10cc

10ccare an Englishrockband formed inStockportsoutheast ofManchesterin 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians,Graham Gouldman,Eric Stewart,Kevin GodleyandLol Creme, who had written and recorded together since 1968. The four members contributed to songwriting, working together in various permutations.Godley and Creme’s songwriting has been said to be inspired byartand cinema.The four members were multi-instrumentalists, singers, writers and producers. Most of the band's records were recorded at their ownStrawberry Studios(North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) inDorking, with most of those engineered by Stewart.
From 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five consecutive UK top-ten albums:Sheet Music(1974),The Original Soundtrack(1975),How Dare You!(1976),Deceptive Bends(1977), andBloody Tourists(1978). 10cc also had twelve singles reach the UK Top 40, three of which were the chart-toppers "Rubber Bullets" (1973), "I'm Not in Love" (1975), and "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978). "I'm Not in Love" was their breakthrough worldwide hit, and is known for its innovative backing track.
In 1976, Godley and Creme quit the band to concentrate on developing an electronic music device, "The Gizmo", and being in video production and music asGodley & Creme.Stewart left the band in 1995. Since 1999, Gouldman has led a touring version of 10cc.
Three of the founding members of 10cc were childhood friends in theManchesterarea. As boys, Godley and Creme knew each other; Gouldman and Godley attended the same secondary school, and their musical enthusiasm led to their playing at the localJewish Lads' Brigade.
Their first recorded collaboration was in 1964, when Gouldman's band The Whirlwinds recorded the Lol Creme composition "Baby Not Like You", as the B-side of their only single, "Look At Me". The Whirlwinds then changed members and name, becoming The Mockingbirds (including singer-guitarist Gouldman, bassist Bernard Basso and drummer Kevin Godley, formerly of The Sabres with Creme). The Mockingbirds recorded five singles in 1965–66 without any success, before dissolving.The guitarist in both The Whirlwinds and The Mockingbirds was Stephen Jacobson, brother of writerHoward Jacobson.
In June 1967, Godley and Creme reunited and recorded a solitary single ("Seeing Things Green" b/w "Easy Life" on UK CBS) under the name "The Yellow Bellow Room Boom".In 1969, Gouldman took them to aMarmalade Recordsrecording session. The boss of Marmalade Records,Giorgio Gomelsky, was impressed with Godley's falsetto voice and offered them a recording contract. In September 1969, Godley & Creme recorded some basic tracks atStrawberry Studios, with Stewart on guitar and Gouldman on bass.The song, "I'm Beside Myself" b/w "Animal Song", was released as a single, credited to Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon.
Gomelsky (an ex-manager ofThe Yardbirds) planned to market Godley & Creme as a duo, in the vein ofSimon & Garfunkel.Plans for an album by Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon faltered, however, when Marmalade ran out of funds.Solo tracks by Godley and Gouldman, however–both involved Stewart and Creme–were released on a 1969 Marmalade Records compilation album,100 Proof. Gouldman's track was "The Late Mr. Late"; a year later, Godley's song "To Fly Away" reappeared as "Fly Away", in the debutHotlegsalbum,Thinks: School Stinks.
Gouldman, meanwhile, had made a name for himself as a hit songwriter, penning "Heart Full of Soul", "Evil Hearted You" and "For Your Love" forThe Yardbirds, "Look Through Any Window," and "Bus Stop" forThe Holliesas well as "No Milk Today", "East West," and "Listen People" forHerman's Hermits.
Guitarist Eric Stewart was a member ofWayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, a group that hit No. 1 with "The Game of Love", and scored a number of other mid-1960s hits. When Fontana left the band in October 1965, the group became known simply asthe Mindbenders, with Stewart as their lead vocalist. The band scored a hit with "A Groovy Kind of Love" (released December 1965) and made an appearance in the 1967 filmTo Sir, with Lovewith "It's Getting Harder All the Time" and "Off and Running".
In March 1968, Gouldman joined Stewart in the Mindbenders, replacing bassist Bob Lang and playing on some tour dates. Gouldman wrote two of the band's last three singles, "Schoolgirl" (released November 1967) and "Uncle Joe the Ice Cream Man" (August 1968). Those singles did not chart, and the Mindbenders broke up after a short tour of England in November.
