Mike + the Mechanics

• Genre: Adult Contemporary

About

During the height of the 1980's, Mike + the Mechanics wrote songs about getting in touch with the inner self. Their hits, "All I Need is a Miracle" and "Silent Running" provided sweeping, AOR-styled AAA-rock in a similar vein to Mr. Mister. In 1988 the band released "In the Living Years," their last grasp at a rung on the U.S. charts. Inspired by the recent death of bandleader Mike Rutherford's father, the song warned listeners to open up to and express their love to their parents while they're still alive. It was a huge hit. In the '90s, the group dropped from American radar but remained working overseas where they continued to release records now and then until vocalist Paul Young died of a heart attack in June of 2000. While the late singer is not the Paul Young of "Everytime You Go Away" fame, Mike Rutherford is in fact the longtime bass player and guitarist for Genesis.

- Jennifer Maerz