10cc Biografía y 10cc Letras Información General
Formed in 1970, 10cc began as session musicians calling themselves
Hotlegs. Hotlegs scored a surprise U.K. smash hit with the single
"Neanderthal Man," subsequently issuing an LP, Thinks: School Times.
They also spent some time touring with the Moody Blues.
After signing to Jonathan King's U.K. label and rechristening
themselves 10cc, inspired by the total amount 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:
Graham Gouldman (vocalist/guitarist) was a former member of the
Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies,
Herman's Hermits and Jeff Beck,
Eric Stewart (vocalist/guitarist) was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the
Mindbenders,
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme (vocalists/multi-instrumentalists) were
both highly regarded studio players.
The group backed Neil Sedaka before recording 1972's "Donna," a sly
satire of '50s doo-wop, influenced by Frank Zappa with a sharp
mix of commercial pop and irony and a chorus sung in falsetto. 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 reinventions of old
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.
However, 10cc 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 left the group 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...
Rick Fenn (guitarist),
Tony O'Malley (keyboardist),
Stuart Tosh (drummer).
...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.
Various permeations of personnel toured during the '90s and '00s
yielding several live concert recordings.
Discography:
1973 * 10cc
1974 * Sheet Music
1975 * The Original Soundtrack
1976 * How Dare You!
1977 * Deceptive Bends
1977 * Live and Let Live [Live]
1978 * Bloody Tourists
1980 * Look Hear?
1981 * Ten Out of 10
1981 * 10cc in Concert [Live]
1983 * Windows in the Jungle
1993 * 10cc Alive [Live]
1992 * Meanwhile
1995 * Mirror Mirror
1996 * King Biscuit Flower Hour [Live]
2000 * Live [Live]
2002 * Alive: The Classic Hits Tour [Live]
2007 * The Best of 10cc Live [Live]