"Rummaging Through The Spare Parts" - TWR takes a look at the various B sides that have accompanied Mike’s singles over the years.

The titles don't get any better do they? Sorry about that! But just like the other features in our previous special editions, this one will focus on those neglected and generally unloved tracks that didn't make it to the albums they were written for. And there are plenty of them in Mike’s back catalogue as we shall see.

Both Tony and Mike entered the field of solo endeavours within a few months of each other between 1979 and 1980. Of the two it was Mike who was destined to have the lengthier and more sustained solo career which got under way with the release of Smallcreep’s Day in 1980. Probably one of the most underrated Prog albums of the decade and one which saw him reunited albeit briefly with his former bandmate Anthony Phillips whose work on the album included the haunting synth piece, Compression which eventually found itself a home on both Ant’s Harvest Of The Heart box set and latterly on Mike’s own Rarities compilation back in 2014.

Mike's next album is without doubt his weakest although it is not without some good moments but thankfully Mike soon realised his own limitations and turned the task of singing over to others but more of that shortly. The album, 1982’s Acting Very Strange saw two non album tracks appear on singles. The first of these is undoubtedly the worst thing that Mike has ever recorded: Couldn't Get Arrested. OK, this is an album track but Mike compounded the error by releasing it as a single with the 12” version containing the first of these dreadful remix things. The extended “Nix Mix” of this track is absolutely dire and is no improvement on what was an awful track in the first place!

Mike did redeem himself somewhat with the second track; Calypso which backed the excellent Hideaway. Calypso is another one of those tracks which you listen to once out of curiosity. A rather jaunty rhythm drives it along with Mikes vocals …not the best! In fact, even though this is a finished track, it still sounds like a demo to me.

The next B side is a strange one as it isn't a B side to a Mike Rutherford single. Making A Big Mistake was Mike’s contribution to the Taylor Hackford Against All Odds soundtrack. It was paired with Peter Gabriel’s Walk Through The Fire. A harder and rockier effort than anything Mike had done previously and featuring a decent vocal. It deserved a better fate.

When Mike resumed solo activity it was in a way that none of his fans could have predicted. Deciding that going “solo” in its purest form was not for him, Mike decided to put together another band - as if Genesis wasn't enough for him! The result was Mike & The Mechanics, a horse of a very different colour to Genesis as we have seen over the last forty years.

Strangely enough, the first B side to accompany a single from the Mechanics certainly sounded like something that wouldn't have been out of place on either of Mike's first albums: Too Far Gone was released as the bonus track on the 12” version of Silent Running. A haunting instrumental featuring some fine riffing from Mr Rutherford and equally impressive keyboard work. This one could have been explored further I think but at least we have it to listen to.

Although the debut album spawned two singles (three in the USA) this was the only non album track from the sessions.

Three years later the band were back with what has since become their seminal album: The Living Years. Strangely enough, given the success of the album and the obvious flow of creative juices during its creation, only one non album track saw the light of day and this accompanied the hugely successful title track. Too Many Friends was a deliciously bluesy track featuring a classy vocal from Paul Carrack. Personally I think this would have made a good single in its own right.

By the time the album was released, CD was rapidly replacing vinyl as the recorded medium of choice. Its extended playing time gave artists the chance to release more material but that didn't necessarily mean that the Mechanics wanted to or did. They carefully rationed their B sides although there was an increase in the use of “radio edits”, “remixes” and “extended” versions along with a smattering of live recordings too.

The debut single from the album featured an extended version of its A side featuring a funkier rhythm track and some nifty sax before it descends into a rather awful jam session which ruins one of the best tracks on the album. Not indeed does the inclusion of Nobody Knows which itself was to be the final single from the album a few months later. It makes no sense to me.

None of these singles matched the impact of Living Years but did make sufficient headway to ensure regular appearances by the band on Top Of The Pops.

I have to break ranks here and make a mention of one non album track which, although not released in the UK was issued in the USA and Spain and potentially elsewhere too. This was the brilliant reworking of the Lennon and McCartney classic: Revolution. The track itself formed part of the soundtrack to the film Rude Awakening, itself a vehicle for US comedy duo Cheech and Chong. It did thankfully find a home on the 2015 singles package.

Word Of Mouth was to be that difficult third album. Trying to follow the success of Living Years was always going to be an enormous task and the follow up although a fine album was not cut from the same cloth as its predecessor. It did however, generate more singles in the UK than either of its predecessors with five being released although one of these; Get Up was withdrawn shortly after being pressed up making stock copies of either the 7” or CD version quite collectable.

The first non album track was another of these pesky remixes, the “EastWest mix” of the title track - an instantly forgettable attempt to be hip with the kids. Without doubt one of the worst tracks ever released by the band.

The withdrawn Get Up single did contain the non album cut I Think I've Got The Message and thankfully this was carried over to the next single, Stop Baby where it was reissued on one of the two parts of the CD single. The track is a Paul Young classic and one which deserved a far better fate than being relegated to a B side. The same single also contained an acoustic version of My Crime Of Passion which gives a good idea of what the song sounded like before it was fully fleshed out on the album.

The final studio B side from the sessions accompanied Everybody Gets A Second Chance and was another Carrack fronted effort: The Way You Look At Me which would not have been out of place on one of Paul’s albums. The strength of the writing partnerships within the band was to be fully demonstrated on their next album …

A Beggar On A Beach Of Gold was released early in 1994 and it was to emulate the success of its predecessor The Living Years with a number one spot on the album charts and chart success for most of the singles taken from it. And the band had evidently struck gold with the amount of non album tracks produced during the album sessions. There were almost enough to make another album!

The first of these was the marvellous Always The Last To Know which was on the second part of the Over My Shoulder single. A brilliant up tempo number with a nifty bass line and an impassioned vocal from Paul Young this could so easily have been a Sad Cafe track as it has all their hallmarks and really should have been on the album. Which only goes to show the sheer quality of the material which the band could afford to leave aside.

The next single, the album’s title track was a veritable treasure trove of non album tracks spread over the two CD singles beginning with the warm and romantic Help Me featuring Paul Carrack. Smooth, sophisticated and oozing all the charisma that Carrack is so well known for. This is another one which deserved a place on the album.

Nobody Told Me also features on the same single, another Carrack effort this one would not be out of place on one of his albums. Meanwhile, Boys At The Front is an out and out rocker with Paul Young at his sassiest best - this one is second cousin to Word Of Mouth and features Youngie in his element. I wish the band had performed this one live!

You Never Change was the non album cut accompanying Another Cup Of Coffee. Another prime example of the classy soulful pop which the Mechanics have become renowned for. Fronted by Paul Carrack this one is another favourite.

And that is really it where the story of Mechanics B sides ends. By the time this album was released, the penchant for filling space with radio edits remixes etc had taken over. Fortunately the Mechanics did not fall into this trap with the majority of their remaining singles which were populated instead by live and acoustic tracks. The subject of live material by the band will be documented elsewhere in this edition.