Apocalyptic 1986 #1 Hit is SO EERIE…It Was BANNED by RADIO for DANGEROUS Lyrics? | Professor of Rock

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: Who is your pick for the most underrated singer of ALL TIME?

[@stephenbrown4211]

Judie Tzuke Paul Carrack Fish

[@rogerdeahl9629]

Steve Walsh Martha Davis

[@Code.Name.V]

Klaus Meine Fee Waybill Alan Frew Tony Hadley Philip Oakey Grant Phillips Linda Perry Marie Frederiksson

[@eightiesmusic1984]

Horse MacDonald Scottish band Horse Holly Johnson FGTH John Waite- should have had more hits. Carol Decker T'Pau. America missed out on most of T'Pau's music.

[@Terk131]

Paul Rodgers, Graham Bonnet and Ronnie James Dio

[@chriscarlson3700]

The mid-80s were a reflection of how crazy-talented the guys in Genesis were. Phil Collins had No Jacket Required, Peter Gabriel released So, Mike Rutherford had a huge record with the Mechanics, Steve Hackett teamed up with Steve Howe in GTR, and then Genesis somehow found the time to release Invisible Touch. Not too shabby for an old prog-rock outfit.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It almost makes me think Genesis was a supergroup!

[@kingcurry6594]

Steve Hackett's solo albums are amazing, too.

[@chriscarlson3700]

@@kingcurry6594 Underrated guitarist, for sure. Tony Banks had a side project, too, called Bankstatement, and he’s scored a number of films. So much talent in that band.

[@EHiggins]

It was a golden age

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

The ‘80s certainly was the decade of Genesis! If you listened to almost any radio station, they literally inundated the airwaves. To the point that I started getting sick of them! I do give them credit, they worked hard, and put out a ton of hits!

[@jeffmartin5504]

It is absolutely criminal that Paul Carrack does not get more attention and more accolades, his voice is absolutely amazing

[@MatrixRoland]

Even to this day (2023) his voice is spot on! Never knew his name when he wrote/sang so many awesome songs over the last 50 years. Paul Carrack, you are the best!

[@BigBri550]

Paul Carrack, Steve Windwood, Phil Collins, and Peter Gabriel were all from the same mould, but I like Paul Carrack the most among them. Carrack's re-do of "Tempted" on the _Reality Bites_ soundtrack is THE best version of that song ever recorded (The Knack's re-do of My Sharona was fire, too)

[@joeysplats3209]

I think it's a great tune with fantastic vocals suitable for sing-along. The Establishment doesn't like it because they don't like it when their slavish population get ideas about resisting them. It's the same crowd who suppressed the massively-popular Steve Vaus' song, "We Must Take America Back".

[@hypnonavy]

Friend of mine told me "You love Paul Carrack, you just don't KNOW that you love Paul Carrack." And then he proceeded to show me why, and he was absolutely right.

[@andyd2528]

Saw a gig with Carrack a couple of years ago. He's getting on a bit now but he was absolutely excellent.

[@RC32Smiths01]

It's always a great time to learn about Genesis and the members that went on to be just as legendary in a solo context. Mike and The Mechanics is such a clean and intricate band, especially with that much talent behind it!

[@ProfessorofRock]

o uThanks RC32. Always great to see you on here!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@ProfessorofRock Thank you so much!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I was just listening to All I Need is a Miracle the other day.

[@williestyle35]

Mike + the Mechanics will also have Nick Collins on drums, next tour! Such a group of musicians.

[@MetalMama-Mimi523]

Ever since I heard and fell in love with Paul Carrack's voice, I've never understood why (1) people never talked about him & (2 & more devastatingly) no one really seemed to know who he was. What a phenomenal singer.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. One of my favorite voices ever. Good points! What' your favorite song by him?

[@Fiona2254]

His voice is so good, it is sad he’s not that recognized.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Strange, as he sounds very close to Phil Collins.

[@michaelboldys3330]

Groove Approved! I'm honoured to have lived in the 80's. Professor, you are the musical historian with a passion. Thank you!

[@MetalMama-Mimi523]

​​@@ProfessorofRock ooooo that's hard to pinpoint cause of course I love 'How Long' as it was the song that introduced me to his voice. Then there is 'Tempted' but one I really like but it never gets much attention is one of his newer songs, the re-make of Bruce Springsteen's 'If I Should Fall Behind'. I know Springsteen wrote/sang it but Paul gave it life.

[@jennyjenny4501]

It’s sad how this song applies to the situation we face today!

[@ProfessorofRock]

No joke.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It applied to me personally especially this past month.

[@georgehuffert1800]

Very sad but it was known then

[@donperry8627]

Shhh… they’re watching.

[@Bronco541]

I wish people would stop saying things like "society is breaking down" today. People dont know how good they have it and it infuriating. Things couls get a whole lot worse, then you'll know...

[@bonnzzo]

Professor you need to have him back to discuss his solo hit "Don't Shed a Tear" which to me is one of the most underappreciated hits of the 80's. Great Song!

