View source for Acting Very Strange

{{EngvarB|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Acting Very Strange
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Mike Rutherford]]
| cover      = Lp-cover-mike-rutherford-acting-very-strange.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = 7 September 1982
| recorded   = 1982
| venue      =
| studio     = [[The Farm (recording studio)|The Farm]] (Chiddingfold, Surrey) <br> [[Townhouse Studios|The Town House]] (London)
| genre      = [[Pop rock]], [[Progressive rock]]
| length     = 38:43
| label      = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]], [[Warner Music Group|WEA]]
| producer   = [[Mike Rutherford]]; assisted by [[Nick Launay]]
| prev_title = [[Smallcreep's Day (album)|Smallcreep's Day]]
| prev_year  = 1980
| next_title = [[Mike + The Mechanics (1985 album)|Mike + The Mechanics]]
| next_year  = 1985
| misc       = {{Singles
| name        = Acting Very Strange
| type        = Album
| single1     = Halfway There
| single1date = August 1982
| single2     = Maxine
| single2date = August 1982
| single3     = Acting Very Strange
| single3date = October 1982
| single4     = Hideaway
| single4date = January 1983
}}
}}
'''''Acting Very Strange''''' is the second and final solo album by [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] guitarist/bassist [[Mike Rutherford]] and the only album to feature him on lead vocals. It was released on 7 September 1982. Unlike the previous album ''Smallcreep's Day'', ''Acting Very Strange'' uses a very raw and unpolished sound. None of the album's singles charted in the US or UK top 100, but the lead single "Maxine" did make US ''[[Billboard charts]]''{{'}} Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart at No. 37.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jason Ankeny |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-rutherford-mn0000495910/awards |title=Mike Rutherford &#124; Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=2 October 1950 |accessdate=22 May 2014}}</ref> The song was also a top 40 pop hit in Canada, peaking at No. 39.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6945&volume=37&issue=11&issue_dt=October%2030%201982&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=31i0ndshtc5mtc83dffvcttr00 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |publisher=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |accessdate=22 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522213635/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6945&volume=37&issue=11&issue_dt=October%2030%201982&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=31i0ndshtc5mtc83dffvcttr00 |archive-date=22 May 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The album itself was much more successful, reaching number 23 in the UK.<ref name="UK charts">[http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/mike%20rutherford/ Mike Rutherford in the UK Charts], The Official Charts. Retrieved 27 September 2011.</ref>
==History==
Rutherford opted to do the lead vocals on the album himself, simply because, in his words, "It does feel odd when someone does... a solo album and they don't sing, because the voice is so much the character of a song. So I thought, 'What the hell? I'm gonna give it a shot.'"<ref name="Mike on Mike">Neer, Dan (1985). ''Mike on Mike'' [interview LP], Atlantic Recording Corporation.</ref> However, this proved to be easier said than done; he recounted that recording the backing tracks for the album was very easy and enjoyable, but that the vocals were "hard work".<ref name="Mike on Mike"/>
[[Stewart Copeland]] of [[The Police]] was notably invited to play drums on the record - specifically two of the songs according to a September 1982 newsletter from The Police’s official fan club (without specifying which songs).<ref> ''Outlandos Fan Club'' Newsletter September 1982, page 8</ref> Drumming duties for remaining tracks with real drums were handled by [[Pete Phipps]].<ref name=phipps>[http://chalkhills.org/articles/XTCFans20131013.html Drummer of the Week -- Pete Phipps]</ref>  The [[Linn LM-1|Linn drum machine]] is also credited individually for providing some of the drum tracks.
