You’ve written some of the most iconic pop and rock songs of the ’60s and ’70s. What were your musical influences growing up, and how did they shape your songwriting style?

Well, I was fortunate to be to be the age I was at the time I was with the emergence of Rock ‘n’ Roll coming out of America, so I really started becoming aware of music when I was seven years old. In my pre-teens I started listening to people like Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochrane, The Everley brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and all these people started influencing me in my early years. Then there was the skittle era with Lonnie Donnigan, Cliff and the Shadows and, ultimately, the Beatles who were probably my biggest influence. Everybody I speak to, my peers, everyone says the same thing; they were all pretty much influenced by all the people I have just mentioned.

 

Could you tell times were changing?

Oh yes, it started moving away from big orchestral bands. There used to be a show called the ‘Lights Programme’, which is now probably Radio One or Radio Two, which played lots of big bands and orchestral music. Then suddenly we were listening to these small bands. It was really about the guitar; the main instrument that made the difference, particularly the electric guitar. That’s when everyone had to have an electric guitar or an electric bass.

 

You’d written hit songs for artists like The Yardbirds and Herman’s Hermits before forming 10cc. How has your songwriting process evolved from those early days to your work with 10cc?

It hasn’t really evolved that much. The only thing that has changed most radically for me over the years is the lyrical content of my songs because I am writing about more personal things. I used to write about seeing a girl in a club and going up to her and talking to her, or anything like that. It would be stupid for someone of a certain age to be singing about that subject matter, so yeah, it is now just more personal stuff and life experiences; kinda deeper stuff really. There’s the odd song I sometimes write which is just pure fantasy. Most recently I put out a record with Brian May about the James Webb Space Telescope.

 

Many believe ‘I’m Not In Love’ is 10cc’s most iconic song. Could you share some of the behind-the-scenes story of its creation? What was the initial inspiration for the song and how did it evolve during production? Blimey! How long have you got? We had resisted writing a love song, as at that point we thought it was a cliché. Up to that point we had never written a love song, but Eric Stewart came up with a brilliant title so it sounded like an anti-love song. The song was written pretty quickly. We recorded it, but it didn’t work. It stayed in our heads though, and then Kevin came up with a different rhythm for it and an idea to do it all with voices. Everything we did on that record seemed to work which shows that a good song inspires great production ideas. It kinda makes it easy to make the record if the song is good.

 

Did you know how good the song was after you recorded it?

Yes, we knew it was good. We didn’t know how commercially good it was but we knew it was very good.

 

10cc was known for its groundbreaking use of studio technology. How much of the band’s creative process came from experimenting with sound in the studio?

A lot! When we were recording, initially in the early ’70s, we didn’t have synthesisers or samplers. If you wanted a sound like the sound of voices on ‘I’m Not In Love’ now, you can pretty much get that sound by just using a keyboard. But we had to develop a technique for recording, multi-tracking and making loops with all the notes in that song, so we had to spend a lot of time creating that sound. It was really exciting as we created the choir that you hear on the record. We didn’t know how it was going to end up, so things have changed a lot. 

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10cc was known for its strong and unique blend of individual talents. How did the chemistry between Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and yourself contribute to the band’s success?

Well, it was everything; the chemistry was everything. The differences between us and our different influences, when it came to writing songs, as well as our different styles of playing; although the four of us stuck to what we were supposed to do. Quite often we changed instruments and things like that created what we were.

 

Are you all still friends?

Kevin Godley is the only one that I am in contact with. I seem to have lost touch with the other boys, but Kevin and I have always remained quite close. In fact when 10cc played at the Royal Albert hall last March, Kevin came on and sang two songs with us and played the drums on ‘Rubber Bullets’ with us.

 

You’ve written for many other artists beyond 10cc, including The Yardbirds. What’s the difference for you when writing songs for other artists?

Do you approach the songwriting process differently? No difference! When I’m writing songs, I’m just writing songs. The only difference was all the 10cc songs were co written.

 

What usually comes first: the tune or the lyrics?

It varies, you can have a song title, you can have a melody, or a chord sequence and one of those three things can lead you to write a song.

 

Throughout your career, you’ve seen many shifts in music genres and trends. How do you think the landscape of popular music has changed since you first started in the business, and how do you stay relevant in such an evolving industry?

I am not sure I CAN stay relevant, is the brutal answer to that. Music has changed a lot; it is much simpler, more transient somehow. I don’t want to be too negative about it, but you do get occasional flashes of brilliance, when you hear new records and you go “Wow!”... That’s fantastic! I am not saying everything is bad but it’s not as rich, or it doesn’t have as much depth. People’s attention spans are much shorter now, so things have to be more immediate. Like everything in life, you have to invest in it and not expect everything to happen immediately.

 

Of all the songs you’ve written or performed, is there one that you are the most proud of?

I am not going to name any, but for a song to be written, it has to have a certain quality to it to drive you to actually want to finish it. You can say they are all part of you and I am really proud of everything.

 

10cc has become a favourite with fans of all generations. How do you view the band’s legacy, and what does it mean to you to have your music continue to resonate with audiences today?

Well, it’s really important. It is lovely to know that your music means a lot to people. At the gigs we play now I see three generations of people, which is brilliant: people of my own age or thereabouts; my children’s age and also their children. So, yes, it means a lot.

 

You’re known for writing clever and witty introspective lyrics. Where do you draw your inspiration from and do you balance story telling with musicality?

Well, to answer the last question first, I don’t know how I balance the lyrics with the musicality. It is very important that there is a marriage between the music and the lyrics and that is just part of the art of songwriting. Quite often you can write something and the music and the lyrics come out at the same time, or something near to what it will be. That just comes from the same mysterious place that the creative process resides. I get inspiration from things that my wife says, or I might read something in the paper, or hear somebody say something and think, “Oh that’s an interesting phrase,” and I store it in my head for later. This is all part of how you write a song and - I don’t know - songwriters don’t always know how they write, they just do it. You can describe the preparation for doing it, but for me it’s just sitting down and messing with a guitar, unless I am collaborating with someone.

 

You’ve worked with many talented musicians over the years. Is there anyone you still hope to collaborate with, or are there new projects you’re particularly excited about at the moment?

I am always interested in new projects. The band has a very busy year coming up. As far as working with people, I am a big admirer of Mark Knopfler and would like to work with him.

 

Having been in the music industry for decades, what advice would you give to young, aspiring songwriters today who are trying to make their mark in such a competitive field?

Be original and write from the heart. It is always good to write from your own experiences, as a lot of writers do. Whatever happens, be musically full of surprises and don’t go down the straight road - Come off it! 

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Graham Gouldman is back on tour in March coming to Leeds City Varieties on Sunday 16th March.

For tickets, go to www.thegigcartel.com/Artists-profiles/10ccs-Graham-Gouldman You can also catch 10cc headline The Brit Fest 2025 on Sunday 6th July later this year.

For tickets, please go to thebritfest.co.uk www.grahamgouldman.info