[@mbgrafix]

Silent Running is truly *OUTSTANDING,* and the drum beat is absolutely _the hook_ on that song...just so unique and incredible. Absolutely on my list of 80s favorites! The theme of a time traveler wanting to get a message back in time to a loved one is also present in another 80s favorite of mine... *ELO's* _outstanding_ 1981 concept album, *TIME.* Such an underrated album. Anyone who is unfamiliar with it needs to give it a listen. Indeed, my favorite lyric from the album is the opening to the song, *Ticket To The Moon,* which says, *_Remember the good old 1980s_* *_When things were so uncomplicated_* *_I wish I could go back there again_* *_and everything could be the same_*

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I love that ELO record.

[@mbgrafix]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 OUTSTANDING!

[@mariantreber8055]

We just didn't know what was going on, then. ..child tr..afficking. I believe that's what it's about. Silent Running.

[@mbgrafix]

@mariantreber8055 No, it's not about child trafficking. According to Mike Rutherford, the song is about a guy who's traveled light-years away, out in space somewhere, and he's ahead in time. Therefore he knows what's going to happen to his wife and kids back home, on Earth. And he's trying to get the message to them to say what's going to happen, the kind of anarchy, the breakdown of society, to tell them to be prepared.

[@celestialscripture]

Great interview! Paul Carrack is the most underrated vocalist of the modern rock era. Amazing that such radical humility can accompany such a prodigious talent.

[@ProfessorofRock]

No kidding. He's just awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@eightiesmusic1984]

What is radical humility?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Such an incredible singer for sure.

[@davebellamy4867]

​@@eightiesmusic1984 A cool expression, meaning very, very modest.

[@stevenmaginnis1965]

In their book "The Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time," Jimmy Guterman and Owen O'Donnell called Paul Carrack a "rock and roll mercenary" and a singer known for having "performed with many bands in the seventies and eighties and left a lasting imprint on none of them." They also wrote, "We never thought we'd say this, but when we hear Mike + the Mechanics, we almost miss Phil Collins." I think I'll spread some joy elsewhere now.

[@johnmarks8395]

Paul Carrack is so underrated. From this album, all these years later, Living Year still can draw tears from me because of Paul’s voice, and the lyrical familiarity with my relationship with my own father

[@DepDawg]

I can’t listen to it without crying. I wish my Dad was still alive. There’s so much I’d like to say to him. I didn’t understand a lot when I was a kid.

[@lindamcfarland9656]

I absolutely agree that Silent Running is a forgotten gem! Im glad you're showcasing this one! As a Gen Xer, I always thought this song was about invasion and war because of the Cold War and our fears of nuclear disaster in the 80's. That theme seemed to permeate so much of our entertainment and music because it was constantly nesting in the back of our minds. I've tried to explain this to my kids because it seems so relevant again these days and feels like old hat. The line "Can you hear me running?" always reminded me that we all felt like we were doing that all the time in one sense or another already.

[@babygerald4645]

Totally. Like Nena's '99 Luftballoons' or contemporary Genesis' 'Land of Confusion' or even Sting's 'Russians', those themes were all over popular music. We could probably make up a pretty good playlist, actually.

[@floepiejane]

​@@babygerald4645yes, what you said ✌🏽🌻

[@tammylewis2408]

I always thought it was about someone escaping from Russia/Eastern Bloc, because there were stories of people who successfully escaped to the West during the Cold War. One story I remember reading around that time was in a Reader's Digest about a Russian professor who escaped to the West by hiking through the Lapland areas of Russia and Finland; he endured brutal weather, swamps, forests, tundra, and avoiding Russian and Finnish guards before safely seeking refuge in Sweden.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

This song can definitely be applied to Ukraine today.

[@deborahhanna9126]

I watched a lot of Twilight Zone with my dad growing up and these eerie, possibly apocalyptic songs made perfect sense and weren't strange or novelties to the times they were written in; they were almost prophetic in that sense of understanding the underlying zeitgeist of the frenetic 1980s cocaine-fuelled 'eat drink and party for tomorrow we may die' outlook. My family was solidly Middle Class then before the corporate greed sunk so many families into subsistence 'just above the poverty' line that my blue-collar dad could not stave off no matter how many hours he worked or how many side-hustles.... It was the reality of the despair just under all the neon leg warmers that is all any of these newer artists want to think the '80s were about. (Those selling 'Stranger Things' as nostalgia but with 1995 attitudes.) My family watched the Berlin Wall come down together and it was so profound that we knew the World would change but we didn't know HOW yet. There was no internet or instant gratification phones if your family was away from you- or even in another state and long-distance charges applied to the relief of a worried mind. We have been killed by grasshoppers and Lotus-Eaters now. Corrupt politicians have brought us to the EXACT circumstances that made this song inspired to exist and the lines "Don't believe the Church and State and everything they tell you... Pledge Allegiance to the Flag- WHATEVER flag they offer."

[@mattray4876]

Something I have always thought that was great about "Silent Running" is how it seamlessly blends into the opening of "All I Need is a Miracle". It's like watching a mini movie of the band's adventures.

