I'm Not in Love - The Story of 10cc



Four dudes who used to be in a band together talk about a song they made a long time ago. I did this and he tried that, and it just kind of came together.



This one’s an especially good song, and an especially good doc – I’m Not in Love: The Story of 10cc (BBC4). The song started as some words from Eric Stewart. “I’m not in love, so don’t forget it, It’s just a silly phase I’m going through …” In the studio, Graham Gouldman added chords and a rhythm. It began as a bossa nova.



Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were underwhelmed – Lol hated it, in fact. He suggested a tsunami of voices and they spent three weeks recording themselves singing aaahhh. It must have been like the longest trip to the dentist ever. Then, using tape loops (kind of the computers of the 1970s) they multiplied themselves until they had a huge choir – 624 voices – which, by twiddling knobs and fading faders they turned into a backing track. Eric sang the melody – his words – and as a finishing touch, Kevin and Lol got Kathy the studio secretary to whisper “Be quiet … big boys don’t cry, big boys don’t cry” on the end.



The film isn’t just about one song, of course, but it just so happens that that one song does kind of encapsulate the 10cc story. That they were essentially two bands in one (and would go on to split into two); that they were pioneers, innovative and inventive, pushers of limits; that they made some of the best, cleverest, craftiest songs; and that their impact and influence would last long and strong.



There’s nothing about Clockwork Creep here, a track from their Sheet Music album, a song written from the point of view of a ticking timebomb on a plane. It might be harder to get away with that now. It might also be harder to get away with having a name that came, in a dream, to Jonathan King.



Images Folder: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Zh5pha9JhUfzZLSA6