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
The Dean And I
10cc Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a hum drum ways
Hey kids, let me tell you how I met your mom
We were dancin' and romancin' at the senior Prom
It was no infatuation
But a gradual graduation
From a boy to a man
The soda pop came free
Hey sis, one kiss, and I was heaven bound
Now who would have guessed Milton's paradise lost could be found
But in the eyes of the Dean, his daughter
Was doin' what she shouldn'a oughta
But a man's gotta do
What a man's gotta do
The consequence should be
Church bells, three swells
The Dean, his daughter and me
They were dating in the park
They were smooching in the dark
Of a doorway for two
She whispered "I love you
Ooh, you know I never felt this way before
Ooh, you know the elevator in my heart
Has gone awol, awol, awol, awol"
And then I kissed her
And when I kissed her
It's a wonderful world
When you're rolling in kisses
Now, the paint is peeling
(Hum drum days and hum drum ways)
Now, and when the chips are down
(Hum drum days and hum drum ways)
Now, you kinda lose all feeling
(Hum drum days and hum drum ways)
Now, your head goes round and round
(Hum drum days and hum drum ways)
Round and round and round and round and round
I'm throwing myself off this train
Hum drum days
And a hum drum ways
Hum drum days, he's got
Hum drum ways, oh boy
Hey, you know I'm really earning now
My ship came in with a cargo of dollars
My name's lit up on the prow
It's a wonderful world
When you're rolling in dollars
Now!
"The Dean And I" is a song by British rock band, 10cc. The humour-infused song is in first-person narration and tells the story of a protagonist's journey from a boy to a man through romantic adventures at parties. The first two verses tell a story about the singer meeting his future wife at a senior prom, and the subsequent events that led to them getting married with the Dean's daughter. The pre-chorus, which is a repetition of "hum drum days and hum drum ways," suggests that these events happened at a time when nothing exciting was happening in the singer's life. After a chorus break, the third verse tells the tale of the singer and the Dean's daughter dating in secret, and their feelings for each other. The last pre-chorus section suggests a sense of disappointment after the excitement has faded, which is where the song ends with the singer saying, "I'm throwing myself off this train."
Line by Line Meaning
Hum drum days
Days that are monotonous and boring
And a hum drum ways
Behaving in a monotonic and predictable manner
Hey kids, let me tell you how I met your mom
Narrating an interesting story to the audience
We were dancin' and romancin' at the senior Prom
Recounting a romantic moment from the past
It was no infatuation
Their connection was not based on a temporary infatuation
But a gradual graduation
Their relationship gradually developed over time
From a boy to a man
The singer matured over time
Let me tell you while I can
The storyteller wants to convey his story efficiently
The soda pop came free
The storyteller remembers minor details from the past
Hey sis, one kiss, and I was heaven bound
The artist got into a romantic relationship with someone else
Now who would have guessed Milton's paradise lost could be found
The singer is surprised by how he feels
But in the eyes of the Dean, his daughter
The artist was romantically involved with the daughter of an authority figure
Was doin' what she shouldn'a oughta
The Dean's daughter was doing something considered inappropriate
But a man's gotta do
Sometimes a man has to make difficult decisions
What a man's gotta do
The singer had a duty to perform
The consequence should be
The expected outcome from this situation
Church bells, three swells
The artist and the Dean's daughter got married
The Dean, his daughter and me
Depicting the new family with the storyteller in it
They were dating in the park
The couple spent romantic moments together
They were smooching in the dark
The couple kissed in a shadowy area
Of a doorway for two
Their romantic moments occurred in enclosed spaces
She whispered "I love you
The girl expressed her romantic feelings
Ooh, you know I never felt this way before
The girl was experiencing something new and exciting
Ooh, you know the elevator in my heart
The girl's heart was filled with romantic emotions
Has gone awol, awol, awol, awol"
The girl was feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement and passion
And then I kissed her
Recounting an intimate moment between the singer and his love interest
And when I kissed her
The storyteller emphasizes the importance of intimate moments
It's a wonderful world
The storyteller concludes that the world is a beautiful place
When you're rolling in kisses
When you're in a romantic relationship, life feels good
Now, the paint is peeling
The storyteller is discussing his present life situation
(Hum drum days and hum drum ways)
The singer is leading a boring life
Now, and when the chips are down
When things are going badly
Now, you kinda lose all feeling
In difficult times, it's challenging to remain motivated and optimistic
Now, your head goes round and round
In bad times, it's challenging to have clear thinking
Round and round and round and round and round
The negative thoughts are overwhelming him
I'm throwing myself off this train
The storyteller is considering doing something drastic to get out of his difficult situation
Hey, you know I'm really earning now
The singer has become successful
My ship came in with a cargo of dollars
The singer has earned a lot of money
My name's lit up on the prow
The singer has achieved fame and fortune
It's a wonderful world
The artist concludes that the world is a beautiful place
When you're rolling in dollars
The artist is enjoying his newfound wealth
Now!
Emphasizing the immediacy of the situation
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOL CREME, KEVIN GODLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
crlaw75
There will never be as unique a band as 10cc is.
Ged Bill
Queen were a better band by miles.
caulfield
@Ged Bill Queen's albums were extremely thematically inconsistent and disjointed, to the point of often sounding like random collection of songs. Really taints the listenability of their albums for me.
Ged Bill
@caulfield While 10CC had some great singles out in the 70s i thought there albums were very weak and boring. Queen on the other hand had wonderful masterpieces to offer on there albums and "A Night At The Opera" remains the bands version of "Sgt Pepper" in terms of excellence.
dopiaza2006
@Ged Bill To be fair, he said unique not better
2msvalkyrie
3 minutes of pop brilliance ! Who could have known back then just how mind numbingly awful the future of pop music would turn out to be .
Sameh Strauch
Totally agree. Go on any songwriting page on social media and you will find the overwhelming majority espousing the virtue of simplicity. One even called key changes “ridiculous”!
Geffrey Winn
I agree with you 3 mins of sheer brilliance great track _ well written
Alan Mansell
Spot on there mate !
Tiger Rogers
What an AMAZING song!! When i 1st heard it back in '73 i wasn't that taken with it. But now i realize what a pop masterpiece it is. So many different ideas segued perfectly together by Godley & Creme. I assume that Kev wrote most of the music & Lol wrote most of the words. My fave part is when everything suddenly comes in together "when the chips are down" etc. Pure Brilliance!! Tiger.