[@LazyIRanch]

Although I love the song, I never really listened to the lyrics. I had assumed that the song related to the movie, "Silent Running" starring Bruce Dern. It does, but it goes much deeper and, indeed, it's eerily appropriate for today: _Swear allegiance to the flag Whatever flag they offer Never hint at what you really feel Teach the children quietly For some day sons and daughters Will rise up and fight while we stood still Can you hear me, can you hear me running?_

[@ProfessorofRock]

Yes! Great point!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Those songs go together like puzzle pieces!

[@najihaddad7616]

Mike and the mechanics is criminally underrated. Thank you professor for putting things in place 😊

[@mismissy]

Looking back is one of my favorite songs ever.

[@steveturner3999]

I’ve loved this song from the first time I heard it. It hit me as another Cold War reflection then it became an Orwellian sounding prophecy. I loved the title and always loved the movie of the same name. Mike and the Mechanics are highly underrated in my opinion. Ah to go back to 1986………..

[@lawdogwales5921]

Take me back there!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It’s very haunting. Can I go back with you?

[@revsharkie]

This song is second only to Ultravox's Dancing with Tears in My Eyes in bringing up some pretty scary memories. I think Adam is a bit younger than I am. When this came out I was a senior in high school. Where some might find it just creepy or apocalyptic, for us who had even a nominal understanding of foreign affairs it felt like what the world could be the next day if the demented old men in Moscow and Washington decided to see if we could survive a nuclear war. I had a history professor in college who said the closest we came to nuclear war since the Cuban missile crisis was in 1985. A lot of us who were kids then thought less about what we wanted to be when we grew up, than about whether we would get to grow up.

[@cherianncarlsonewing5459]

I knew from the first time I heard this song that it was prophetic. I knew when I met the love of my life, around the same time this was a hit, that I must have my family with that particular man… I would wait till hell froze over if need be, for Mark to ask me to marry him because I was certain that he was the one man I could trust to see us through the times to come. He never understood how much I loved and trusted him, and he let others come between us, allies I believe he sought out because of fears in his own mind, but he let me raise the children . Unlike the false narrative from those who strove to alienate us, I taught the children to love him, even if from a distance, and they have sought out on their own, the things I’d hoped he would teach them. They know this song well, and that it was an important part of the birth of our family, and that I instinctively knew it foretold a world we would soon see around us. I think it actually helped the children and I to be strong, resilient, and to be there for each other.

[@RFXLR]

I remember this being such a scary song because it came out during the height of the cold war. We had movies like Red Dawn and Wargames which fueled the fear. Paul has a great voice and I think he could sing the dictionary and it would sound fine!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Nuclear anxiety was at its heights back then.

[@debbylou5729]

The ‘height of the cold war’ was in the 60’s. The Berlin Wall came down in the 80’s. They don’t teach history anymore, do they?

[@duncancurtis5108]

In The Army Now by Status Quo, same year.

[@reallyretro]

All three core members of Genesis in the mid 80’s were very busy indeed. Mike and the Mechanics is a fantastic group, and should be discussed more in pop music history. Paul Carrack is crazy talented, and his voice is amazing in every band he has been in and as a solo artist. Thank you for covering this song in particular professor!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Paul has done a lot of work with different groups!

[@stevenmaginnis1965]

Tony Banks has his own group called Bankstatement, and the joke was that they never accrued enough interest to need one.

[@rft2001]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I loved seeing him of Roger Waters' Radio KAOS tour.

[@joelspaulding5964]

"Swear allegiance to the flag, what ever flag they offer" That hit me as an 18 year old and still hits today...but far heavier.

[@mikewillett5076]

The song as a whole had a semi apocalyptic effect on me, and that like also struck me a little.

[@fritzforsthoefel8031]

Why

[@ShawnJonesHellion]

Yesterday was memorial day. Which I opt out of. Coincidental it sent the song to me considering videos or posts I make about this every year

[@roscianyt]

"Some day sons and daughters will rise up and fight while we stood still." Great video, again, Professor.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Yes! Thank you!

[@simplysteve68]

Lol, I guess I misheard the part "while we stood still" as either "while we 'sit' still" or " while we 'stand' still". 🤷

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I love the lyric!

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

I've always thought it to be "stand still" since it talking about a future time when the present generation will be too old to fight....@@simplysteve68

[@blazewinters2593]

There is such a haunting quality to the song; still gives me goosebumps. Paul Carrack was the perfect choice for Silent Running. It was years before I realized that there were different singers on the album. Paul Young added the right amount of energy to what was already a great album.

[@akca00]

Paul is amazing. His voice is one of a kind!! I heard 'How Long' on the radio and came home trying to sing it for my wife, I was so taken with it. I had never done that before. From that point on brought everything he sang on. His solo stuff is absolutely high quality and deserves more exposure.

