This page is under construction

Graham Gouldman's 10cc has just finished its Dutch tour with the last of 25 gigs. Time for the Graham Gouldman Things website - who visited two shows - to look back.

What on earth can bring a man with great musical status to do 25 shows in a small but crowded country like the Netherlands? What's the joy for Graham Gouldman to perform in places like De Lampegiet in Veenendaal, De Blauwe Kei in Veghel and De Meenthe in Steenwijk? I mean, Carre in Amsterdam or Vredenburg in Utrecht are venues that live up to the reputation of the once great band 10cc. Going to Veenendaal and Veghel and to Winterswijk and Cuijk means going to the outskirts of the country, where you start off when you are at the beginning of your career and where things might get a bit suspicious if you go there in the autumn of it. The answer, my friends, is as simple as it is convincing: Graham Gouldman doesn't like anything more than to play his music with a band and to receive and accept all possible ''thankyous'' for that from the audience. To achieve that he and his band take every gig as serious as possible, at least as professional as it could be, no matter where or when.
I saw two shows, in Cuijk on March 6th and in Veenendaal on March 17th. In Cuijk I noticed the pleasure and the dedication with which Gouldman's 10cc does its job. Before the gig in Veenendaal I told Graham Gouldman that it shows he is enjoying himself very much on stage, even if he has to play 'Dreadlock holiday'' for the 10.000th time (the video interview from which this question comes will soon be launched by the GG Things website). "I don't mind", Gouldman immediately responded. "There are people in the audience who have never seen or heard this song performed live. So each night we'll have to play it like it is the first time.""
That quite says it all.

There's been a debate in the past amongst orthodoxe 10cc-fans wether or not Graham Gouldman should perform songs by 10cc with a band that misses the other three original members. I do not want to go through that discussion again and I certainly do not want to reanimate it. I just want to share with you the moving and magic experience I found myself in at the second gig I visited, in Veenendaal. That night Graham Gouldman's 10cc seemed to be in a kind of transcendental state. This was not about a band doing songs from a band that had commercial and artistic succes, some thirty years ago. At some point in the concert the songs seemed to take over the band. Those damn fine 10cc-songs you all know about (Old wild men, Art for art's sake, The dean and I etc.), they were dictating the musicians what to do, note by note, they followed the orders and through that they did more: the songs were able to present themselves as an entity of their own, because the musicians made themselves subsidiary to them - and it made the superior quality of those songs shine.
This was not an evening about Mick Wilson trying to replace Eric Stewart and/or Lol Creme. This was an evening with a band of dedicated disciples delivering a honorary service to the 10cc-catalogue. Not only were they thanked for that with warm and convincing applauses (and sometimes yells) by the audience after each song, also it was notable in the non-verbal communication in the seats and the verbal communication in the bar and the hallway after the show that people recognized the value of the repertoire and the old school musical professionality with which it was served to them.
Graham Gouldman taught us a lesson. At least myself. Nothing in life comes for free. You've got to go for it. So you have to work and work and work. Which is easier than harder when it is done by people who all follow the same direction. "You know", Gouldman told the GG Website before the gig in Veenendaal, "one of the pleasures of touring with this band is that everybody who is involved, musicians, technicians, roadies, knows what to do and everybody does what he has to do, without having to tell people constantly what to do."
I for myself used those Graham Gouldman lessons a couple of days later in a quality course I was giving to a bunch of managers of the newspaper I work for, dressed in my newly bought 10cc-T-shirt. If only we could make newspapers like Graham Gouldman and his friends make music...

Graham Gouldman's 10cc, at this moment touring in the Netherlands, will also perform in this country on June 13th. The band will be playing at the ''Back to the80's''-festival at the Grote Rietplas in Emmen. Also performing are Kim Wilde and Paul Young.

