10cc is an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. Initially comprising four musicians — Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme — who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the “10cc” name in 1972.
Two strong song-writing teams, a commercial team and an artistic team, injected sharp wit to lyrically-dextrous songs. The commercial team (Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman) were straight pop-song-writers, who created the band’s most accessible songs; the artistic team (Godley and Creme) were the experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematic writing. Each man was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer, and producer, and each could perform as the lead singer. [1]
First collaborations, 1964 – 1971
Three of the founding members of 10cc were childhood friends in Manchester. As boys, Godley and Creme knew each other; Gouldman and Godley attended the same secondary school; their musical passion led to playing at the local Jewish Lads' Brigade.
Early bands, 1964 – 1969
Their first recorded collaboration was in 1964, when Graham Gouldman’s band The Whirlwinds recorded the Lol Creme composition, “Baby Not Like You”, as the B-side of their only single. The Whirlwinds then changed members and name, becoming The Mockingbirds (singer-guitarist Gouldman, drummer Kevin Godley [formerly of The Sabres with Creme]. The Mockingbirds published five, inconsequential, singles, in 1965 and 1966, before dissolving. [2]
In June 1967, Godley and Creme reunited and published the single “The Yellow Bellow Boom Room” (“Seeing Things Green”' b/w “Still Life” on UK CBS). In 1969, Gouldman took them to a Marmalade Records recording session. The boss Giorgio Gomelsky was impressed with Godley’s falsetto voice, and offered them a recording contract. In September 1969, Godley & Creme recorded some basic tracks at Strawberry Studios, with Stewart on guitar and Gouldman on bass. [3] The song, “I’m Beside Myself With Jason Parker” b/w “Animal Song”, was published as a single, credited to Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon.
Gomelsky (an ex-manager of The Yardbirds) planned to market Godley & Creme as a duo, in the vein of Simon and Garfunkel. [4] Plans for an album by Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon faltered, however, when Marmalade ran out of funds.[4] Solo tracks by Godley and Gouldman, however – both involved Stewart and Creme – were released in a 1969 Marmalade Records music sample album, 100 Proof. Gouldman's track was “The Late Mr. Late”; a year later, Godley’s song “To Fly Away” reappeared as “Fly Away”, in the début Hotlegs album, Thinks: School Stinks.
Gouldman, meanwhile, had made a name for himself as a hit songwriter, penning "Heart Full of Soul", "Evil Hearted You" and "For Your Love" for The Yardbirds, "Look Through Any Window" and "Bus Stop"' for The Hollies and "No Milk Today", "East West" and "Listen People" for Herman's Hermits.
The Mindbenders (1965-1968)
Meanwhile, the fourth future member of 10cc was also tasting significant pop music success: guitarist Eric Stewart was a member of Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, a group that hit #1 with "The Game Of Love", and had scored a number of other mid-1960s hits. When Fontana left the band in October 1965, the group became known simply as The Mindbenders, with Stewart their lead vocalist. The band scored a hit with "A Groovy Kind Of Love" (released December 1965) and made an appearance in the 1967 film To Sir, With Love with "It's Getting Harder All the Time" and "Off and Running."
In March 1968, Graham Gouldman joined Stewart in The Mindbenders, replacing bassist Bob Lang and playing on some tour dates. Gouldman wrote two of the band's final three singles, "Schoolgirl" (released November 1967) and "Uncle Joe the Ice Cream Man" (August 1968). Those singles did not chart and The Mindbenders broke up after a short tour of England in November.[5]
The birth of Strawberry Studios; the bubblegum era (1968-1970)
In the dying days of The Mindbenders, Stewart began recording demos of new material at Inner City Studios, a Stockport studio then owned by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. In July 1968 Stewart joined Tattersall as a partner in the studio, where he could further hone his skills as a recording engineer.[6] In October 1968, the studio was relocated to bigger premises and renamed Strawberry Studios, after The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever".[7]
In 1969 Gouldman, who had become much more in demand as a songwriter than as a performer, also began using Strawberry to record demos of songs he was writing for Marmalade. By the end of the year he, too, was a financial partner in the studios.[4]
By 1969, all four members of the original 10cc line-up were working together regularly at Strawberry Studios. Around the same time, noted American bubblegum pop writer-producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz of Super K Productions came to England and commissioned Gouldman to write and produce formula bubblegum songs. Many of these songs were recorded at Strawberry Studios, and were either augmented or performed entirely by varying combinations of the future 10cc lineup.
