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OBITUARY 

Mike + the Mechanics Singer Paul Young Dies   By Contributing Editor Frank Tortorici reports   Paul Young, singer/percussionist for the British pop-rock band Mike + the Mechanics and former vocalist for the pop group Sad Café, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack in Cheshire, England. He was 53.   Young collapsed at home and was dead on arrival at Wythenshawe Hospital, according to a spokesman for Virgin Records UK.  Earlier this year, Mike + the Mechanics issued their sixth LP, M6 (which includes the single "Now That You've Gone"), on Virgin Records in the UK only. Young was planning to tour Europe with the band later this month but the tour has been canceled, according to John Webster of Virgin UK.   "We are all shocked and devastated by Paul's death," Mechanics leader and Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford said in a statement.  "He had a fantastic voice, one of the best rock voices of his generation, and aside from his musical talent, he had such an infectious enthusiasm for the business. Paul loved performing. He was a complete natural. We all thought he'd still be singing in 50 years' time. This is a terrible loss."   Born on June 17, 1947, in Manchester, England, Young achieved his greatest success as a member of Mike + the Mechanics.  They scored a #1 U.S. hit in 1988 with the title track to the top 20 The Living Years (RealAudio excerpt), which was also a big UK hit. The song was inspired by the death of Rutherford's father.   Young had a number of UK chart successes in the '70s and '80s, with Sad Café. These included "Run Home Girl", which also charted in the States, "Every Day Hurts," "La Di Da" and "Strange Little Girl."   He started in the music business by playing German clubs in the '60s. In 1962 he formed his first band, Johnny Dark and the Midnights. After a stint in the beat group the Toggery Five, Young and bandmate Frank Renshaw continued on as the duo Young and Renshaw.   Young then formed Sad Café with guitarists Ian Wilson and Mike Hehir, saxophonist Lenni, keyboardist Vic Emerson, bassist John Stimpson and drummer David Irving. Sad Café issued their first LP, Fanx Ta Ra, in 1977 and achieved success with the follow-up, Misplaced Ideals, and its Young co-written hit "Run Home Girl." Their next album, Facades, featured the UK top-five "Every Day Hurts."   After a few more recordings, the band split in the '80s.   Young joined Mike + the Mechanics in 1985, alongside bandmates Rutherford and former Ace and Squeeze singer/keyboardist Paul Carrack. Young and Carrack shared lead vocals.   The Mechanics' eponymous debut that same year spawned the U.S. top-10 hit "Silent Running" and the top-5 Young-sung "All I Need Is a Miracle."   After The Living Years, Mike + the Mechanics issued their third LP, Word of Mouth (1991). Beggar on a Beach of Gold (1995) featured tracks such as "Another Cup of Coffee," "The Ghost of Sex and You" and the UK hit "Over My Shoulder." Hits (UK only) followed a year later.   Young is survived by his wife, Pat; their three grown children, Lee, Jason and Ursula; and one grandchild, Tegan.           NY TIMES           Paul Young, of Mike and the Mechanics, Dies at 53  Paul Young, a British rock singer who sang with the group Mike and  the Mechanics, died on Saturday at his home in Altrincham, near Manchester, England. He was 53.   The cause apparently was a heart attack, said a British representative of Mr. Young and the band.   Mr. Young, one of two British pop singers with that name (the other one is noted for the 1985 hit "Every Time You Go Away"), sang with a number of blues-rock bands in the 60's and was a founding member of the  Manchester group Sad Cafe in the mid-70's. The group's combination of  bluesy romps and commercial soft rock earned a number of hits in Britain,  including "Run Home Girl," "Babylon" and "Everyday."   In 1985 Mr. Young was invited by Mike Rutherford, the bassist in Genesis, then on hiatus, to sing in a new group, Mike and the Mechanics. The group would feature two lead voices, Mr. Young's conventional rock approach  and the soulful croon of Paul Carrack, who had sung in Squeeze.   Mike and the Mechanics' first album, released late in 1985, contained the  hit song "All I Need Is a Miracle," which featured Mr. Young and came to  be his signature stage number. But the group's biggest hit was "The Living  Years," sung by Mr. Carrack on the group's 1988 album of the same  name.   The group has carried on sporadically over the years, releasing a total of  six albums.

 

 

BIOGRAPHY

All-Music Guide  Born on June 17, 1947, in Manchester, England Died on July 15, 2000 in Chelshire, England   Mike + the Mechanics  While Phil Collins was pursuing his solo career in 1985, Genesis bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford formed the pop/rock band Mike + the Mechanics. Featuring Rutherford (bass), former Ace and Squeeze member Paul Carrack (vocals, keyboards), ex-Sad Cafe  member Paul Young (vocals), keyboardist Adrian Lee, and drummer Peter Van Hooke, the group released their self-titled first album late in 1985. The record produced two Top Ten hit singles, "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle," which both  peaked on the charts in early 1986. During 1986, Rutherford returned to Genesis and Carrack revived his solo career. Mike + the Mechanics didn't release another album until 1988's The Living Years. The record was a greater success than the first album, spawning the number one hit single "The Living Years." After its release, the group was inactive for another few years; they returned in 1991 with Word of Mouth, which failed to duplicate the success of their first two records. Four years later, Mike + the Mechanics released their fourth record, Beggar on a Beach of Gold, which was a moderate hit in the UK. In the spring of 1996, Mike & the Mechanics released the greatest-hits collection Hits in Britain.  -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

 

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