Graham Gouldman has just started off with the Dutch tour of his 10cc-band. Gerard Kievits will be one of the visitors; he is going to the gig in Breda. It brings back memories of the 10cc-concert he visited on April 6th, 1976, in the Doelen in Rotterdam. "It was one of the first concerts where everything was perfect, especially the vocals, that are of less quality in many other concerts. The atmosfere was great and while the gig was running towards its end we were allowed to go to the front of the concert hall, just before the stage. Therefore I was able to make a picture of the band performing." Kievits'daughter works in the Chasse Theatrte in Breda. He has printed the picture from 1976 en he will let his daughter try to offer it to Graham.

Tony O'Malley, former band member of 10cc, is travelling from his new homeland Goergia to the UK to play a few dates with some great musicians. See www.tonyomalley.com/calendar.html for details. Here is what Tony has to say about his forthcoming gigs."The Smoking Band includes the underrated & ageless Neil Hubbard on guitar, the incomparable & melodic Mel Collins on saxes, plus living legend & humorist Andrew Newmark on the drums (606 Club & Goodwood). Joining us at Abbeyfest on 4th July will be my old sparring partner, the very funky Glen Le Fleur on drums. Looking forward to this one! Making his debut on bass for the first three dates will be Jonathan Noyce of Jethro Tull fame. Jon comes highly recommended by regular bassist Mark Smith, who's been called away at short notice by the Waterboys for a top-secret mission to Lapland... At the Goodwood Festival of Speed 11th, 12th & 13th July, we'll be reunited with the lovely Phil Mulford on bass. On 7th July I'll play a solo concert at the Chichester Festivities, working for the first time with my very special guest, the talented & beautiful Fran Rogerson on violin."

Graham Gouldman's 10cc is going to do an extensive number of gigs in The Netherlands in 2009. The band is going to see more from the country than it ever did, since it is not only going to play in the cities, but also in some places in the lesser crowded parts of the land. On March 24th the band will play in Nijmegen, only 15 kilometers from Arnhem, homebase of the Graham Gouldman Things website.
Dates for the Dutch Tour 2009 are:

26-2   Oosterpoort Groningen
27-2   Anton Philipszaal Den Haag
28-2   Kennemer Theater Beverwijk
2-3     Chasse Theater Breda
3-3     Schouwburg Leiden
5-3     Rabotheater Hengelo
6-3     Schouwburg Cuijk
7-3     Vredenburg Leidse Rijn Utrecht
9-3     Nieuwe Luxor Theater Rotterdam
10-3   De Goudse Schouwburg Gouda
12-3   Muziekcentrum Frits Philips Eindhoven
16-3   Carre Amsterdam
17-3   De Lampegiet Veenendaal
18-3   Theater de Veste Delft
19-3   De Blauwe Kei Veghel
20-3   Schouwburg Orpheus Apeldoorn
21-3   Philharmonie Haarlem
24-3   Stadsschouwburg Nijmegen
25-3   De Maaspoort Venlo
26-3   Theater De Storm, Winterswijk
30-3   Podium Twente, Muziekkwartier Enschede
31-3   Zaantheater Zaandam
2-4     Parkstad Limburg Heerlen
3-4     De Meenthe Steenwijk
4-4     Schouwburg Tilburg

GRAHAM GOULDMAN AT THE NAKED SONG FESTIVAL: SONGWRITING IS A QUESTION OF INSTINCT

Graham Gouldman showed up at the Naked Song Festival in Eindhoven, on the 31st of May, for a workshop songwriting with Dutch artists Spinvis and Anne Soldaat. The lesson learned: songwriting is a question of instinct. Read more on this page

Thanks to Jez Morewood, a Mancunian guy who has his claim to fame as a DJ, the lyrics of 'London look' and 'Marcel's', two songs Graham Gouldman wrote for Herman's Hermits, are added to the songbook section. There you can also find the lyrics of 'Son of man' and 'Barry's shoes', the latest GG06-songs.

Out now: a dvd with a live recording of the concert 10cc featuring Graham Gouldman gave in 2007 at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. We are talking about the line-up with Graham Gouldman, Rick Fenn, Paul Burgess, Mick Wilson and Mike Stevens, that is performing the music of 10cc and Graham Gouldman for about five years now. Is it worthwile? Yes it is, according to the Graham Gouldman Things website, that was sent a copy by the artist himself.

