By 1996, Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford's side project, Mike + the Mechanics, had produced four hit albums packed with successful singles. The time had come for a greatest hits release.
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So on March 4, 1996, the band released Hits, a 13-track roundup of their most popular tunes. Kicking off the collection was "All I Need is a Miracle '96," a re-recording of the group's hit from the 1985 self-titled debut. Singer Paul Young would handle lead vocals on both versions.
Compiling at least three songs from all four Mike + the Mechanics studio efforts, Hits was indeed a global hit, just not in America or Canada; it wouldn't be officially released in those territories until 2008.
Mike + the Mechanics would return with a new album in 2019, Out of the Blue. Rutherford spoke about the possibility of the band hitting the road for a full-fledged tour again. While hesitant, he wouldn't rule it out.
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In the same interview, he mentioned that his main band, Genesis, would also consider playing again. With the recent news of Genesis' 2020 reunion tour, his words take on even more weight: "I always say, 'Never say never,'" he told Rolling Stone last April. "Look, if you asked me two or three years ago when Phil was retired, I would have said, 'No.' But there’s no plans. Let’s establish that. I’m going to go on tour with Phil for six shows in June. That’s with the Mechanics. It’ll be quite fun for us. But never say never. The fact that he’s back on the road is quite interesting."
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