In the dying days of the Mindbenders, Stewart began recording demos of new material at Inner City Studios, a Stockport studio then owned by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager forBilly J. Kramerandthe Dakotas. In July 1968, Stewart joined Tattersall as a partner in the studio, where he could further hone his skills as a recording engineer.In October 1968, the studio was moved to bigger premises and renamedStrawberry Studios, afterthe Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever".
In 1969, Gouldman also began using Strawberry to record demos of songs he was writing forMarmalade. He had become much more in demand as a songwriter than as a performer. By the end of the year, he too was a financial partner in the studios.
By 1969, all four members of the original 10cc line-up were working together regularly at Strawberry Studios. Around the same time, Americanbubblegum popwriter-producersJerry KasenetzandJeffry KatzofSuper K Productionscame to England and commissioned Gouldman to write and produce formulaic bubblegum songs, many of which were recorded at Strawberry Studios, and were either augmented or performed entirely by varying combinations of the future 10cc line-up. Among the recordings from this period was "Sausalito", a No. 86 US hit credited toOhio Expressand released in July 1969. In fact the song featured Gouldman on lead vocal, and vocal and instrumental backing by the other three future 10cc members.
In December 1969, Kasenetz and Katz agreed to a proposal by Gouldman that he work solely at Strawberry, rather than move constantly between Stockport, London and New York. Gouldman convinced the pair that these throwaway two-minute songs could all be written, performed and produced by him and his three colleagues, Stewart, Godley and Creme, at a fraction of the cost of hiring outside session musicians. Kasenetz and Katz booked the studio for three months.
Godley recalled:
The three-month project resulted in a number of tracks that appeared under various band names owned by Kasenetz-Katz, including "There Ain't No Umbopo" byCrazy Elephant, "When He Comes" by Fighter Squadron and "Come on Plane" by Silver Fleet (all three with lead vocals by Godley), and "Susan's Tuba" byFreddie and the Dreamers(which was a hit in France and featured lead vocals byFreddie Garrity, despite claims by some that it was Gouldman).Lol Creme remembered: "Singles kept coming out under strange names that had really been recorded by us. I've no idea how many there were, or what happened to them all."
But Stewart described the Kasenetz-Katz deal as a breakthrough: "That allowed us to get the extra equipment to turn it into a real studio. To begin with they were interested in Graham's songwriting and when they heard that he was involved in a studio I think they thought the most economical thing for them to do would be to book his studio and then put him to work there – but they ended up recording Graham's songs and then some of Kevin and Lol's songs, and we were all working together."
When the three-month production deal with Kasenetz-Katz ended, Gouldman returned to New York to work as a staff songwriter forSuper K Productionsand the remaining three continued to dabble in the studio.
With Gouldman absent, Godley, Creme and Stewart continued recording singles. The first, "Neanderthal Man", released under the nameHotlegs, began life as a test of drum layering at the new Strawberry Studios mixing desk,but when released as a single byFontana Recordsin July 1970, climbed to No. 2 on theUK Singles Chartand became a worldwide hit, selling more than two million copies. Around the same time, the trio released "Umbopo" under the name ofDoctor Father. The song, a slower, longer and more melancholic version of the track earlier released under the name of Crazy Elephant, failed to chart.
Reverting to the successful band name Hotlegs, in early 1971 Godley, Creme and Stewart recorded the albumThinks: School Stinks, which included "Neanderthal Man". They then recalled Gouldman for a short tour supportingthe Moody Blues, before releasing a follow-up single "Lady Sadie" b/w (Backed With) "The Loser".Philips Recordsreworked their sole album, removing "Neanderthal Man" and adding "Today", and issued it asSong. Stewart, Creme and Godley released another single in February 1971 under yet another name, The New Wave Band, this time with formerHerman's HermitsmemberDerek "Lek" Leckenbyon guitar. The song, a cover version ofPaul Simon's "Cecilia", was one of the few tracks the band released that they had not written. It also failed to chart.
The band also continued outside production work at Strawberry, working withDave Berry,Wayne Fontana, Peter Cowap and Herman's Hermits, and doing original compositions for various UK football (soccer) teams. In 1971 they produced and played onSpace Hymns, an album by New Age musicianRamases; in 1972–73 they co-produced and played on twoNeil Sedakaalbums,SolitaireandThe Tra-La Days Are Over. The experience of working onSolitaire, which became a success for Sedaka, was enough to prompt the band to seek recognition on their own merits. Gouldman—who by 1972 was back at Strawberry Studios—said:
Stewart said the decision was made over a meal in a Chinese restaurant: "We asked ourselves whether we shouldn't pool our creative talents and try to do something with the songs that each of us was working on at the time."Once again a four-piece, the group re-recorded the Hotlegs track "Today" (b/w a new Stewart/Gouldman song "Warm Me"), which was released under the name Festival.The single failed to chart, and the band moved on to record a Stewart/Gouldman song, "Waterfall", in early 1972. Stewart offered theacetatetoApple Records. He waited months before receiving a note from the label saying the song was not commercial enough to release as a single.
