10cc – "10cc" – July 1973 Debut Album on UK Records featuring Kevin Godley, Lol Crème, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman (April 2007 UK Cherry Red/7T's Records Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Five Bonus Tracks) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...200lbs Of Surf Board Hercules..."

Like most 70ts teenagers and young adults - I loved 10cc. 

At their best, this super-talented foursome produced Pop and Art Rock genius. And even at their most ordinary, 10cc tunes displayed more clever hooks than a hundred cloakrooms. Besides, any rock group that took its name from a percentage point of ejaculated male sperm gets my vote.

But in truth, their 1973 self-titled debut "10cc" on England's UK Records was an album I admired rather than actually liked. "Sheet Music" – their second platter from 1974 – was always so much more accomplished to me and has always engendered my affection. Still, this '7T's Records' Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster from 2007 of "10cc" is a tidily presented cracker (7T's Records are a Cherry Red label imprint that mostly deals with Glam Rock and the poppier side of that decade – Mud, Hello, Mungo Jerry, Showaddywaddy etc). 

Kevin Godley, Lol Crème, Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart already had nearly a decade of Pop-making experience between them and two great lead vocalists out front into the bargain. In fact I remember we music-junkies would await their singles with a sense of excitement – a vibe The Beatles used to elicit and a supergroup 10cc were often compared with as hit-making successors. So, having a tear-gas of a time, let's trip on down to a party at the local country jail...

UK released 9 April 2007 - "10cc" by 10cc on Cherry Red/7T's Records GLAM CD 25 (Barcode 5013929042520) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Five Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (51:47 minutes):

1. Johnny Don't Do It [Side 1]

2. Sand In My Face 

3. Donna 

4. The Dean And I 

5. Headline Hustler 

6. Speed Kills [Side 2]

7. Rubber Bullets 

8. The Hospital Song 

9. Ships Don't Disappear (Do They?)

10. Fresh Air For My Mama

Tracks 1 to 10 are their debut album "10cc" - released July 1973 in the UK on UK Records UKAL 1005 and November 1973 in the USA on UK Records/London UKS 53105. Produced by 10cc - it peaked at No. 36 on the British LP charts - bubbled under at No. 201 in the USA 

BONUS TRACKS: 

11. Hot Sun Rock 

August 1972 UK debut 45-single on UK Records UK 6, Instrumental Non-LP B-side of "Donna"

12. 4% Of Something 

December 1972 UK second 45-single on UK Records UK 22, Non-LP B-side of "Johnny Don't Do It" 

13. Waterfall 

March 1973 UK third 45-single on UK Records UK 36, Non-LP B-side of "Rubber Bullets" (Single Edit)

A-side is Track 15

14. Bee In My Bonnet

August 1973 UK fourth 45-single on UK Records UK 48, Non-LP B-side of "The Dean And I"

15. Rubber Bullets (Single Version) 

March 1973 UK third 45-single on UK Records UK 36, Non-LP B-side of "Rubber Bullets" (Single Edit) 

B-side is Track 13

The 16-page booklet has new liner notes from MICHAEL HEATLEY itself supplemented by an impressive few pages of foreign picture sleeves for the albums four singles - "Donna", "Johnny Don't Do It", "The Dean And I" and of course the British Number One "Rubber Bullets". Rather smartly as well as the 10 LP songs, the lyric-pages that follow feature the words to the three NON-LP B-sides too - "4% Of Something", "Waterfall" and "Bee In My Bonnet" ("Hot Sun Rock" is an instrumental). 

It doesn't say anywhere who mastered what but the Cherry Red website says it's Remastered - and it sounds it too – punchy and powerful without ever dipping out the details. 

45-collectors will also love that this CD will allow them to sequence the band's first four 7" singles with those sought-after Non-LP B-sides (their second album "Sheet Music" on 7T's GLAM CD 26 - Barcode 5013929042629, also remastered and reissued in April 2007, does the same for their next three singles - "The Wall Street Shuffle", "The Worst Band In The World" and "Silly Love"). Of the B-sides surrounding the 1973 debut, I thought the instrumental "Hot Rock Sun" little more than filler – but the lovely "Waterfall" and the kicking "Bee In My Bonnet" are flips any fan would jump at having on digital. To the LP itself and those Art Rock chunes...

I have to admit that I've harboured a bugbear hatred for "Rubber Bullets" since its release and if I never hear the irritating roll-up, roll-up, thing ever again, that'll be fine by me. The absolute polar-opposite applies to "Donna" and "The Dean And I" - little 70ts masterclasses in Pop hook-dom (and great lyrics that seemed to celebrate growing up). Both the debut LP and their second album "Sheet Music" produced what I felt were obvious turkey singles - "Johnny Don't Do It" and "The Worst Band In The World". But that aside, this remaster allows you to hear LP gems undiscovered for decades like "The Hospital Song" (lyrics from it title this review) and what I felt should have been the next 45 - "Headline Hustler" (maybe it was too dangerous to issue it for fear of actual tabloid wrath). Clever pace-changes too in "Ships Don't Disappear (Do They?)" – people really don't die of fright – but they might be surprised to find out how good this one is at getting their blood pumping. 

The next album "Sheet Music" in 1974 and of course the stunning 1975 LP "The Original Soundtrack" upped the quality output even more and would cement their legend. But this slightly unwieldy start saw 10cc open their hit-account with a sufficient wallop and considering it's over 48 years old in July 2021 - they really did arrive with more of a bang than a percentage squirt.

Rolling in kisses - Milton's "Paradise Lost" has been found - they weren't really hum-drum days because of band's like 10cc and albums like this...