10cc are the Beatles of the '70's (production wise)

What do you think? I can't think of any other '70's band that can touch them in production, innovative recording/mixing technques, creativity. I am totally biased, but I'm just listening to the DCC CD of The Original Soundtrack and I am totally digging the sound and having revelations!

 

Paul,

I always thought that ELO was the Beatles of the 70s! I think Lennon called them the "little" Beatles, or something like that.

I could agree with 10cc too, though!

 

Paul,

Count me in as a 10cc addict too. Although I think 70s ELO material is closer to the Beatles musically, 10cc 70s records stand close to the Beatles in terms of creativity and innovative approach to recording. I think about it each time I listen to Original Soundtrack and How dare you!

Actually I love both bands.

 

Yeah, me too. 10cc were of course blessed with four songwriters (or two songwriting teams), quite an advantage over the majority of bands.

ELO didn't have that, although had Roy Wood stuck it out a bit longer they could well have been the Beatles of the 70s and possibly almost as good.

 

Speaking of Godley & Creme, have any of you ever heard the album 'Consequences'? Very strange concept album indeed. I think it has been released on CD by One Way Records.

 

I became reacquainted with "How Dare You" recently and realized what a brilliant record it is (Side One anyway). Such well crafted and diverse songwriting/production.

And "The Original Soundtrack" changed my musical world in May 1975.

Each of the first four albums (which are the only real 10cc albums IMO) have their own distinct character. They still sound fresh 25 years later.

I would rate the original 10cc as better than the Beatles in terms of production, vocals and musicianship and occasionally on a par with the Beatles in terms of songwriting.

Not to mention the fact that they produced and engineered (Eric Stewart)those albums themselves well before the days of home studios and Pro Tools.

 

Beagle, I want to analyse your comment rationally but it gets me too emotional and I can't! Maybe someone else can do it more objectively and eloquently.

For me, what you have said is just SO wrong!

Production wise, I can accept your comment but as for vocals and songwriting I strongly disagree and will never be convinced that 10cc compared with John and Paul.

Lennon is simply one of the greatest rock singers I have ever heard. Godley and Stewart are fine singers but no better than a few 100,000 other well known singers in popular music.

Instrumentally Creme, Stewart and Goldman certainly were multi-skilled but hardly virtuosos on any instrument. Of course, neither were the Beatles.

In the end however what it really comes down to is the songwriting. Goldman proved in the 60s that he had quite a knack for the 3 minute pop song and they all wrote fine songs during their tenure with 10cc. Godley and Creme continued to do so afterwards but if you listen closely how much of it is songwriting and how much of it is studiocraft? Strip some of 10cc's songs down to their basic ingredients and there may not be such an impressive song left.

Whilst I love 10cc I also recognise that in the ocean of the history of pop music they will be a drop compared to the Beatles tidal wave!

 

The one thing that I have always disliked about the Beatles is the sound of the recordings. The ultra harsh pans are distracting. Almost everything is hard left or hard right. I would really like to hear all of the Beatles albums in Mono. I have heard "Sgt. Pepper" in mono, and I liked it much better than the stereo version.

I think that some of the best sounding recordings were done in the fifties. The DCC Nat Cole CDs are beautiful.

Tony

 

Don't sweat it, it happens to every Beatles fanatic. I respect how Beatles fans feel. I love all the early and mid period Beatles hits and 10cc can't touch those. But I also feel that 10cc did things the Beatles could not do, or did not do.

 

Tony,

It doesn't mean in early 60s producers and sound engineers didn't know how to make a full-size stereo with good sound stage. (By the way, that's what I thought listening to the early Beatles records when I was a teenager; well, it was quite a long time ago now ). You refer 50s recordings. Do not forget Beatles Hamburg sessions with Tony Sheridan. They were recorded by Polydor with excellent stereo image. I believe this hard "left or right" image was a part of engineer's innovative approach to the Beatles stereo mix. And not all the innovations are always for good by the way. I don't like this "left/right" stereo sound too. As far as I know most of the people don't. Anybody who likes this kind of stereo image?

And the second question: it is well known the Beatles and Martin were concentrated on mono mix in the early days. Who is responsible for that "innovative" stereo image on the early Beatles records? And what he/they think about it today?

 

you cannot go wrong with any 10CC record.

 

.......provided it's not one of the 5cc ones

 

I picked up How Dare You about a year or two ago and thought it was interesting to listen to with some good songs but on 'Art for Arts Sake'- what happened at 2:45-3:07 ? --> that part ruins the whole song! I have to FF with the remote past that part, cant listen to it.

 

I listened to 10CC a lot in the 70s but don't have any cds by them. Soundwise which are the best releases to look for? Is the "Consequences" album still available on One Way?

 

'Consequences' is available at CDNow for $14.99. Not bad for a double-CD title. Here's a link....



Godley & Creme - Consequences

 

However if you're going to buy a Godley Creme CD go for the "L/Freeze Frame" twofer on One Way.

For me, they are the two true successors to "How Dare You".

 

The best sounding CD is still the original limited edition German Polygram version from the early '90's. Regarding the current state of 10cc CDs, the UK remasters definitely blow away the regular US versions and I think they sound pretty damn good for the most part.

 

Definitely. I fully agree. "Deceptive Bands", I mean "Bends" was mere pablum next to the creativity of "L".

 

........and I forgot Ismism, another excellent Godley Creme album!

 

Thanks for starting this thread. I pulled out my 10cc Greatest Hits and was reminded how good they were. Like the fabs, their songs often changed direction part way through and they were not content to rely on the same sound twice (some exceptions).

Does anyone know the origin of their name. I have to be careful in case Audiogirl is listening. I believe the source for the name was the same as the Lovin Spoonful's.

 

john b.

your assumption was correct about the origin of 10CC's name. at least according to folklore.

renny

 

Re: Re: 10cc are the Beatles of the '70's (production wise)

You're right John. Of course some of us are blessed with 20cc.

 

Re: Re: 10cc are the Beatles of the '70's (production wise)

I also remember reading somwhere that Jonathan King said that he came up with the name in a dream...

Anyway, to rave on more about 10cc - Sheet Music was the album that made me want to become a recording engineer. When I bought that in 1975, I had never heard anything like it, Beatles included, and then as I bought each successive LP, I was even more impressed and inspired with those chord changes, lyrics, recording quality and the production. I was never that thrilled about the first LP - even in retrospect, there is a lot of filler. When they split my heart and soul went with Creme Godley, but I have to disagree with "Deceptive Bends" - although very fluffy compared to the C&G stuff, the album had some nice, innovative pop ideas and of course was very well recorded and produced. After that 10cc went way down...

 

Re: Re: Re: 10cc are the Beatles of the '70's (production wise)

That's because you've got two heads Tangent (the normal one and the one that looks like Michael Jackson) and possibly two of everything else and this post is making me ill