Among the recordings from this period was "Sausalito", a #86 US hit credited to Ohio Express, and released in July 1969. In reality, the song featured Gouldman on lead vocal, and vocal and instrumental backing by the other three future 10cc members.
In December 1969 Kasenetz and Katz agreed to a proposal by Gouldman that he work solely at Strawberry, rather than moving constantly between Stockport, London and New York. Gouldman convinced the pair that these throwaway two-minute songs could all be written, performed and produced by him and his three colleagues, Stewart, Godley and Creme, at a fraction of the price of hiring outside session musicians. Kasenetz and Katz booked the studio for three months.
Kevin Godley recalled:[8]
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We did a lot of tracks in a very short time – it was really like a machine. Twenty tracks in about two weeks – a lot of crap really – really shit. We used to do the voices, everything – it saved 'em money. We even did the female backing vocals. |
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The three-month project resulted in a number of tracks that appeared under various band names owned by Kasenetz-Katz, including "There Ain't No Umbopo" by Crazy Elephant, "When He Comes" by Fighter Squadron and "Come On Plane" by Silver Fleet (all three with lead vocals by Godley), and "Susan's Tuba" by Freddie and the Dreamers (which was a monster hit in France and featured lead vocals by Freddie Garrity, despite claims by some that it was Gouldman).[4]
Lol Creme remembered: "Singles kept coming out under strange names that had really been recorded by us. I've no idea how many there were, or what happened to them all."
But Stewart described the Kasenetz-Katz deal as a breakthrough: "That allowed us to get the extra equipment to turn it into a real studio. To begin with they were interested in Graham's songwriting and when they heard that he was involved in a studio I think they thought the most economical thing for them to do would be to book his studio and then put him to work there – but they ended up recording Graham's songs and then some of Kevin and Lol's songs, and we were all working together."[5]
Hotlegs, Doctor Father, The New Wave Band (1970-1971)
When the three-month production deal with Kasenetz-Katz ended, Gouldman returned to New York to work as a staff songwriter for Super K Productions while the remaining three continued to dabble in the studio.
"Neanderthal Man" Italian cover
With Gouldman absent, Godley, Creme and Stewart continued recording singles. The first, "Neanderthal Man", released under the name Hotlegs, began life as a test of drum layering at the new Strawberry Studios mixing desk[5], but when released as a single by Fontana Records in July 1970, climbed to No.2 in the UK charts and became a worldwide hit, selling more than two million copies. Around the same time, the trio released "Umbopo" under the name of Doctor Father. The song, a slower, longer and more melancholic version of the track earlier released under the name of Crazy Elephant, failed to chart.
Reverting to the successful band name Hotlegs, in early 1971 Godley, Creme and Stewart recorded the album Thinks: School Stinks, which included "Neanderthal Man". They then recalled Gouldman for a short tour, supporting The Moody Blues, before releasing a follow-up single "Lady Sadie" b/w "The Loser". Philips reworked their sole album, removed "Neantherthal Man" and added "Today" and issued it as Song. Stewart, Creme and Godley released another single in February 1971 under yet another pseudonym, The New Wave Band, this time with former Herman's Hermits member Derek "Lek" Leckenby on guitar. The song, a cover version of Paul Simon's "Cecilia", was one of the few tracks the band released that they had not written. It also failed to chart.[9]
The band also continued outside production work at Strawberry, working with Dave Berry, Wayne Fontana, Peter Cowap and Herman's Hermits, and doing original compositions for various UK football (soccer) teams. In 1971 they produced and played on Space Hymns, an album by New Age musician Ramases; in 1972 and 1973 they co-produced and played on two Neil Sedaka albums, Solitaire and The Tra-La Days Are Over.
