Mike Rutherford belongs to music’s elite. But the Surrey songwriter is more mild than wild. William Gadsby Peet talks to the gentleman guitarist from Genesis
The figures speak for themselves. Having co-founded Genesis as a schoolboy at Charterhouse School, Mike Rutherford remained with the band throughout its life, helping it to sell over 150 million records worldwide. Then, during a creative hiatus for the group, he formed Mike + The Mechanics for “a bit of fun”. A further 10 million sales ensued.
Yet the longtime South-West Surrey resident is scarcely your stereotypical rocker. Well-spoken, humble and reserved, but with a palpably keen intellect, he comes across as a shrewd but kindly headmaster; the type who sees straight through your teenage bluster, well aware that it was you who flushed Bunduck’s pencil case down the loo.
The calm, unassuming politeness stems from a rigid family upbringing. Mike’s father was Captain William Rutherford, a naval officer who fought in WWII and the Korean War and who instilled a strong sense of duty in his son. Despite his natural reserve, Captain Rutherford supported Mike’s musical ambitions, even if he didn’t really understand them.
“My father was quite a formal man, but he said that I should give it a go,” recalls Mike. “When you see your child truly passionate about something, you just have to support them, even if you might not understand it at the time. I’m sure he didn’t think it would last. Luckily it did though and he saw us do very well.”
The Sixties, says Mike, was a fabulous time to be starting out in popular music, notwithstanding the social conservatism lingering on from a previous age.
“When I was 14 you had the likes of The Beatles, the Stones and The Who, and I just wanted to get in on the act. It was a really exhilarating period because it was sort of like a blank canvas. Bands started appearing with a different style and feel to anything that had gone before.”
Not that it was all plain sailing. Expelled from Charterhouse – sneaking out to gigs in London was among his crimes – Mike still had to contend with the old school of British convention.
“For my older family members this was the first generation of musicians as we know them now, so no one saw it as a career choice. Up until my mid-20s, I’d have aunts come up to me and ask when was I going to get a ‘real job’.”
Still, Genesis persevered, evolving gently in style from folk-pop to prog-rock in its classic early 70s incarnation. At that stage it was singer Peter Gabriel who was the band’s most visible presence, but a shared love of writing proved the key to success.
“One of our unifying strengths was that we were basically a songwriting team. We all wanted to write, but it was the era of the band, so we had to form Genesis to hear the songs we loved writing get played.”
Hard work and touring were also indispensable.
“It was more apprentice-like back then,” reflects Mike. “This was before MTV and radio could make you a star overnight. You just had to go and play live music across the world. If you didn’t play in Denver, say, they simply wouldn’t know who you were.
“In a way, it was fairer than now, when young artists can win a TV show or have one hit that takes off, and next thing they’re big all round the world. The problem is that they don’t have a real solid fan base, so the next song has no foundations on which to build. What we went through – touring the world in the back of a van – was a really good learning experience.”
After a string of innovative albums, such as Foxtrot (1972) and Selling England by the Pound (1973), Peter Gabriel left the band to go solo. By 1978 Genesis had slimmed down to a core of three: Rutherford, Tony Banks and Phil Collins, whose emergence as the band’s lead vocalist and instantly recognizable frontman opened the door to huge commercial success.
“Phil has a brilliant sense of humour. Half of the fun in our final years was just the three of us having a great laugh.”
In 1996, however, Collins also departed, and by 2000 Genesis had split, reforming briefly in 2007 for the Turn it on Again tour that culminated in the largest concert of all.
“We played the Circus Maximus in Rome, where the old chariot races were held. It was a lovely sunny day and half a million people showed up, which was incredible.”
Today Mike still tours with Mike + The Mechanics, while enjoying the chilled, semi-retired lifestyle of a musician who plays when he wishes. Something of a country gent, he also spends plenty of time relaxing and breeding horses on his Chiddingfold estate.
“It’s amazing how many musicians live within 10 miles of me,” he says. “Surrey is so lovely – just perfect for unwinding after a long tour. After 35 years I have no plans to go anywhere else.”
TV vet Noel Fitzpatrick is another Surrey celebrity, and he and Mike go way back.
“I’ve known him for about 20 years, as he was our local vet in Cranleigh. He’s an incredible man who’s achieved far beyond his dreams. I support him musically whenever I can, as I think his ‘One Medicine’ message is important. I hadn’t known, for example, that cancer in dogs is almost identical to cancer in humans, so it’s great to see his Guildford clinics thrive.”
As for further Genesis reunions, Mike is equivocal.
“There are no plans at the moment, but we’re all great friends and I always think you should never say never.”
Not quite Tonight, Tonight, Tonight then, but still a little too soon to declare: That’s All.
Mike + The Mechanics tour the UK in Feb/March 2017, playing Guildford’s G Live on February 28. Visit: mikeandthemechanics.com
Have a look at another one of our great interviews, like our chinwag with Will Young
Finally why not follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on our latest articles
