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C o n t r i b u t e
● H e l p ● L e a r n t o e d i t ● C o m m u n i t y p o r t a l ● R e c e n t c h a n g e s ● U p l o a d f i l e
S e a r c h
Search
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● C r e a t e a c c o u n t ● L o g i n
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● C r e a t e a c c o u n t ● L o g i n
P a g e s f o r l o g g e d o u t e d i t o r s l e a r n m o r e ● C o n t r i b u t i o n s ● T a l k
( T o p )
1 B a c k g r o u n d
2 M u s i c v i d e o
3 C o m p o s i t i o n
4 P e r s o n n e l
T o g g l e P e r s o n n e l s u b s e c t i o n
4 . 1 M i k e + T h e M e c h a n i c s
4 . 2 A d d i t i o n a l p e r s o n n e l
5 C h a r t s a n d c e r t i f i c a t i o n s
T o g g l e C h a r t s a n d c e r t i f i c a t i o n s s u b s e c t i o n
5 . 1 W e e k l y c h a r t s
5 . 2 Y e a r - e n d c h a r t s
5 . 3 C e r t i f i c a t i o n s
6 C o v e r s
7 R e f e r e n c e s
8 E x t e r n a l l i n k s
T o g g l e t h e t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s
T h e L i v i n g Y e a r s
6 l a n g u a g e s
● D e u t s c h ● F r a n ç a i s ● I t a l i a n o ● ქ ა რ თ უ ლ ი ● N e d e r l a n d s ● 日 本 語
E d i t l i n k s
● A r t i c l e ● T a l k
E n g l i s h
● R e a d ● E d i t ● V i e w h i s t o r y
T o o l s
T o o l s
A c t i o n s
● R e a d ● E d i t ● V i e w h i s t o r y
G e n e r a l
● W h a t l i n k s h e r e ● R e l a t e d c h a n g e s ● U p l o a d f i l e ● S p e c i a l p a g e s ● P e r m a n e n t l i n k ● P a g e i n f o r m a t i o n ● C i t e t h i s p a g e ● G e t s h o r t e n e d U R L ● D o w n l o a d Q R c o d e ● W i k i d a t a i t e m
P r i n t / e x p o r t
● D o w n l o a d a s P D F ● P r i n t a b l e v e r s i o n
A p p e a r a n c e
F r o m W i k i p e d i a , t h e f r e e e n c y c l o p e d i a
1988 single by Mike + The Mechanics
"The Living Years " is a soft rock ballad written by B. A. Robertson and Mike Rutherford , and recorded by Rutherford's British rock band Mike + The Mechanics . It was released in December 1988 in the United Kingdom and in the United States as the second single from their album Living Years Billboard Hot 100[2] Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Paul Carrack sings lead vocals on the track.
The song addresses a son's regret over unresolved conflict with his now-deceased father. It won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 1989,[3] Record and Song of the Year , as well as Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Video . In 1996, famed composer Burt Bacharach opined that the song was one of the finest lyrics of the last ten years.[4]
In 2004, "The Living Years" was awarded a 4-Million-Air citation by BMI.[5]
Background [ edit ]
The song was inspired by Mike Rutherford and B.A. Robertson realizing their fathers had died around the same time, and they later learned singer Paul Carrack's father had died when he was young, as well.[6]
Rutherford said:[6]
Being of similar age, we both came from an era where our parents had lived through two world wars, when young men wanted to be like their fathers – wear the same clothes, do the same things. But then there was a huge change and our generation wanted to be anything but their fathers. It wasn't our parents' fault, there was just a big social change. Pop music had come along, The Beatles, denim trousers... for the first time, teens had their own culture. That's how our generation couldn't really talk to our parents in the same way.
So we had the idea of writing a song about how you never really talk to your father, and you miss out on these things.
Music video [ edit ]
The music video was directed by Tim Broad and premiered in January 1989. It was filmed in October 1988 in West Somerset , England, near Porlock Weir and the hamlet of Culbone .[7] Maggie Jones , best known for playing Blanche Hunt in the soap opera Coronation Street [8]
The video also shows the group playing the song (with Paul Young playing keyboards), with two sets of choirs singing the chorus with them, an all-boys church choir and an adult choir.
