Mike Rutherford recorded music with Eddie Van Halen
In a recent interview on the “My Planet Rocks” podcast, Mike Rutherfordfounding bassist and guitarist of Genesisrecounted his experience of collaborating with Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist of Dutch origins who passed away in 2020, leader of the rock band of the same name founded in 1972 with his brother Alex.
He explained that Eddie contacted him, not the other way around, and how it all came about.
The former Genesis recalled how his 1982 solo album “Acting Very Strange” was the one that generated the meeting between the two guitarists.
“I think Eddie heard a song from my second solo album, which I sang – God knows how I came up with it! – and he called me up and said, ‘Do you want to write something?’. I mean, with the my voice for the love of God!”.
The two musicians worked together in the studio, creating some songs, although Rutherford admitted he wasn’t entirely sure of the final results: “We did some sessions. We wrote some songs, some bits of songs. I’m not quite sure. .. Can’t find the tape. Weird stuff, but it was fun.”
He added: “I’m supposed to have two boxes of cassettes with those recordings, but I think I’ve lost them. I’m not sure I’m crazy enough to listen to them!”
What stands out most in Rutherford’s memory of the collaboration, besides Eddie’s skill, are the strange hours they worked: “But it was fun. I mean, he was a great musician. We had some good times in the studio, but it starts at ‘1:30-2am is my way!’
The two guitarists agreed to meet in Los Angeles, where Van Halen lived and worked. But Rutherford was surprised when his American colleague arranged their appointment. “He said, ‘Hey Mike, come over about 1:30.’ And I thought, ‘Well, that’s fine with me, a little lunch.’” Van Halen then clarified: “in the morning.” “He starts at night and works all night,” Rutherford recalled. “I just couldn’t do it.”
In 1985 Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherfordin parallel with his activity with Genesis and his solo activity (two albums), gave life to the band Mike + The Mechanicsa sort of super group originally formed by Paul Carrack, ex Roxy Music, on vocals and keyboards; Paul Young, ex Sad Café (not the one from “Love of the Common People”) on vocals; Adrian Lee on keyboards and Peter Van Hooke, ex Van Morrison, on drums. Their first two singles “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” and “All I Need Is a Miracle” both entered the charts.
The band’s last album, with Rutherford giving increasing emphasis to his commitments with Genesis, dates back to 2019’s “Out Of The Blue”. In March and April 2025 the band will be on a major UK tour. The setlist will include their hits including, in addition to the aforementioned two debut singles, the subsequent “Over My Shoulder”, “The Living Years”, and some Genesis classics.
