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- Mike Rutherford (b. 2 October 1950, Guildford,
Surrey, England; bass) formed the Mechanics in 1985, during a pause
in the career of Genesis while vocalist Phil Collins was engrossed in
his solo career. The line-up comprised Paul Carrack (b. 22 April 1951,
Sheffield, Yorkshire, England; vocals/keyboards, ex-Ace), Paul Young
(b. 17 June 1947, Wythenshawe, Lancashire, England, d. 17 July 2000,
Altrincham, Cheshire, England; vocals, ex-Sad Café), Peter Van
Hooke and Adrian Lee. Van Hooke was already an accomplished session
musician, having played or toured with many singers, from Van Morrison
to Rod Argent. The band's first UK Top 30 hit came with "Silent
Running (On Dangerous Ground)" in 1986, which was used as the theme
to the movie On Dangerous Ground.
They enjoyed greater success in the USA where the single reached number
6, and its follow-up, "All I Need Is A Miracle", climbed one
place higher. In early 1989, the band reached US number 1 and UK number
2 with the Rutherford/B.A. Robertson-penned "The Living Years",
an personal song expressing Rutherford's regret at the lack of communication
he had with his father while he was alive. The attendant album reached
number 2 on the UK charts and number 13 in America. With the exception
of the UK number 13 single "Word Of Mouth", further chart
success eluded the band. Quality singles such as the highly emotive
"A Time And Place", and "Everybody Gets A Second Chance",
failed to make the UK Top 50, a sobering thought for future songwriters
with high hopes of chart success.
Beggar On A Beach Of Gold was preceded by the lively UK Top 20 single
"Over My Shoulder"; unfortunately this proved to be the album's
only ingot. The title track was written by B.A. Robertson and was a
Top 40 hit in the UK in 1995. Pedestrian cover versions of the Miracles'
"You Really Got A Hold On Me" and Stevie Wonder's "I
Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" added nothing
and the album, although competent, did not break any new ground. The
band continues to be as fluid as possible, with a new album appearing
in July 1999, although the death of Young the following year was a great
shock.
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