Graham Gouldman of 10cc
Rapid Fire interview
Graham Gouldman began his pop career as a successful 1960s songwriter for the likes of The Yardbirds, Hermans Hermits and The Hollies. Working at Strawberry Studios near Stockport he came together with a line-up of musicians – Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Crème – and recorded bubblegum hits under a multiplicity of different pseudonyms. By 1972 the outfit signed to Jonathan King’s UK Records as 10cc and went onto have a string of global hits, including the gigantic ‘I’m Not In Love’. In 1976 Godley and Crème left to form the duo of the same name while Gouldman continued as 10cc with partner Eric Stewart. Initially successful, the group gradually floundered commercially, especially after Stewart was forced to take a break from music after a bad car crash. There has been no new 10cc material since 1995. Gouldman now works with Kevin Godley. Their new work can be found at http://gg06.co.uk/
Thomas H Green caught up with Gouldman to ask him questions from Beatmag readers and contributors.
Does it surprise you how few people know you wrote The Yardbirds classic hit ‘For Your Love’?
Thomas H Green
GG: “It always surprises me how many people don’t know but why should I assume that they do? It’s brought me a tremendous amount of joy over the years – I’m very proud of it.”
What is your favourite film?
Jenny Lewis, Glasgow
GG: “’The King Of Comedy’, the Martin Scorcese with Robert de Niro. For some reason a lot of musicians like that film and I’ve no idea why. ‘Cancer – you should only get cancer’ – I love that line. Sandra Bernhard’s in it as a complete mad woman.”
You’re not really 10cc anymore so why use the name?
Guy Oddy
GG: “It’s a fair question. I did start off doing gigs under my own name but more and more people wanted 10cc songs. It’s just a banner that I use. I was one of the original members and it makes life simpler for me and attracts more people.”
What was Super K Productions and what does it mean to you?
Richard Schalz, Vancouver
GG: “That was Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, they were kings of bubblegum pop. Remember the song ‘Yummy Yummy Yummy I’ve Got Love In My Tummy’ [by Ohio Express]? That was them. They approached me to join their team. I think they wanted to elevate the status of Super K because people laughed at them quite a lot as they were making billions of dollars out of bubblegum music. They wanted to legitimise themselves so they asked me to do some work for them. I worked in New York with them but I got fed up and wanted to go back and work at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. I was doing these records with Eric, Kevin and Lol so, in a peculiar way it was one of the contributory factors towards the formation of 10cc.”
What’s the most booze you’ve ever drunk?
Ross, email
GG: “Probably a bottle of brandy when I had a row with my girlfriend. It didn’t help.”
As a Mancunian, which is your favourite of the city’s many musical renaissances?
Josh Wilkes, Birmingham, UK
GG “The one I enjoyed the most was Oasis because I could hear that their roots, even though they’re a lot younger than me, are from the same place.”
What was your involvement with The Ramones?
Will Green, London
GG: “I produced an album for them called ‘Pleasant Dreams’. They were not what you think they’d be like. They were courteous and on time – I enjoyed my time with them. My first question to them was ‘Why me [as choice of producer]?’ It was because of my connection to the ‘60s. They loved all the British bands, particularly The Yardbirds.”
Do you think Freddie Mercury was influenced by ‘Une Nuit A Paris’ [complex operatic song from 1975 album ‘The Original Soundtrack’] when he wrote ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?
George Grohlsen, San Francisco
GG: “Yes, it’s a long piece full of wonderful melodies. We often thought we should have pushed for it to be a single, it’s such a fantastic piece and written before ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. We used to listen to Queen and I’m sure they used to listen to us. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a brilliant record, and I’m not saying otherwise, but there’s no doubt about our song was an influence.”
Do you have a favourite tee-shirt?
Conniw Kantakis, Athens
GG: “Yes, a black Gap one – I’m a man of pure simplicity.”
The Mondays or the Roses?
Tim, Manchester
GG: “Stone Roses – I just like Hammond Organs.”
If you had a time machine where would you go?
Khalid, Beatmag
GG: “I think I’d go fifty years ahead into the future to see if we fucked up the planet. I say that but I’d like to go back to Biblical times as well. I’d like to hang out with Moses and maybe say, ‘Can I come up Mount Sinai with you?’ I’m Jewish but I’m not particularly religious – I have a kind of spirituality, I guess.”
How and why did you and Kevin Godley come back together?
Lucy Stanmore, Toronto
GG: “Because Kevin wanted to make some music again and he called me up having spent years doing videos and, I think, getting slightly frustrated with how long it takes from inception to completion. I think he wanted the immediacy of sitting down and it’s there. We’ve been friends since the beginning of 10cc. We went to the same primary school, actually, but we were in different classes so our paths didn’t cross that often. There was never any animosity when we split. When they [Godley & Crème] left in the mid-‘70s, on the one hand I thought they were idiots and on the other I respected their integrity. They felt the band was becoming predictable.”
Didn’t they go off and do a concept album with Peter Cook?
Thomas H Green
GG: “Yes, it’s called ‘Consequences’ – it’s bizarre but it has some gems on it.”
What’s your favourite pre-10cc song that you wrote?
Bernadette Favreau, Nice, France
GG: “I guess ‘Bus Stop’ [by The Hollies].”
What are your feeling towards Jonathan King given his involvement in your career and his current status in the UK [King served prison sentences for sexual offences against teenagers dating back to the ‘70s and ‘80s]?
Cameron Stone, Cardiff, UK
GG: Well, he was vital to our career, in that he had the foresight to put our early records out, but he made no artistic contribution. His current situation speaks for itself.”
Did you do enough drugs in your youth?
Wendel Firestone, Canterbury
GG: “[Cackles loud and long] Did anybody do enough drugs who’s still here to answer the question?”
What’s your favourite ‘Star Wars’ character?
Brad Smith, New York
GG: “I don’t like ‘Star Wars’ – it’s boring and I never got into it. It didn’t touch me.”
Do you really not like reggae music?
Tom Bell, Brighton
GG: “No, I love it.”
Do you think 10cc were the dawn of irony and post-modernism in pop music?
Dr J C Whitely, LA
GG: “Yes, we inherited the mantle from The Beatles along with other people but we just took it a step forward. We used pop as the canvas to paint our sarcasm and irony.”
Has ‘I’m Not In Love’ become and albatross around your neck?
Judith Mannering, Hemel Hempstead
GG: “No, that’s ridiculous. I’ve heard this question so much – does it get on my nerves? It’s because we’ve had to play it so much but why have we had to play it so much? Because it’s been so successful and it’s a beautiful song. We had so many hits, it’s just one of many, not our only one.”
What did you think of punk rock?
Thomas H Green
GG: “I didn’t really like it but thought it was a necessary evil. Like The Flood it washed everyone away. Including us.”
Hi Graham,
We met some years ago when I took you and your children out for dinner when you came to South Africa on holiday. I believe that you are touring SA as 10cc together with the Moody Blues in June 2012.
Would be great to catch up with you when you’re in Jo’burg.
ROBBIE KALLENBACH, Johannesburg South Africa.