Post by HARD ROCK UNIVERSE on Apr 7, 2007 9:27:58 GMT -5
Interview With Kevin Godley Of 10cc
Ever since coming to prominence with seminal British art pop-rock band 10cc, Manchester born multi-instrumentalist Kevin Godley has been on the cutting edge of the rock and roll scene. A founding member of the band, Godley along with Lol Creme and ex Mindbenders' vocalist Eric Stewart first hit the charts in 1970 as Hotlegs, who hit #2 in the U.K. singles charts and #22 in the U.S. Top 40 with the primal "Neanderthal Man," ultimately selling over 2 million copies worldwide. When subsequent singles failed to match that success, the band was joined by songwriter Graham Gouldman, who'd already tasted success penning a string of million selling hits such as "For Your Love" and "Heart Full Of Soul" for The Yardbirds, "Bus Stop" and "Look Through Any Window" for The Hollies, as well as popular songs by Herman's Hermits, Cher and Jeff Beck.
With the addition of Gouldman to the fold, the quartet was re-christened 10cc by pop impresario Jonathan King and "Donna," released as the first 10cc single, reached #2 in the UK in September 1972. Over the course of the next 4 years the band would place 8 songs in the U.K. Top 40 singles charts before breaking through in a big way in the U.S. with the 1975 album 'The Original Soundtrack,' which peaked at #15 in the Billboard Album Charts. The single "I'm Not In Love" did even better, coming in at #2. A bona fide classic, notable for its innovative production and especially its choral backing, the song featured no less than a 256 voice "virtual choir," which was actually multiple overdubs of the voices of Stewart, Gouldman, Godley and Creme singing a single note in unison. In fact, on the basis of that track alone the band was able to secure a 5 album, million dollar deal with Phonogram/Polydor Records. Thus their rise to international fame and fortune was assured. The album's opening track, Godley & Creme's "Une Nuit A Paris (One Night In Paris)," an 8 minute, multi-part "mini-operetta," was an influence on "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The song's melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical "Phantom of the Opera."
Leaving 10cc at the height of success along with Creme after the recording of the band's 4th album 'How Dare You!' in 1976, the two went on to achieve cult success as a songwriting and recording duo, scoring several hits and releasing a string of innovative LPs and singles. Their biggest hit in the U.S. was "Cry", which reached #16 in the Billboard singles charts in 1985. The corresponding album, 'The History Mix Volume 1,' reached #37 the same year. Even though they achieved success chart-wise, which would be more than enough for most, the two drew upon their visual arts skills, becoming the most sought after music video directors of the 80's. The pair's credits are astonishing. During the glory days of MTV their work was everywhere. From Duran Duran's "Girls On Film" ( which had the distinguished honor of being the first video banned by the network ), Asia's "The Heat Of The Moment," The Police's "Every Breath You Take," Herbie Hanc*ck's "Rockit," to Eric Clapton's "Forever Man" and until their last partnership on George Harrison's "When We Was Fab." Any viewer was sure to have seen at least one of the fruits of their artistic vision on an almost daily basis. All told, they were responsible for 57 videos, too many to fully recount here. After the two split in 1989, Godley continued to be called upon by rock royalty, directing videos by U2, Paul McCartney, Sting, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Elton John, The Black Crowes and in 1996, The Beatles on the clip for "Real Love" included on the critically acclaimed 'Anthology' project. Still working steadily to the present day with Bono, Bryan Adams and relative newcomers HIM, Jamie Cullum and Keane, his resume is one of the most prestigious in rock history.
Incredibly, after more than three decades, Godley has resumed work with Graham Gouldman in a new project GG/06, recording and releasing as of this writing 5 tracks which are available for download at their web site. The songs show they haven't lost the knack for a great tune, with a full album hopefully in the works in the not too distant future.
Recently we had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with Kevin in the U.K. where the topics discussed included the aforementioned reunion with Gouldman, the days with 10cc and Godley & Creme plus much more. Read on as we have an illuminating discussion with legendary drummer, producer, songwriter and hugely influential music director Kevin Godley.
Special thanks to Billy James @ Glass Onyon PR for coordinating, and a BIG thanks to Kevin Godley for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!
Interview and text by Nightwatcher for Rock N Roll Universe
April 04, 2007
Rock N Roll Universe : First of all thank you Kevin for taking the time out to talk to us we really appreciate it...
Kevin Godley : A pleasure.
RNRU : You've been writing and recording with Graham Gouldman for the first time in over three decades as GG/06. What prompted the reunion with Graham, and why now after all this time?
KG : A need to get some ideas down on tape with someone I trust. I wasn't particularly looking to make music. It just came into focus. Words, tunes and sounds. It was building up over a number of years. Making music is a class A drug. I'm still addicted.
RNRU : Do you feel at this point that this will be an ongoing collaboration? You currently have four songs available for download at your web site, but do you anticipate moving towards a new album? If so, when would you anticipate something like that reaching completion?