Thinking about the recent discussion on the use of the 10cc-name by Graham Gouldman in relation to his present band and considering that it is very hard to believe that the original line-up will ever get back together again, one could say that 'Clever clogs' is the closest you can get to the real 10cc. Here are five highly professional musicians - one of them being one of the key members of the original band, two of them being part of the pack that was responsible for the 10cc-recordings in the seventies and eighties - paying tribute to the music by playing it at a very high level. Musically, sometimes the band seems to sound even better than former 10cc-line-ups did on previous gigs or live recordings, with an outstanding Art for art's sake being one of the best examples. At least the band seems to enjoy itself more than, for instance, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman seemed to do in the show that was captured live on dvd in Japan in 1993. With less distance to the audience, with more occasions of sharing their own pleasure with the audience.
For the diehard 10cc-fan there are no real surprises, though. What we see and what we hear, is almost exactly the same show that Gouldman and his fellows were putting on at every stage everywhere for the last five years. Including the a cappella chapter with Gouldman's own sixties songs Bus stop, No milk today, Look through any window and For your love. Including Rick Fenn´s exclamation afterwards ('Graham Gouldman! What a songwriter!'). Including the mobile phone ring in Donna. You can sketch things out for yourself if you've seen it once. But okay, hasn't 10cc always been a band that left nothing to coincidence?
One big surprise for diehard 10cc-fans is the appearance - in London and Cardiff - of original band member Kevin Godley, who has been working on new songs with Graham Gouldman as GG06. It's moving to see and hear him sing 'Old wild men' with the band, and to watch him perform the GG06-song 'Beautifulloser.com', with Jess Bailey on piano. Godley also contributes backing vocals to the last song on the dvd, 'Rubber bullets', giving it just that little extra that draws back your memory even more to the taste of 10cc in the old days. The parts done by Eric Stewart and Lol Creme at that time are mostly done by Mick Wilson, in this new line-up. He does a satisfying job, but is not able to make you forget about the distinctive voices of Stewart and Creme.
But in the end and overall 'Clever clogs' is a clever job, doing right to the heritage of 10cc and Graham Gouldman. That also goes for the interviews in which Graham Gouldman dives into the developing history of the songs and the monologue by sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson about the great record sleeves he made for 10cc.
If there ever has to be a tribute band in this world that keeps the music of 10cc and Graham Gouldman alive, it better be this one, with Graham Gouldman paying tribute to himself and his former band members.

Graham Gouldman chatted with Mike Read in a 2 part special last Sunday. He talked about his career as a song writer and his life with 10cc, Wax and Hot Legs. You can listen to the programme online at www.bigl.co.uk, on sky digital channel 0190 and online at www.bigl.co.uk

Graham also talked with Dutchman Frank de Munnik for ''De Wissel", a program on Dutch Radio 6 and for an introduction interview in Dutch VPRO TV Guide. The program, with Graham talking about his songwriting, his influences and his favorite songs, can be found on the internet at wissel.radio6.nl

Two of my personal favorites will meet at the Naked Song Festival, May 31, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Graham Gouldman, giving a songwriters workshop there, will receive Dutch artist Spinvis as a guest. Spinvis sings in Dutch and is responsible for one of the most remarkable debut albums worldwide from the last twenty years, called ´Spinvis´, with remarkable lyrics, music and melodies.

