History Music / MikeAndTheMechanics

* DyingReconcilliation: Discussed and sadly averted in the song "Living Years", where the narrator laments that he and his father ''didn't'' lay their disagreements to rest before his father died, and admits he might finally see what his father was trying to tell him when he himself becomes a father. The chorus urges people to clear the air and listen to one another while your loved ones are still there to talk to.

Rutherford had previously attempted his own solo projects during hiatuses in the band, just as bandmates Music/PhilCollins and Music/TonyBanks did. He released two albums on his own, but didn't like the recording process. He also came to the realization that he was never going to make music ''entirely'' on his own, as he still needed a backing band. So he formed a side band, the "The Mechanics" part of "Mike + The Mechanics".

The sound of Mike + The Mechanics is definitely far outside Rutherford's prog rock roots, going more solidly into pop rock than Collins--or even Genesis as a whole in the [[TheEighties 80s]] and [[TheNineties 90s]]--ever did.

The interesting part of this band is that Rutherford is the face of the band but not the lead singer, as he feels he's not a strong vocalist. The band originally had ''two'' lead singers: Paul Carrack (for ballads), who was a frequent backup keyboardist most connected to the {{New Wave|Music}} band Squeeze; and Paul Young (for up-tempo numbers), who was the frontman of the relatively-obscure rock band Sad Café. Rounding out the group were drummer Peter Van Hooke (who frequently worked with Music/VanMorrison), and journeyman keyboardist Adrian Lee. The combination became something of a {{supergroup}}.

The interesting part of this band is that Rutherford is the FaceOfTheBand but not the lead singer, as he feels he's not a strong vocalist. The band originally had ''two'' lead singers: Paul Carrack (for ballads), who was a frequent backup keyboardist most connected to the {{New Wave|Music}} band Squeeze; and Paul Young (for up-tempo numbers), who was the frontman of the relatively-obscure rock band Sad Café. Rounding out the group were drummer Peter Van Hooke (who frequently worked with Music/VanMorrison), and journeyman keyboardist Adrian Lee. The combination became something of a {{supergroup}}.

The interesting part of this band is that Rutherford himself was not the lead singer, though he did frequently provide backing vocals as he did with Genesis. The band actually had ''two'' lead singers: Paul Carrack (for ballads), who was a frequent backup keyboardist most connected to the {{New Wave|Music}} band Squeeze; and Paul Young (for up-tempo numbers), who was the frontman of the relatively-obscure rock band Sad Café. Rounding out the group were drummer Peter Van Hooke (who frequently worked with Music/VanMorrison), and journeyman keyboardist Adrian Lee. The combination became something of a {{supergroup}}.

The interesting part of this band is that Rutherford himself was not the lead singer, though he did frequently provide backing vocals as he did with Genesis. The band actually had ''two'' lead singers: Paul Carrack (for ballads), who was a frequent backup keyboardist most connected to the NewWave band Squeeze; and Paul Young (for up-tempo numbers), who was the frontman of the relatively-obscure rock band Sad Café. Rounding out the group were drummer Peter Van Hooke (who frequently worked with Music/VanMorrison), and journeyman keyboardist Adrian Lee. The combination became something of a {{supergroup}}.

* ''[[NamesTheSame Mike]] & [[SelfTitledAlbum The Mechanics]]'' (1999)[[invoked]]

'''Mike and the Mechanics''' (name stylised as Mike + the Mechanics) is a side band formed in 1985 by '''Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford''' (born 2 October 1950), the bassist--and one of the founders--of the ProgressiveRock group Music/{{Genesis}}.

* DummiedOut: "A Call To Arms", a song from the self-titled debut album, was originally developed for Music/{{Genesis}}'s self-titled 1983 album, but wasn't finished at that time. Rutherford got permission from Collins and Banks to finish it for The Mechanics, and gave them writing credit for the song. It's the only Mechanics song with any involvement from the rest of Genesis.

The interesting part of this band is that Rutherford himself was not the lead singer, though he did frequently provide backing vocals as he did with Genesis. The band actually had ''two'' lead singers: Paul Carrack, who was a frequent backup keyboardist most connected to the NewWave band Squeeze; and Paul Young, who was the frontman of the relatively-obscure rock band Sad Café. Rounding out the group were drummer Peter Van Hooke (who frequently worked with Music/VanMorrison), and journeyman keyboardist Adrian Lee. The combination became something of a {{supergroup}}.