KG : I hope so. It's been rewarding so far. Graham gives me a lot of room to maneuver, and I get to take him places he wouldn't normally go. By the time this is read there should be 5 tracks up and running on a revamped site. A bunch more are lying around in brain cells and computers waiting for writing and recording time. Maybe it's the way online music works but I don't think in album terms any more. GG/06 is more like a gallery holding a permanent exhibition. Each time we make a new exhibit, we hang it.
RNRU : Are you pleased with the response that you've gotten thus far for the new tracks?
KG : Yes. We didn't know if anyone would come, but they did, and they do and they leave wonderful messages. I think what we record is an acquired taste but enough people have acquired it to make us believe we're doing something interesting.
RNRU : What about touring? If the reception warrants it, are you and Graham at all interested in doing any live dates?
KG : We couldn't tour with 5 songs. If we're still able to get around without medical assistance by the time we nail 2 hours worth, maybe. Short answer, spiritually yes, practically no. Crystal ball : One day.
RNRU : What is your usual process for songwriting, and has it changed throughout the years? Do you find that the songwriting process is easier now, or do you find it more difficult coming up with something which you haven't already done?
KG : It used to be a very intensive process. Lol, Graham, Eric and myself would hole up somewhere with instruments of choice and a notepad and melt our brains for 18 hours a day until we had finished music. Now, it's totally different. I may get a lyrical idea minus anywhere substantial to go. Graham comes to my place with a guitar. He's got a sequence or a riff looking for a home. We throw stuff around. A few things work. Some well, some not. We end up with clues. He goes home, and I spend time following the clues. He spends time seeing how many ways the jigsaw pieces fit. Then we get together again and compare notes. We're either closer or farther away. So far, it's mostly closer.
RNRU : Let's go back to the beginning if you don't mind...What was the defining moment when you realized that you wanted to be a musician?
KG : I was about 8 years old. I got thrown out of class for banging on my school desk to an Elvis record that was played as an example of bad music by our teacher.
RNRU : According to rock legend, the name 10cc was bestowed upon the band by producer Jonathan King. Reportedly according to rock legend, the band was named because the term represents the amount of semen in an average male ejaculation (or a little bit (1cc) more). What's the real story behind the name and how did it come(no pun intended) about?
KG : The truth is, Jonathan had a dream about seeing a sign above the Hammersmith Odeon the night before he came to meet us. The sign said, '10cc The Best Band In The World'. The ejaculate theory makes better after dinner conversation though.
RNRU : In 1972, you, Graham, Eric Stewart and Lol Creme were working in Strawberry Studios doing numerous sessions, including the ones which resulted in Neil Sedaka having his big comeback in the mid 70's with. How did that whole situation with Neil come about, and what do you recall about those sessions?
KG : Harvey Lisberg, Graham’s manager at the time, and later ours, met Neil in the States. Neil had a stack of new material and was looking to record. Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ was a huge critical and commercial success and, as they were both Brill building contemporaries, an inspiration for Neil to try a new approach. Harvey somehow persuaded him to give us and Strawberry studios a shot. Prior to these sessions we were doing some crazy stuff. Football songs, a strange duo called Ramases, ventriloquists, TV executives’ girlfriends etc. We were getting lots of diverse experience but no focus. Neil gave us the opportunity to play together as a unit without too many production distractions. We discovered our ‘band’ selves during these recordings. It was, for us, an unusual way to work.The real revelation was Neil who played piano and sang lead vocal simultaneously while we played drums / bass / guitar rhythm tracks. Sometimes he’d even sing the harmony first. Old school. No fear. Heart to tape. It was also less cerebral and more about getting inside the song and capturing lightning in a bottle. Valuable times.
RNRU : During the recording of ' The Original Soundtrack' in '74, Eric Stewart has credited you with coming up with the idea for "I'm Not In Love" to have the very innovative backing track which consisted of multi layered vocals. In fact there are 256 vocal tracks on the song. What was your inspiration for that, and do you remember how you felt when you heard the finished version for the first time?
KG : Who thought up what is lost in the mists of time. But if I did, like most things, it came from a curiosity about how sounds that existed in one's head might sound for real. There were no samplers back then so you couldn’t dummy run anything. Anything as complex as this required an almost scientific, mathematical hands on strategy. Its inspiration, however, was desperation. We’d already recorded "I'm Not In Love" as a cheesy bossa nova and it sucked. This vocal idea was hopefully a way to draw out the haunting quality of the song that we knew was there but couldn’t reach. It took forever to do and involved multi-tracked single notes mixed down to quarter inch tape. Quarter inch tape loops flown back onto all but 4 tracks of the multi-track. Faders assigned to each note and the desk, in effect, played, by Lol and Eric like a giant keyboard. Each performance pass was then mixed, on the fly, before going again.The most unexpected by-product was the sheer density of the audio signal generating an undercurrent of atonal spill that added a ghostliness to the overall sound. Pre-Eno, mechanical, ambient music.