Undeterred by Apple's rejection, the group decided to plug another song which had been written as a possible B-side to "Waterfall", a Godley/Creme composition titled "Donna". The song was aFrank Zappa-influenced 1950sdoo-wopparody, a sharp mix of commercial pop and irony with a chorus sung in falsetto. Stewart said: "We knew it had something. We only knew of one person who was mad enough to release it, and that wasJonathan King." Stewart called King, who drove to Strawberry, listened to the track and "fell about laughing", declaring: "It's fabulous, it's a hit."
King signed the band to hisUK Recordslabel in July 1972 and dubbed them 10cc. By his own account, King chose the name after having a dream in which he was standing in front of theHammersmith Odeonin London where the boarding read "10cc The Best Band in the World". A widely repeated claim, disputed by Kingand Godley,but confirmed in a 1988 interview with Creme,is that the band name represented tencubic centimetres, a volume ofsementhat was the average amount ejaculated (according to Creme), thus emphasizing their potency or prowess.
However, in a 2025 interview, Gouldman stated: "We got bored with giving the long-winded reason for how we got the name, then someone told us the average male ejaculation was 9cc. Since we were 1cc more, we started saying it was the average male ejaculation. Is it a real fact? I have no idea! But it is now.""Donna", released as the first 10cc single, was chosen byBBC Radio 1disc jockeyTony Blackburnas his Record of the Week, helping to launch it into the Top 30. The song peaked at No. 2 in the UK in October 1972.
Although their second single, a similarly 1950s-influenced song called "Johnny Don't Do It", was not a major chart success, "Rubber Bullets", a catchy satirical take on the "Jailhouse Rock" concept, became a hit internationally and gave 10cc their first British No. 1 single in June 1973. They consolidated their success a few months later with "The Dean and I", which peaked at No. 10 in September. They released two singles, "Headline Hustler" (in the US) and the self-mocking "The Worst Band in the World" (in the UK) and launched a UK tour on 26 August 1973, joined by second drummerPaul Burgess, before returning to Strawberry Studios in November to record the remainder of their second LP,Sheet Music(1974), which included "The Worst Band in the World" along with other hits "The Wall Street Shuffle" (No. 10, 1974) and "Silly Love" (No. 24, 1974).Sheet Musicbecame the band's breakthrough album, remaining on the UK charts for six months and paving the way for a US tour in February 1974.
In February 1975, the band announced they were splitting withJonathan Kingand that they had signed withMercury Recordsfor US$1 million.The catalyst for the deal was one song–"I'm Not in Love". Stewart recalled:
Speaking in theBBC FourdocumentaryI'm Not in Love: The Story of 10ccin 2015, Stewart expanded on the background, explaining that their royalty returns under the contract with King were a mere 4%.Creme therefore planned to sign withRichard Branson's newVirginlabel. Stewart and Creme gavepower of attorneyto their managerHarvey Lisbergto finalise the deal, as they were both to go on holiday. Contrary to their instructions, Lisberg then accepted a revised offer from Phonogram. Creme said that he felt "horrified, embarrassed and disgusted – to this day I still am".
The Original Soundtrack, which was already complete, was released just weeks later. It was both a critical and commercial success, and featured distinctive cover art created by theHipgnosisteam and drawn by musician and artistHumphrey Ocean.It is also notable for its opening track, Godley and Creme's "Une Nuit A Paris (One Night in Paris)", an eight-minute, multi-part "mini-operetta" that is thought to have been an influence on "Bohemian Rhapsody" byQueen.