Graham Gouldman, one of the founding members of 10cc, has been touring the last couple of years with his own band, performing songs from the 10cc-catalogue and songs he wrote in the sixties for artists like the Hollies and Herman's Hermits. In the billing of the concerts Gouldman uses the name ''10cc". For those not initiated in the dedicated clan of fans that try to keep the memory of the original 10cc alive - if not for others at least for themselves -: let me tell you that Gouldman's presentation has caused a firm debate among these fans, with people on the one side who think he should put the name of 10cc to rest because only all original members would be allowed to dig it up and use it, and with people on the other side who think he is exactly doing what the appreciators of 10cc-music would like to see: keeping the memory of the music alive.
Again, for those not initiated: 10cc was formed by Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme in the seventies. They stayed together for about five years, signing for great albums like ''Sheet music" and "How dare you" and smash hits like "Wall Street shuffle" and "I'm not in love".
In 1976, after Godley and Creme left the band, 10cc got a second life with Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman continuing together, until - after a couple of time-outs - , in 1995 the last official 10cc-album, ''Mirror mirror" was released. Throughout that period 10cc gained new artistic and commercial succes with albums like "Deceptive bends" and "Bloody tourists" and hitsingles like "Things we do for love" and "Dreadlock holiday".
In the new millennium Graham Gouldman began to tour with drummer Paul Burgess and guitarist Rick Fenn (who played on several original 10cc-recordings) and additional musicians (Mike Stevens, Mick Wilson) to perform the music of 10cc and himself. Asked by the Graham Gouldman Things website to comment on the recent debate about the use of the "10cc"-name, Graham Gouldman takes the opportunity to give his point of view on the matter:

"While I’m sure the debate about who/what is a ‘legitimate’ 10cc will probably continue ad infinitum, I would like to think my views on the subject will help some people come to terms with the passing of time.
I can appreciate the position of those 10cc fans who think the band can only ever be the original four, and those who think that, if it can’t be the four, then it can only ever be Eric and myself. That’s fine for them – it’s their enjoyment of the music that’s the most important thing to me.
I would love the current band to include all or any of Lol, Kevin and Eric, but I’m the only one who wants to present 10cc as a live entity.
I would never record new material under the name 10cc, but I believe I am entitled to perform the music live as 10cc. I am half of the Mark 2 version and two of that band, Rick Fenn and Paul Burgess, are in the current line-up.
I must say that tens of thousands of people in several countries have enjoyed the current 10cc band and audience’s are growing.
Unfortunately perhaps, it’s a fact that very many of them – maybe even the majority on some occasions – aren’t aware of who I am or the other original members. They go to the shows for the songs and the experience. I introduce the line-up and tell the story of who of the original band members wrote which songs.
Therefore, qualifying 10cc with ‘featuring Graham Gouldman etc’ often confused people – some even thought it was a tribute band – and, try as I may, it was almost impossible to enforce that through the multitude of promotional platforms used by promoters and venues these days, not least radio.
So, I decided it might as well be just 10cc and let all the press promotion, venue brochures and radio interviews explain the line-up.
Anyone who wants to book the band is told that there is only one original member, as are any publicists or marketing people involved. The biographical material used also makes it crystal clear. There is never any attempt by me or my people to hide it, because, if it’s important to someone, we want them to know from the start.
For any public interested in the line-up, the information is there to be found with relative ease. I am sure that every newspaper or magazine article actually makes a point of it – there is never any intention by anyone involved to hide it, quite the opposite.
This policy seems to be working, as neither I or my booking agent has received the slightest complaint from public or business for many years.
I take great pride in being able give so many thousands of people the pleasure of hearing the songs live, and Kevin Godley’s participation in a couple of shows last year was a fantastic boost, not least to the delighted audiences.
Also, the current band’s success is fuelling back-catalogue record sales, radio play and performance royalties for the original four.
There is no deception, no misrepresentation. This is the third incarnation of 10cc and it is taking the music to old and new fans alike.
If some of our old fans want to retain the purity of their 30 or 25-year-old memories, then that’s perfectly fine. But I don’t think anyone, except perhaps a majority of the original four, has the right to say there shouldn’t be a successful 10cc performing live today. After all, it’s the same music and I love playing it as much now as I did then.
Best wishes
Graham."

Please note that the Graham Gouldman Things website has no business or personal relation with the artist. This is an independent side, the opinion above is only Graham's. If you want to read my opinion on the matter, please continue HERE

Graham Gouldman will be visiting the Netherlands for the first time in many years. Graham is invited to do a songwriters workshop at the Naked Song Festival in the Philips Muziekcentrum in Eindhoven. Other singer/songwriters at the Festival are (among others) Gabriel Rios, Dave Eugene Edwards, Linda Thompson, Krista Detor en T-99. Six stages in the Muziekcentrum are reserved for the festival, that will be held on Saturday, May 31st, at 20.15.

