An interview with 10cc’s Graham Gouldman LINK CULTURE

By Jessica Durston | jessica@positive-media.co.uk

Did you know it is said that people swallow eight spiders in their lifetime?

I’m not sure I’m convinced this is true, but I’ll tell you something I am sure about –most people will definitely have heard (and loved) a Graham Gouldman song in their lifetime.

The man is a musical genius, with a career spanning six decades. He is responsible for a seemingly endless list of iconic chart hits for bands from the 1960s & 70s.

Graham was also behind 10cc’s well-loved hits

‘Dreadlock Holiday’, ‘Rubber Bullets’, ‘Art for Art’s Sake’, ‘I’m Mandy Fly Me’, ‘Wall Street Shuffle’, and ‘I’m Not In Love.’

In our interview he discusses everything from his upcoming semi-acoustic tour, to his thoughts on songwriting and ownership, to his time writing his brilliant 60s hits for other famous artists, to his advice for budding songsmiths.

I recommend reading the full piece at swindonlink.com/ lifestyle/graham-gouldmaninterview-jan-2023.

This excerpt has been taken from the part of the piece discussing Graham’s upcoming tour ‘Heart Full of Songs’ (HFOS).

Graham will be joined by bandmates Iain Hornal, Keith Hayman and Dave Cobby, and will take audiences on a trip down memory lane, and also on a journey through the 10cc legend’s own songbook. I was keen to find out more about what audiences could expect.

Graham said: “Heart Full of Songs is a real mixed bag setlist-wise. We do some 10cc songs that I co-wrote, and a lot that I wrote from the 60s for artists including The Hollies, The Yardbirds, Herman’s Hermits, and some from my time with Andrew Gold in Wax, as well as album tracks and film music.

“HFOS actually started off during a 10cc tour because we didn’t have a support act, and I felt we should. I used to go on stage before 10cc and sing a few songs. The idea really stuck with me.”

Audience members can also expect the man himself to be introducing each of his tracks and contextualising them.

Graham added: “Yeah, that’s one of the things that makes this tour a bit different - I’m able to talk about the songs, and about what inspired them. I find people are always really interested in that.”

Graham will be performing a number of UK shows as part of the HFOS tour that will run from 9 – 23 March. The tour includes a date at the Haymarket in Basingstoke on Saturday 18 March.

More information and tickets are available from www.thegigcartel.com/ Artists-profiles/10ccsGraham-Gouldman.htm

Moving on, I was interested to know if the songwriter had any particular favourites songs to perform, after we had both expressed our shared love for his iconic

1966 track for The Hollies ‘Bus Stop.’

After all these years performing different tracks with different musicians – were there any songs he began to tire of performing, or similarly, were there any that were so dear to him that he felt he could play them for all eternity?

“They’re all great – all the songs.” Graham said. “I suppose it’s different – fresh, every time we perform, because our audience is different every night. I always sort of put myself in the audience and remember it’s the first time for them. There’s not really any song or piece that I get tired of singing to be honest. I just really enjoy it.

“That enjoyment is key –and as long as everyone else is also enjoying themselves at our gigs, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. That drives us on.”

With the tour being semiacoustic and not the full band setup he would be used to with 10cc or Wax, our discussion turned to how he adapted his songs for this particular style of concert.

Graham explained: “We have had to adapt the songs to a certain extent with this semi-acoustic tour, and it has given us a chance to arrange the songs and showcase them in a slightly different way.

“We have worked to only adapt certain tracks that we think suit the style of the semi-acoustic band best. There are some songs I could do, but I won’t because I don’t feel they suit the acoustic arrangement. I’m really careful with that, because I want every track to sound good.”

Graham will be placing himself in the spotlight for this tour and has appointed himself as the band’s frontman.

As his 10cc days saw him famously sing lead on the 1978’s ‘Dreadlock Holiday’but also share the lead vocal duties with his bandmates - I was curious to know if he was going to feel more exposed. He was quick to agree with this notion.

“Definitely, I’m singing everything on this tour. You’re absolutely right - you are more exposed in this kind of setting and you have to be a bit more on your game!

“I don’t mind though – I enjoy myself. If I stopped enjoying it, I wouldn’t do it, and I say this for two reasons. One, I don’t need to do it. And two, I think audiences pick up on it. They can tell when a performer isn’t happy or is just ‘going through the motions.”

Words by Jessica Durston