10cc Brief Biography
One of the great British groups of the 1970s, Manchester's 10cc consisted of four multi-talented singer/songwriters - Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Lol Creme, and Kevin Godley. Adept at playing several instruments, the line-up generally consisted of Stewart on lead electric guitar/keyboards, Gouldman on bass, Creme on rhythm guitar/keyboards, and Godley on drums.
10cc's major songs included 'I'm Not In Love', 'I'm Mandy Fly Me', and 'Rubber Bullets'. Their last album together, 'How Dare You', was one of the finest of the 1970s. Godley and Creme left the band in the mid-'70s to pursue new challenges, including being music video pioneers, and working on their gizmo invention - something attached to an electric guitar, which gave it an unworldy sound.
Although 10cc continued for a time, with Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, and long time 10cc contributor Paul Burgess on drums, the creative spark had peaked with 'How Dare You', though 10cc did have a 1978 number one with 'Dreadlock Holiday' - their third UK number one after 'Rubber Bullets' and 'I'm Not In Love'.
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
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10cc CDs available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk |
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Godley & Creme CDs available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk |
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10cc CDs available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.com |
booksmusicfilmstv.com Albums Reviews
10cc - The Original Soundtrack
(1975)
This is an album of almost crazy diversity, and acknowledged by many as 10cc's finest album - even above 'How Dare You'.
Beginning with 'Une Nuit A Paris' - a musical in its own right, with 10cc taking on several characters replete with high-pitched Pythonesque French accents. Strangely strange.
The second track is the immortal and sumptuous 'I'm Not In Love' - the massive overdubs, electric piano and moog, the vulnerable female voice repeating "Big boys don't cry", and, most importantly, Eric Stewart's lilting vocals, all give this song an awesomely ethereal, haunting quality, and a sound which washes over the listener in gentle waves. A title, in that usual off-centre 10cc way, written as a different way of saying, "I love you".
'Blackmail' is self-explanatory, and is back to vintage, quirky 10cc. Reminiscent, lyrically, of 'Headline Hustler'. Some interesting rhythms, too.
'The Second Coming Of The Last Supper' starts off with some bleak lyrics, and is a thought-provoking, if cynical, track about Christians waiting for Jesus to reappear. One of 10cc's most controversial songs - and this from a band who weren't coy anyway. This song is made memorable by the high octane jam session at the end.
This is followed by 'Brand New Day' - a gentler affair with some beautiful touches. 'Flying Junk' is intriguing, with some powerfully biting lyrics relating to drugs and drug dealers, and mesmerising sounds. This album really sees 10cc at a consistently high level - musically and lyrically.
'Life Is A Minestrone' is a superbly catchy song, with daft, cheesy (ha-ha) lyrics - albeit very witty and clever.
'The Film Of My Love' is the second-best track on the album, after 'I'm Not In Love'. Beautifully sung by Graham Gouldman, it is magnificently put together, and has an authentic sound which could have come out of a '50s musical. A grand finale to the album.
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
booksmusicfilmstv.com Albums Reviews
Hot Legs - You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think Of It (1971)
Hot Legs were an embryonic 10cc, consisting of Kevin Godley (drums, percussion, vocals), Lol Creme (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals), and Eric Stewart (guitar, bass, moog, vocals).
This album features the minimalist classic 'Neanderthal Man' - which reached number 2 in the UK charts in 1970 as a novelty record, and is probably the weakest track on the album. Vastly superior was the B-side of that single - which gives this album its long-windeed title - with Eric Stewart's earthy guitar and vocals stealing the honours.
Early signs of 10cc's lyrical humour are in evidence all over the place - the madcap wittiness of 'Desperate Dan', the risque 'Lady Sadie', and the strangely compelling opening track, 'Um Wah, Um Woh', with Stewart's axe solo going off in all directions (this album is a treat for fans of Eric's guitar solos).
'Today', the second track, has Graham Gouldman guesting on bass, so this is a 10cc track in all but name. It's wonderful, and is one of the quartet's finest-ever works, decorated beautifully with strings. Though all the song credits on the album are given to Godley, Creme, and Stewart, you wonder if Gouldman did give any input into some compositions.
'Take Me Back' gives us an inkling of the 10cc sound to come, with Kevin Godley's vocals at their most poignant, and Eric Stewart's guitar at its most sparkling.
One particular curio on the album is 'Fly Away', which was a Godley & Creme composition, originally released in 1969 on a sampler LP, as a Kevin Godley track on 'Marmalade 100% Proof'. This version is pared down from the 1969 original, though still retaining a basically acoustic quality and a nice flute, but with less overdubbed vocals.
'Suite F.A.' closes the album, and is an interesting example of a 10cc track of three parts, with wonderful Eric Stewart guitar solos and Eric, Lol, and Kevin vocals, and impressive bass to the fore, plus a children's choir!
Then we waited for 1972....
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
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10cc Discography Singles (and UK and US chart positions) |