Looking back on ''Acting Very Strange'' in later years, Rutherford was not proud of the album, saying he felt that the songs were very good but poorly executed on the actual recordings. He singled out "Hideaway" as the only track which he felt worked.<ref name="Mike on Mike"/> Dissatisfied with his solo work (and with his vocals in particular), Rutherford curtailed his solo career to form [[Mike + The Mechanics]].<ref name="Mike on Mike"/> (However, Rutherford did sing lead on one more solo track, "Making a Big Mistake", which appears on the [[Against All Odds (soundtrack)|soundtrack to "Against All Odds"]].)<ref>[https://thegenesisarchive.co.uk/against-all-odds-making-a-big-mistake The Genesis Archive: Single – Against All Odds / Making A Big Mistake]</ref>
"Halfway There", "I Don't Wanna Know" and "Maxine" were performed live on Mike + The Mechanics' first tour in 1986, with [[Paul Young (singer, born 1947)|Paul Young]] singing lead vocals on all three songs.
==Reception==
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|author=Steve McMullen |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/acting-very-strange-mw0000267499 |title=Acting Very Strange – Mike Rutherford &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=22 May 2014}}</ref>
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->
In their retrospective review, [[Allmusic]] said that most of the songs were weak, and that even the few good ones would have been better had Rutherford not done the lead vocals himself: "There's no denying his sincerity, but he should let his fingers do the talking."<ref name="allmusic"/>
== Track listing ==
{{tracklist
| all_writing = Mike Rutherford, with additional writers noted
| title1 = Acting Very Strange
| length1 = 4:58
| title2 = A Day to Remember
| length2 = 4:59
| title3 = Maxine
| length3 = 5:24
| writer3 = [[Pete Bellotte]]
| title4 = Halfway There
| length4 = 4:11
| writer4 = Florrie Palmer
| title5 = Who's Fooling Who
| length5 = 4:47
| writer5 = Palmer
| title6 = Couldn't Get Arrested
| length6 = 3:50
| writer6 = Bellotte
| title7 = I Don't Wanna Know
| length7 = 4:36
| title8 = Hideaway
| length8 = 5:58
| total_length = 38:43
}}
==Non-album tracks==
Another song recorded during the album sessions, "Calypso", was released as the [[B-side]] to the single "Hideaway". Remixes of "Acting Very Strange" and "Couldn't Get Arrested" were featured on a 12" single and also used as B-sides for "Acting Very Strange".
== Personnel ==
* [[Mike Rutherford]] – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass, [[Linn LM-1|Linn programming]]
* Paul Fishman – keyboards
* [[J. Peter Robinson]] – keyboards
* John Alexander – guitars
* [[Daryl Stuermer]] – guitars
* [[Stewart Copeland]] – drums
* [[Peter Phipps (drummer)|Pete Phipps]] – drums
* [[Gary Barnacle]] – saxophones
* Luke Tunney – trumpet
* [[Martyn Ford]] – string arrangements and conductor
* [[Steve Gould (musician)|Steve Gould]] – backing vocals
* [[Noel McCalla]] – backing vocals
* Dale Newman – backing vocals
== Production ==
* Producer – Mike Rutherford
* Assistant Producer and Engineer – [[Nick Launay]]
* Assistant Engineer – Geoff Callingham
* Recorded at [[The Farm (recording studio)|The Farm]] (Surrey, UK), [[Townhouse Studios|The Town House]] (London, UK) and [[The Manor Studio|Manor Mobile]] (Oxfordshire, UK).
* Equipment – Dale Newman, Geoff Callingham, Steve Jones and Geoff Banks.
* Tape Operator – [[Howard Gray]]
* Cover Coordinator – Bill Smith
* Photography – [[Gered Mankowitz]]
* Management – [[Tony Smith (manager)|Tony Smith]] and Carol Willis at [[Hit & Run Music Publishing|Hit & Run Music]].
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1982)
! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position
|-
{{albumchart|Canada|32|artist=Mike Rutherford|album=Acting Very Strange|chartid=6922a|access-date=March 10, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{albumchart|UK2|23|date=19820912|access-date=March 10, 2024|rowheader=true}}
|-
{{Album chart|Billboard200|145|artist=Mike Rutherford|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 10, 2024}}
|}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Mike + the Mechanics}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Mike Rutherford albums]]
[[Category:1982 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mike Rutherford]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Nick Launay]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records albums]]