Former 10cc member Tony O'Malley has opened his own place at MySpace: www.myspace.com/tonyomalley1. Tony lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia, these days, having at least one thing in common with the president of that country, Sjakaasvili: a great Dutch woman living by his side. Tony is presently recording a new album.

The fifth Muze-concert in De Bijloke in Gent (Belgium) will take place at May 16th 2007. Graham Gouldman’s 10cc is going to perform there. The band is announced as 'The purity of perfect pop'.
Tickets in pre-sale are 20 euro, and 25 euro at the box office. You can order tickets by booking the right amount to bankaccount nr. 891-5340893-83 at the name of ''De Verenigde Muze". You can also order at Kunstcafé “De Muze”: Rekelingestraat 3-9000 Gent- phone 0475 350542, email: info@demuze.be, website www.demuze.be

The webmaster of the Graham Gouldman Things website is about to embark on a webdesign course, to see if he can recquire the technical skills needed to pimp this site. His aim is to give the site a more contemporary look, with a better navigation, improved information and better pictures. The course will be given by the webmasters collegue Rob Vunderink, who you may know as the singer and co/writer of the hit wonder ´Sausalito summernight´, recorded by Dutch group Diesel. ´´I feel a bit nervous about this´´, the webmaster says. ´`Like diving in the pool for the first time without the guard pulling you up somewhere behind your swimming trousers.`` So it may take some time for him to come up with the new goodies. If you might wantl to add any pictures or info to contribute to the renewed site, please feel welcome to send in your stuff.

Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman have found themselves together in a new cooperation called GG06. In an interview with the Graham Gouldman Things website they speak about their new music and about their relationship. "Kevin and I go back a long way and we like and respect each other but mainly I just love working with the guy." Read the interview HERE

''Greatest hits... and more" is the title of a new 10cc-collection released by Universal. The only good thing about it is that it contains two new songs fron GG06, the new enterprise in which Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman are involved. One of them is the song "Son of man". In this song Godley and Gouldman look back on the musical history of 10cc, starting off with the period in which the band members were playing on other peoples records in Strawberry Studios and formed The Hotlegs, the prequel to 10cc. GG06 is intending to continue this saga and the least you can say is that this first part makes you curious about what is next.
The other new song, "Beautifulloser.com", here in an edited version, was already downloadable from GG06's website. There are also four Gouldman-songs on the album, two of them obviously re-recorded by Graham, one ("Heart full of soul") assumingly taken from his solo-album "And another things".
There is no more information on the cd, since the artwork has been done in a low-budget style, without any liner notes or a proper bio with explanation of the meaning of the band 10cc. Low-budget is also the label to be attached to the way Universal has put this "best of...""on cd. The sound quality is sometimes remarkably poor and the lowest point of all is the horrible way "Feel the benefit" has been dropped on the album: in the wrong speed, too slow, making Eric Stewart's vocal sound like he is suspended in deep freeze.
All in all, a labour of lovelessness, this compilation. Which does rise the question why the hell Godley and Gouldman cooperated on this issue, for instance by doing their part in the public relations involved. There have been issued a countless number of greatest hits-albums in the past already and this one doesn't add very much in the first place. But one thing is for sure: you can find better 10cc-compilations than this one from previous dates (John Bruinsma)

Tony O'Malley, former member of 10cc, has a new album out. It is called "The Mansarde Sessions" and features ''beautiful Georgian piano player Paata Andriadze", as Tony says. I is now available from CD Baby - www.cdbaby.com/cd/omalley5 - or you may also wish to visit www.tonyomalley.com to check out some samples of all his albums. And if you do, beware that Tony is glad if you leave a message in the guestebook.

Today, Kevin Godley & Graham Gouldman got their website up and running.. At http://www.gg06.co.uk you can find their new songs. Listen now!

Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman will soon release four songs they made together through their own new website. The Graham Gouldman Things website had the opportunity to listen already. Conclusion: the best collaboration ever since 10cc and Godley & Creme passed away.