[@jasontodd8071]

Back when he was part of Ace!!! 😁

[@babygerald4645]

What a collection of talent Genesis was. While Peter Gabriel was off making incredible solo work and about to drop So on the world, Phil Collins was tearing up the charts every other week. With all that it's easy to overlook Mike & The Mechanics. This was my favorite M&™ track because it had such a dark tone and lyric and it was long: six-plus minutes at the end of the album side, if I recall. And like most POR episodes, I can say that I was this old when I realized they had different lead singers on their three hits. I love Paul Carrack's voice on this one, though. Definitely an underrated gem from a rather successful if short-lived spin-off.

[@jerryoxley1827]

I really look forward to the Revelations segment every time you do it. Today was a shining example of that. Silent Running was brilliant in its warning to future generations. The eerie feel made it so effective. Paul Carrack had the voice to lend that gave a feel of despair and worry. It was so on target for this generation. I'm so impressed by the entire album, really. Keep it up, you're doing great with these segments!

[@Trigger_Treats]

I knew Paul Carrack from "Don't Shed a Tear," but I never realized that it was the same guy who sang lead vocals on..."How Long," "Tempted," "All I Need Is A Miracle," "Silent Running," and ""The Living Years." Mind. Blown.

[@rogerdeahl9629]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Love Mike Rutherford......... glad he got his flowers! Genesis was just so talented with all the members that were a part of it. It could be argued that all 5 members were legends. And Paul Carracks voice! Just wonderful. Thanks Professor! Even in the hospital for tests I didn't miss class! Have a great Tuesday!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Roger!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Genesis were a “hidden supergroup”.

[@raindeerprojekt4119]

This song hits differently every 10 years or so!!! Now it is overwhelming

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Especially with the recent spate of gun violence, Black Lives Matter, you know.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Yes, especially with KZbin hiding the reply comments..... Clicked "1 reply" and nothing materializes.

[@raindeerprojekt4119]

@@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398 Yes!! Right!! We are being SENSE ORDERED. Thank you for saying that!! I am not sure if its regional or not. I am in the PNW. very heavily monitored theses days

[@seanrosenau2088]

​@@raindeerprojekt4119PNW? What and where is that?

[@raindeerprojekt4119]

@@seanrosenau2088 Pacific Northwest. Puget Sound and stuff

[@Lokisqueen22]

Silent Running is one of my favorite 80s songs. It was eerily poetic.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

The instrumental was spot on.

[@plalelal]

It is coming true.

[@narq5099]

I love songs that turn ineffable emotions into music. This is one of the songs. Just the melodies in this song almost bring me to tears, at certain times. The music and Paul's voice just make a direct connection to my soul.

[@53lyric1]

And prophetic. Thanks to B.A. Richardson and Mike Rutherford we have been warned.

[@davidlaw689]

Mr Rutherford must've had a crystal ball back in 1986. Extremely prescient.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Right!

[@hbofbyu1]

I always thought the song was mesmerizing. The best lyrics are the ones most open to interpreation in that kind of music. Mike and the Mechanics was a great collaboration.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Agreed. Thanks for your insight!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Definitely. Lyrics are effective when they mean different things to different people.

[@hbofbyu1]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 A good example was Hotel California.

[@lawrencedavis4406]

I was under the impression that Mike Rutherford formed the Mechanics as a side BAND instead of just putting out another solo album (he had 2) is because he had a horrible weird high-pitched singing voice (you can kinda hear it in the background harmonies on "Follow You Follow Me", those la la la's) and either didn't want to sing lead anymore or was told by the record company not to sing lead anymore and get someone else to sing lead, so he got the 2 Pauls...I wonder if that was correct??

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

@@hbofbyu1 Such a lovely song.

[@eyepodwalkman6247]

One time an emergency broadcast came on the radio immediately after this song ended. It was just a tornado warning but it scared the shit out if me.

[@iainbratt5866]

Mechanics Paul Young, Mike Rutherford said of Young, "He had a fantastic voice, one of the best rock voices of his generation ... a complete natural." Former Marillion vocalist and 1980s chart peer Fish described him as "one of the finest frontmen and singers from the history of the British music scene", who exhibited "immense personality, glowing charisma and outrageous positivism".

[@vickielusby1006]

The part of the song where it's says "someday our children will rise up while we stood still" always convicts me . I feel guilty that we are leaving them such a messed up world.

[@Fiona2254]

I’ve always loved this song. It speaks of unmeasurable love for his family in the face of horrible odds.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. It's a father and son song.

[@Fiona2254]

Or daughter 😉

[@LazyIRanch]

@@Fiona2254 Indeed! Swear allegiance to the flag Whatever flag they offer Never hint at what you really feel Teach the children quietly _For some day sons and daughters_ Will rise up and fight while we stood still Can you hear me, can you hear me running?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It’s so powerful.

[@vonhalberstadt3590]

Mike and the Mechanics were one of the most under-rated groups ever. All of their songs in the radio were keepers and some were among the greatest of all time in my opinion. I waited through the end of a song if I was getting out of my car. "The Living Years" influenced my relationship with my parents and I was privileged to be with each if them when they passed. "Silent Running" is one of my all time favorites. Mike and the Mechanics and Gerry Rafferty, part of the Soundtrack of the late '70s and early '80s. Thanks again Adam.

