10cc legend still in love with idea of art for art’s sake in run-up to Yorkshire tour dates

Graham Gouldman interview: “I always say I will never stop, I will have to be stopped.”
Almost single-handedly Graham Gouldman has kept the name of brilliantly inventive 1970s hit makers 10cc alive as the sole original member for 25 years.Almost single-handedly Graham Gouldman has kept the name of brilliantly inventive 1970s hit makers 10cc alive as the sole original member for 25 years.
Almost single-handedly Graham Gouldman has kept the name of brilliantly inventive 1970s hit makers 10cc alive as the sole original member for 25 years.

Almost single-handedly Graham Gouldman has kept the name of brilliantly inventive 1970s hit makers 10cc alive as the sole original member for 25 years.

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But there is no thought of pulling the plug on the influential art rock band which still plays worldwide and is all set to bring its ‘Ultimate Greatest Hits’ tour to Yorkshire shortly.

10cc in their heyday on the sleeve of classic single I'm Mandy Fly Me - Graham Gouldman is pictured with fellow original members Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.10cc in their heyday on the sleeve of classic single I'm Mandy Fly Me - Graham Gouldman is pictured with fellow original members Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.
10cc in their heyday on the sleeve of classic single I'm Mandy Fly Me - Graham Gouldman is pictured with fellow original members Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.

“It’s great to be back on the road after the massive horrible break after lockdown. I love playing with the band, it’s something I need to do. I don’t take it lightly.”

It’s a long time since Gouldman played with fellow original 10cc members Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme but, now a youthful 75, Gouldman is part of a tiny band of veteran British rock legends of the 1960s such as the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney who still tour the globe. For Gouldman’s pedigree stretches far further than many fans may be aware.

As well as co-writing classic songs for 10cc at their 1970s peak such as The Wall Street Shuffle, I’m Not In Love, Art For Art’s Sake, The Dean and I, Rubber Bullets, I'm Mandy Fly Me and Dreadlock Holiday, in the swinging sixties the young Gouldman was busily penning a string of pop hits for The Yardbirds, The Hollies and Herman’s Hermits.

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Such is Gouldman’s high standing in the music industry, in 2014 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York.

“That was a very proud moment,” he says. “It was fantastic to know that my songs have stood the test of time.

"That's the reason we can still tour. A lot of the hits have had an afterlife.

"I still see The Things We Do For Love turning up on TV.

"10cc don't do as well as Queen songs on that score, though. Their songs almost seem to have been made for adverts!"

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Born in Salford in 1946, the reputation of this versatile and talented bass player, songwriter and vocalist has never waned over the decades.

Ringo Starr even invited him to be part of his All Starr Band on live dates in 2018, then turned up on Gouldman's most recent solo album Modesty Forbids which was released in 2020.

Talking to Gouldman on the phone, I can't resist the obvious question - what is the former Beatle like in real life?

"He's just a lovely man. He's a very warm, generous person. But he doesn't suffer fools.

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"He's still doing it like every other musician because he still wants to play."

In an example of six degrees of separation, Gouldman asks me to pass on his regards to veteran Harrogate musician Chris Simpson whose prog-folk band Magna Carta at times shared drummer Paul Burgess with the touring 10cc, which also includes long-time members such as lead guitarist Rick Fenn.

The one question it may not be wise to raise with Gouldman as he prepares to bring his UK tour to venues such as York Barbican on March 26 and London Palladium on April 3 is the possibility of a reunion of the original line-up who created the likes of 1975’s iconic album The Original Soundtrack.

Kevin Godley and Lol Creme first quit the band in 1976 after artistic disagreements while a hugely successful spell when Gouldman and Eric Stewart slowly petered out after the latter was in a terrible car crash in 1979.

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A comeback of the golden four in the early 1990s promised much but, that too, eventually fizzled out after two albums of polished rock-pop Meanwhile (1992) and Mirror Mirror (1995) met with solid reviews without quite recovering the success or quirky magic off 10cc in the 1970s.

“A reunion won’t happen,” Gouldman says politely but very firmly. “If we did it, we would have to do it in good heart and with good will and some of us haven’t got that.

“Kevin and I are still good friends, which I’m really happy about, and we do still collaborate at times.

“We didn’t do 10cc in the 1970s just to be successful, we were about being creative. We didn’t follow trends, we were just doing it for ourselves.

"I still want to play today and that’s why I do it.”

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