The experience of working on Solitaire, which became a success for Sedaka, was enough to prompt the band to seek recognition on their own merits. Gouldman – who by 1972 was back at Strawberry Studios – said:
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It was Neil Sedaka's success that did it, I think. We'd just been accepting any job we were offered and were getting really frustrated. We knew that we were worth more than that, but it needed something to prod us into facing that. We were a bit choked to think that we'd done the whole of Neil's first album with him just for flat session fees when we could have been recording our own material.[10] |
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Stewart said the decision was made over a meal in a Chinese restaurant: "We asked ourselves whether we shouldn't pool our creative talents and try to do something with the songs that each of us was working on at the time."[5]
Once again a four-piece, the group recorded a Stewart/Gouldman song, "Waterfall", in early 1972. Stewart offered the acetate to Apple Records. He waited months before receiving a note from the label saying the song was not commercial enough to release as a single.
10cc: "The worst band in the world" -the original lineup, 1972-76
Undeterred by Apple's rejection, the group decided to plug another song which had been written as a possible B-side to "Waterfall", a Godley/Creme composition entitled "Donna". The song was a Frank Zappa-influenced '50s doo-wop parody, a sharp mix of commercial pop and irony with a chorus sung in falsetto. Stewart said: "We knew it had something. We only knew of one person who was mad enough to release it, and that was Jonathan King." Stewart called King, a flamboyant entrepreneur, producer and recording artist, who drove to Strawberry, listened to the track and "fell about laughing", declaring: "It's fabulous, it's a hit."[5]
King signed the band to his UK Records label in July 1972 and dubbed them 10cc. By his own account, King chose the name after having a dream in which he was standing in front of the Hammersmith Odeon in London where the boarding read "10cc The Best Band in the World". A widely-repeated claim, disputed by King[11] and Godley,[12] but confirmed in a 1988 interview by Creme,[13] is that the band name represented a volume of semen that was more than the average amount ejaculated by men, thus emphasising their potency or prowess.
"Donna", released as the first 10cc single, was chosen by BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Tony Blackburn as his Record of the Week, helping to launch it into the Top 30. The song peaked at No.2 in the UK in September 1972.
Although their second single, a similarly '50s-influenced song called "Johnny Don't Do It", was not a major chart success, "Rubber Bullets", a catchy satirical take on the "Jailhouse Rock" concept, became a hit internationally and gave 10cc their first British No.1 single in May 1973. They consolidated their success a few months later with "The Dean and I", which peaked at No.10 in August. They released two singles, "Headline Hustler" (in the US) and the self-mocking "The Worst Band In The World" (in the UK) and launched a UK tour on 26 August 1973 before returning to Strawberry Studios in November to record the remainder of their second LP, Sheet Music (1973), which included "The Worst Band In The World" along with other hits "The Wall Street Shuffle" (No.10, 1974) and "Silly Love" (No.24, 1974).
"Sheet Music" became the band's breakthrough album, remaining on the UK charts for six months and paving the way for a US tour in February 1974.
In February 1975 the band announced they had signed with Mercury Records for US$1 million. The catalyst for the deal was one song – "I'm Not in Love". Stewart recalled:[14]
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At that point in time we were still on Jonathan King's label, but struggling. We were absolutely skint, the lot of us, we were really struggling seriously, and Philips Phonogram wanted to do a deal with us. They wanted to buy Jonathan King's contract. I rang them. I said come and have a listen to what we've done, come and have a listen to this track. And they came up and they freaked, and they said "This is a masterpiece. How much money, what do you want? What sort of a contract do you want? We'll do anything, we'll sign it". On the strength of that one song, we did a five-year deal with them for five albums and they paid us a serious amount of money. |
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The Original Soundtrack, which was already complete, was released just weeks later. It was both a critical and commercial success and featured distinctive cover art created by the Hipgnosis team and drawn by musician and artist Humphrey Ocean, RA[15]. It is also notable for its opening track, Godley & Creme's "Une Nuit A Paris (One Night In Paris)", an eight-minute, multi-part "mini-operetta" that is thought to have been an influence on "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Its melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical "Phantom of the Opera".
Although it bore an unlikely title (picked up from a radio talk show), the jaunty single "Life Is A Minestrone" (1975) was another UK Top 10 placing, peaking at No.7. Their biggest success came with the dreamy "I'm Not in Love", which gave the band their second UK No.1 in May 1975. The song also provided them with their first US chart success when the song reached No.2.
A collaborative effort built around a title by Stewart, "I'm Not in Love" is notable for its innovative production, especially its richly overdubbed choral backing.
10cc would also do some production work for Justin Hayward during this time on his single "Blue Guitar" for his "Blue Jays" project with John Lodge.