[@andrewcanady6644]

One of the coolest songs ever. Government shouldn’t be banning ANYTHING! We, the men and women of the country, shouldn’t tolerate this authoritarianism.

[@ericansems]

Paul Carrack, wauw! One of the best singers in history! Thank you so much POR!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Indeed. Most people do not realize.

[@jackaction7077]

I was living in Florida when this song was on regular radio rotation and it was never mentioned about it being controversial or removed from radio

[@johncellario]

Mike and the Mechanics songs were so memorable, brilliantly sung by the two Paul’s, and a superb production.

[@aprilmorris4588]

Adam, I'm so happy you made a video about that song. Silent Running was and is one of my most favorite songs of the 1980s. I had chills running up and down my spine the first time i heard it and every time since. This song is one of the greatest at painting a picture in our minds that's hard to ignore. 😊 I already had a vivid imagination and was a massive sci-fi fan, so my imagination still runs wild when I hear Silent Running. All I Need is a Miracle is also on the top of the list of favorites. In fact, I loved that whole album. 💿 I met my husband a year after the song was released and he bought it for me. 🥰 He loved it almost as much as I do.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

They’re both great songs.

[@johngroves9828]

I absolutely love this! This song was from my high school years. Paul Carrack sang so many of my favorite songs growing up, and not only is his voice incredible, but he seems like such a genuinely nice person.

[@mateoum6212]

I’ve always thought of hiding from the Germans during WWII and the Soviet oppression in East Berlin during the Cold War when I heard this song. I love the lyric, “Teach the children quietly, for someday sons and daughters will rise up and fight while we stood still.”

[@userperson5259]

This song is one of my absolute favorites from the 80s. It's eerily prophetic in its prediction of increased lawlessness, and the push for globalism (whatever flag they offer). And it's very touching in its urgency of a father trying to phone home from the future, but also in its spirituality of looking to God for help when the world finally falls apart. Can't say enough about it!! Love it! Great interview!!

[@trynsurviven2440]

You may find this unbelievable but I had this song nailed down before you mentioned Genesis in the beginning of this video. This song has been a favorite of mine since its release. I listen to it a lot. Awesome interview 🙌🙌.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I was guessing something from Genesis, like Invisible Touch.

[@saraforhan6442]

I try to guess the song before starting the video (plus guessing the album covers, especially the ones on the very right which show partially 😂). I couldn't guess it but I got it too from POR's opening. That's part of what makes these videos fun.

[@chrisshollenberger9983]

It's especially eerie for me that you chose this song today. This song came on at work this morning, and I thought to myself about how we're closer to the dystopian future in this song today than we were when it came out. Great song and great musicians, to be sure. Thanks for all you do, Adam!

[@johncameron4172]

That 80’s were the best time to be a teenager in the US. MTV was such a huge influence on everything. Rock songs were rock songs and not divided up into subcategories like pop and hard rock. Everything got played on MTV and rock stations. Now there’s a different station for pop, rap, rock, grunge, oldies and what they call alternative. It’s freaking ridiculous. There was an innocence to being young that there isn’t anymore. Today teenagers have the internet. They can find out everything about anything within minutes. I’m I the only one that wonders why MTV stop playing rock videos?

[@kellybridwell7250]

Funny how there are some songs that you have heard a million times, you can sing along every word but you never paid attention to the lyrics, just sort of memorized them alongside the sound. I never had any idea how creepy or deep this was. There are a whole lot of 80s songs that are so much darker than I ever realized (especially when thee are against the colorful, party backdrop of the 80s). Very interesting. Keep up the fine work, Adam.

[@sovereignbrehon]

I can 100% relate to this!

[@ClassicVideos80s]

Paul Carrick had a fantastic voice. One of the best singers in the 80s and 70s. Those M&M songs were on the radio here non stop here in Australia in 86.

[@queenslanddiva]

I think Paul Carrack is one of the finest singers we've had. I love his voice. And I love this song.

[@flavellinator]

Talented supergroup! I saw them live in concert with The Outfield as the opener and neither disappointed...

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I love the Outfield! How was the show?

[@elizabethorsillo7187]

Wow, two awesome, yet underrated bands touring together!

[@flavellinator]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 One of my favorite groups, and it was excellent! I'd seen them three times over the years and they were some of the kindest people... with M&M, it was the Voices of Babylon tour, 1989-1990

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

@@flavellinator I love the song, Voices of Babylon. Also R.I.P. to Tony Lewis. I’m sure he was a very nice guy.

