Released just 6months before Bohemian Rhapsody. The song is not typical of most of 10cc output but then again they did not really do ‘typical’ although there was a liberal sprinkling of humour in their early albums. The album was built around the theatre and film industry and this opener certainly got you into theatrical mode.
So wonderful! 10cc is the definition of a band that defies categorization. Cinematic, pop, prog, rock - always innovating, always immaculate production and arrangement, always witty and quirky, often instrumentally impressive, and highly influential. Queen is an apt comparison, but even more diverse and artsy. A band of four strong and very different songwriters, never clashing, always complementing and synergizing, such a unique act. And no two songs the same - if you didn't love this one, just pull the next out of the box (but like another unique band, don't be surprised if they sound better and better as you start to get them and "acquire the taste"). I really do recommend you explore 10cc further - the next track, I'm Not In Love, is widely considered a masterpiece and their most popular song, and is so different than this one (goes down super smoothly), it's really worth a listen. Sheet Music is often thought of as their best album, but you can't go wrong with anything on their first 5 albums, as long as you're expecting something different every time. Feel The Benefit from Deceptive Bends is my favorite track of theirs, another 3 part cinematic mini-epic, with a killer guitar solo. Enjoy!
Funny, but I was just thinking of this album yesterday, as I always do, whenever eating a piece of cold lasagna (10cc fans will get that). Now- I didn't expect it, but when I saw what you were reacting to today, I knew I would have one more comment to close out the year. Lately it seems like you've just been hitting on songs that hit me where I live. I was WAY into 10cc in the early 70s when they had their classic original lineup. All four of those albums are classics to me. All this is to say "Thank You' for this final reaction of 2024, and I'm here for any more 10cc you care to play.
Hi Justin! What a fantastic team of songwriters! I love 10cc's quirky but catchy songs! If you would like to hear something slightly more conventional, then try "Art for Art's Sake" or "Wallstreet Shuffle". I am surprised you haven't reacted to "I'm Not in Love" yet, which I believe to be the greatest love song ever recorded! Perhaps that would be a good one to do when 14th Feb comes around.
The earlier song you listened to was Somewhere in Hollywood. This sound and that one both have quite a complex structure, as do some of their other songs. Their three biggest hits in the UK are very different to this and each other - I'm Not in Love, Dreadlock Holiday and Rubber Bullets - and I think you'll enjoy them.
This was written by Lol Creme and Kevin Godley who split from the band after the next album and had a very productive career as a duo. They were also popular music video directors in the 80's. They invented a new instrument called "The Gizmo" which they put to great use on their 3LP debut Consequences. I would recommend "The Flood" from that album. Their biggest and most well known hit was "Cry".
Justin - this was another left-field choice for a 10cc song , same as somewhere in hollywood, but it does give you more to say I suppose. As others have said - there are other songs that are less artsy and more pop/rock oriented such as > Silly Love, Art for Art Sake, I'm Mandy Fly Me, Wall Street Shuffle, Life is a Minestrone, Dreadlock Holiday, I'm Not IN Love, Rubber Bullets, The Dean and I and a few more besides. But thanks for dipping your toes again !!
First band I ever got into when I was 10 years old, loved their story telling and quirkiness. I still listen to them now and I’m 52. Bring back so many childhood memories, How Dare You was the first album I got into. P.s… happy new year from England.
The entire album is a winner, just like the one before titled Sheet Music. Their fourth album, How Dare You, was the last with the original lineup. They could do anything with four songwriters and four singers as well.
Yes , this was performed live , however I have never seen a video of it being played live. Saw them performing it at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea (South Wales)
I saw Switchfoot there in ooh 2006 !? It snowed! I couldn't believe It happened. A truly surreal magical thang. I went to Bruges and saw 12 Stations of the Cross later that decade... Frank Brangwyn's artwork that is! Sorry for being triggered but I'm emotional tonight. 😊 ruges
Justin, you should do the rest of The Original Soundtrack album, because it's particularly brilliant! I thought you'd already listened to the next track on the album, “I'm Not in Love” but doing a search, apparently you haven't, so Keep going with this classic album.... you won't be disappointed. Each track has its own character, and every time it hits the spot!