RNRU : Was there ever a feeling when you were recording it that you were coming up with a classic?
KG : Yes. I think so. Firstly because it sounded like nothing else. Secondly because the textures served the song so well. After a certain point everything we overdubbed, however strange, solidified its character further. Someone once told me that Bryan Ferry heard it on the radio, whilst driving, and had to pull over to listen. Urban myth, lovely if true. Who knows?
RNRU : In 1975 you bought Keith Moon's home, Tara. Reportedly, according to legend when you moved in Keith had left a Rolls Royce still in the swimming pool. How did it come about that you acquired the house from Keith, and is there any truth to that story?
KG : No Roller. A life-sized rhino, a hovercraft and a throne, however, were included in the sale. There was, I’m told, a lash up, hybrid lawnmower with a Rolls Royce engine that did end up in the pool at some point in Tara’s history. Great house for parties. The original property Monk’s Grove, was blown up for a movie and Tara was built in its place. The perfect birth, don’t you think?
RNRU : Do you ever feel that due to the band having had hits which were relatively straight forward in comparison to what was on the albums, that 10cc aren't as well respected in the general public's eye at least as bands such as Queen, Roxy Music and Bowie?
KG : It used to piss me off but I understand it, now. I think it’s less to do with music and more to do with personality and style, or lack of it in our case. People, on the whole, like their rock stars to live like rock stars. 10cc didn’t O.D., wear make up, kill anyone, do smack, change sex, drink their own piss or commit suicide. No dysfunctional mythology = unmemorable. That’s how it is.
RNRU : Both you and Lol left 10cc in 1976 to continue development of the Gizmo, which you and he invented, a guitar synthesizer which allowed guitarists to have a very symphonic sound, and also to release the triple album 'Consequences', which has been a point of contention for fans of the band ever since.. Looking back, do you have any regrets about leaving the band at that time?
KG : I think, in hindsight, we could’ve all handled it better. The sensible thing would have been to take time out to explore Godley and Creme potential, learn something, grow musically and bring it back to home base. But we were so emotionally connected to the ‘all for one, one for all’ work ethic once the cracks started to appear there was no going back. In retrospect it’s a shame but for Godley and Creme it led to other things that may not have surfaced had we played it safe.
RNRU : Were you disappointed after taking so much time to record the album that it was so badly received?
KG : Big time. We had one hell of an album launch party, though.
RNRU : You've said that you felt constrained by 10cc live. Was there a sense at that time that due to the complicated nature of the studio recordings that what you were coming up with couldn't be reproduced accurately in a live setting, and that you'd hit a brick wall in that aspect?
KG : Yes and no. Playing live was enjoyable but there was little room to improvise and feed off the moment. Maybe we should’ve treated live work as a separate challenge and re-designed the music to fit. Thing is we weren’t 100% comfortable on a stage, period. Dark rooms with no windows were more our weight and speed and I think it showed.
RNRU : What is your favorite 10cc album or song? Are you able to narrow it down to just one choice?
KG : Impossible to pick a song but 'Sheet Music' is my favorite album. Why? Because we weren’t totally in control of the creative juices we were generating. They were driving us, so shocks, kicks and revelations came in abundance. By 'Original Soundtrack' we’d tamed them.
RNRU : With Godley & Creme you had a very sizeable hit in 1985, with "Cry" reaching #16 on the Billboard Singles Charts and the album 'The History Mix Volume 1' reaching #37 as well. Also, the video for "Cry" featured the very revolutionary at the time "morphing" process which was subsequently copied by many other artists, including Michael Jackson. How did you come up with that process, and how did you feel seeing other artists borrowing the concept?
KG : The technique we used in "Cry" wasn’t morphing. It was a very basic set of ‘soft edge wipes’ that open and close in simple shapes (circle, square, oval, box) to reveal whatever picture is underneath. Because we were shifting between face shapes that are, essentially, similar, one got the impression that one face was becoming another. Morphing actually physically distorts the digital picture data until it matches the shape you’re trying to duplicate. We were a little pissed when Michael used it because we didn’t get to play with the new technology first.
RNRU : Did Godley & Creme ever play live? I don't remember ever hearing about the two of you playing any gigs. Was there a reason behind that?
KG : We never played live. Reason: setting up a tour is expensive, time consuming and too much of a commitment for guys who were into dabbling in a lot of different media.
RNRU : You and Lol split up in 1989. What were the reasons behind that? What is Lol up to these days? Are the two of you still in touch?
KG : We spent 27 years together and did a lot of good work. I think we just ran out of steam. We couldn’t surprise each other any more. Our interests were diverging, it was time. Lol paints, I know that but I don’t know what else he’s up to currently and no, we’re not in touch.