Kevin Godley is back in music with his voice and an instrument, not being a video camera that shoots clips directed by him for U2 or Katie Melua. A great surprise as such, and even bigger if you listen to what he has been working on with Graham Gouldman, who always stayed busy with making music.
Call it a 10cc-reunion, if you want, or a Mockingbirds-reunion even better. The thing that counts is that the two companions from way back when have created four brand new songs that aren’t made on routine, but on talent, craftmanship and inspiration, from a kind that could make younger musicians jealous.
It may sound a bit prejudiced and pathetic even, but the truth is: this stuff fits the best parts of the whole musical catalogue Godley and Gouldman already have behind them. Hooligan crane, Beautifulloser.com, Johnny hurts and The same road do contain that original, distinctive touch that – in the best days - was always present in 10cc-music. And it seems that Kevin Godley has had a strong hand in that. Especially in the lyrics, a perfect example for younger people in pop music of what writing an original song is all about. For the fans: they contain the signature you already discovered in the work from the past.
The four songs are all about people who are losers or who have lost something on the road of life. They are portrayed with compassion, with empathy, with melancholy and/or mild irony. Together with the tasteful arrangements of the music (with a piano only on Beautifulloser.com) it gives the songs a human touch or edge. All the lead vocals are done by Kevin Godley, who demonstrates his ability to sing beautifully hasn’t diminished. In fact, once again it is pointed out why he always was one of the stronger vocalists in 10cc.
The theme of Hooligan crane reminds me of Punchbag and This sporting life, two songs from the L-album (1978) by Godley & Creme, as torture and suicide are themes that come up again. The same road is the poppiest song of all four, with a nice jazzpop groove and a tasteful, melancholy lyric. Johnny hurts is a song that brings thoughts back to, say, Birds of prey, again with quirky lyrics, Graham Gouldman doing a great backing vocal and a very sexy electric guitar in the background (with a blend of Duane Eddy and Angelo Badalamenti).
The greatest piece, definitely in lenght, is Beautifulloser.com. An epic song, more than eight minutes long, about a woman falling from grace and even deeper than that. An intruiging song, with secrets you have to discover by listening repeatedly, and Kevin Godley going a bit Tom Waits in his vocal. At first I thought: this song is too long, having only that vocal and piano and that straightforward lyric and melody, they should have edited this. Now I think different: it’s a beautiful song in fact, with a strong story in the lyric that draws your attention the whole time.
People, I can tell you this: for the first time in years I felt like being the schoolkid again buying a new 10cc lp (piece of vinyl with a hole) and make my way home as fast as possible to play it on the grammophone, when I heard these four new songs by Gouldman and Godley. Maybe I'm a bit prejudiced, but hell, I'm old enough to know pop music from ABBA to Zappa, so read my lips: this is GOOD stuff, no doubt. So if G & G have their website up and running – we’ll let you know – you better check it out, download those songs and judge for yourself.

A long long time ago, in a musical galaxy far far away, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman were regarded as "5cc". It was the time when Godley & Creme left the band 10cc, and Stewart and Gouldman went on with the group. Now, in 2006, the miracle of another incarnation of "5cc" occurs: the combination of Graham Gouldman with Kevin Godley. Graham and Kev, who know each other already from when they were kids, have been working together on new song material. And now they are ready to release four new songs: The same road, Johnny hurts, Hooligan Crane and Beautifulloser.com. Graham and Kevin are up to upload a whole new website where these songs can be downloaded. We'll keep you informed, as we also will try to tell you something more about the songs soon and ask Graham and Kevin some questions about how they got to get together and get this new operation together.

