Stewart and Gouldman were straight pop-song-writers, who created the band’s most accessible songs; Godley and Creme were the experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematic writing. All are skilled multi-instrumentalists, vocalists, writers, and producers, and each could perform convincingly as lead singers, leading to favourable comparisons with The Beatles.
The band achieved its greatest commercial success during the 1970s.
In 1976 ... Godley & Creme left, releasing records under that name before making a significant contribution to the development of the music video in the 80s.
In 1977 ... 10cc embarked on an international tour with guitarist Rick Fenn, keyboardist Tony O'Malley and additional drummer Stuart Tosh and recorded a live album in 1977, "Live And Let Live", which mixed the hits with material from the previous three albums.
Fenn, Tosh, Burgess and keyboardist Duncan Mackay were full members of the band and performed on 1978 album "Bloody Tourists", which provided the band with their third UK No.1 single, the reggae-styled "Dreadlock Holiday".
1977-1983 ... After the departure of Godley and Creme, Stewart and Gouldman opted to continue as 10cc, bringing in to the studio drummer Paul Burgess, who had up to that point been their tour backup drummer. Their first album as a three piece band was "Deceptive Bends".
1984-1992 ... Separate projects - after 1983, the band went into recess as Stewart did produce recordings for Sad Café and Gouldman produced tracks for The Ramones before teaming up with Andrew Gold to form the synth-pop group Wax.
1992-1995 ... In 1992 the original four members reunited to record "Meanwhile", an album produced by Gary Katz of Steely Dan fame. ...the album was not a "reunion" in the strict sense of the word. All the album's songs were written by Stewart and Gouldman ... Creme and Godley agreed to guest on the album to fullfil their obligation to Polydor records.
1999-2009 ... since 1999 Gouldman has toured as 10cc consisting of Rick Fenn, Paul Burgess, Mick Wilson, Mike Stevens and/or Keith Hayman, with occasional guest appearances by Kevin Godley. The band has embarked on several national tours of the UK and various dates throughout the World playing 10cc hits, plus a section of Gouldman's hits written for others. Their first gig was at Ronnie Scotts jazz club in Birmingham in 1999.
Additional info:
There is much speculation about where the name of the band comes from but the general consensus was that it is named after the average amount of ejaculate in a single male orgasm. However one will find that the average is about 3cc ...the name "10cc" in fact comes from a dream: Jonathan King, the person who signed them, dreamed of a band called 10cc topping the charts in both the UK and America - see: snopes.com/music/artists/10cc.asp
Silly Love
10cc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You brought a sigh into sight
Ah hon, you make my legs turn to water
You bring the stars out at night
But they ain't half so bright as your eyes
Gee whiz, you take the beauty out of beautiful
You play the strings of my heart
Oh my, oh my, and my, if you were mine
The rain would turn to sweet sweet wine
Well he's been up all night
Breakin' his head in two to write
A little sonnet for his chickadee
But between you and me
I think its s-silly
Silly
Ooh Trace, you got a smile like a Rembrandt
Aha, you got the style of a queen
Oh dear, you are the petal of a rosebud
Next to you all the others could be weeds
You're the only one my garden needs
Ooh, you know the art of conversation must be dying
Ooh, when a romance depends on cliché's and toupée's and threepé's
(Ha-ha-ha)
We're up to here with moonin' and junin'
If you want to sound sincere
Don't rely on Crosby's croonin'
Take a little time
Make up your own rhyme
Don't rely on mine
'Cos it's s-silly
Silly
Silly
Silly
In "Silly Love," 10cc sings about their infatuation with a woman who brings joy and beauty into their world. The lyrics are filled with playful adjectives and comparisons, such as "you put the life into living" and "you take the beauty out of beautiful." The chorus emphasizes that this love is "silly," perhaps suggesting that the singers themselves recognize the irrationality of their feelings.
The second verse is unique in that it breaks the fourth wall, with the singer admitting that he's been up all night trying to write a love song for his "chickadee," only to conclude that it's "silly." This moment of self-awareness is refreshing and adds a touch of humor to the song.