Their fourth LP, How Dare You! (1976), featuring another Hipgnosis cover, furnished two more UK Top Ten hits – the witty "Art For Art's Sake" (No.5 in December 1975) and "I'm Mandy, Fly Me" (No.7, April 1976). But by this time the once close personal and working relationships between the four members had begun to fray, and it was the last album with the original lineup.
10cc's success prompted the 1976 re-release of the Hotlegs album under the new title You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think Of It with two additional tracks. The title track was the epic B-side of "Neanderthal Man", a section of which had been reworked as "Fresh Air For My Mama" on the 10cc album.
How dare you! - The split, 1976
Soon after the release of How Dare You, Godley and Creme left 10cc to work on a project that eventually evolved into the triple LP set Consequences (1976), a sprawling concept album that featured contributions from satirist Peter Cook and jazz legend Sarah Vaughan.
The first of a series of albums by Godley & Creme, Consequences began as a demonstration record for the "Gizmotron", an electric guitar effect they had invented. The device, which fitted over the bridge of an electric guitar, contained six small motor-driven wheels attached to small keys (four wheels for electric basses); when the key was depressed, the Gizmotron wheels bowed the guitar strings, producing notes and chords with endless sustain. First used during the recording of the Sheet Music track "Old Wild Men", the device was designed to further cut their recording costs: by using it on an electric guitar with studio effects, they could effectively simulate strings and other sounds, enabling them to dispense with expensive orchestral overdubs.
In a 2007 interview with the ProGGnosis - Progressive Rock & Fusion website, [16] Godley explained: "We left because we no longer liked what Gouldman and Stewart were writing. We left because 10cc was becoming safe and predictable and we felt trapped."
But speaking to Uncut magazine 10 years earlier, [17], he expressed regret about the band breaking up as they embarked on the Consequences project:
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We'd reached a certain crossroads with 10cc and already spent three weeks on the genesis of what turned out to be Consequences ... The stuff that we were coming up with didn't have any home, we couldn't import it into 10cc. And we were kind of constrained by 10cc live ... We felt like creative people who should give ourselves the opportunity to be as creative as possible and leaving seemed to be the right thing to do at that moment.
Unfortunately, the band wasn't democratic or smart enough at that time to allow us the freedom to go ahead and do this project and we were placed in the unfortunate position of having to leave to do it. Looking back, it was a very northern work ethic being applied to the group, all for one and one for all. If we'd been a little more free in our thinking with regard to our work practices, the band as a corporate and creative entity could have realised that it could have been useful rather than detrimental for two members to spend some time developing and then bring whatever they'd learned back to the corporate party. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be.
Our contemporaries were people like Roxy Music who allowed that to happen and they gained from that ... Had we been allowed to get it out of our system and come back home, who knows what would have happened.
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In a BBC Radio Wales interview [14] Stewart gave his side of the split:
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I was sorry to see them go. But we certainly did fall out at the time. I thought they were crazy. They were just walking away from something so big and successful. We'd had great success around the world and I thought we were just breaking in a very, very big way. The collective dynamite of those four people, four people who could all write, who could all sing a hit song. In one band.
(Yet) I think it becomes claustrophobic, in the fact that you're trying to perfect things and you're looking at each other and eventually you maybe say this relationship is a little too tight for me now, and I need to break away. And that's what in retrospect, I found out long after because I still speak to Godley and Creme who – Lol is my brother-in-law, so I've got to see him – but for quite a while we didn't talk. I just said you're out of your minds for leaving this band. We were on such a winning curve, Graham Gouldman and I had to decide, are we going to be 5cc? Are we gonna scrap the name completely? Well, we thought we, no, we'd better carry on because we, this is 10cc, we are 10cc, this band. Two of our members are leaving us and that's not our problem, but we've got to carry it on.
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Godley & Creme went on to achieve cult success as a songwriting and recording duo, scoring several hits and releasing a string of innovative LPs and singles. Having honed their skills on the equally innovative clips that they made to promote their own singles, they returned to their visual arts roots and became better-known as directors of music videos in the 1980s, creating acclaimed videos for chart-topping acts including George Harrison ("When We Was Fab"), The Police ("Every Breath You Take"), Duran Duran ("Girls On Film"), Frankie Goes to Hollywood ("Two Tribes"), Peter Gabriel's duet with Kate Bush "Don't Give Up", and Herbie Hancock ("Rockit"). They also directed a video for Stewart and Gouldman's "Feel the Love". The video for their 1985 single "Cry" is especially notable as one of the first mainstream uses of image morphing technology.
