After proving they could keep 10cc alive as a duo act with 1977's successful Deceptive Bends, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman pressed on in 1978 with Bloody Tourists. Although it scored some notable hits, it was a less consistent and less memorable affair than its predecessor. The problem with Bloody Tourists is that it feels like a group of session musicians trying to come up with songs in the 10cc style instead of a proper 10cc album. The eccentric humor that once flowed freely feels forced on this album: "Reds In My Bed" is a lame stab at Cold War satire that never really succeeds in saying anything while "Shock On The Tube (Don't Want Love)" tries to be daring with its tale of a subway sex fantasy and instead comes off as smutty and dull. Another problem is that the music propping up these narratives is lacking in both hooks and inspiration: the backing track for "Take These Chains" is a dull attempt at rockabilly that sounds like an especially poppy Eagles outtake and "The Anonymous Alcoholic" has a disco-parody portion that merely sounds like a mediocre example of the music it is supposedly sending up. However, the album's singles present a few bright moments: "For You And I" is a lovely ballad that fortifies its attractive melody with some strong vocal harmonies and "Dreadlock Holiday" chronicles the exploits of a hapless tourist in Jamaican against a catchy pop-reggae backdrop. Sadly, these are the first two tracks on the album so when they have passed there isn't much to look forward to. In the end, Bloody Tourists is competent enough to keep the 10cc's hardcore fans happy but the casual listener is advised to track down its hits on a compilation. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide
Duncan Mackay (Piano (Electric)), Paul Burgess (Bells), Tony Spath (Piano), Paul Burgess (Percussion), Stuart Tosh (Drums (Snare)), Stuart Tosh (Percussion), Stuart Tosh (Bells), Rick McCollum (Vocals (Background)), Duncan Mackay (Violin), Duncan Mackay (Vocals (Background)), Eric Stewart (Mixing), Eric Stewart (Moog Synthesizer), Paul Burgess (Triangle), Stuart Tosh (Tambourine), Graham Gouldman (Guitar), Graham Gouldman (Guitar (Electric)), Graham Gouldman (Bass), Paul Burgess (Drums), Eric Stewart (Producer), Kate Spath (Cello), Eric Stewart (Piano (Electric)), Stuart Tosh (Vocals (Background)), Rick Fenn (Guitar), Paul Burgess (Vibraphone), Paul Burgess (Drums (Snare)), Graham Gouldman (Producer), Graham Gouldman (Organ), Graham Gouldman (Tambourine), Rick Fenn (Vocals), Graham Gouldman (Vocals (Background)), Paul Burgess (Glockenspiel), 10cc (Arranger), Duncan Mackay (Piano), Paul Burgess (Conga), Rick McCollum (Guitar (Acoustic)), Duncan Mackay (Synthesizer), Rick McCollum (Guitar), Stuart Tosh (Drums), Paul Burgess (Marimba), Eric Stewart (Slide Guitar), Stuart Tosh (Vocals), Rick McCollum (Bass), Paul Burgess (Tambourine), Duncan Mackay (Keyboards), Graham Gouldman (Vocals), Eric Stewart (Guitar), Rick McCollum (Saxophone), Eric Stewart (Vocals (Background)), Graham Gouldman (Percussion), Eric Stewart (Engineer), Eric Stewart (Keyboards), Eric Stewart (Vocals), Graham Gouldman (Whistle (Human)), Eric Stewart (Guitar (Acoustic)), Paul Burgess (Timbales), Eric Stewart (Guitar (Electric)), Graham Gouldman (Piano (Electric)), Rick McCollum (Tambourine), Roger Wake (Digital Remastering), Eric Stewart (Piano), Paul Burgess (Vocals (Background)), Rick McCollum (Guitar (Electric)), Keith Bessey (Engineer)
Bloody Tourists was the sixth studio album by 10cc and the second to be produced following the band's 1976 split. It yielded the singles "Dreadlock Holiday", which reached No.1 in the UK in August 1978, and "Reds in My Bed", which did not chart. "For You and I" was issued as a double a-side single with "I'm Not in Love" in the autumn of 1979 but also didn't chart. "For you and I" was also issued in the US, with promo copies being available as a 12" single.