RNRU : You and Lol Creme were at the cutting edge of video directing in the early 80's, directing the videos for some of the most recognizable clips of the era, such as Duran Duran's "Girls On Film," Asia's "Heat Of The Moment" and The Police's "Every Breathe You Take" just to name a few. As the video medium, and MTV at that time was incredibly instrumental in these bands becoming world famous, do you ever feel that your contributions have been undervalued by the public at large?
KG : The public don’t and shouldn’t care who makes the videos. Their interest and adulation should be reserved for the performers. Our craft was about bringing the best out of artists by providing them with a unique and imaginative framework to work within. Recently directors have been getting a little more profile and recognition by releasing DVD compilations of their work. I intend to do the same, shortly. I think video is taken more seriously as an art form, today, than it ever was.
RNRU : Speaking of The Police, with the reunion taking place, have you been approached to do any new videos or to produce a DVD of the tour? It would seem with your long association with the band and with Sting you'd be the logical choice....
KG : Not yet. I’d love to, though. I haven’t shot any great live gigs since U2's 'ZOO TV'. I hope they ask as I’d love to work with them again. They were an amazing band. In the real world, however, they’ll probably check out the new hot shots first.
RNRU : Also speaking of videos, you were responsible for directing the video for The Beatles' "Real Love" which is included in the 'Beatles Anthology". How did you end up directing that video, and what was it like for you working on a full fledged Beatles project?
KG : A privilege. I’d already worked with Paul on a couple of projects. The video for "Come On People" and a 3 screen stage intro movie for a Wings American tour. Forgive me if I have the chronology wrong but all this was a while back. Bottom line is: It felt like editing the bible.
RNRU : How much involvement or input did Paul, George, Ringo and Yoko have or give you towards how they wanted the video to be for the song?
KG : Their input was more about the choice and deployment of archive footage. The reverse falling piano and super slow mo portraits were a framework to hang the archive on.
RNRU : Which artist that you've worked with as a director has been the most enjoyable to work with, and conversely, who were the worst?
KG : They’ve all been enjoyable in their own way. That’s a bland, blanket statement I know but, in my experience, it’s true. Some challenge you more than others. Some depend on you more than others. Some make you care more than others. All appreciate my desire to create something special and my musical background.
RNRU : You've remained active as a director, being responsible for many U2 videos, The Black Crowes, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Sting...all the way up to relative newcomers such as HIM's "Pretending" and Keane's "Is It Any Wonder". You're still in huge demand it would appear. Are there any artists or bands which you've turned down because of any reason?
KG : Music video is at a strange place. YouTube has changed the way we watch music and made lo-fi cool again. That’s great for labels and artists but not for directors. Not a lot one can do for £15,000 or less. I try to stay relevant as I love the medium and I still get my slice of what’s out there. I turn jobs down if I hate the track or can’t come up with an idea I want to see made. It’s selfish but I do video for me.
RNRU : Out of all the albums and projects you've been involved with, which one are you the most proud of, and are there any that you wish would be better off forgotten?
KG : Again, impossible to choose one. Here’s a few instead. 'One World One Voice' for BBC 2, 'ZOO TV / U2 Outside Broadcast' for channel 4. "Rockit" by Herbie Hanc*ck, "Every Breathe You Take" by The Police, "The Real Thing," "The Sweetest Thing" and "Numb" for U2. The Godley & Creme ‘L’ album and GG/06. The stuff that should be forgotten has been.
RNRU : What are the chances in your opinion of there being a full 10cc reunion with the original members? Is that something which you'd be interested in undertaking at this point?
KG : I can’t imagine it. The stress would be incalculable. The air would freeze. Brains would burst.
RNRU : Every band or artist has had one. What has been your most "Spinal Tap" moment?
KG : A party in L.A. circa 1985 - ish. I was flying on 7 slices of hash cake plus assorted nasal indiscretions. I asked to be taken to the loo. They found me outside, in the exact same position, 2 hours later, terrified to go in because people could ‘see me through the walls’. Iggy eat your heart out.
RNRU : What is your current take on the music business these days? Are there any bands or artists whom you've been particularly impressed by lately?
KG : Bowie still, always. Arcade Fire, Razorlight, Corinne Bailey Rae. Tom Waits, still, always. Kate Bush, still, always. Anthony and The Johnsons.
RNRU : Are there any goals, musically or otherwise that you'd still like to achieve?
KG : Filmically: To film my own screenplays. See my ideas come to fruition. Musically: to remain, creatively, more ahead of the game the older I get.
RNRU : What advice if any would you give to someone who's just starting out in the business?
KG : Do it totally, wholeheartedly. 100%. Keep doing it until it works then do it all over again, better.
RNRU : Is there anything else you'd like to say to all the fans out there?
KG : I'm thrilled to still be of interest to some people.
