| Artist: Mike + the Mechanics |
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| 5min Related Video: Mike + The Mechanics |
| Discography: Mike + the Mechanics |
| Wikipedia: Mike + The Mechanics |
| Mike + The Mechanics | |
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 Mike + the Mechanics in 1999. L-R: Paul Young, Mike Rutherford, and Paul Carrack.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Mike and The Mechanics Mike + The Mechanics + Paul Carrack |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | Pop rock Adult contemporary |
| Years active | 1985-2005 |
| Labels | Virgin Records Atlantic Records WEA Records Rhino Records |
| Associated acts | Genesis Sad Café Ace |
| Former members | |
| Paul Carrack Paul Young Mike Rutherford Adrian Lee Peter Van Hooke Gary Wallis |
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Mike + The Mechanics were 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", and "The Living Years".
The main lineup for the band were Rutherford, vocalists Paul Carrack and Paul Young (formerly of chart band Sad Café), keyboardist Adrian Lee and drummer Peter Van Hooke. From their 1995 album Beggar on a Beach of Gold until Young's death in 2000, only Rutherford, Carrack and Young were permanent members of the line-up.
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Mike + The Mechanics debuted with a self-titled album in 1985.
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. The movie was released in North American cinemas in 1986 as Choke Canyon, and in the UK as On Dangerous Ground.[1] The music video, however, features different actors portraying different characters with at least one different name.
The song "The Living Years" (US #1 single) was written by Rutherford and 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. The lyrics also allude to the death of Robertson's father just 12 weeks before the birth of his son. The song was sung 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 #13 in the UK.
For the fourth album, Beggar on a Beach of Gold, both the album and first single "Over My Shoulder" charted well and received critical praise.
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 to the American market 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".
| 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 | - | - | The Living Years |
| 1989 | "The Living Years" | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | |
| "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 | - | - | - |
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