For further information see: Godley & Creme
Feel the benefit - Success as a duo: 1977-1978
After the departure of Godley and Creme, Stewart and Gouldman opted to continue as 10cc, recruiting drummer Paul Burgess (later of The Icicle Works) for session work on their next LP, Deceptive Bends (1977), named after a sign on the Mickelham bends on the A24 between Leatherhead and Dorking in Surrey. The album, recorded at the newly-completed Strawberry South Studio in Dorking, Surrey, reached No. 3 in Britain and No. 31 in the US and also yielded three hit singles, "The Things We Do For Love" (UK No. 6, US No. 5), "Good Morning Judge" (UK No. 5, US No. 69) and "People In Love" (US No. 40). Stewart later said he and Gouldman felt vindicated by its success: "I was out to prove also that we could write a hit album without Kevin and Lol ... we did!" [18]
In 1977 10cc embarked on an international tour with guitarist Rick Fenn, keyboardist Tony O'Malley and drummer Stuart Tosh (ex-Pilot) and recorded a live album, Live And Let Live (1977), which mixed the hits with material from the previous three LPs.
Fenn, Tosh, Burgess and keyboardist Duncan Mackay were now full members of the band and performed on 1978's Bloody Tourists, which provided the band with another UK No. 1 single, the reggae-styled "Dreadlock Holiday".
Momentum lost: 1979-1983
The band suffered a major setback in 1979 when Stewart was seriously injured in a car crash. He told the BBC:[19]
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It flattened me completely. I damaged my left ear, I damaged my eye very badly. I couldn't go near music. I couldn't go near anything loud and I love music and motor-racing. I had to stay away from both things for a long time, for about six months. And the momentum of this big machine that we'd had rolling slowed and slowed and slowed. And on the music scene, the punk thing had come in a big way. The Sex Pistols, The Clash, lots of things like that. So by the time I was fit again to play, I think we'd just missed the bus. It'd gone. And whatever we did after that, we got a few tickles here and there and we could continue touring forever on the strength of the past hits, but it didn't feel right again, we just didn't have that public with us. |
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Gouldman, too, considered the aftermath of Stewart's accident to be a turning point. In a 1995 BBC interview[20] he said:
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Really, after '78 things went downhill for us. I don't know what it was. We'd been doing it for so long, maybe we should have had a break then, rather than in '83 when we did have a break, or brought new blood in or done something. And even as the things were getting bad, we thought, 'Ah, it's gonna be alright, don't worry about it, it'll be great'. |
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In early 1980 Gouldman and Stewart both released solo albums and also signed with Warner Bros. Records, producing a new 10cc offering entitled Look Hear?, featuring the single "One Two Five". All three albums featured musicians from 10cc's Bloody Tourists lineup, and all were released between February and April 1980. Only Look Hear? appeared on charts in the UK or US.
Gouldman and Stewart subsequently jettisoned the rest of the band before returning to the Mercury label to record Ten Out of 10 (1981). In a bid to inject an American flavour to the album, Warners invited singer-songwriter Andrew Gold to contribute, leading to an offer to join the band – an offer Gold declined because of other commitments. Gouldman later admitted greater involvement by Gold might have lifted the band's early 1980s output from its mediocrity. "We should either have tried to change direction, which we didn’t, or got someone else in the band, which we almost did. The albums weren’t really bad, there was always the integrity, and the production values, but in retrospect, I find them rather dour, rather lacklustre."[21] Ten Out of 10 failed to make a major impression with audiences. The UK and US versions of the albums differ, with the UK version substituting Gold's three contributions – and another Gouldman song – with four tracks written by Gouldman and Stewart.
Stewart then recorded a 1982 solo album with participation from Gouldman on one track. The duo's next 10cc LP, Windows in the Jungle, (1983) used session heavyweights including drummer Steve Gadd, but the album was dominated by Stewart; Gouldman performed no lead vocals.