For more information on Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman's work as GG/06 go to www.gg06.co.uk/
Ever since coming to prominence with seminal British art pop-rock band 10cc, Manchester born multi-instrumentalist Kevin Godley has been on the cutting edge of the rock and roll scene. A founding member of the band, Godley along with Lol Creme and ex Mindbenders' vocalist Eric Stewart first hit the charts in 1970 as Hotlegs, who hit #2 in the U.K. singles charts and #22 in the U.S. Top 40 with the primal "Neanderthal Man," ultimately selling over 2 million copies worldwide. When subsequent singles failed to match that success, the band was joined by songwriter Graham Gouldman, who'd already tasted success penning a string of million selling hits such as "For Your Love" and "Heart Full Of Soul" for The Yardbirds, "Bus Stop" and "Look Through Any Window" for The Hollies, as well as popular songs by Herman's Hermits, Cher and Jeff Beck.
With the addition of Gouldman to the fold, the quartet was re-christened 10cc by pop impresario Jonathan King and "Donna," released as the first 10cc single, reached #2 in the UK in September 1972. Over the course of the next 4 years the band would place 8 songs in the U.K. Top 40 singles charts before breaking through in a big way in the U.S. with the 1975 album 'The Original Soundtrack,' which peaked at #15 in the Billboard Album Charts. The single "I'm Not In Love" did even better, coming in at #2. A bona fide classic, notable for its innovative production and especially its choral backing, the song featured no less than a 256 voice "virtual choir," which was actually multiple overdubs of the voices of Stewart, Gouldman, Godley and Creme singing a single note in unison. In fact, on the basis of that track alone the band was able to secure a 5 album, million dollar deal with Phonogram/Polydor Records. Thus their rise to international fame and fortune was assured. The album's opening track, Godley & Creme's "Une Nuit A Paris (One Night In Paris)," an 8 minute, multi-part "mini-operetta," was an influence on "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. The song's melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical "Phantom of the Opera."
Leaving 10cc at the height of success along with Creme after the recording of the band's 4th album 'How Dare You!' in 1976, the two went on to achieve cult success as a songwriting and recording duo, scoring several hits and releasing a string of innovative LPs and singles. Their biggest hit in the U.S. was "Cry", which reached #16 in the Billboard singles charts in 1985. The corresponding album, 'The History Mix Volume 1,' reached #37 the same year. Even though they achieved success chart-wise, which would be more than enough for most, the two drew upon their visual arts skills, becoming the most sought after music video directors of the 80's. The pair's credits are astonishing. During the glory days of MTV their work was everywhere. From Duran Duran's "Girls On Film" ( which had the distinguished honor of being the first video banned by the network ), Asia's "The Heat Of The Moment," The Police's "Every Breath You Take," Herbie Hanc*ck's "Rockit," to Eric Clapton's "Forever Man" and until their last partnership on George Harrison's "When We Was Fab." Any viewer was sure to have seen at least one of the fruits of their artistic vision on an almost daily basis. All told, they were responsible for 57 videos, too many to fully recount here. After the two split in 1989, Godley continued to be called upon by rock royalty, directing videos by U2, Paul McCartney, Sting, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Elton John, The Black Crowes and in 1996, The Beatles on the clip for "Real Love" included on the critically acclaimed 'Anthology' project. Still working steadily to the present day with Bono, Bryan Adams and relative newcomers HIM, Jamie Cullum and Keane, his resume is one of the most prestigious in rock history.
Incredibly, after more than three decades, Godley has resumed work with Graham Gouldman in a new project GG/06, recording and releasing as of this writing 5 tracks which are available for download at their web site. The songs show they haven't lost the knack for a great tune, with a full album hopefully in the works in the not too distant future.
Recently we had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with Kevin in the U.K. where the topics discussed included the aforementioned reunion with Gouldman, the days with 10cc and Godley & Creme plus much more. Read on as we have an illuminating discussion with legendary drummer, producer, songwriter and hugely influential music director Kevin Godley.
Special thanks to Billy James @ Glass Onyon PR for coordinating, and a BIG thanks to Kevin Godley for doing this interview for Rock N Roll Universe!
Interview and text by Nightwatcher for Rock N Roll Universe
April 04, 2007
Rock N Roll Universe : First of all thank you Kevin for taking the time out to talk to us we really appreciate it...
Kevin Godley : A pleasure.
RNRU : You've been writing and recording with Graham Gouldman for the first time in over three decades as GG/06. What prompted the reunion with Graham, and why now after all this time?
KG : A need to get some ideas down on tape with someone I trust. I wasn't particularly looking to make music. It just came into focus. Words, tunes and sounds. It was building up over a number of years. Making music is a class A drug. I'm still addicted.
RNRU : Do you feel at this point that this will be an ongoing collaboration? You currently have four songs available for download at your web site, but do you anticipate moving towards a new album? If so, when would you anticipate something like that reaching completion?