[@paulamcdonald6568]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980I went to concert back in summer of 1986 The Outfield opened for Jefferson Starship. Excellent concert and loved the outfield more than the main band honestly. 😊

[@crashtestgoat]

This song is prophetic genius. Paul absolutely killed it. This song will live forever. Thank you to all who created it. 💪😎🐐

[@Barada73]

I graduated high school in 1991, so I was a teenager when this song came out. The late 1980s were the last few years of the Cold War, but none of us knew that at the time. I remember watching The Day After when I was 10 and Threads when I was 11 or 12, and as I approached the age of 18 the possibility that I might be drafted to go and fight in WW3 or we would all just be wiped out in a nuclear armageddon, began weighing on my mind more and more. So, when this song camed out, it really seemed to tap into that dark sense of dread that I was feeling and I'm sure many other kids my age felt as well. Of course, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, Germany reunified, and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991; so there was this massive sense of relief that it was finally all over and we had dodged a major bullet. However, with recent events in mind, I don't think we actually dodged that bullet but instead just delayed it for a few decades.

[@catherine6653]

I dig the Mike and the Mechanics first record! I have it.😊 Silent Running is a great opening track. Like you said it's hypnotic and takes me on a sci- fi journey. "All I Need is a Miracle" is a top favorite 80s song for me. "Taken In" is a nice overlooked ballad. This record made more aware of Paul Carrack.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing Catherine!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

There is a bit of sci-fi thrown in there. Sounds like the alien type of haunting.

[@jeffreyg607]

This song is the first song I thought of during the last 2 /12 years. A fan made video for recent times is phenomenal!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Did someone make a video tying this to the relevant events of today?

[@sspbrazil]

I wouldn’t call this song creepy, it’s more prophetic than creepy.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

That’s the word!

[@Geezer-yf8hv]

Not creepy bad, just differently erie!

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Eerie or ominous sound better.

[@sspbrazil]

@@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398 it’s not even that, it doesn’t sound like Black Sabbath or Bauhaus, it’s just prophetic.

[@heelsfantim]

Absolutely!!!

[@musclecarmitch908]

Awesome episode Professor! Awesome interview with Paul! I've always been a big fan of Mike and the Mechanics songs! Thanks for keeping the music alive!👍

[@cowpuddles4851]

Totally agree that this song is hypnotic. Such a wonderful piece of art!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

This song is just absolute perfection. Not enough words!

[@frankwaugh1894]

Thank you so very much for the background behind this song. I was stationed in the federal republic of germany in the mid 80s and this song always gave me serious orwellian 1984 vibes since i was patrolling the border. I could so easily see an east german father telling his family the words in this song. Everyone was too afraid to speak or say the wrong thing on the communist side of the border. We saw houses that would suddenly be deserted because the inhabitants had been "disappeared". So for me this song always hit me as a description of living in constant fear under a totalitarian regime...

[@ericbgordon1575]

My strongest memory of "Silent Running", long before I knew the title, was hearing the song on the radio, having not heard "Tempted" or "How Long" yet and not recognizing Paul's voice. I literally thought it was another Phil Collins single. All that before I learned the Mike + the Mechanics name or the Genesis connection. It was extra juicy when I subsequently learned that Phil (along with Eric Clapton) subsequently performed "All I Need is a Miracle" with the Mechanics.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ericbgordon1575]

Thank you also.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Even Phil would have been amazed by Paul’s singing.

[@realmaindrianpace]

Been waiting for this one, Prof, one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite - and amazingly underrated bands of the '80s. They were one of the groups that made '80s music so notably good, so smooth.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

They are very underrated.

[@pyrielrising4338]

Mike & The Mechanics were very underrated which is probably due to Rutherford who is so low key despite immense talent. This song is really great and Carrack just delivers it perfectly, interesting range from these musicians, futuristic nihilism to absolute soul as Living Years will reduce you to tears.

[@wee-weeble49]

Great interview with Paul Carrick, one ofthe most underrated singers out there. Just love this channel.

[@gladiatory2k]

When I was a kid, I was convinced the video was a trailer for some movie coming soon. A lot of the Mike and the Mechanics songs felt like a moment in time where there was a deeper story occurring surrounding this song and you can run wild with what that story actually is.

[@charleyanne]

I think this song won't age .. it'll go along with the times no matter when it's sung!!

[@paulfreeborn1493]

Totally agree with you that Mike and the Mechanics are underrated. Several of there songs have stayed with me throughout the years (since I first heard them). I get a little choked up these days when "Living Years" comes on--always a great song, it hits a little harder now that I have lost my parents. Didn't know about the band's history--thanks for this video!

[@chrishomberg7659]

Silent Running is spooky. The Fixx's Saved by Zero is really spooky too. Can't get enough of either!

[@WayCoolJr.]

Always liked this song but kind of forgot about it over time. Decided to add it to my 80's playlist just 2 weeks ago and loving it! Now you're featuring it in a video! Awesome stuff as usual Professor of Rock!

[@RonTimmonsM1]

This song is TIMELESS and has definition that can be interpreted in so many different ways. That makes a great poetically written song. I love their music! I am so glad they recorded it.

[@MyName-pl7zn]

Paul Carrack is definitely one the most underrated singers he nails it on every one of the hits he has sang on. Made me laugh when he said stop me if I get into too many of the details, I love all the details of how the soundtrack of my life were made. Mike and the Mechanics were a supergroup if there ever was one. Did you get to talk about How Long?