Overall, "Silly Love" is a fun and lighthearted ode to a person who brings happiness into the singers' lives, highlighting the silly and often nonsensical nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey toots, you put the life into living
Addressing a loved one who brings joy and excitement in life
You brought a sigh into sight
The sight of the loved one makes the singer sigh
Ah hon, you make my legs turn to water
The loved one has such an effect that the singer's legs get weak
You bring the stars out at night
The loved one is as radiant as the stars during the night
But they ain't half so bright
Despite the beauty of the stars, the loved one is still more radiant
As your eyes
The eyes of the loved one are the most beautiful thing in the world
Gee whiz, you take the beauty out of beautiful
The loved one is so beautiful that it's hard to describe beauty itself
You play the strings of my heart
The loved one has a special power over the artist's heart
Oh babe, you take the wonder out of wonderful
The loved one is so wonderful that it's hard to describe wonder itself
Oh my, oh my, and my, if you were mine
The artist wishes that the loved one were theirs
The rain would turn to sweet sweet wine
The presence of the loved one would turn anything unpleasant (like rain) into something sweet
Well he's been up all night
Referring to someone else who has been working hard all night
Breakin' his head in two to write
Struggling to write something for their loved one
A little sonnet for his chickadee
Trying to write a poem for their loved one
But between you and me
Between the singer and the listener
I think it's silly. Silly
The artist thinks that trying to express love through clichés is silly
Ooh treas, you got a smile like a Rembrandt
Complimenting the loved one's beautiful smile
Aha, you got the style of a queen
The loved one has a regal and elegant style
Oh dear, you are the petal of a rosebud
Comparing the loved one to a beautiful part of a flower
Next to you all the others could be weeds
The loved one's beauty and radiance makes everyone else seem insignificant
You're the only one my garden needs
The artist only needs their loved one to be happy
Ooh, you know the art of conversation
The loved one is good at conversing with the artist
Must be dying
The singer believes that the art of conversation is not as appreciated anymore
Ooh, when a romance depends on
When love depends solely on clichés and insincere expressions
Cliches and toupees and threepes
Various insincere and meaningless expressions
We're up to here with moonin' and junin'
The singer is tired of hearing about meaningless love
If you want to sound sincere
If you want to express genuine love
Don't rely on Crosby's croonin'
Don't rely on someone else's expression of love
Take a little time
Invest time and effort into expressing love
Make up your own rhyme
Express love in your own unique and genuine way
Don't rely on mine
Don't follow the singer's example of using clichés to express love
'Cause it's silly, silly, silly, silly
The artist thinks that using clichés to express love is silly and insincere
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lol Creme, Eric Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joan Vaes
10CC: brilliant lyrics, humor, great music, perfect team of musicians, great album. I was too young to fully understand at the time it was released but it is one of my favourites.
Dazzwidd
This album was released 10 years before my conception. I think these guys were in a class of their own.
Fantastically original and dynamically creative.
They could only be 10cc
Eddie Ingalls
Good summation. I think it also was quite unique how the 10CC musicians did not - as did ALL other stars of the 70s - try to become the focus themselves, they were happy to let the music be the focus.
At the time we just were not able to accept such a more mature projection of music.
Miroslav Bachorik
O.K.
dan cole
@Dazzwidd tru dat
Garden of Eels
Freddie Mercury loved these guys and it shows in many of Queen's songs.
Hector E
You're right Queen did sound similar to 10cc
dan cole
Benny and Bjorn from Abba loved them.
mellotronage
Tremendous production on this. The hours spent are evident !!
Tony McCake
It's difficult picking the best from what are all brilliant albums, but they experimented so much that it's almost like oranges and apples. Sheet Music just has the edge - lyrically alone, every single song is a masterpiece. (I recall Godley and Creme interviewed years ago & saying Somewhere In Hollywood was their favourite of ones they wrote). Got them all on vinyl too will never part from them. First band I got seriously into and still love playing their music.