By Thomas Semioli

If you have ears, you’ve heard this cat anchor major artists spanning rock, country, alternative, Americana, contemporary soul, dance,  and every permutation thereof!

Paul Bushnell’s remarkable career jumpstarted as the producer / arranger / and bassist with The Commitments band and film adaptation soundtrack of Roddy Doyle’s novel, which ignited interest in old-school American rhythm and blues amid the hair metal fallout and onset of grunge in 1991.

A versatile song player with a command of rhythm and harmony; composer, multi-instrumentalist, and sound-engineer – Bushnell migrated to Los Angeles and quickly became a first-call session player, waxing slabs with Paula Cole, Celine Dion, Jewel, Meredith Brooks, Sinead O’Connor, Sir Elton, Phil Collins, Joe Cocker, Alanis Morisette, Melissa Etheridge, Kelly Clarkson, John Fogerty, Martina McBride, Jason Mraz, Shakira, Miley Cyrus, Melanie C, Michael Buble, Katy Perry, Orianthi, Chris Cornell, Neil Young, Richard Marx, Avril Lavigne, Chris Isaak, Kelly Clarkson, Tracy Chapman, and Tim McGraw to cite a very, very select few….

To describe Paul’s playing style is impossible – he adapts to every situation with the right tone, right note choices, right approach …

Dig Paul with The Commitments “Mustang Sally” https://youtu.be/ZEsoq0B1IOo

Dig Paul recording “Love Shows Me” for Rain Boe Wave https://youtu.be/T-yqr0WnmE0

Dig Paul with Paula Cole “I Am So Ordinary” https://youtu.be/gx5wWohnBIE

Dig Paul with Neil Young “Peach Trail” https://youtu.be/Le-IUDtamIA

A master compositional and counter-melodic player akin to Sir Paul and Chris Squire, Mike Rutherford’s work with Genesis as a bassist was often overshadowed by his more high-profile bandmates and his own skills as a guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader.

 

“Fountain of Salmacis” https://youtu.be/zE3dYof_rbE

 

“Squonk” https://youtu.be/mmPf1rGClzA

 

With a treble laden tone enhanced by a myriad of effects (Moog Taurus among others), Rutherford’s potent passages, especially during Genesis’ watershed early prog-rock era, exuded technical prowess and a deft command of rhythm, space, and melody.

 

Rutherford’s weapons of choice include Rickenbacker, Status, Gibson, and Shergold basses.

 

 

And when he moonlighted from his platinum selling stadium filling day job with Genesis under the moniker Mike & The Mechanics – he added more gold and platinum to his resume.  

 

Mike and the Mechanics “The Living Years” https://youtu.be/5hr64MxYpgk

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Afterglow” https://youtu.be/ORFBcYmOzlU

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Earl of Mar” https://youtu.be/Zx6jy96DNfM

 

 

By Allen Fields

 

Rutherford is an amazing and gifted bass player, but unknown to many he is equally adept on the 6-string and 12-string guitars as well as the Bass Pedals.

 

In early live footage of Genesis, especially from 1970 to 1974, you can see how smoothly Rutherford moves from the 4-string bass to his 6 and 12 string electric and acoustic guitars.

 

Most famously when seen playing tracks from the 1971 Genesis release, Nursery Cryme (my personal favorite). His expertise on the Bass Pedals is most notable on the 1974 masterpiece The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, and the 1976 releases A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering — the first two Genesis releases post Peter Gabriel.

 

Starting with the 1978 release, …And Then There Were Three, Rutherford took over the 6-string and 12-string studio duties almost completely due to Steve Hackett leaving Genesis.

 

In 1980, Rutherford released his first solo album, a critically acclaimed but vastly unheard slab of vinyl titled Smallcreeps Day.

 

Here is a link to that amazing solo work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lg6FYXVFdI