KG : I hope so. It's been rewarding so far. Graham gives me a lot of room to maneuver, and I get to take him places he wouldn't normally go. By the time this is read there should be 5 tracks up and running on a revamped site. A bunch more are lying around in brain cells and computers waiting for writing and recording time. Maybe it's the way online music works but I don't think in album terms any more. GG/06 is more like a gallery holding a permanent exhibition. Each time we make a new exhibit, we hang it.
RNRU : Are you pleased with the response that you've gotten thus far for the new tracks?
KG : Yes. We didn't know if anyone would come, but they did, and they do and they leave wonderful messages. I think what we record is an acquired taste but enough people have acquired it to make us believe we're doing something interesting.
RNRU : What about touring? If the reception warrants it, are you and Graham at all interested in doing any live dates?
KG : We couldn't tour with 5 songs. If we're still able to get around without medical assistance by the time we nail 2 hours worth, maybe. Short answer, spiritually yes, practically no. Crystal ball : One day.
RNRU : What is your usual process for songwriting, and has it changed throughout the years? Do you find that the songwriting process is easier now, or do you find it more difficult coming up with something which you haven't already done?
KG : It used to be a very intensive process. Lol, Graham, Eric and myself would hole up somewhere with instruments of choice and a notepad and melt our brains for 18 hours a day until we had finished music. Now, it's totally different. I may get a lyrical idea minus anywhere substantial to go. Graham comes to my place with a guitar. He's got a sequence or a riff looking for a home. We throw stuff around. A few things work. Some well, some not. We end up with clues. He goes home, and I spend time following the clues. He spends time seeing how many ways the jigsaw pieces fit. Then we get together again and compare notes. We're either closer or farther away. So far, it's mostly closer.
RNRU : Let's go back to the beginning if you don't mind...What was the defining moment when you realized that you wanted to be a musician?
KG : I was about 8 years old. I got thrown out of class for banging on my school desk to an Elvis record that was played as an example of bad music by our teacher.
RNRU : According to rock legend, the name 10cc was bestowed upon the band by producer Jonathan King. Reportedly according to rock legend, the band was named because the term represents the amount of semen in an average male ejaculation (or a little bit (1cc) more). What's the real story behind the name and how did it come(no pun intended) about?
KG : The truth is, Jonathan had a dream about seeing a sign above the Hammersmith Odeon the night before he came to meet us. The sign said, '10cc The Best Band In The World'. The ejaculate theory makes better after dinner conversation though.
RNRU : In 1972, you, Graham, Eric Stewart and Lol Creme were working in Strawberry Studios doing numerous sessions, including the ones which resulted in Neil Sedaka having his big comeback in the mid 70's with. How did that whole situation with Neil come about, and what do you recall about those sessions?
KG : Harvey Lisberg, Graham’s manager at the time, and later ours, met Neil in the States. Neil had a stack of new material and was looking to record. Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ was a huge critical and commercial success and, as they were both Brill building contemporaries, an inspiration for Neil to try a new approach. Harvey somehow persuaded him to give us and Strawberry studios a shot. Prior to these sessions we were doing some crazy stuff. Football songs, a strange duo called Ramases, ventriloquists, TV executives’ girlfriends etc. We were getting lots of diverse experience but no focus. Neil gave us the opportunity to play together as a unit without too many production distractions. We discovered our ‘band’ selves during these recordings. It was, for us, an unusual way to work.The real revelation was Neil who played piano and sang lead vocal simultaneously while we played drums / bass / guitar rhythm tracks. Sometimes he’d even sing the harmony first. Old school. No fear. Heart to tape. It was also less cerebral and more about getting inside the song and capturing lightning in a bottle. Valuable times.
RNRU : During the recording of ' The Original Soundtrack' in '74, Eric Stewart has credited you with coming up with the idea for "I'm Not In Love" to have the very innovative backing track which consisted of multi layered vocals. In fact there are 256 vocal tracks on the song. What was your inspiration for that, and do you remember how you felt when you heard the finished version for the first time?
KG : Who thought up what is lost in the mists of time. But if I did, like most things, it came from a curiosity about how sounds that existed in one's head might sound for real. There were no samplers back then so you couldn’t dummy run anything. Anything as complex as this required an almost scientific, mathematical hands on strategy. Its inspiration, however, was desperation. We’d already recorded "I'm Not In Love" as a cheesy bossa nova and it sucked. This vocal idea was hopefully a way to draw out the haunting quality of the song that we knew was there but couldn’t reach. It took forever to do and involved multi-tracked single notes mixed down to quarter inch tape. Quarter inch tape loops flown back onto all but 4 tracks of the multi-track. Faders assigned to each note and the desk, in effect, played, by Lol and Eric like a giant keyboard. Each performance pass was then mixed, on the fly, before going again.The most unexpected by-product was the sheer density of the audio signal generating an undercurrent of atonal spill that added a ghostliness to the overall sound. Pre-Eno, mechanical, ambient music.
