Perfect 10

10cc made smart pop for smart people, and surprised many (including themselves) when they crossed over to the mainstream. Terry Staunton spoke to Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley about life before, during and after the band’s glory years.

So goes Son Of Man, a tongue-in-cheek account of how a trio of studio-bound hermits called Hotlegs became the 70s chart-topping quartet known to all as 10cc. The song that was neither music nor art was Hotlegs’ 1970 one-hit oddity, Neanderthal Man, while ‘Graham on bass’ was none other than Graham Gouldman.

And so, the 10cc story has come full circle. For Son Of Man is written by Gouldman himself, alongside Kevin Godley, and serves as a fitting closer to their new Greatest Hits & More, a far-reaching collection that takes in Hotlegs, and various other pre- and post-10cc guises for Gouldman, Godley and the rest.

Both men have been heavily involved in the selection of material for the compilation, and Gouldman has particularly relished the opportunity to revisit some of his old songs made famous by other performers.

‘I’ve done my own takes on No Milk Today, written for Herman’s Hermits; Bus Stop, done for The Hollies; and For Your Love and Heart Full Of Soul, both recorded by The Yardbirds,’ he says. ‘They’re brand-spanking new recordings, except for Heart Full Of Soul, which was released on a solo album I did in 2000.

‘I thought it would be wrong to try and manipulate them or update them in some way, so I did them in the same style as the original hits. …

by Terry Staunton
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