10cc, is a band in the history of Prog rock style with enormous quality band vocals from all members… and in the mixing room… LoL and Crème are geniuses with Eric Stewart as Engineer/Singer/ Musician!! …‘I’m not in love’ the 10cc universal love song!!
The vocals on this song and "Brand New Day" from the Original Soundtrack album are exceptionally good, and well arranged. And the overdubbed vocals on "I'm Not In Love" are really something.
Finally! Not their best, but still iconic! Please continue with 10cc and Godley & Creme - this song is not typical (as are most of their songs!). They are often humorous but at the same time both heavy and quirky in all good ways possible!
They did a wide variety of songs, from straight pop to these theatrical pieces. I like Worst Band in the World which displays the same humour. I assume you know I'm Not in Love which was their best known hit but in the UK they had a whole host of top ten tunes. Worth checking some of the other songs.
Really enjoyed revisiting this - for me, it's the second in a string of several progressive, operatic rock pieces from the mid-70s. There was another longer rock piece that preceded this one and Queen's, and it's also about a showgirl and the nightlife,, entitled "Vanilla Queen", by the Dutch rock group Golden Earring, from their 1973 album Moontan. The same album also has their big hit "Radar Love", and the album is one of the most popular 70s progressive rock albums of that genre.
I saw 10cc perform this at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975 ..... very atmospheric and from what I can remember ...... Parisian images projected in predominately green onto a black stage curtain during it's rendition. (But given it was 50 years ago, there could be some arthritic licence involved ) ...... 10cc were technically supreme that night, and from memory supported by Fancy who at the time had a version of Wild Thing in the charts..... Please check out 10cc "The Old Wild Men" from their debut album ....... you won't be disapointed.
just checking in. Nice to see you finally got around to this. There is a live audio version but I've never seen a video. Video wasn't cheap in 75. Their 1st 6 albums are all very good. This is by far their most theatrical song. Written by Godley and Creme who went on to direct videos for Herbie Hancock, Duran Duran, Police, and many others.
Although I'm a HUGE 10cc fan, I haven't listened to this song in, literally, decades. I tried real hard to like this song, but I just never got there. If you want a 10cc song with multiple parts that does the band proud, listen to "Feel The Benefit". But this song has no cohesion. It's a meandering mess. It doesn't feel like a song as much as it feels like a bunch of stuff just thrown together to try to seem artsy. After listening to it here for the first time in, probably, more than forty years, I'm convinced that I made the correct choice in "boycotting" it. Please don't be put off by this band because of this song. Their first four albums are masterpieces, while their fifth one is almost as good.
There was a bit of rivalry at this time between Queen and 10CC pushing the production envelope (a la Beach Boys & Beatles in the mid 60's). Very perceptive Justin. Enjoyed listening to the song again and watching your reaction.
Hi JP. DP from UK. Where You Gonna Hide At Midnight? (Watching the fireworks at home on TV. My days of friends dragging me out to the pub are over!). I love this album, but maybe I don't play this song as much as some of the others. It's very clever and theatrical, but not as accessible as Bohemian Rhapsody, that it is supposed to have influenced (Queen sat in on 10cc recording sessions). There is no such thing as a typical 10cc song, as every one is different. Their three album run of Sheet Music (with the yellow cover); this one; and How Dare You, showed these art rockers at their absolute peak (imho). P.S. my song ref Where You Gonna Hide At Midnight? is by It Bites.
This song is a sensation, I didn't expect it at all, I listened to a lot of 10CC songs, but I missed this song, it's not like their style at all, I'll definitely listen to the whole album.
