Secret(s) of 10cc Recording Quality

I always found "Dreadlock Holiday" to be a great recording, especially the way the drums slam on the "out yets" in the chorus.

 

There is a single disc edition that includes only the music and dispenses with the "story" and other elements. Consequences has some terrific songs trapped in the body of a bloated, dead whale of a story.

 

I've always felt that the sound of that album is distinctly different. Eric wasn't able to engineer any longer or supervise due to the head injuries he sustained in a racing accident (that almost took his life as I recall) for quite some time. His hearing was badly impacted. It doesn't sound like a 10cc album to me and, yes, the material is weak. Absolutely devoid of hooks and memorable melodies. The worst part was when they allowed the other members to write material...(which they did on the previous album but usually they did it in collaboration).

 

All true, but to me the quality of the material is more glaring than any changes in recorded sound. It sounds to me like a 10cc record, just that the songs are half-baked. (though I wouldn't say it's unlistenable, even though it's probably their worst album).

 

it was incorrect and so to my mind offensive

 

This song by Sedaka has 10cc involvement ...

 

And this one has 10cc on it ...

 

I just finished listening to this program this afternoon and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to post it for us. The time and effort that Eric and the boys put into those albums, is equal in my opinion, to what Brian Wilson used to attempt in the studio, but only that 10cc did it all by themselves!

Kudos also to the two gentlemen who hosted that show, as it was perfectly put together, with informative insight, but the kind of insight that a fan would want to share with another fan. I was so happy that all four members where included and none of them gave any of the usual "negative" break-up crap.

10cc, the original four man lineup, although sadly short-lived, are still one of my all-time favorite bands ever and the magical recordings that they recorded during that time, will always shine for me.

 

Always loved 10CC...I own a pile of their albums in different formats.

 

I forgot to add to my comments in post #58, that after listening to some of those truly interesting "multi-track breakdowns" in that radio program, I want their albums in surround, now more than ever!

 

Doubt that will happen but would be cool

 

Geez, I never thought that I'd ever hear little snippets of their multi-tracks and just the fact that Eric Stewart thought enough to send those guys a bunch of them to use for their radio program, makes one wonder just how open he/they (Eric, Lol, Kevin & Graham), may be to the idea?

 

The US Polydor pressing I have doesn't sound too bad. The 2008 CD I have (and all the other CD versions of it aside from the first one, if I'm remembering correctly), does.

 

I definitely think that it's their worst album, though like you, I don't think it's unlistenable. I wouldn't even say it's necessarily "bad", as I don't think 10cc ever made a bad album. Though aside from "Welcome To The World", "I Took You Home", "I Hate To Eat Alone" and maybe "Strange Lover" the album's songs aren't really that good.

 

In the late 60's sound effects and recording tracks was coming into play. Jimi Hendrix and his crew invented all kinds of effects for the guitar, the Who, stacked marshall amps, in the early 70's rock and roll bands being recorded, had the compression to give drums and cymbals a locomotive steam train effect. Did you know the first distortion to the amp for an electric guitar was created by pulling the speaker out of the cab, and slicing the cone to make it distort? Clever, then of course there was Mr. moog and Mr. mellotron, for all the early key board sounds. I think Carl Palmer of elp invented the first electronic drum kit. So when the 10 cc album rolled around, the effects were already in play.....

 

Yeah, I understand but they were not only great with effects. The sheer fidelity of the recordings is astonishing.

 

Over the past weekend, my wife and I took a 2 and a half hour drive to Columbus, Ohio, so I played her that "Record Producers" radio program, which she enjoyed. This program has made me dig out some 10cc related CD's, that I haven't listened to in some time, one of which was my 2-CD Godley & Creme on Edsel, that has the album "Ismism". I was all ready to enjoy "Wedding Bells" and "Under Your Thumb" and when I pulled out disc two of the set, I noticed that it not only had one crack, but two and now it won't play anymore and I'm totally bummed! A new copy on Amazon is going for $100+, damn it!

 

I think that's the main factor. In the fine documentary about the band Eric Stewart (later joined by the other young veteran Graham Gouldman) was totally prepared to spend his days behind the desk in his own studio's. Tracks like "Neanderthal Man" were evolving without any ambition (in this case the idea came to test the drum sound and the avoid boredom Kevin Godley was joined by Lol Creme playing some simple guitar chords).
The ultimate testament of that marriage between technical prowess and songwriting is their masterpiece: I'm Not In Love !

 

Speaking of "I'm Not In Love" ...

("Big Boys Don't Cry" indeed, at the 4:45 mark)

 

I remember reading a fascinating article about some custom-made, amazingly complicated phasing device that was used on the background vocals for I'm Not In Love. I wish I could find it again. Does anyone have it, or have a link?

 

Don't you think at that point Eric must have said something like: Now look here (hear) guys ... you two wrote The Film Of My Love and didn't even bother to supply lead vocals there, right ? So don't start this kind of discussion for at least the next five albums, okay.


Mandolins galore on the studio version

 

Godley & Creme recorded probably no more than one rough song (People In Love) for Deceptive Bends. That was scrapped when they left and sessions re-started with just Graham, Eric & Paul Burgess. The initial idea was that Eric & Graham would write the entire LP and Lol & Kevin play on it (but not write as they were too involved with Consequences), but that evolved into them leaving the band.

Lead vocals weren't assigned by author; all four had the opportunity to try out for lead on every song. They decided by committee who would get the vocal.

 

I just got round to checking out the BT tracks on Tenolgy and they sound so much better, but not all of its tracks are on there, does anyone know if the entire album was adjusted/remastered or whatever was done anywhere?
Thanks.

 

Mid 70's studio's. the proper ones...were the absolute pinnacle of recording technology. And in the right hands, would absolutely annihilate and embarrass any digital studio today. And they had proper rooms. So, its not a surprise to me at all. Why the variance across bands and genres then? Because....humans.

 

Here is a secret that I didn't know ...

Kevin Godley has recorded some new songs (2016)