Composition [ edit ]
The song is entirely in the key of A ♭ Major[9]
Personnel [ edit ]
Mike + The Mechanics [ edit ]
Additional personnel [ edit ]
Charts and certifications [ edit ]
Weekly charts [ edit ]
Year-end charts [ edit ]
Chart (1989)
Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM )[29]
3
United States (Billboard )[30] [31]
31
Certifications [ edit ]
There are alternative recordings of the song,[35] Alabama , Chris De Burgh , West End theatre star Michael Ball , Marcia Hines , Engelbert Humperdinck , James Last , The London Symphony Orchestra , Christian artist Russ Lee , Rhydian , John Tesh , Russell Watson , the London Community Gospel Choir , the Newsboys , The Isaacs , The Katinas , Japanese singer Kaho Shimada , Italian band Dik Dik and Michael English .
Mike + The Mechanics band member Paul Carrack , who performed the original lead vocal, has made a number of solo interpretations. His father died in an industrial accident when Carrack was eleven, making the lyrics particularly poignant for him.[36] [37]
References [ edit ]
^ "Mike Rutherford" . IMDb . Retrieved 8 December 2009 .
^ "Do you know the ways to Monterey? Santa Fe? Whitley Bay?." Mojo
^ "BMI London Awards: Song List" . BMI. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2009 .
^ a b "How I Wrote "The Living Years" by Mike + the Mechanics' Mike Rutherford" . Songwriting . 27 December 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2023 .
^ Davis, Mick; Lassman, David (30 March 2020). Visitors' Historic Britain: Somerset: Romans to Victorians ISBN 9781526706195
^ "Obituary: Coronation Street's Maggie Jones" . BBC News . 2 December 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2016 .
^ "The Living Years (2014 Remastered)" on YouTube
^ "Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" . ARIA Top 50 Singles . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40 . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50 . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Radio2 Top 30 Artiest: Mike & The Mechanics | Radio2" . VRT (in Dutch). Top30-2.radio2.be. Retrieved 11 November 2015 .
^ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide . Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1
^ "RPM 100 Singles – April 15, 1989" (PDF) . RPM 6 . Retrieved 1 April 2019 .
^ "RPM 100 Singles – April 8, 1989" (PDF) . RPM 6 . Retrieved 1 April 2019 .
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Living Years" . Irish Singles Chart . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ a b Tatsaku, Ren (2011). The Oricon Sales Report Tokyo : Oricon Style – Recording Industry Association of Japan.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mike & The Mechanics" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" (in Dutch). Single Top 100 . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" . Top 40 Singles . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" . VG-lista . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ a b "Swedish single certifications – Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" (in Swedish). Swedish Recording Industry Association . Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015 .
^ "Mike & The Mechanics" . Official Charts . United Kingdom. Retrieved 15 May 2016 .
^ "Mike + the Mechanics Chart History (Adult Contemporary)" . Billboard
^ "Mike + the Mechanics Chart History (Hot 100)" . Billboard
^ "Mike + the Mechanics Chart History (Mainstream Rock)" . Billboard
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" (in German) . GfK Entertainment charts . Retrieved 11 November 2015.
^ "Top Singles - Volume 51, No. 8, December 23, 1989" . RPM . 23 December 1999. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017 .
^ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles". Billboard . Vol. 101, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. Y-22.
^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989" .
^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989" . ARIA . Retrieved 29 November 2020 – via Imgur .
^ "New Zealand single certifications – Mike + The Mechanics – The Living Years" . Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Archived from the original on 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015 .
^ "The Living Years versions search" . AllMusic . Retrieved 20 December 2018 .
^ "Band biography" . Houseofmanyrooms.com . Retrieved 3 March 2017 .
^ "Paul Carrack Discography" . Carrack-uk.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017 .