[@ProfessorofRock]

Ha ha! Love it! Thanks My Name!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

He’s my type of guy!

[@jennifer60515]

I am a huge music follower of many genres, and I had completely forgotten about this song. I’m grateful for this interview, which re-introduced me to this song. I always thought it was fantastic.

[@benvan-ness1030]

I personally love the band I guess you might call him a supergroup, Paul has a voice I could listen to all day long

[@gregortbach]

Thanks so much for this one! I have been a fan of Mike + the Mechanics, as well as Paul Carrack, but I never put two and together!

[@lobo5786]

I loved this song!! It took me on a journey and the chorus was great. It was and still is fir 65 yr old an escape from the worries of the moment

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It’s an amazing song.

[@mij297]

As a child of the 80, i had to guess, but ss soon as you said a song eerily mirroring today, this was the song that came to my mind, i play this most days, it keeps me grounded for today's times. Put ut together with the Trump video, it becomes so much more meaningful and powerful, it choaks me up., i also love the history of the song and the amazing Artists involved.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What is your pick for the greatest collaboration of the 80s?

[@thetitleisours1]

Traveling Wilbury's

[@stephenbrown4211]

Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty Fish/Tony Banks UB40/Chrissie Hynde The Highwaymen Nelson Kristofferson Jennings and Cash

[@nedhorner]

George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty. Ladies and Gentlemen... The Travelling Wilburys!

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

Queen and David Bowie Under Pressure

[@hbofbyu1]

It's hard to think of one better than Mike & the Mechanics. How about Queen and David Bowie?

[@romansholiday1986]

You hit the nail in the head: when I was a kid in Oregon and it came on the radio, Silent Running had this sinister sense and sound that I couldn’t turn away from. West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys felt the same to me. In the 80’s, in rural America, with the ending Cold War hanging over us, especially from my parents, Silent Running summed up the feelings/fears we had had about the Soviet Union marching forth, and possibly one day taking over the West. “Swear allegiance to the flag/whatever flag they offer” sounded like an imminent and spooky reality, sung to me over the airwaves and into my room at night. I was like 10 years old. It was great!

[@levisguy53]

one of my all-time fave songs. this is one of 3 songs i can and do listen to on repeat for multiple listens. "Hanging By a Thread" is another good song, more of a rocker than pop from the eponymous debut.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Great one.

[@anselmmartin1085]

I so loved this interview because Paul was so honest and frank about the past.

[@Calinicus72]

I remember this song coming out when I was in Junior High. The Cold War was still going on, and the song had a post-Apocalyptic feel to it, like a time capsule found on a baseball field.

[@opus2024]

I remember where I was the first time I heard it and loved it from the start. I didn’t become aware that Paul Carrack was the singer until much later. Back in the 80’s there wasn’t Wikipedia, there wasn’t the internet. I took everything at face value. But now I know that Paul is the voice of some of my favorite tunes, dating back to the 70’s with “How Long”, and Tempted by the Fruit of Another”. Once again Adam, I am envious of your ability to have these great interviews with people like Paul. Keep it coming! Jonathan

[@maxcactus7]

Some of my fondest memories ever thinking back to m days in high school listening to Mike & The Mechanics on the radio. Utterly magical time to be alive and the music was simply incredible! And yes, this song absolutely rocked then and is every bit as good now!!

[@terrycain3843]

The 80 s will never be repeated with the talent and creative juices that were flowing.Mike and the Mechanics was just one of countless groups producing timeless classic songs and riffs that are just unmatched.What a wonderful era to be into rock n roll.Thanks Adam for another great peak into the past.

[@alanlo-557]

This song has given me goosebumps when my soul is properly attuned to the work. I believe that there's a hint of the prophetic in it, too or at least some very perceptive understanding of the times in which we live

[@tavomcdouglas]

I'm still amazed at the songs Paul Carrack sang in the backdrop of my youth. As you said, the video and the song, Silent Runnings, melted my brain as a kid and I still fondly love this song to this day! My first love as a child was Euro pop in the 80's and I think that's what fueled my massive love of prog rock today.

[@desertdweller4951]

Great musicians, great music, and great interview 👍

[@cpel7232]

Great interview with Paul Carrack. Interesting backstory to these 80s songs

[@thetitleisours1]

Those songs by Mike and the Mechanic were so good. I could play those two hits over and over without getting tired of them. The videos were good too, if a bit crytic

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same here!

[@thetitleisours1]

@@ProfessorofRock Those songs still sound fresh today I think :)

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

The videos were great.

[@gymguy25]

as soon as I saw the title of your video, first song that popped into my head was "Silent Running"!

[@thelastgeneration5862]

Fell in love the moment I heard it so many decadess ago. Been listening time and again since the night of the 2016 election. It's perfect for this time... from the dark shadow of the NWO overlords that currently looms large over the collective conscience to the (crazy?) allegations of Trump being a time traveler, this song seems to just fit our world today. Somehow, it was way ahead of its time and timeless all at once. There are few songs in my personal history that evoke stronger emotions regarding the state of our human history and the future of our race in this realm.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Those past four years had been crazy and scary for a lot of people.