Although it bore an unlikely title (picked up from a radio talk show), "Life Is a Minestrone" (1975) was another UK Top 10 placing, peaking at No. 7. Their biggest success came with the dreamy "I'm Not in Love", which gave the band their second UK No. 1 in June 1975. The song provided them with their first US chart success when the song reached No. 2. A collaborative effort built around a title by Stewart, "I'm Not in Love" is notable for its innovative production, especially its richly overdubbed choral backing. Godley said:
During that time, 10cc also collaborated withJustin Haywardon the single "Blue Guitar", being a backing band and doing production work. The song was also released on later reissues of theBlue Jaysalbum by Hayward andJohn Lodge.
10cc's fourth LP,How Dare You!(1976), featuring another Hipgnosis cover, furnished two more UK Top Ten hits—the witty "Art for Art's Sake" (No. 5 in January 1976) and "I'm Mandy, Fly Me" (No. 6, April 1976). However, by this time the once close personal and working relationships between the four members had begun to fray, and it was the last album with the original line-up. 10cc's success prompted the 1976 re-release of the Hotlegs album under the new titleYou Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of Itwith two additional tracks. The title track was the epic B-side of "Neanderthal Man", a section of which had been reworked as "Fresh Air for My Mama" on the10ccalbum.
Frictions mounted between the group's two creative teams during the recording ofHow Dare You, with each pair realising how far apart their ideas had become.At the beginning of the sessions for the band's fifth album, further creative differences occurred; and Godley and Creme left 10cc to work on a project that eventually evolved into the triple-LP setConsequences(1977), a sprawling concept album that featured contributions from satiristPeter Cookand jazz vocalistSarah Vaughan.
The first of a series of albums byGodley & Creme,Consequencesbegan as a demonstration record for the "Gizmotron", an electric guitar effect they had invented. The device, which fitted over the bridge of an electric guitar, contained six small motor-driven wheels attached to small keys (four wheels for electric basses); when the key was depressed, the Gizmotron wheels bowed the guitar strings, producing notes andchordswith endlesssustain. First used during the recording of theSheet Musictrack "Old Wild Men", the device was designed to further cut their recording costs: by using it on an electric guitar with studio effects, they could effectively simulate strings and other sounds, enabling them to dispense with expensive orchestral overdubs.
In a 2007 interview with the ProGGnosis—Progressive Rock & Fusion website,Godley said: "We left because we no longer liked what Gouldman and Stewart were writing. We left because 10cc was becoming safe and predictable and we felt trapped." But speaking toUncutmagazine 10 years earlier,he expressed regret about the band breaking up as they embarked on theConsequencesproject:
In a BBC Radio Wales interviewStewart gave his side of the split:
Stewart said that there were immediate benefits in the absence of Godley and Creme. "It became clear things went much smoother and the atmosphere was much more pleasant than with Lol and Kevin," he said.
Godley & Creme went on to achieve success as a songwriting and recording duo, scoring several hits and releasing a string of LPs and singles. Having honed their skills on the clips that they made to promote their own singles (e.g. their 1985 single "Cry") they returned to their visual arts roots and became directors of music videos in the 1980s, creating videos for acts includingGeorge Harrison("When We Was Fab"),Asia("Heat of the Moment", "Only Time Will Tell")The Police("Every Breath You Take"),Duran Duran("Girls on Film"),Frankie Goes to Hollywood("Two Tribes"),Peter Gabriel's duet withKate Bush("Don't Give Up"), Yes’ “Leave It,” andHerbie Hancock("Rockit"). They also directed a video for Stewart and Gouldman's "Feel the Love".
After the departure of Godley and Creme, Stewart and Gouldman opted to continue as 10cc, working with drummerPaul Burgess, who had up to that point been their tour backup drummer. Their first album as a three-piece band wasDeceptive Bends(1977), named after a sign on theMicklehambends on theA24betweenLeatherheadandDorkingin Surrey.The album, recorded at the newly completed Strawberry South Studio in Dorking, Surrey, reached No. 3 in Britain and No. 31 in the US and also yielded three hit singles, "The Things We Do for Love" (UK No. 6, US No. 5), "Good Morning Judge" (UK No. 5, US No. 69) and "People in Love" (US No. 40). Stewart later said he and Gouldman felt vindicated by its success: "I was out to prove also that we could write a hit album without Kevin and Lol ... we did!"
