The Road (Mike + The Mechanics album)

The Road
File:Mike Mechanics Road.jpg
Studio album by Mike + The Mechanics
Released	18 April 2011
Recorded	Fisher Lane Farm Studios with additional recording at Churchfield Studio, London and Tree House Studios, Cape Town 2009–10
Genre	Pop rock
Length	46:00
Label	Sony Music
Producer	Mike Rutherford, Christopher Neil, Graham Stack
Mike + The Mechanics chronology
Rewired (2004)Rewired2004 The Road (2011)

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The Road is the seventh studio album by Mike + The Mechanics, released in 2011 by Sony Music. This was their first album following the departure of Paul Carrack.

Following the release of Rewired in 2004 and the supporting tour, the group stopped working. In 2009, rumours surfaced that Mike Rutherford had plans to resurrect the band and had begun working on a new album. It was reported that Andrew Roachford would become the new singer. Soon after, two other names were mentioned: Arno Carstens and Tim Howar. Early sessions produced the songs "Background Noise", "It Only Hurts for a While" and "Hunt You Down", with Carstens performing vocals.

The sessions continued through 2010. By the end of 2010, it was officially announced that Rutherford, Roachford and Howar had recorded a new Mechanics album. The rest of the band consisted of the drummer Gary Wallis, the guitarist Anthony Drennan and the keyboard player Luke Juby.

Track listing

1. "The Road" (Mike Rutherford, Christopher Neil, Martin Sutton) – 4:20
2. "Reach Out (Touch The Sun)" (Rutherford, Andrew Roachford, Jamie Norton, Benjamin Weaver) – 4:03
3. "Try To Save Me" (Rutherford, Neil, Roachford) – 3:47
4. "Background Noise" (Rutherford, Neil, Arno Carstens) – 4:15
5. "I Don't Do Love" (Rutherford, Neil, Roachford, Tim Howar) – 4:34
6. "Heaven Doesn't Care" (Rutherford, Neil, Sutton) – 3:37
7. "It Only Hurts for a While" (Rutherford, Neil, Carstens) – 4:09
8. "Walking on Water" (Rutherford, Roachford, Norton, Weaver) – 3:41
9. "Hunt You Down" (Rutherford, Neil, Carstens) – 3:44
10. "Oh No" (Rutherford, Neil, Howar) – 4:17
11. "You Can Be The Rock" (Rutherford, Neil, Roachford) – 5:17

Personnel

• Mike Rutherford – guitar, bass guitar, programming
• Andrew Roachford – lead and backing vocals (lead: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 11), Wurlitzer
• Tim Howar – lead and backing vocals (lead: 6, 10)
• Gary Wallis – drums
• Anthony Drennan – guitar
• Luke Juby – keyboards

Additional personnel

• Arno Carstens – lead vocals (4, 7, 9)
• Martin Sutton – programming, guitar
• Peter Adams – Hammond organ
• Toby Chapman – keyboards
• Harry Rutherford – drums on tracks 4, 9 and additional programming on all tracks
• Jamie Norton – keyboards on tracks 2, 8
• Ben Weaver – guitar on track 2, bass on track 8
• George Hewlett – organ on track 9
• Hugo Flower – guitar on track 9
• Jamie Moses – guitar on track 3
• Ben Robins – programming on tracks 3, 10
• Christopher Neil, Hazel Fernandez, Beverley Brown and Mary Pearce – backing vocals
• Barrow Hills School Choir – on track 6

Production

• Produced by Christopher Neil and Mike Rutherford – tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11
• Produced by Mike Rutherford and Graham Stack for Metrophonic Productions – tracks 2, 8
• Engineered and mixed by Harry Rutherford – all tracks
• Recorded at The Farm Studio, Surrey
• Additional recording at Churchfield Studio, London and Tree House Studios, Cape Town
• Mastered by Dick Beetham at 360 Mastering, London