RNRU : Was there ever a feeling when you were recording it that you were coming up with a classic?
KG : Yes. I think so. Firstly because it sounded like nothing else. Secondly because the textures served the song so well. After a certain point everything we overdubbed, however strange, solidified its character further. Someone once told me that Bryan Ferry heard it on the radio, whilst driving, and had to pull over to listen. Urban myth, lovely if true. Who knows?
RNRU : In 1975 you bought Keith Moon's home, Tara. Reportedly, according to legend when you moved in Keith had left a Rolls Royce still in the swimming pool. How did it come about that you acquired the house from Keith, and is there any truth to that story?
KG : No Roller. A life-sized rhino, a hovercraft and a throne, however, were included in the sale. There was, I’m told, a lash up, hybrid lawnmower with a Rolls Royce engine that did end up in the pool at some point in Tara’s history. Great house for parties. The original property Monk’s Grove, was blown up for a movie and Tara was built in its place. The perfect birth, don’t you think?
RNRU : Do you ever feel that due to the band having had hits which were relatively straight forward in comparison to what was on the albums, that 10cc aren't as well respected in the general public's eye at least as bands such as Queen, Roxy Music and Bowie?
KG : It used to piss me off but I understand it, now. I think it’s less to do with music and more to do with personality and style, or lack of it in our case. People, on the whole, like their rock stars to live like rock stars. 10cc didn’t O.D., wear make up, kill anyone, do smack, change sex, drink their own piss or commit suicide. No dysfunctional mythology = unmemorable. That’s how it is.
RNRU : Both you and Lol left 10cc in 1976 to continue development of the Gizmo, which you and he invented, a guitar synthesizer which allowed guitarists to have a very symphonic sound, and also to release the triple album 'Consequences', which has been a point of contention for fans of the band ever since.. Looking back, do you have any regrets about leaving the band at that time?
KG : I think, in hindsight, we could’ve all handled it better. The sensible thing would have been to take time out to explore Godley and Creme potential, learn something, grow musically and bring it back to home base. But we were so emotionally connected to the ‘all for one, one for all’ work ethic once the cracks started to appear there was no going back. In retrospect it’s a shame but for Godley and Creme it led to other things that may not have surfaced had we played it safe.
RNRU : Were you disappointed after taking so much time to record the album that it was so badly received?
KG : Big time. We had one hell of an album launch party, though.
RNRU : You've said that you felt constrained by 10cc live. Was there a sense at that time that due to the complicated nature of the studio recordings that what you were coming up with couldn't be reproduced accurately in a live setting, and that you'd hit a brick wall in that aspect?
KG : Yes and no. Playing live was enjoyable but there was little room to improvise and feed off the moment. Maybe we should’ve treated live work as a separate challenge and re-designed the music to fit. Thing is we weren’t 100% comfortable on a stage, period. Dark rooms with no windows were more our weight and speed and I think it showed.
RNRU : What is your favorite 10cc album or song? Are you able to narrow it down to just one choice?
KG : Impossible to pick a song but 'Sheet Music' is my favorite album. Why? Because we weren’t totally in control of the creative juices we were generating. They were driving us, so shocks, kicks and revelations came in abundance. By 'Original Soundtrack' we’d tamed them.
RNRU : With Godley & Creme you had a very sizeable hit in 1985, with "Cry" reaching #16 on the Billboard Singles Charts and the album 'The History Mix Volume 1' reaching #37 as well. Also, the video for "Cry" featured the very revolutionary at the time "morphing" process which was subsequently copied by many other artists, including Michael Jackson. How did you come up with that process, and how did you feel seeing other artists borrowing the concept?
KG : The technique we used in "Cry" wasn’t morphing. It was a very basic set of ‘soft edge wipes’ that open and close in simple shapes (circle, square, oval, box) to reveal whatever picture is underneath. Because we were shifting between face shapes that are, essentially, similar, one got the impression that one face was becoming another. Morphing actually physically distorts the digital picture data until it matches the shape you’re trying to duplicate. We were a little pissed when Michael used it because we didn’t get to play with the new technology first.
RNRU : Did Godley & Creme ever play live? I don't remember ever hearing about the two of you playing any gigs. Was there a reason behind that?
KG : We never played live. Reason: setting up a tour is expensive, time consuming and too much of a commitment for guys who were into dabbling in a lot of different media.
RNRU : You and Lol split up in 1989. What were the reasons behind that? What is Lol up to these days? Are the two of you still in touch?
KG : We spent 27 years together and did a lot of good work. I think we just ran out of steam. We couldn’t surprise each other any more. Our interests were diverging, it was time. Lol paints, I know that but I don’t know what else he’s up to currently and no, we’re not in touch.
