We all know that Phil Collins spent the 1980s shuffling back and forth between Genesis and his solo career, minting hits in both scenarios. Guitarist Mike Rutherford also managed to have a ton of success with his extracurricular activities, stepping out with a pair of ace singers to form Mike + the Mechanics in between Genesis projects.
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Because Rutherford struck a low-key posture within Genesis, he might not have seemed like a likely candidate to strike up another successful outfit. But that’s exactly what he did, and here’s how it all went down.
Now Hiring Mechanics
When Genesis flipped the switch from art-rock cult band to million-selling, chart-topping arena rockers, they did so at almost the exact same time lead singer Phil Collins broke out as a solo act with his 1981 smash debut Face Value. Since Collins was going to need occasional breaks from the band to pursue this solo success, it meant the other members (Rutherford and Tony Banks) would have the opportunity to do the same.
Rutherford released solo albums in 1980 and 1982, the first (Smallcreep’s Day) a throwback to Genesis’ concept album days, and the second (Acting Very Strange) an attempt to position him as a pop frontman. But since he wasn’t that comfortable in the spotlight, he decided his next opportunity to branch out from Genesis would come with a band joining him for the ride.
That meant drafting someone to take the microphone. Rutherford came up with an idea to include two singers. Securing the services of Paul Carrack, who had already proven himself as one of the finest rock-soul singers of his day as both a solo artist and with bands like Ace and Squeeze, was a coup. Paul Young, not the “Everything You Go Away” singer but the leader of a band called Sad Cafe that enjoyed success in the UK in the ’70s, came aboard to add more of a rock-tinged edge on vocals.
In the “Running”
Rutherford had a hand in writing all the songs on the self-titled 1985 debut album by Mike + the Mechanics. He received help on lyrics from the album’s producer Christopher Neil and singer/songwriter BA Robertson. Right off the bat, the dueling lead singers approach paid dividends.
The band’s lead single, “Silent Running,” used Carrack singing lead to capture all the tension and angst of the song’s dystopian sci-fi scenario. They followed that up with “All I Need Is a Miracle,” which utilized Young in the service of an upbeat rocker. Both were hits on both side of the pond.
With the ballad “Taken In” adding to the goodness on that debut album, Mike + the Mechanics proved to be the rare supergroup whose output equaled the sum of their parts. After they went out on the road to support the record, it was then time for Rutherford to pivot back to his Genesis duties. But this side project band turned out to be far from a one-and-done prospect.
Making a “Living”
Mike + the Mechanics’ returned with “Nobody’s Perfect,” the first single off their sophomore album in 1988, and watched it mostly underwhelm on the charts. The second single, “The Living Years,” was another story. Written by Rutherford and BA Robertson as the two men were simultaneously reeling from the deaths of their fathers, the song features a monumental vocal by Carrack backed by a children’s choir. It was a juggernaut, topping the U.S. charts.
That would turn out to be the peak of Mike + the Mechanics’ commercial career, but not at all their last gasp. To this point, Rutherford has delivered nine Mechanics albums, the last one coming in 2019. Unfortunately, those two fantastic original vocalists are no longer part of the picture. Paul Young died in 2000 after a sudden heart attack. Carrack stuck around for the 2004 album Rewired but bowed out of the band after that to focus on his solo work.
The band, in all their various incarnations, has always been a dependable purveyor of solid, expertly played melodic rock and roll, guided by the reliable taste and songwriting skills of their leader. Mike Rutherford might not have been that comfortable in the spotlight, but with Mike + the Mechanics, he certainly found a way to be an ultra-successful bandleader.
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