While Gouldman/Steward were excellent, but more conventional songwriters, Godley and Creme were the "progressive" and experimental part, what you can hear on this song and the following albums. 10CC made nice, but more conentional pop-albums, where Godley and Creme seemed to freak out in their creativity. "L", "Freeze Frame", "ISMISM"... and also "Consequences", ok, without the rather annoying spoken-word-sections... were all fantastic albums. Experimental, weird, but also accessible, catchy, and always funny... and even their songs with chart success, like "An Englishman in New York", "Under your Thumb" or "Cry" were everything else than "normal" Pop-Songs. For all of them my strongly recommendations...
Supertramp on steroids and without the blues but plenty of Sugar coated schmaltz here. Quirk Central. A big vibe for Younger Bands who wanted inspiration. I.e. Field Music and Super Furry Animals.
Loved 10cc until the split and only liked them after that as seemed to lose their inventiveness a bit after that. How dare you is my favourite album of theirs. Somewhere in Hollywood is a fantastic track from that album with the yellow cover!
Bitty? Yeah, there's enough bits for a lesser band to expand into a 40 minute concept album (or maybe even a 100 minute stage musical). Novelty? I prefer 'extremely witty', indeed, lol at times. 'I don't think the band is French' - They're 110% English and that's part of the joke - these are comedy Franglais accents playing ridiculous French stereotypes. Listeners at the time would have been well aware of this. Oh, and 40 Francs would have been £4 in 1975 which would be about $9 back then. Pretty good value if you don't include the treatment cost of your STD that would ensue. But all of this is to ignore the magnificent music (particularly the piano) that 10CC used to come up with at regular intervals. The rest of the album is more conventional (but excellent) rock/pop but Une Nuit and I'm Not in Love are still the standout tracks in my opinion.
I don't remember this band or this sound from those times. I wasn't in the right mood atm for this sound. Sorry. I think I have heard the band name 10cc but I would have guessed a sound more like REM. Shows what I know.
The first four 10cc albums with the full band are the best. Godley & Creme wrote the progressive art rock material. After they left the music with Stewart & Gouldman became more conventional and less interesting. This song is a mini musical. I like it. Other Godley & Creme material is song oriented but retains the arty and humor elements. Of their solo material "L" is best and has a definite Zappa influence. Stay away from "Consequences" for now. Of the 10cc albums "Sheet Music" (i.e. the "yellow" album) is arguably their best but my favorite is "How Dare You". However, that album shows the group fragmenting and working less together on the songs.
When you listen to such music, you understand how flawed modern music is today, just emptiness, nothing to listen to. My opinion is categorical, but I always write what I think.
Justin, do you ever wonder if some of these 'favorite song' people are just yanking you chain? I do. And I like 10cc, very clever and talented group, underrated but this sounds like a comedy album that isn't funny, novelty stuff.
The reference to this being an (appaling, imho) amalgam of queen and sparks is spot on.... Whatever it was supposed to be, just come across like some daft novelty record to me. Simply dreadful.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Released just 6months before Bohemian Rhapsody. The song is not typical of most of 10cc output but then again they did not really do ‘typical’ although there was a liberal sprinkling of humour in their early albums. The album was built around the theatre and film industry and this opener certainly got you into theatrical mode.
The first four 10cc albums are a pure joy
Any shot of 10cc is a goo' thang!
So wonderful! 10cc is the definition of a band that defies categorization. Cinematic, pop, prog, rock - always innovating, always immaculate production and arrangement, always witty and quirky, often instrumentally impressive, and highly influential. Queen is an apt comparison, but even more diverse and artsy. A band of four strong and very different songwriters, never clashing, always complementing and synergizing, such a unique act. And no two songs the same - if you didn't love this one, just pull the next out of the box (but like another unique band, don't be surprised if they sound better and better as you start to get them and "acquire the taste"). I really do recommend you explore 10cc further - the next track, I'm Not In Love, is widely considered a masterpiece and their most popular song, and is so different than this one (goes down super smoothly), it's really worth a listen. Sheet Music is often thought of as their best album, but you can't go wrong with anything on their first 5 albums, as long as you're expecting something different every time. Feel The Benefit from Deceptive Bends is my favorite track of theirs, another 3 part cinematic mini-epic, with a killer guitar solo. Enjoy!