In 1977, 10cc embarked on an international tour with guitaristRick Fenn, keyboardistTony O'Malley(Kokomo) and an additional drummerStuart Tosh(ex-Pilot) and recorded a live album, "Live and Let Live" (1977), which mixed the hits with material by Stewart and Gouldman from 10cc's career (alongside two songs written with Godley and Creme). Fenn, Tosh, Burgess and keyboardistDuncan Mackay, who replaced Tony O'Malley after the tour, were now full members of the band and performed on 1978'sBloody Tourists, which provided the band with their international No. 1 single, the reggae-styled "Dreadlock Holiday", also their third UK No. 1. BothBloody Touristsand "Dreadlock Holiday" were very successful around the world; however, additional songs released as singles became only minor hits, with the second UK single "Reds in My Bed", featuring lead vocals by Tosh, failing to chart.
The band suffered a major setback in January 1979 when Stewart was seriously injured in a car crash. Due to his injuries he was unable to work on music, and 10cc had to be put on hold. This led to the cancellation of part of a tour, and to other band members working on solo projects. Stewart later told the BBC:
Gouldman, too, considered the aftermath of Stewart's accident to be a turning point. In a 1995 BBC interviewhe said:
While Stewart recovered, Gouldman recorded the title track to the filmSunburnwith the help of some of the 10cc band members, which became a minor UK hit in 1979. Gouldman also recordedthe soundtrackto the animated filmAnimalympics, which was originally intended as a 10cc project. Rick Fenn had great success touring withMike Oldfieldand recording withNick Mason, after being introduced to them by Eric Stewart, while Duncan Mackay took part in recording of theKate BushalbumNever for Ever.
Filling the gap between 10cc releases, a greatest-hits compilation (Greatest Hits 1972–1978) was issued in late 1979, a single came out coupling "I'm Not in Love" with "For You and I", which failed to chart. As Stewart recovered, he recordedthe soundtrackto the filmGirls, mainly working with Duncan Mackay, with other 10cc band members making guest appearances. The band signed withWarner Bros. Records, producing a new 10cc offering entitledLook Hear?The lead single "One-Two-Five" failed to chart in their native UK, and the album proved to be less successful than previous 10cc albums. In the aftermath of the tour in support of it, Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman and the rest of the band members again embarked on a number of side projects.
Gouldman and Stewart then decided to continue 10cc as a duo with other members becoming session and touring musicians. The band returned to the Mercury label to recordTen Out of 10(1981) featuring Fenn and Burgess on a number of tracks. The UK release of the album (and its associated singles "Les Nouveaux Riches" and "Don't Turn Me Away") failed to chart. In a bid to inject an American flavour to the album and bolster its commercial appeal, Warner Bros. invited singer-songwriterAndrew Goldto contribute to a revised North American version of the LP. Gold wound up co-writing and playing on three new tracks which appeared on the North American release ofTen Out of 10. This ultimately led to an offer from Gouldman and Stewart to officially join 10cc, an offer that Gold declined because of other commitments. Gouldman later admitted greater involvement by Gold might have lifted the band's early 1980s output from its mediocrity:
Though revisions were made to the album for the North American market,Ten Out of 10did not chart in US, nor did any singles pulled from the LP. However, the single "Don't Turn Me Away" was a minor hit in Canada, reaching No. 38. Ironically, this track was one that appeared on the original "less commercial" UK version of the LP, and wasnotone of the tracks that had been specially added to the North American release.
The band embarked on their 10th anniversary tour in early 1982, with Fenn, Burgess and Tosh joining Stewart and Gouldman, along with new keyboardistVic EmersonofSad Café. They released "The Power of Love", co-written with Andrew Gold, as a single, which did not chart. "Run Away", released as a single in June 1982, reached No. 50 in the UK; "We've Heard it all Before" (October 1982) did not chart. All three of the singles were tracks from the revised North American version ofTen Out of 10, and had not previously been issued in the UK. Stewart also released a 1982 solo album,Frooty Rooties, with Burgess as a drummer and participation from Gouldman and Fenn on one track.
10cc began a UK tour in March 1983, coinciding with the release of the single "24 Hours". The song was made available both as a 7" and 10" single, with live versions of "Dreadlock Holiday" and "I'm Not in Love" on the B-sides. It failed to chart, as did a further single, "Feel The Love (Oomachasaooma)"/"She Gives Me Pain", issued in July 1983. "Feel The Love (Oomachasaooma)" was promoted by a tennis-themed video clip, directed by former 10cc members Godley and Creme, by now well into their joint careers as music video pioneers. The next 10cc LP,Windows in the Jungle(October 1983), used session heavyweights including drummerSteve Gadd, but the album was dominated by Stewart; Gouldman only performed partial lead vocals on one song. It reached No. 70 on the UK chart. The band toured the UK in October, with drummer Jamie Lane in place of Paul Burgess (who was working withJethro Tull). This turned out to be their last tour until they reformed eight years later.