[@freedomfrench]

This is by far one of my FAVORITE 80's hits!!!!!!

[@dionhughes2393]

Silent Running is one of the songs from the 80's that I could listen to over and over again and not get tired of. When it first came out it sounded so eerily sci fi and futuristic, and to me, prophetic. I felt this song spoke of a time in the future when our country's society was breaking down and danger would be everywhere. It seems Silent Running and Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider are both happening today.

[@charlesharper2357]

I think it really hits a chord with the Ukraine war...for years Ukrainians were denied their own nationality. Particularly this verse: Swear allegiance to the flag Whatever flag they offer Never hint at what you really feel Teach the children quietly For some day sons and daughters Will rise up and fight while we stood still. The Ukraine's sons and daughters have risen up and are fighting. Slava Ukraine!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Definitely! Especially applied to Ukraine.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Ditto for Korea being when Japan took over and the Native Americans when the Europeans did their mess.@@charlesharper2357

[@daraquinn5260]

Silent Running is a great movie. It was way ahead of its time and even more relevant today. The last trees.

[@cosmicHalArizona]

Great movie with Bruce the space cowboy

[@garykristjanson4689]

Note to Paul Carrack and every other musician you have on this channel, there can never be too much detail. Excellent interview.

[@ravenrose6672]

I love Silent Running!

[@mismissy]

I learn so much on this channel. I love it! I didnt realize he was the singer from Tempted By The Fruit Of Another. I love this!

[@evolv.e]

Land of confusion immediately came to mind

[@carlbrenda6518]

No way. Silent running....

[@evolv.e]

@@carlbrenda6518 are you suggesting Silent Running was more deserving for radio to deem too dangerous for the public to hear? (because of the gun and ammunition lyric?) As far as the message of the songs, Silent Running felt less scary to listen to compared to Land of Confusion. Growing up in the 80’s, with nuclear war seeming all too possible, I honestly couldn’t think of any other song that painted a worse possible future. ☢️ On a positive note, I believe songs like Silent Running, Land of Confusion, (and Sting’s Russians) helped give the world a moment to pause and really think about the irreversible consequences of nuclear war. Land of Confusion excerpts: “..haunted by a million screams, but I can hear the marching feet.. I cab still see the fires still alight, they’re burning into the night.. too many problems, without much love to go around, can’t you see this is a. Land of confusion?.. the men of power are losing control by the hour.. I remember long ago, oh, when the sun was shining.. so long ago.. I won’t be coming home tonight..” That said, both songs are great in their own right. I just felt that one happened to paint an even more grim scenario.. and hope humanity never has to experience either.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

That video scared me at first. With the puppets.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

That's another one... The bridge is sort of eerie too.

[@danielsolano602]

Crazy Mr. Carrick! He might profess himself more of a romantic singer rather than topographical or intellectual, but he completely nailed this one didn't he! He was exactly the right voice for it. The English Daryl Hall I would say!

[@michelleflahive-lefebvre3840]

I always loved that song...and I had no clue that the band members were a mishmash from different bands and solo artists. I learn so much from your videos. Thanks!

[@coachhunter1]

Absolutely one of the best singers ever. Critics be dammed over him singing in multiple groups. The Mechanics were lucky to get him. Adam I also appreciate how you let him tell his tales. Wonderful interview.

[@joejackson6205]

Great song. Love the mechanics catalogue. Love how you Adam let/get the artists to tell the story they want to tell.

[@WobblinGoblin1]

PoR, I think you are hitting close to the mark when you say this song is eerily relevant today, almost 40 years after it was written and performed. Makes you wonder where we'll be in 10 or 20 more years. At least we may still have great music like this song...if it doesn't get canceled or banned (again). Thanks for doing a segment on Silent Running.

[@SRG558]

I loved everything I heard from Mike and the Mechanics, and it didn't matter at all who was singing, because Paul Young and Paul Carrack were/are both amazing singers! I lost my dad in 2007 and even though I've listened to The Living Years hundreds of times, it still brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. My dad and I loved each other dearly, but like most fathers and sons, we didn't always see eye to eye! I thoroughly loved Silent Running and All I Need is a Miracle. It blows my mind that any radio station would ban Silent Running? There's some twisted, 1600's witch trial thinking going on there! One interesting note, in 1972 I was 18 when I saw the movie Silent Running starring Bruce Dern and I immediately fell in love with the movie. I found it quite touching and sad, especially with what happened to one of the small robots that met his demise outside of the spacecraft. The movie was a flop, mainly because I think it was ahead of its time in 1972. The interests of movie goers were on other things at the time. Mike and the Mechanics were an amazing band and I love hearing all of their songs and I'll never grow tired of hearing them, in fact, to this day I'm still thrilled every time one of their songs comes on the radio. Thanks again Adam for giving me something to look forward to every evening after a long day of work!