Funny, but I was just thinking of this album yesterday, as I always do, whenever eating a piece of cold lasagna (10cc fans will get that). Now- I didn't expect it, but when I saw what you were reacting to today, I knew I would have one more comment to close out the year. Lately it seems like you've just been hitting on songs that hit me where I live. I was WAY into 10cc in the early 70s when they had their classic original lineup. All four of those albums are classics to me. All this is to say "Thank You' for this final reaction of 2024, and I'm here for any more 10cc you care to play.
Hi Justin! What a fantastic team of songwriters! I love 10cc's quirky but catchy songs! If you would like to hear something slightly more conventional, then try "Art for Art's Sake" or "Wallstreet Shuffle".
I am surprised you haven't reacted to "I'm Not in Love" yet, which I believe to be the greatest love song ever recorded! Perhaps that would be a good one to do when 14th Feb comes around.
Art For Art's Sake is one of my favorites.
The earlier song you listened to was Somewhere in Hollywood. This sound and that one both have quite a complex structure, as do some of their other songs. Their three biggest hits in the UK are very different to this and each other - I'm Not in Love, Dreadlock Holiday and Rubber Bullets - and I think you'll enjoy them.
This was written by Lol Creme and Kevin Godley who split from the band after the next album and had a very productive career as a duo. They were also popular music video directors in the 80's. They invented a new instrument called "The Gizmo" which they put to great use on their 3LP debut Consequences. I would recommend "The Flood" from that album. Their biggest and most well known hit was "Cry".
I second that!
Justin - this was another left-field choice for a 10cc song , same as somewhere in hollywood, but it does give you more to say I suppose.
As others have said - there are other songs that are less artsy and more pop/rock oriented such as > Silly Love, Art for Art Sake, I'm Mandy Fly Me, Wall Street Shuffle, Life is a Minestrone, Dreadlock Holiday, I'm Not IN Love, Rubber Bullets, The Dean and I and a few more besides.
But thanks for dipping your toes again !!
The Dean and I is wonderful, yet rarely mentioned. So much is crammed in in such a short space of time.
First band I ever got into when I was 10 years old, loved their story telling and quirkiness. I still listen to them now and I’m 52. Bring back so many childhood memories, How Dare You was the first album I got into.
P.s… happy new year from England.
The entire album is a winner, just like the one before titled Sheet Music. Their fourth album, How Dare You, was the last with the original lineup. They could do anything with four songwriters and four singers as well.
Yes , this was performed live , however I have never seen a video of it being played live. Saw them performing it at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea (South Wales)
I saw Switchfoot there in ooh 2006 !? It snowed! I couldn't believe It happened. A truly surreal magical thang. I went to Bruges and saw 12 Stations of the Cross later that decade... Frank Brangwyn's artwork that is!
Sorry for being triggered but I'm emotional tonight. 😊
ruges
Justin, you should do the rest of The Original Soundtrack album, because it's particularly brilliant! I thought you'd already listened to the next track on the album, “I'm Not in Love” but doing a search, apparently you haven't, so Keep going with this classic album.... you won't be disappointed. Each track has its own character, and every time it hits the spot!
10cc, is a band in the history of Prog rock style with enormous quality band vocals from all members… and in the mixing room…
LoL and Crème are geniuses with Eric Stewart as Engineer/Singer/ Musician!!
…‘I’m not in love’ the 10cc universal love song!!
The vocals on this song and "Brand New Day" from the Original Soundtrack album are exceptionally good, and well arranged. And the overdubbed vocals on "I'm Not In Love" are really something.