RNRU : You and Lol Creme were at the cutting edge of video directing in the early 80's, directing the videos for some of the most recognizable clips of the era, such as Duran Duran's "Girls On Film," Asia's "Heat Of The Moment" and The Police's "Every Breathe You Take" just to name a few. As the video medium, and MTV at that time was incredibly instrumental in these bands becoming world famous, do you ever feel that your contributions have been undervalued by the public at large?
KG : The public don’t and shouldn’t care who makes the videos. Their interest and adulation should be reserved for the performers. Our craft was about bringing the best out of artists by providing them with a unique and imaginative framework to work within. Recently directors have been getting a little more profile and recognition by releasing DVD compilations of their work. I intend to do the same, shortly. I think video is taken more seriously as an art form, today, than it ever was.
RNRU : Speaking of The Police, with the reunion taking place, have you been approached to do any new videos or to produce a DVD of the tour? It would seem with your long association with the band and with Sting you'd be the logical choice....
KG : Not yet. I’d love to, though. I haven’t shot any great live gigs since U2's 'ZOO TV'. I hope they ask as I’d love to work with them again. They were an amazing band. In the real world, however, they’ll probably check out the new hot shots first.
RNRU : Also speaking of videos, you were responsible for directing the video for The Beatles' "Real Love" which is included in the 'Beatles Anthology". How did you end up directing that video, and what was it like for you working on a full fledged Beatles project?
KG : A privilege. I’d already worked with Paul on a couple of projects. The video for "Come On People" and a 3 screen stage intro movie for a Wings American tour. Forgive me if I have the chronology wrong but all this was a while back. Bottom line is: It felt like editing the bible.
RNRU : How much involvement or input did Paul, George, Ringo and Yoko have or give you towards how they wanted the video to be for the song?
KG : Their input was more about the choice and deployment of archive footage. The reverse falling piano and super slow mo portraits were a framework to hang the archive on.
RNRU : Which artist that you've worked with as a director has been the most enjoyable to work with, and conversely, who were the worst?
KG : They’ve all been enjoyable in their own way. That’s a bland, blanket statement I know but, in my experience, it’s true. Some challenge you more than others. Some depend on you more than others. Some make you care more than others. All appreciate my desire to create something special and my musical background.
RNRU : You've remained active as a director, being responsible for many U2 videos, The Black Crowes, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Sting...all the way up to relative newcomers such as HIM's "Pretending" and Keane's "Is It Any Wonder". You're still in huge demand it would appear. Are there any artists or bands which you've turned down because of any reason?
KG : Music video is at a strange place. YouTube has changed the way we watch music and made lo-fi cool again. That’s great for labels and artists but not for directors. Not a lot one can do for £15,000 or less. I try to stay relevant as I love the medium and I still get my slice of what’s out there. I turn jobs down if I hate the track or can’t come up with an idea I want to see made. It’s selfish but I do video for me.
RNRU : Out of all the albums and projects you've been involved with, which one are you the most proud of, and are there any that you wish would be better off forgotten?
KG : Again, impossible to choose one. Here’s a few instead. 'One World One Voice' for BBC 2, 'ZOO TV / U2 Outside Broadcast' for channel 4. "Rockit" by Herbie Hanc*ck, "Every Breathe You Take" by The Police, "The Real Thing," "The Sweetest Thing" and "Numb" for U2. The Godley & Creme ‘L’ album and GG/06. The stuff that should be forgotten has been.
RNRU : What are the chances in your opinion of there being a full 10cc reunion with the original members? Is that something which you'd be interested in undertaking at this point?
KG : I can’t imagine it. The stress would be incalculable. The air would freeze. Brains would burst.
RNRU : Every band or artist has had one. What has been your most "Spinal Tap" moment?
KG : A party in L.A. circa 1985 - ish. I was flying on 7 slices of hash cake plus assorted nasal indiscretions. I asked to be taken to the loo. They found me outside, in the exact same position, 2 hours later, terrified to go in because people could ‘see me through the walls’. Iggy eat your heart out.
RNRU : What is your current take on the music business these days? Are there any bands or artists whom you've been particularly impressed by lately?
KG : Bowie still, always. Arcade Fire, Razorlight, Corinne Bailey Rae. Tom Waits, still, always. Kate Bush, still, always. Anthony and The Johnsons.
RNRU : Are there any goals, musically or otherwise that you'd still like to achieve?
KG : Filmically: To film my own screenplays. See my ideas come to fruition. Musically: to remain, creatively, more ahead of the game the older I get.
RNRU : What advice if any would you give to someone who's just starting out in the business?
KG : Do it totally, wholeheartedly. 100%. Keep doing it until it works then do it all over again, better.
RNRU : Is there anything else you'd like to say to all the fans out there?
KG : I'm thrilled to still be of interest to some people.
For more information on Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman's work as GG/06 go to www.gg06.co.uk/