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*Artist: 10cc
Genre: Rock
Period: `70s - 2000s
Members: Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme
Biography:
Deriving their name from the metric total of semen ejaculated by the average male, the tongue-in-cheek British art-pop band 10cc comprised an all-star roster of Manchester-based musicians: vocalist/guitarist Graham Gouldman was a former member of the Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman`s Hermits and Jeff Beck; singer/guitarist Eric Stewart was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders; and vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were both highly regarded studio players. Formed in 1970, 10cc began as a session unit dubbed Hotlegs; after establishing residence at Stewart`s Strawberry Studios, Hotlegs scored a surprise U.K. smash with the single "Neanderthal Man," subsequently issuing an LP, Thinks: School Times and touring with the Moody Blues.
After signing to Jonathan King`s U.K. label and rechristening themselves 10cc (a name suggested by King himself), the group backed Neil Sedaka before recording 1972`s "Donna," a sly satire of late-`50s doo wop. The single reached the number two position on the British charts, establishing not only a long-running string of major hits, but also the quartet`s fondness for ironic and affectionate reclamations of musty pop styles. The follow-up, "Rubber Bullets," topped the charts in 1973, and both the subsequent single "The Dean and I" (a nostalgic look at academia recalling Jerry Lee Lewis` "High School Confidential") and an eponymously titled debut LP further solidified 10cc as a major force in British pop.
While 1974`s Sheet Music and singles, including the Brian Wilson-esque "Wall Street Shuffle," "Silly Love" and "Life Is a Minestrone" continued 10cc`s dominance of the U.K. charts, they found the American market virtually impenetrable prior to the release of 1975`s "I`m Not in Love," which topped the charts at home and climbed as high as number two in the States. After 1975`s Original Soundtrack and the next year`s How Dare You!, Godley and Creme exited to focus on video production as well as developing the Gizmo, a guitar modification device the duo invented. In the wake of their departure, Gouldman and Stewart continued on alone, enlisting the aid of session men to record 1977`s Deceptive Bends, highlighted by the perennial "The Things We Do for Love."
After recruiting guitarist Rick Fenn, keyboardist Tony O`Malley and drummer Stuart Tosh as full-time members, 10cc returned in 1978 with Bloody Tourists, which yielded the number one reggae nod "Dreadlock Holiday." Following a series of unsuccessful efforts, including 1980s Look Hear?, 1981`s 10 Out of 10 and 1983`s Window in the Jungle, the group disbanded; while Stewart produced Sad Cafe and worked with Paul McCartney, Gouldman supervised recordings for the Ramones and Gilbert O`Sullivan before joining Andrew Gold in the duo Wax. In 1992, the original lineup of 10cc reunited for the LP Meanwhile, while only Gouldman and Stewart remained for 1993`s Mirror Mirror.
Discography: 10cc Discography
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