The hiatus: 1984-1992
After 1983, the band went into recess as Stewart produced recordings for Sad Café and Gouldman produced tracks for The Ramones[22] before teaming up with Andrew Gold to form the synth-pop group Wax. Stewart also worked on three Paul McCartney albums, co-writing Press to Play (1986), and also produced the album Eyes of a Woman (1985) by Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA.
Wonderland - 10cc reunited: 1992-1995
In 1992 the original four members reunited to record …Meanwhile, an album produced by Gary Katz of Steely Dan fame. Katz was suggested by the record label Polydor who wanted 10cc to enjoy success in America, and because of his links to Steely Dan - similar sounding 70's band. However, the album was not a "reunion" in the strict sense of the word. All the album's songs were written by Stewart and Gouldman (with the exception of one track which was co-written by Stewart, Gouldman, and Paul McCartney). Creme and Godley agreed to guest on the album to fulfil their obligation to Polydor—both had owed Polydor one album when they split in the late '80s. Godley and Creme sang background vocals on several tracks on the album. Godley also sang the lead on one song, "The Stars Didn't Show". The record label did everything it could to make it appear that it was a reunion album to generate publicity, angering Lol Creme along the way, claiming "it harmed his advertising work" as potential employers thought his priorities would be music again.
...Meanwhile did not spawn any major hits, but was relatively well received in Japan and in Europe. It prominently featured session musicians Jeff Porcaro, of Toto fame, on drums, Freddie Washington on bass, Michael Landau on lead and rhythm guitar, and Bashiri Johnson on percussion. Also appearing on the album were Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) on piano, David Paich (also of Toto fame) on keyboards, longtime 10cc collaborator Andrew Gold on guitar and many other renowned session musicians and singers. ...Meanwhile is believed to be Porcaro's last session work before he died of a heart attack prompted by a reaction to insecticide. Dr John was recommended by producer Gary Katz and invited along to the sessions.
Gouldman, in a 1995 interview,[20] was philosophical about the album: "When we finally did come back to record again, it was based on market research that our record company had done, that said a new 10cc album would do really, really well. And, ah, history has proved that wrong." Yet according to Stewart, both he and Gouldman had approached the album positively. "We wrote in a three-month period, 22 songs. Every day we were coming up with new ideas, and they were getting better and better, as far as we were concerned. And they sounded like 10cc songs again."
But according to Godley, the sessions highlighted the emerging strains between Gouldman and Stewart. "I do recall a strange atmosphere in the studio. An intangible awkwardness. Everything sounded 'great', everyone got on 'great', but there was an essential ingredient missing. I also sensed G and E growing apart. Gary Katz was acting as a political as well as creative buffer keeping personalities as well as music on course."[23]. Eric was said to be unhappy with how Gary Katz was producing the album asking for many different takes, for which he'd pick the best lines from. Eric commented that he saw Gary on the phone whilst he was singing. The album ended up costing £750,000 to make, thanks to extra production from Eric, and extra mixing from Robin Barclay. By the time the album was completed and ready to release there had been changes at Polydor and the new regime didn't believe it would be a hit, and spent very little to promote it - "Polydor spent £750,000 to make it and £7,500 to promote it" (Graham Gouldman in a hospital radio interview in 1993). The album narrowly missed the Top 75 album chart in the UK (though it made No.66 in the Network chart - an alternative to the official chart). The first single "Woman in love" was released on cd, cassette single and vinyl, backed with the non-album track "Man with a mission". The single included the album version of the track rather than the single edit that was issued to radio - and was finally made commercially available on the 2008 re-issue of the album. The second single "Welcome to Paradise", a favourite of both Eric and Graham's followed, available on vinyl and cd single. A catalogue number was made available for a cassette single but this was never issued . The single also included the album version of the title track, with 2 further non-album tracks - "Don't" and "Lost in love", the former being the only track with lead vocals from Graham. The single, failed to chart and sank without a trace. In a magazine interview with Eric stated that there were 4 or 5 singles on ...Meanwhile. Graham Gouldman was interviewed by Mark Wardle on Tarka Radio - a hospital radio station - in 1993 and asked him what other songs had been selected for singles. He replied that "Don't break the promises" would have been the third single, and then "The stars didn't show" and "Wonderland" as fourth and fifth possible singles. Due to the lack of success on the first two singles, these were cancelled. Later that year, Polydor, who the band had signed a five album deal with, didn't take up their option and dropped the band.
