Mike Rutherford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Rutherford
Rutherford playing with Genesis in 2022
Born	Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (1950-10-02) 2 October 1950 (age 74) Chertsey, Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England
Occupation	Musician songwriter
Years active	1967–present
Spouse(s)	Angie Rutherford ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Progressive rock art rock pop rock soft rock
Instruments	Guitar bass
Labels	Charisma Atlantic WEA Passport (US)

Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is a famous English musician. He is best known as a co-founder, guitarist, and bassist for the rock band Genesis. Mike and keyboardist Tony Banks are the only two members who have been with Genesis since the very beginning.

Mike started as Genesis's bass player and sang backing vocals. He also played many of the band's rhythm guitar parts, often using a twelve-string guitar. After Steve Hackett, the lead guitarist, left Genesis in 1977, Mike took on the role of lead guitarist for their studio albums.

Mike was one of the main songwriters for Genesis. He wrote the lyrics for some of their biggest songs, like "Follow You Follow Me" and "Land of Confusion". In 2010, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis. Besides Genesis, Mike also formed his own band, Mike + the Mechanics, in 1985. This band became very popular and had hit songs like "The Living Years".

Early Life and School Bands

Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford was born on October 2, 1950, in Chertsey, Surrey, England. His father was a Captain in the Royal Navy. Mike got his first guitar when he was 8 years old. He played in his first band, The Chesters, the next year.

Mike went to a private school called Charterhouse in 1964. There, he helped start a school band called Anon in 1965 with guitarist Anthony Phillips. At one point, his teacher stopped him from playing guitar. After this ban was lifted, he rejoined Anon. When the lead singer and bassist left Anon, Mike played bass and sang lead for a while.

Anon played their last show in December 1966. After that, Mike and Anthony Phillips started writing songs together. In 1967, they formed Genesis with other students from Charterhouse: keyboardist Tony Banks, singer Peter Gabriel, and drummer Chris Stewart. Mike did not enjoy his time at Charterhouse and was eventually expelled for small rule-breaking incidents.

Mike's Unique Playing Style

Rutherford performing in 2007

Mike Rutherford's way of playing music is special because he often switched between different instruments in Genesis. He would also change his role for each instrument. Even though some critics have praised his bass and guitar playing, Mike himself says he is an average player. He sees himself as a songwriter first.

Mike's bass guitar playing often used a pick and a bright, high sound. He also used a strong, horn-like distortion to make his bass stand out. In the mid-1970s, he started playing fretless bass, especially on slower songs. He also tried out an 8-string bass guitar.

When playing rhythm guitar, Mike often used electric and acoustic 12-string guitars. An important sound in early Genesis songs was Mike's 12-string guitar playing mixed with Anthony Phillips or Steve Hackett. Mike liked to play simple, melodic chords or single notes. You can hear this in Genesis songs like "Follow You Follow Me" and "Invisible Touch".

Taking on Lead Guitar

After Steve Hackett left Genesis in 1977, Mike became the lead guitarist for the band. Before this, he sometimes played lead guitar parts if they suited him best. But after Hackett left, Mike decided to play all the guitar parts in the studio, including lead guitar. As a lead player, he likes long, melodic sounds. He bends notes to create emotional, almost singing lines. This style focuses on creating a mood rather than showing off fast playing.

Using Bass Pedals

After Anthony Phillips left, Genesis played for a while without a dedicated lead guitarist. Mike had to play all the guitar parts. He used bass pedals to play the bass lines at the same time. Mike liked this setup. Even after Steve Hackett joined, Mike continued to use bass pedals in live shows and in the studio. This allowed him to play rhythm guitar and bass parts at the same time. He often used Moog Taurus bass pedals.

Mike's bass guitar, 12-string guitar, and bass pedal playing often appear in different parts of the same Genesis song. Good examples include "Supper's Ready" and "Firth of Fifth". Sometimes, his bass pedals create a steady background sound for a song, like in "Afterglow".

Special Instruments

In the early 1970s, Mike often used a special double-necked instrument. It was made from a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and a 4001 bass joined together. Later, he had a custom Shergold double-neck guitar made. This guitar was designed so that each neck could be taken off and played separately. This also allowed him to switch the 12-string neck for a 6-string neck when needed.