Finally! Not their best, but still iconic!
Please continue with 10cc and Godley & Creme - this song is not typical (as are most of their songs!). They are often humorous but at the same time both heavy and quirky in all good ways possible!
Now listen to I'm not in love from the same album , superb multi tracked backing vocals almost sounding like an orchestra!❤
They did a wide variety of songs, from straight pop to these theatrical pieces. I like Worst Band in the World which displays the same humour. I assume you know I'm Not in Love which was their best known hit but in the UK they had a whole host of top ten tunes. Worth checking some of the other songs.
Really enjoyed revisiting this - for me, it's the second in a string of several progressive, operatic rock pieces from the mid-70s. There was another longer rock piece that preceded this one and Queen's, and it's also about a showgirl and the nightlife,, entitled "Vanilla Queen", by the Dutch rock group Golden Earring, from their 1973 album Moontan. The same album also has their big hit "Radar Love", and the album is one of the most popular 70s progressive rock albums of that genre.
I saw 10cc perform this at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975 ..... very atmospheric and from what I can remember ...... Parisian images projected in predominately green onto a black stage curtain during it's rendition. (But given it was 50 years ago, there could be some arthritic licence involved ) ...... 10cc were technically supreme that night, and from memory supported by Fancy who at the time had a version of Wild Thing in the charts..... Please check out 10cc "The Old Wild Men" from their debut album ....... you won't be disapointed.
I second the suggestion for "Old Wild Men". It's a beautiful song. That song is on the second album, "Sheet Music".
Wasn't it 'Fanny' rather than 'Fancy'?
@tammccoy4258 Actually, it was a short lived band named Fancy that had a hit with a remake of "Wild Thing".
Magnifique!
The album with the yellow cover is sheet music their best imo but any of the first five albums are worth the price of admission
I've seen 10CC live twice love this song
There are a few live versions on You Tube.
just checking in. Nice to see you finally got around to this. There is a live audio version but I've never seen a video. Video wasn't cheap in 75. Their 1st 6 albums are all very good. This is by far their most theatrical song. Written by Godley and Creme who went on to direct videos for Herbie Hancock, Duran Duran, Police, and many others.
Raymond Regis says hi.
Although I'm a HUGE 10cc fan, I haven't listened to this song in, literally, decades. I tried real hard to like this song, but I just never got there.
If you want a 10cc song with multiple parts that does the band proud, listen to "Feel The Benefit".
But this song has no cohesion. It's a meandering mess. It doesn't feel like a song as much as it feels like a bunch of stuff just thrown together to try to seem artsy.
After listening to it here for the first time in, probably, more than forty years, I'm convinced that I made the correct choice in "boycotting" it.
Please don't be put off by this band because of this song. Their first four albums are masterpieces, while their fifth one is almost as good.
There was a bit of rivalry at this time between Queen and 10CC pushing the production envelope (a la Beach Boys & Beatles in the mid 60's). Very perceptive Justin. Enjoyed listening to the song again and watching your reaction.
This is the sound Godley and Crème had on their album L…after they left the band…it is an utterly brilliant recording.
Agreed. “L” is a masterpiece. Justin should definitely give it a listen.
Interesting. I have not heard this before.
Hi JP. DP from UK. Where You Gonna Hide At Midnight? (Watching the fireworks at home on TV. My days of friends dragging me out to the pub are over!). I love this album, but maybe I don't play this song as much as some of the others. It's very clever and theatrical, but not as accessible as Bohemian Rhapsody, that it is supposed to have influenced (Queen sat in on 10cc recording sessions). There is no such thing as a typical 10cc song, as every one is different. Their three album run of Sheet Music (with the yellow cover); this one; and How Dare You, showed these art rockers at their absolute peak (imho).
P.S. my song ref Where You Gonna Hide At Midnight? is by It Bites.
I don't think only one listen can do it justice.
