Mike Rutherford - Silent Runner, the new book written by Mario Giammetti.

In the context of a band like Genesis, full of big characters and virtuosos,  Mike Rutherford's figure finds itself a bit in the dark. In the group's first phase he had the water-carrier role: a solid (and stupidly overlooked) bass player, a great rhythm guitarist and a 12-string innovator, but rarely in the spotlight. When Hackett left the band, he bravely stept out playing the lead guitar even if he hadn't the necessary fluid style, and this made him even more obscure, if possible. But it is only the outward appearance. Because Rutherford actually not only is Banks' ideal songwriting partner, the backbone of the sound of Genesis, but he is also the one able to make the group's big choices as well. As he did when he decided to end the experience with Ray Wilson as the singer of a band, for instance. A strong-willed character, notwithstanding the relaxed and lazy facade, which gave him a well deserved semi-solo success with the Mike & The Mechanics project. The parallel Rutherford group sold 10 milllion records worldwide, and you don't get these numbers only for affection towards a glorious band!

A melody maestro (check out huge hits like The Living Years, All I Need Is A Miracle, Silent Running and Over My Shoulder), but a great director as well, Mike is capable to spot talents out of the blue and make them shine. Just think about the songwriting team with writer BA Robertson and producer Chris Neil. As with Paul Carrack and Paul Young, the singers who shared Mechanics' most popular period, this year the band made a return to the spotlight with two new vocalists (Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar).

This book (Italian language, but with plenty of colour and b/w photos), the first one dedicated to Mike, tells all of this with first hand recollections, finally doing justice to this incredible silent runner. Without whom Genesis may never have been Genesis