10cc

10cc Artistfacts

  • 1972-1983, 1991-
    Graham GouldmanBass, vocals1972-1983, 1991-
    Eric StewartGuitar, vocals1972-1983, 1991-1995
    Lol CremeGuitar, keyboards, vocals1972–1976, 1991–1992
    Kevin GodleyDrums, vocals1972–1976, 1991–1992
    Paul BurgessDrums1973–1982, 1999–2025
    Rick FennGuitar1976–1983, 1993–1995, 1999–
    Keith HaymanKeyboards2007–2011, 2016–
    Iain HornalGuitar2017-
    Ben StoneDrums2025-
  • All four members members wrote songs and sang. They had three #1 hits in the UK, each with a different lead vocalist:

    "Rubber Bullets" - Lol Creme
    "I'm Not In Love" - Eric Stewart
    "Dreadlock Holiday" - Graham Gouldman
  • There was lots of crossover, but Gouldman and Stewart generally worked together while Godley and Creme paired up. This division grew as the band progressed, and by 1976 Godley and Creme were pursuing projects outside of the band, including development of a guitar effects unit called a Gizmotron. That year, they left the group, as Gouldman and Stewart wanted more dedication to the band. 10cc remained a top seller throughout the '70s, but sales dried up in the '80s and they split in 1983. Godley and Creme formed a successful duo (Godley & Creme) but made their biggest impact directing music videos. Among their creations is Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," which won five MTV Video Music Awards.
  • Despite numerous offers, the original band never reunited, except for a 1992 album called ...Meanwhile that featured cursory appearances by Godley and Creme. Gouldman has kept 10cc going in some form since 1999 using various musicians.
  • Gouldman wrote an impressive array of hits in the '60s, including "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds and "Bus Stop" by The Hollies. Stewart was a founding member of Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, and took over as lead singer when Fontana left in 1965.

    In 1969, Stewart took an ownership interest in Strawberry Studios in Stockport, England, and with Godley and Creme formed the group Hotlegs. They had a hit in 1970 with "Neanderthal Man," but most of their work was in the studio on other projects. Gouldman came on board, and in 1972 they became 10cc, a band that proved extremely successful.
  • 10cc were difficult to market because they didn't have a distinctive look or a dynamic frontman, but their musical acumen outweighed their image shortcomings and gave them a degree on anonymity. Like Pink Floyd, they had Storm Thorgerson create much of their album art, which provided an intriguing visual without using the band members' visages.
  • They made early music videos ("promotional films") with Bruce Gowers, who directed Queen's early work, including "Bohemian Rhapsody." 10cc's videos weren't nearly as successful, but they didn't have Freddie Mercury.
  • They were signed to UK Records, which was run by Jonathan King, one of the most influential and popular figures in British music at the time. King produced the first Genesis album and had several hits on his own, so it carried some weight when he championed 10cc. King was later disgraced when he was charged with sex offenses, for which he served three years in prison.
  • The band name has always been a subject of lore. Word was that 9cc (cubic centimeters) is the average volume of male ejaculation, so 10cc is one better. The truth is that Jonathan King assigned them the name after having a dream where he saw the phrase "10cc: The Best Band In The World" outside of the Hammersmith Odeon. The band had some fun with this story on their song "The Worst Band In The World."
  • Kevin Godley told Mojo magazine the story of how the quartet changed from being a production team and the house band at Strawberry Studios to 10cc. "We were doing an album for Neil Sedaka, called Solitaire. We got on extremely well. One day we were probably in the live area of Strawberry - drum kit in one corner, microphones, amps, grand piano at the other end, talking about the next take, and as part of the general conversation Neil Sedaka says, 'You guys are great, you play really well together, why don't you form a band?' A moment of silence, four light bulbs go on."
  • When glam rock was at its glittery peak in the 1970s, 10cc quietly rebelled by wearing denim. The band's famously casual look was a deliberate protest against the era's platform shoes and sequined jumpsuits. "People were teetering around on high heels, and they were men, by the way," Graham Gouldman laughed in a BBC Breakfast interview. "We just thought, let's go back to basics." It summed up 10cc's attitude perfectly: less about flash, more about the music.
  • 10cc rotated lead singers and did so democratically. Each member would take a turn singing the track until they found who did it best.

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