Wonderful song
This song is a sensation, I didn't expect it at all, I listened to a lot of 10CC songs, but I missed this song, it's not like their style at all, I'll definitely listen to the whole album.
While Gouldman/Steward were excellent, but more conventional songwriters, Godley and Creme were the "progressive" and experimental part, what you can hear on this song and the following albums. 10CC made nice, but more conentional pop-albums, where Godley and Creme seemed to freak out in their creativity. "L", "Freeze Frame", "ISMISM"... and also "Consequences", ok, without the rather annoying spoken-word-sections... were all fantastic albums. Experimental, weird, but also accessible, catchy, and always funny... and even their songs with chart success, like "An Englishman in New York", "Under your Thumb" or "Cry" were everything else than "normal" Pop-Songs. For all of them my strongly recommendations...
The next track is their masterpiece.
Try Iceberg next.
How Dare You is my favorite 10cc album
Supertramp on steroids and without the blues but plenty of Sugar coated schmaltz here.
Quirk Central. A big vibe for Younger Bands who wanted inspiration. I.e. Field Music and Super Furry Animals.
40 francs was probably about $5 back in 1975, you need to listen to the whole album it's their best in my opinion 0
This sounds like the 10CC that NicknLex did on their channel
Loved 10cc until the split and only liked them after that as seemed to lose their inventiveness a bit after that. How dare you is my favourite album of theirs. Somewhere in Hollywood is a fantastic track from that album with the yellow cover!
Bitty? Yeah, there's enough bits for a lesser band to expand into a 40 minute concept album (or maybe even a 100 minute stage musical). Novelty? I prefer 'extremely witty', indeed, lol at times. 'I don't think the band is French' - They're 110% English and that's part of the joke - these are comedy Franglais accents playing ridiculous French stereotypes. Listeners at the time would have been well aware of this. Oh, and 40 Francs would have been £4 in 1975 which would be about $9 back then. Pretty good value if you don't include the treatment cost of your STD that would ensue. But all of this is to ignore the magnificent music (particularly the piano) that 10CC used to come up with at regular intervals. The rest of the album is more conventional (but excellent) rock/pop but Une Nuit and I'm Not in Love are still the standout tracks in my opinion.
I don't remember this band or this sound from those times. I wasn't in the right mood atm for this sound. Sorry. I think I have heard the band name 10cc but I would have guessed a sound more like REM. Shows what I know.
The first four 10cc albums with the full band are the best. Godley & Creme wrote the progressive art rock material. After they left the music with Stewart & Gouldman became more conventional and less interesting.
This song is a mini musical. I like it. Other Godley & Creme material is song oriented but retains the arty and humor elements. Of their solo material "L" is best and has a definite Zappa influence. Stay away from "Consequences" for now.
Of the 10cc albums "Sheet Music" (i.e. the "yellow" album) is arguably their best but my favorite is "How Dare You". However, that album shows the group fragmenting and working less together on the songs.
Looks like I’m first here .. ok .. love the band , this is not my fav of theirs though
👍🏴
This one just kept going, didn't it?
When you listen to such music, you understand how flawed modern music is today, just emptiness, nothing to listen to. My opinion is categorical, but I always write what I think.
IMO much better than Bohemian Rhapsody..and with many more eclectic tastes.
It's fun, but it's far from my favourite 10cc track. Too choppy and changey for my liking. I love their How Dare You! album far more.
Justin, do you ever wonder if some of these 'favorite song' people are just yanking you chain? I do. And I like 10cc, very clever and talented group, underrated but this sounds like a comedy album that isn't funny, novelty stuff.
The reference to this being an (appaling, imho) amalgam of queen and sparks is spot on.... Whatever it was supposed to be, just come across like some daft novelty record to me. Simply dreadful.
Bad songs out of a Xmas shotgun to the face, anyone? 😅
Because it’s much better than Queen.that’s who Queen was trying to mimic btw