10cc

Formed in 1970, 10cc began as session musicians calling themselves Hotlegs. Hotlegs scored a surprise U.K. smash hit with the single "Neanderthal Man," subsequently issuing an LP, Thinks: School Times. They also spent some time touring with the Moody Blues. After signing to Jonathan King's U.K. label and rechristening themselves 10cc, inspired by the total amount of semen ejaculated by the average male, the tongue-in-cheek British art-pop band 10cc comprised an all-star roster of Manchester-based musicians: Graham Gouldman (vocalist/guitarist) was a former member of the Mockingbirds and the author of hits for the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Jeff Beck, Eric Stewart (vocalist/guitarist) was an alum of Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme (vocalists/multi-instrumentalists) were both highly regarded studio players. The group backed Neil Sedaka before recording 1972's "Donna," a sly satire of '50s doo-wop, influenced by Frank Zappa with a sharp mix of commercial pop and irony and a chorus sung in falsetto. The single reached the number two position on the British charts, establishing not only a long-running string of major hits, but also the quartet's fondness for ironic and affectionate reinventions of old pop styles. The follow-up, "Rubber Bullets," topped the charts in 1973, and both the subsequent single "The Dean and I" (a nostalgic look at academia recalling Jerry Lee Lewis' "High School Confidential") and an eponymously titled debut LP further solidified 10cc as a major force in British pop. However, 10cc found the American market virtually impenetrable prior to the release of 1975's "I'm Not in Love," which topped the charts at home and climbed as high as number two in the States. After 1975's Original Soundtrack and the next year's How Dare You!, Godley and Creme left the group to focus on video production as well as developing the Gizmo, a guitar modification device the duo invented. In the wake of their departure, Gouldman and Stewart continued on alone, enlisting the aid of session men to record 1977's Deceptive Bends, highlighted by the perennial "The Things We Do for Love." After recruiting Rick Fenn (guitarist), Tony O'Malley (keyboardist), and Stuart Tosh (drummer) as full-time members, 10cc returned in 1978 with Bloody Tourists, which yielded the number one reggae nod "Dreadlock Holiday." Following a series of unsuccessful efforts, including 1980s Look Hear?, 1981's 10 Out of 10 and 1983's Window in the Jungle, the group disbanded.