After 1983, the band went into recess as Stewart produced recordings forSad Caféand Gouldman produced tracks for theRamones.Stewart continued his association withPaul McCartney; he had already appeared onTug of Warin 1982 andPipes of Peacein 1983. During 1984, he appeared in the video for the US single "So Bad" which also featuredRingo Starrand the feature film/soundtrack forGive My Regards to Broad Street. He then co-wrote much of thePress to Playalbum (1986), though he was critical of the album's production.He also produced the albumEyes of a Woman(1985) byAgnetha FältskogofABBA.
Gouldman, meanwhile, teamed withAndrew Goldto form the duo Common Knowledge, which after two unsuccessful singles changed their name toWax. The duo's albums includedMagnetic Heaven(1986),American English(1987) andA Hundred Thousand in Fresh Notes(1989). The duo scored some success, including a Spanish No. 1 single and their only British hit, "Bridge to Your Heart" (1987), which reached No. 12.Gouldman also assembled and produced the charity single "You'll Never Walk Alone" byThe Crowdin aid of theBradford City stadium fire. Released in 1985, the single reached No. 1 on the UK chart. A compilation album,Changing Faces – The Very Best of 10cc and Godley & Creme, was released in 1987 and gave the band their biggest hit album since 1978. A four CD box set,Greatest Songs and More, was issued in Japan in 1991, which included many b-sides available on CD for the first time.
In 1991, the original four members reunited to record...Meanwhile(1992), an album produced byGary KatzofSteely Danfame. Katz was suggested by the record label Polydor who wanted 10cc to enjoy success in America, and because of his links to Steely Dan—a similar-sounding 1970s band. All the album's songs were written by Stewart and Gouldman (with the exception of one track which was co-written by Stewart andPaul McCartneyin the late 1980s with additional writing from Gouldman). Creme and Godley agreed to guest on the album to fulfil their obligation to Polydor—both had owed Polydor one album when they split in the late 1980s.Godley and Creme sang background vocals on several tracks on the album. Godley also sang the lead on one song, "The Stars Didn't Show".
...Meanwhiledid not spawn any major hits, but was relatively well received in Japan and in Europe. It prominently featured session musiciansJeff PorcaroofTotoon drums, Freddie Washington on bass,Michael Landauon lead and rhythm guitar, and Bashiri Johnson on percussion. Also appearing on the album wereDr. John(Mac Rebennack) on piano,David Paich(also of Toto fame) on keyboards, longtime 10cc collaboratorAndrew Goldon guitar and many other renowned session musicians and singers....Meanwhileis believed to be Porcaro's last session work before he died of a heart attack.Dr. Johnwas recommended by producer Gary Katz and invited along to the sessions.
Gouldman, in a 1995 interview,was philosophical about the album: "When we finally did come back to record again, it was based on market research that our record company had done, that said a new 10cc album would do really, really well. And, ah, history has proved that wrong." Yet according to Stewart, both he and Gouldman had approached the album positively. "We wrote in a three-month period, 22 songs. Every day we were coming up with new ideas, and they were getting better and better, as far as we were concerned. And they sounded like 10cc songs again."
A tour in 1993 followed the album, with former members Rick Fenn and Stuart Tosh returning alongside new players Steve Piggot (keyboards, synthesisers) and Gary Wallis (drum, percussion). This tour was captured on the live album and DVDAlive.
In 1995, the band releasedMirror Mirror, produced by Gouldman, Stewart andAdrian LeeofMike + The Mechanics, and without participation from Godley or Creme. Despite initial objections by Gouldman,Mirror Mirrorincluded an acoustic version of "I'm Not in Love" which became a No. 29 UK hit single, but overall the album did not fare very well. Gouldman has describedMirror Mirroras "almost like two-halves of an album", largely a result of the fact that he and Stewart recorded in separate countries. "I don't like to say we hoodwinked the people, but you could say it's not quite what it appears to be, and anyone with any sense, who reads the credits, could see that," he toldGoldminemagazine.Their recording arrangement also provided further evidence of a fractured relationship between Stewart and Gouldman: aside from "I'm Not in Love", Stewart did not appear on any of the tracks Gouldman played or sang on, while Gouldman did not appear on any of Stewart's tracks.In the spring of 1995, the band toured Europe and Japan with a line-up of Stewart, Gouldman, Fenn, Tosh, Alan Park (keyboards, synthesisers) and Geoff Dunn (drums, percussion).