External links [ edit ]
t
e
Studio albums
Mike Rutherford solo
Compilation albums
Singles
Related
t
e
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
*Awarded as The Best Song
R e t r i e v e d f r o m " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Living_Years&oldid=1223720736 " C a t e g o r i e s : ● 1 9 8 8 s o n g s ● 1 9 8 8 s i n g l e s ● 1 9 8 9 s i n g l e s ● M i k e + T h e M e c h a n i c s s o n g s ● R o c k b a l l a d s ● P o p b a l l a d s ● B i l l b o a r d H o t 1 0 0 n u m b e r - o n e s i n g l e s ● C a s h b o x n u m b e r - o n e s i n g l e s ● N u m b e r - o n e s i n g l e s i n A u s t r a l i a ● 1 9 8 0 s b a l l a d s ● I r i s h S i n g l e s C h a r t n u m b e r - o n e s i n g l e s ● S o n g s a b o u t f a t h e r s ● S o n g r e c o r d i n g s p r o d u c e d b y C h r i s t o p h e r N e i l ● S o n g s w r i t t e n b y M i k e R u t h e r f o r d ● S o n g s w r i t t e n b y B A R o b e r t s o n ● A t l a n t i c R e c o r d s s i n g l e s ● W a r n e r M u s i c G r o u p s i n g l e s ● R P M T o p S i n g l e s n u m b e r - o n e s i n g l e s H i d d e n c a t e g o r i e s : ● C S 1 D u t c h - l a n g u a g e s o u r c e s ( nl ) ● C S 1 J a p a n e s e - l a n g u a g e s o u r c e s ( ja ) ● C S 1 S w e d i s h - l a n g u a g e s o u r c e s ( sv ) ● A r t i c l e s w i t h G e r m a n - l a n g u a g e s o u r c e s ( de ) ● A r t i c l e s w i t h s h o r t d e s c r i p t i o n ● S h o r t d e s c r i p t i o n m a t c h e s W i k i d a t a ● E n g v a r B f r o m J u n e 2 0 1 4 ● U s e d m y d a t e s f r o m J u n e 2 0 1 4 ● A r t i c l e s w i t h h A u d i o m i c r o f o r m a t s ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r A u s t r a l i a ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r A u s t r i a ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r F l a n d e r s ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r I r e l a n d 2 ● S i n g l e c h a r t c a l l e d w i t h o u t a r t i s t ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r D u t c h 4 0 ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r D u t c h 1 0 0 ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r N e w Z e a l a n d ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r N o r w a y ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r B i l l b o a r d a d u l t c o n t e m p o r a r y ● S i n g l e c h a r t c a l l e d w i t h o u t s o n g ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r B i l l b o a r d h o t 1 0 0 ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r B i l l b o a r d m a i n s t r e a m r o c k ● S i n g l e c h a r t u s a g e s f o r W e s t G e r m a n y ● C e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y u s a g e s f o r A u s t r a l i a ● P a g e s u s i n g c e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y w i t h s h i p m e n t s f i g u r e s ● C e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y u s a g e s f o r J a p a n ● P a g e s u s i n g c e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y w i t h o u t s a l e s ● C e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y u s a g e s f o r N e w Z e a l a n d ● P a g e s u s i n g c e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y w i t h s a l e s f i g u r e s ● C e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y u s a g e s f o r S w e d e n ● C e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y u s a g e s f o r U n i t e d K i n g d o m ● P a g e s u s i n g c e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y w i t h s a l e s f o o t n o t e ● P a g e s u s i n g c e r t i f i c a t i o n T a b l e E n t r y w i t h s h i p m e n t s f o o t n o t e ● A r t i c l e s w i t h M u s i c B r a i n z w o r k i d e n t i f i e r s
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a d d i t i o n a l t e r m s m a y a p p l y . B y u s i n g t h i s s i t e , y o u a g r e e t o t h e T e r m s o f U s e a n d P r i v a c y P o l i c y . W i k i p e d i a ® i s a r e g i s t e r e d t r a d e m a r k o f t h e W i k i m e d i a F o u n d a t i o n , I n c . , a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n . ● P r i v a c y p o l i c y ● A b o u t W i k i p e d i a ● D i s c l a i m e r s ● C o n t a c t W i k i p e d i a ● C o d e o f C o n d u c t ● D e v e l o p e r s ● S t a t i s t i c s ● C o o k i e s t a t e m e n t ● M o b i l e v i e w
