Mike & The Mechanics (1999 album)
Mike & The Mechanics is the fifth studio album by Mike + The Mechanics, released in 1999. As the name is easily confused with the 1985 album (the first used the plus sign [+]; this uses the ampersand [&]) Mike + The Mechanics, it is also referred to as M6 (i.e., the sixth album by the group, including the Hits compilation). It includes the top 40 hit "Now That You've Gone".[3]
| Mike & The Mechanics (M6) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_coverart.jpg.webp) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 May 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1998–99 | |||
| Studio | Fisher Lane Farm Studios (Surrey, UK) and Dreamland Studios (London, UK). | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 54:11 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | Nick Davis, Christopher Neil, Brian Rawling, Mike Rutherford, Mark Taylor, Matthew Vaughan | |||
| Mike + The Mechanics chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Q | [2] |
This was the last studio album with Paul Young, who died the year after its release; the group did not release another album until Rewired in 2004.
The album was not officially released in North America and is only available as an import there. However, the band's former US label Atlantic Records is still thanked in the liner notes.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whenever I Stop" | Paul Carrack, Mike Rutherford | Rutherford | 3:38 |
| 2. | "Now That You've Gone" | Carrack, Rutherford | Brian Rawling, Mark Taylor | 4:47 |
| 3. | "Ordinary Girl" | Carrack, Rutherford, Paul Young | Rutherford | 3:50 |
| 4. | "All the Light I Need" | BA Robertson, Rutherford | Christopher Neil, Rutherford | 4:36 |
| 5. | "What Will You Do" | Robertson, Rutherford | Nick Davis, Rutherford, Matthew Vaughan | 3:15 |
| 6. | "My Little Island" | Robertson, Rutherford | Davis, Rutherford | 4:05 |
| 7. | "Open Up" | Carrack, Rutherford | Davis, Rutherford, Vaughan | 4:04 |
| 8. | "When I Get Over You" | Neil, Rutherford | Neil, Rutherford | 4:10 |
| 9. | "If Only" | Carrack, Rutherford | Rutherford | 4:42 |
| 10. | "Asking (for the Last Time)" | Carrack, Rutherford | Davis, Rutherford | 4:16 |
| 11. | "Always Listen to Your Heart" | Carrack, Rutherford, Young | Davis, Rutherford, Vaughan | 4:16 |
| 12. | "Did You See Me Coming" | Carrack, Rutherford | Davis, Rutherford | 4:04 |
| 13. | "Look Across at Dreamland" | Robertson, Rutherford | Neil, Rutherford | 4:14 |
Personnel
Mike and The Mechanics
- Mike Rutherford – electric guitars, bass guitar, backing vocals
- Paul Carrack – lead vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12), backing vocals, keyboards, electric guitars, drums
- Paul Young – lead vocals (3, 6, 8, 11, 13), backing vocals, percussion
- Gary Wallis – drums, programming
Additional personnel
- Oskar Paul – programming
- Steve Pigott – programming
- Matthew Vaughan – programming
- Simon Hale – string arrangements and conductor
- Sharon Woolf – backing vocals
Technical and Design
- Nick Davis – engineer (1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9-12), mixing (1, 3-13)
- Mark Taylor – engineer (2), mixing (2)
- Simon Hurrell – engineer (4, 8, 13)
- Ian Huffam – additional engineer (1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9-12)
- Wherefore Art? – Cover design
References
- Allmusic review
- Black, Johnny. "Review: Mike + The Mechanics – Mike & The Mechanics". Q. EMAP Metro Ltd (July 1999): 110.
- Mike + the Mechanics UK charts history, The Official Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2011.