The album followed a world tour in 1993 with members Rick Fenn, Steve Piggot, Stuart Tosh and Gary Wallace returning to the frame. This tour was captured on the live album Alive.
In 1995 the band released Mirror Mirror, produced by Gouldman, Stewart and Adrian Lee of Mike and the Mechanics, and without participation from Godley or Creme. Despite initial objections by Gouldman,[24]Mirror Mirror included an acoustic version of "I'm Not in Love" which became a #29 UK hit single, but overall the album did not fare very well. Gouldman has described Mirror Mirror as "almost like two halves of an album", largely a result of the fact that he and Stewart recorded in separate countries. "I don’t like to say we hoodwinked the people, but you could say it’s not quite what it appears to be, and anyone with any sense, who reads the credits, could see that," he told Goldmine magazine.[24] Their recording arrangement also provided further evidence of a fractured relationship between Stewart and Gouldman: aside from "I'm Not in Love", Stewart did not appear on any of the tracks Gouldman played or sang on, while Gouldman did not appear on any of Stewart's tracks. Two co-written tracks from the album "Why did I break your heart" and "Take this woman" were written and rejected during the ...Meanwhile sessions, rather than being especially written for the new album. "Ready to go home" was listed as the second single but was dropped just before its due release - a spokeswoman handling their promotional activities said it was due to the band being unavailable to promote it as they had with the first single. Copies have shown up - both UK and German versions. The single was also promoted in America and promo copies (green label) sent to radio stations where it received limited radio play and quickly died a death. The apalling video didn't help matters - Eric and Graham walking through some poor video graphics and back-drops - it deservedly received few plays. After the album's release Stewart and Gouldman embarked on some limited gigs, performing at the Liverpool Empire before departing to Japan. A UK tour was lined up...but unfortunately never happened and Eric and Graham parted ways again.
Stewart has since commented:[25] "10cc is well and truly finished as far as I am concerned, but I can't guarantee that GG won't try to squeeze the last drop of blood out of it. It was a great band for most of its life and should be left at that, where it had some real meaning to all of us, fans and musicians alike." Graham also has bad memories about the "re-union" and considers that 10cc finished in 1983 and doesn't rate the re-union albums highly, although has been happy to utilise and tour under the name during the late 90's and into the 00's.
Later work 2000-2009
Since about 1999 Gouldman has toured with a version of 10cc consisting of Rick Fenn, Paul Burgess, Mick Wilson, Mike Stevens and/or Keith Hayman, with occasional guest appearances by Kevin Godley. The band has embarked on two national tours of the UK and various dates throughout Europe playing 10cc hits, plus a section of Gouldman's hits written for others. Their first gig was at Ronnie Scotts jazz club in Birmingham in 1999.
In 2001 Gouldman released his third solo album, And Another Thing... (the title was a subtle reference to his first solo outing, The Graham Gouldman Thing in 1968). Eric Stewart released a third solo album, Do Not Bend, in 2003. In between both events, in 2002, a reunion world tour featuring all four original members was suggested but negotiations fell through at an early stage.
In 2002, an official box set of recordings and rarities was due to be released "30 years of 10cc", but was cancelled before its release, apparently citing issues with licensing earlier works that they didn't own and were being asked for too much money to have.
In January 2004 Godley and Gouldman reconvened to write more songs. Godley explained:
| “ |
In a nutshell ...unfinished business. In all the years we’ve known each other we’ve only written three pure, Godley-Gouldman songs. That, and a desire to find out if the music muscle still worked with someone I enjoyed and didn’t have to spend weeks getting to know.[26] |
” |
By December 2007, Godley and Gouldman's website was offering six downloadable tracks, "The Same Road", "Johnny Hurts", "Beautifulloser.com", "Hooligan Crane", "Son of Man" and "Barry's Shoes". The songs are the initial "offering" of a group of songs they have worked on over the past three years.
In 2008, a DVD was compiled of several recent 10CC featuring Gouldman concerts entitled "Clever Clogs". The DVD also features several tracks sung by Godley.[27]
In 2006 Lol Creme joined producers Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson and musicians Chris Braide and Ash Soan to form The Producers. The band began recording its debut album in late 2006 and a single, "Barking Up The Right Tree" (backed with "Freeway") will be released in August 2007. Both tracks, along with an animated video by Lol Creme, have been released on MySpace.
