was pop music's ultimate journeyman. A vocalist and keyboardist who enjoyed considerable success over the course of his lengthy career while in the service of bands ranging from
, his finest work often came at the expense of his own identity as a performer; indeed, of the many big hits on which the unassuming singer was prominently featured, only one, 1987's "Don't Shed a Tear," bore his own name.
in 1972, eventually writing and singing their debut single, "How Long." After reaching the Top 20 in the group's native Britain, the record hit the number-three position in the U.S.; however, after subsequent material failed to match the success of "How Long,"
He soon resurfaced in
Roxy Music, appearing on the LPs
Manifesto and
Flesh and Blood before releasing his solo debut,
Nightbird, in 1980.
Carrack next joined
Squeeze, replacing keyboardist
Jools Holland; in addition to contributing to the group's 1981 creative pinnacle
East Side Story, he also assumed lead vocal duties on the single "Tempted," their best-remembered hit. However,
Carrack's stay in
Squeeze was brief, and after working with
Nick Lowe he again attempted to forge a solo career with the 1982 LP
Suburban Voodoo, cracking the U.S. Top 40 with the single "I Need You." A tenure as a sideman with
Eric Clapton followed, and in 1985 he joined
Genesis'
Mike Rutherford in his side project
Mike + the Mechanics. Their hits include "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle."
While remaining a rather anonymous figure at home,
Carrack achieved a higher level of visibility in America as a result of
Mike + the Mechanics' success; subsequently, his third solo album,
One Good Reason, proved to be by far his most popular effort to date, with the single "Don't Shed a Tear" reaching the Top Ten. Another tenure with
the Mechanics followed, and with the title track of 1988's
The Living Years, the group scored their first number-one hit. After the 1989
Carrack solo LP
Groove Approved,
Mike + the Mechanics issued 1991's
Word of Mouth, which failed to repeat the chart performance of its predecessors; by 1993,
Carrack was again a member of
Squeeze, appearing on the album
Some Fantastic Place and also resuming lead chores for a re-recording of "Tempted." However, he was once again back in
the Mechanics' fold for 1995's
Beggar on a Beach of Gold; the solo
Blue Views was issued the next year, followed in 1997 by
Beautiful World.
Satisfy My Soul was issued in 2000, his first album for Compass Records. Carrack spent the first half the 2000s touring, both as a solo act and as the frontman in
Mike + the Mechanics, releasing Groovin' in 2001 and It Ain't Over in 2003. A holiday album appeared in 2005, followed in 2007 by Old, New, Borrowed and Blue. After 2008's knowingly titled I Know That Name,
Carrack took a detour on 2010's A Different Hat, an album cut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Two years later
Carrack returned with the soulful 2012 album, Good Feeling.
–
Jason Ankeny, Rovi