10cc - The Most Fascinating Facts Anywhere

1. 10cc formed in Stockport in 1972

The band brought together Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, four musicians who had already worked together in various combinations. Their shared base was Strawberry Studios, the Stockport studio where Stewart was a partner.

2. Jonathan King gave the group its name

The producer and label owner signed the band to his UK Records label and suggested the name 10cc. The name has been surrounded by myths ever since, but the label boss's role in naming the group is well documented.

3. The members were already seasoned hitmakers

Graham Gouldman had written Bus Stop for The Hollies, For Your Love for The Yardbirds and No Milk Today for Herman's Hermits. Eric Stewart had been in The Mindbenders, and Godley and Creme had recorded Neanderthal Man as Hotlegs.

4. Strawberry Studios was central to their sound

Working in their own studio gave 10cc freedom to experiment with tape loops, effects and layered vocals. The long hours spent there helped shape their inventive approach.

5. Donna was their first hit

The 1972 single was a affectionate doo-wop pastiche with falsetto vocals and a comic touch. It reached the UK top ten and established the group's witty, studio-savvy style.

6. Rubber Bullets took them to number one

The 1973 single told a comic story of a prison riot over a rock and roll beat. It reached number one in the UK and showed the band could turn sharp storytelling into a pop hit.

7. Their lyrics mixed humour with sophistication

Songs such as The Dean and the I and Wall Street Shuffle poked fun at conventions, from school life to finance. Smart wordplay was a constant feature of their records.

8. I'm Not in Love became their signature song

Released in 1975 on the album The Original Soundtrack, it reached number one in the UK and was a major hit in the United States. Its calm, dreamy mood belied the unusual way it was built.

9. The vocal wall in I'm Not in Love was painstakingly built

The group recorded sustained notes sung by the band members, then turned them into tape loops that were layered into a huge, ghostly choir. The method gave the song its distinctive floating atmosphere.

10. Art for Art's Sake mocked the music business

The 1975 hit, taken from How Dare You!, took a wry look at money and art. Its tongue-in-cheek chorus was set to a crisp, polished arrangement.

11. Godley and Creme invented the Gizmotron

The pair developed a device that attached to a guitar and used small wheels to bow the strings, producing sustained, string-like sounds. They left 10cc in 1976 to explore it.

12. Godley and Creme made an ambitious triple album

Consequences, released in 1977, was a sprawling concept project that included spoken comedy by Peter Cook. It was a bold gamble and divided critics and audiences.

13. Stewart and Gouldman carried on as 10cc

After the split, the two continued with a revised line-up and released Deceptive Bends in 1977. The album included The Things We Do for Love, which became a big hit in both Britain and America.

14. Dreadlock Holiday reached number one in 1978

The reggae-flavoured single told a comic story of a tourist in the Caribbean, with a memorable refrain. It topped the UK charts and remains one of the band's best-loved songs.

15. Godley and Creme became leading video directors

In the 1980s they directed videos for artists including The Police's Every Breath You Take, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Two Tribes and Herbie Hancock's Rockit. Their innovations helped define the look of early music video.

16. Godley and Creme also had their own hit

Their 1985 single Cry reached the UK top twenty and was accompanied by a famous video featuring faces dissolving into one another. The effect was achieved through careful early video techniques.

17. The original four reunited for an album

Meanwhile, released in 1992, brought Stewart, Gouldman, Godley and Creme together again for the first time in years. Godley and Creme appeared on part of it.

18. Gouldman has kept the 10cc name alive

He has led touring versions of the band in the years since, performing the group's biggest hits to live audiences. The shows highlight how well the songs have lasted.

19. 10cc was one of Britain's most inventive pop groups

Their songs switched effortlessly between genres, from doo-wop to reggae to art rock. That versatility made them impossible to pin down.

20. The catalogue still rewards close listening

Their records are full of tiny studio details, ranging from vocal jokes to layered effects. Collectors continue to seek original vinyl pressings of their 1970s albums.

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