A 2006 10cc compilation from Universal, Greatest Hits ... And More, attracted criticism both from fans who complained about one track, "Feel the Benefit", running at a slow speed and from Eric Stewart, who was upset at not being told of its release. [28]
In 2009 Graham Gouldman hit the road again under the 10cc banner and launched their official web-site 10ccworld.com - all about the current line-up of the band. Also a new 10cc compilation from Universal Music Group / UMTV entitled "Very best of 10cc" was released alongside the tour in April but only managed No.39 in the album chart before dropping down and out. The release almost exactly replicates the 1997 compilation of the same name, with the additions of Wax's "Bridge to your heart" and "Ready to go home" from the Mirror mirror album replacing "People in love" and "Une nuit a Paris". During the tour it was revealed that they plan to hit the road in the UK again in late 2010. Graham is also working on a third solo album. Eric Stewart released a new solo album Viva La Difference in January 2009
Cover versions
- In 1991, Will to Power released a cover version of "I'm Not in Love" which peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- In 199, The Pretenders performed a cover version of "I'm Not in Love" for the movie "Indecent Proposal" starring Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson.
- In 1994, Red Red Meat covered "I'm Not in Love" on "Star Power", a collection of 70s covers by various indie artists, released by Pravda Records.
- In 1999, the Fun Lovin' Criminals covered "I'm Not in Love" on their album Mimosa, a collection of rarities, b-sides, remixes, and covers.
- In 2006, hip hop producer J Dilla sampled 10cc's songs "Johnny Don't Do It" and "The Worst Band in the World" on his songs "Waves" and "Workinonit" on his Donuts album.
- "I'm Not In Love" was featured in the videogame "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories" on the radio station "98.3, the Emotion"
- In 2008, "Cry" by Godley & Creme was used for the 'Grand Theft Auto:4' PC release trailer.
- In 2009, "Rubber Bullets" was used as the title theme song to the pilot of Adult Swim's cartoon series "Superjail". The song was later replaced by Comin' Home by the band Cheeseburger.
Discography
References
- ^ Interview with Graham Gouldman
- ^ Complete Mockingbirds discography at 10cc fan club website
- ^ "10cc : A Pure Injection Of Pop," chapter 4, by Dave Thompson, "Goldmine" magazine, 11 April 1997
- ^ a b c d Liner notes to Strawberry Bubblegum CD, written by David Wells, June 2003
- ^ a b c d e George Tremlett (1976). The 10cc Story. Futura. ISBN 0-8600-7378-5.
- ^ Eric Stewart comment on his website
- ^ Eric Stewart comment on his website
- ^ "Zigzag" magazine, January 1975
- ^ "Manchester Beat" website
- ^ Graham Gouldman interview, "Record Collector", 1984
- ^ Snopes.com, "10cc"
- ^ Interview with Kevin Godley, Rock N Roll Universe online interview, April 2007
- ^ Godley & Creme interviewed in "Pulse" magazine, April 1988
- ^ a b Eric Stewart interview, Radio Wales, "I Write the Songs"
- ^ Humphrey Ocean biography at Royal Academy website
- ^ ProgGnosis website interview with Kevin Godley, 23 June 2007
- ^ Kevin Godley interview, "Uncut", 1997
- ^ Eric Stewart's reply to a question at his website
- ^ Stewart's BBC Radio Wales interview
- ^ a b Graham Gouldman interviewed by Justin Hayward, BBC2, 1995
- ^ "10cc : A Pure Injection Of Pop," chapter 10, by Dave Thompson, "Goldmine" magazine, 11 April 1997
- ^ The Ramones namechecked 10cc on the Gouldman-produced song "Its Not My Place (in the 9 to 5 World)", a track on the Pleasant Dreams album.
- ^ Kevin Godley interview at Muzikreviews.com
- ^ a b "10cc: A Pure Injection Of Pop" by Dave Thompson, Goldmine magazine, 11 April 1997.
- ^ Reply to question by Eric Stewart at his website
- ^ Kevin Godley comment at GG06 website
- ^ The Official 10cc Fan Club/Latest News
- ^ Comments on Eric Stewart website, 2 August 2006
External links
