2000. The group re-formed in 2004, issuing the all-new Rewired under the billing Mike + the Mechanics featuring Paul Carrack.
Following Genesis’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rutherford began work in 2009 on fresh material, this time enlisting Roachford and Tim Howar as lead vocalists. The Road appeared in April 2011 and supported a 22-show U.K. tour. In 2014 the band marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Living Years while scheduling its first North American dates since the album’s original 1988 release. Rutherford returned to the studio in 2016 to cut the eighth album, Let Me Fly, again with Roachford and Howar; the lineup also included guitarist Anthony Drennan, keyboardist Luke Juby, and drummer Gary Wallis. Let Me Fly reached stores in March 2017. For their ninth album, Out of the Blue, released in April 2019, Mike + the Mechanics revisited earlier material.
After the debut’s success, Rutherford rejoined Genesis and Carrack resumed his solo work, leaving Mike + the Mechanics silent until the 1988 album The Living Years. That release outperformed its predecessor, anchored by the number-one single “The Living Years.” Another stretch of inactivity followed before Word of Mouth surfaced in 1991, failing to match the commercial heights of the first two records. Four years later came Beggar on a Beach of Gold, a modest hit in the U.K. In spring 1996 the band issued the greatest-hits collection Hits, followed three years later by M6. Paul Young died of a heart attack on July 15, 2000. The group re-formed in 2004, issuing the all-new Rewired under the billing Mike + the Mechanics featuring Paul Carrack.
Following Genesis’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rutherford began work in 2009 on fresh material, this time enlisting Roachford and Tim Howar as lead vocalists. The Road appeared in April 2011 and supported a 22-show U.K. tour. In 2014 the band marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Living Years while scheduling its first North American dates since the album’s original 1988 release. Rutherford returned to the studio in 2016 to cut the eighth album, Let Me Fly, again with Roachford and Howar; the lineup also included guitarist Anthony Drennan, keyboardist Luke Juby, and drummer Gary Wallis. Let Me Fly reached stores in March 2017. For their ninth album, Out of the Blue, released in April 2019, Mike + the Mechanics revisited earlier material.
Albums