Stewart left the band after this tour, and has since commented:"10cc is well and truly finished as far as I am concerned." Married to a pair of sisters, Stewart and Creme have kept in touch.
In 1999, Gouldman convened a 10cc line-up consisting of himself, Fenn,Paul Burgess, and new recruits Mick Wilson (vocals, guitar) andMike Stevens(vocals, keyboards, sax, guitar). This version of the band played their first gig atRonnie Scott's Jazz Clubin Birmingham and then began touring regularly in 2002. This iteration of the group toured both the UK and overseas, playing 10cc hits plus a section of songs from Gouldman's songwriting career Wax. Wilson handled the majority of the lead vocals, taking over from Eric Stewart on that front.  Founding guitarist Lol Creme, discussing his newest live act in 2012, opined:
In January 2004, Godley and Gouldman reconvened to write more songs. The band started offering the new songs through their website in 2006 and eventually released the EPGG/06: EP - 1. A few of the songs were added to the 10cc live set, while the song "Son of Man" later became the opening theme for 10cc shows with Godley providing the video.Kevin Godley also joined 10cc live on several occasions.
A new 10cc touring member, Keith Hayman (keyboards), switched with Mike Stevens in 2006 and continued to do so until 2011.The band released a live album and DVD titledClever Clogsin 2008 featuring Kevin Godley on several songs, including GG/06's "BeautifulLoser.com".In early 2009, Gouldman's 10cc launched its website, 10ccworld.com (now 10cc.world). Since the release, the website offered various live recordings of the shows through its online store. Regarding new 10cc studio releases, Gouldman has said that without Stewart, Creme or Godley, there will never be another 10cc album, though he is happy to play past albums in concert.Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band's formation, 10cc performed a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 10 May 2012 with Kevin Godley performing several songs with the band. Universal Music also issued two box sets for this occasion. The first one titledTenology, a four-CD/one-DVD retrospective, was released on 19 November 2012. All four original members helped choose the track listing and gave interviews toPaul Lesteras part of the project.The second box set titledClassic Album Selectionfeatured albums fromThe Original SoundtracktoLive and Let Livealong with bonus tracks.
In December 2015,BBC Fourreleased the hour-long documentary titledI'm Not in Love: The Story of 10cc.In 2016 Godley recorded a video performance of "Somewhere in Hollywood" for 10cc's live performance of the albumSheet Musicduring that year.The same year, Keith Hayman again replaced Mike Stevens on keyboards.
In July 2017, a box set titledBefore, During and After: The Story of 10ccwas released. The four-disc set contains 10cc material as well as material from the late 1960s and early 1970s that the band recorded under various names and material from various projects that band members were involved in after leaving the band. Eric Stewart also released a solo boxset through Cherry Records while promoting his autobiography.In late 2017, the 10cc concert line-up changed with Iain Hornal taking Wilson's place permanently as vocalist, after filling in regularly since 2013.And Paul Canning subbed for Hornal briefly during 2018, then once again in November of 2023.In 2020-2021, guitarist Nick Kendall subbed for Rick Fenn.On 19 July 2023 Graham and the group appeared onThis Morning, a UK breakfast TV show, performing "The Things We Do for Love", with Nick Kendall once again standing in for Rick Fenn.Keyboardist Ciaran Jeremiah accompanied the group on a November 2023 European tour filling in for Keith Hayman, who was touring withCliff Richard.
On March 11, 2024, the band announced their first North American tour in forty six years, The Ultimate, Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour, due to commence on July 24, 2024, at theWellmont TheaterinMontclair, New Jersey.Andy Park (vocals, guitars, bass, percussion, mandolin, keyboards) was brought in to sub for Iain Hornal, who was out performing withJeff Lynne's ELO.
In 2025,Kevin Godleyreunited withGraham Gouldmanfor a special performance as 10cc for an edition ofBBC Radio 2's  Piano Roomwith theBBC Concert Orchestraconducted byAnne Dudley. Three songs were performed includingI'm Not in Love, new composition I Don't Want To Go To Heaven and a cover version ofAll I Have To Do Is Dream.
Current members
Concert films