In Genesis concerts after 1977, Mike would share parts with touring musician Daryl Stuermer. Stuermer usually played all of Steve Hackett's original guitar parts. Mike would then focus on bass, 12-string guitar, and pedals. But for songs from the later era, Stuermer would play bass, and Mike would switch to guitar.

Mike also played other instruments for Genesis. He sometimes played the cello on their early records. He even played the drums during live performances of the song "Who Dunnit?" in 1981.

Working with Genesis

According to Anthony Phillips, Mike Rutherford did not write much for Genesis's first album. But by their second album, Trespass, he became a very active songwriter. Genesis usually wrote songs together as a group. Mike's well-known contributions include parts of "The Musical Box" and "The Cinema Show". He also wrote the lyrics for "Follow You Follow Me" and "Turn It On Again". Mike also wrote a few Genesis songs by himself, like the song "Your Own Special Way".

Solo Work and Mike + the Mechanics

During breaks from Genesis, Mike Rutherford recorded two solo albums: Smallcreep's Day and Acting Very Strange. However, he wasn't happy with his solo work. In 1984, he decided he would not record another solo album alone. He felt his best ideas came when he worked with others. Because of this, he formed the band Mike + The Mechanics in 1985.

Mike + The Mechanics had many big hits. These include "All I Need Is a Miracle", "The Living Years", and "Over My Shoulder". For "The Living Years", Mike and the record company suggested the song was about his relationship with his father. His father had passed away during a Genesis tour. However, Mike later said in 2004 that the lyrics were actually written by B. A. Robertson. They were based on Robertson's own relationship with his father.

Mike also worked with other artists. He collaborated with Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins on the Against All Odds movie soundtrack. He contributed the song "Making A Big Mistake" to it.

In 2004, Mike played at the Strat Pack Concert. This event celebrated 50 years of the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. He performed with other famous guitarists like Brian May and David Gilmour. Mike also performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. On August 12, 2012, he played the Pink Floyd song "Wish You Were Here" with Ed Sheeran's band and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

Instruments Mike Uses

Performing in Toronto, 3 June 1977 Rutherford with his Shergold double-neck bass

Early in his career, Mike Rutherford mainly played Rickenbacker and Shergold basses. He helped create the idea for the M-Series Steinberger guitar. He used this guitar a lot in the 1980s and during Genesis's Invisible Touch Tour. He also had a special double-neck Strata guitar built for the Mama tour. This guitar had a six-string guitar and a four-string bass in one custom body. In the early years of Genesis, he used a Dewtron Mister Bassman and, starting in 1976, Moog Taurus bass pedal synthesizers.

For live tours in the early 1970s, Mike often used a custom-built Rickenbacker double-neck. This instrument combined a 12-string guitar with a 4-string bass. This special guitar is now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. Later, he switched to another 12-string guitar and 6-string bass combination built from scratch. All these double-neck guitars were made by a luthier named Dick Knight. A custom Shergold double-neck was also made. This guitar had parts that could be swapped for 4, 6, or 12-string guitars.

For the 2007 Genesis tour, Mike continued to use double-neck instruments. This was important when he needed to quickly switch between bass and 12-string guitars. His current double-neck model is a Gibson 12-string guitar combined with a Yamaha TRB-4P bass. When playing guitar on later songs, he prefers Eric Clapton signature model Fender Stratocasters. For bass, since 1992, Mike has mostly played Yamaha basses from the TRB series. During The Last Domino? Tour in 2022, Mike started using Squier Bullet Stratocasters. He bought a couple of these while he was in lockdown in Cape Town.

Personal Life

Mike Rutherford splits his time between Loxwood, West Sussex, England, and Cape Town, South Africa. He lives with his wife, Angie. They got married on November 13, 1976. They have three children: Kate (born 1977), Tom (born 1980), and Harry (born 1986). The family enjoys horse riding sports like polo and dressage. They also raise horses.

Mike's Memoir

In 2014, Mike Rutherford released his book called The Living Years: The First Genesis Memoir. This book tells his story. The first book about Mike's solo career was called Silent Runner. It was written by journalist Mario Giammetti and published in Italy in 2011.

Discography

Genesis

Mike + The Mechanics

Solo albums

Solo singles

See also

In Spanish: Mike Rutherford para niños