At the International Guitar Festival in South Tyneside, in the northwest of England, Graham Gouldman and Mick Wilson played an acoustic gig on the 21st of July. According to attender Glenn Marshall they not only played a couple of 10cc-hits and Gouldman-melodies from the sixties, but also a new song the two had just written. The title of that song is yet unknown. Another surprise was that Graham and Mick did a version of 'Love's not for me'.
GRAHAM GOULDMAN IN CHARITY SHOW
(contribution by John Holman - www.songwriters.4t.com)

The St. Georges Hill Tennis in Weybridge was a picturess setting for a special 'Songwriters Show Case' in aid of the Princess Alias Hospice Charity. The show featured Roger Greenawy, Tony Hiller, Tony Burrows, Barry Mason, Richard Kerr and Graham Gouldman. Set within a 14-acre lakeside site on a private estate created by WG Tarrant, the club was founded in 1913 and has a distinguished history, seeing Dame Margaret Lloyd George playing the opening ball of the 1921 club tournament. Helen Wills Moody and Alice Marble, triple Wimbledon Champions in the 20's and 30's respectively, battled it out for the club's Open title in 1936 and the National Junior Lawn Tennis Championships was staged as far back as 1921. Held on 2 evenings Friday 15th and Saturday 16th of May. The show lasted 2 hours and kicked of around 7.30pm Featuring top songwriters performing some of their biggest hits. Roger Greenaway performed renditions of You've Got Your Troubles, My Baby Loves Lovin', I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing and Something Gotten Hold Of My Heart. Richard Kerr performed Somewhere In The Night, Mandy and also I Know I'll Never Love That Way Again. Tony Hiller performed a handful of songs starting with Cabaret and followed by some of my Brotherhood classic including Angelo, Figaro, Save Your Kisses For Me. Graham Gouldman sung many of his hits including Bus Stop, I'm Not In Love, Dreadlock Holiday and Neanderthal Man. Barry Mason also performed many songs including Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes, Delilah and of course a great story leading to his Engelbert Humperdinck classic The Last Waltz. Roger Greenaway came back on to the small stage to close the show with his group The Kestrels by performing my Brotherhood of Man hit United We Stand.

Instead of what we mentioned earlier on the website, there will be no concert by Graham Gouldman's 10cc on Friday July 8th in zaal Iso, Sint Jorisstraat, Izegem, Belgium. Several fans have asked why they could not find more info about the concert. Therefore the Graham Gouldman Things website asked Graham himself if he knew more. "I can tell you that we were never booked for this gig and I don't know from where this originated", Graham told us.
May 10th, 2005
GRAHAM GOULDMAN'S BIRTHDAY
Graham Gouldman is celebrating his 59th anniversary as a human being on this earth today. Happy birthday, Graham, we'll drink to you.

Graham Gouldman is one of several songwriters/artists performing in The Bush Hall, Shephers Bush, England, at a special Tsunami/Sudan-charity concert, March 15th 2005. The Graham Gouldman Things website is curious if Gary Christian will do Christian-hits like 'Ideal world' and with what Stranglers-frontman Hugh Cornwell will come up. For more information see the poster below.
<> tsunami concert

British publicist Sean Egan has written a book on songwriters responsible for smash hits or well known musical masterpieces. It is titled 'The guys who wrote them' and contains pieces on famous songwriters like Holland/Dozier/Holland, Leiber/Stoller and Chinn/Chapman. The book, published by Askill, also features a lengthy chapter on Graham Gouldman, for which he was interviewed. More details can be found athttp://theguyswhowroteem.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ You can order it from Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0954575016/qid%3D1089812586/202-8934915-7507011 Or Amazon USA:

With permission from the author here's an excerpt of the chapter on Graham Gouldman:

“In 10cc interviews, I used to say that I wrote this and that and they'd go, like: Wow.”

Graham Gouldman is sitting in his west London office surrounded by evidence that indeed he did have a professional life prior to ‘Donna’, that first 10cc hit in 1972. On his walls, amongst other accolades, are an Ivor Novello award for ‘Look Through Any Window’ (a number 2 for The Hollies in 1965) and an airplay citation for the Yardbirds classic ‘For Your Love’ from the same year. Yet, to be fair, the lack of knowledge on the part of some journalists about the young Gouldman's freelance songwriting is understandable. When 10cc took off, it was as though Gouldman reinvented himself, shrugging off almost a decade of being unable for the life of him to achieve success either as a solo artist or a band member despite an apparently effortless capacity for securing hits for others.

Gouldman, born on May 10 1946, was a self-taught musician. “[I was] eleven years old when I got my first guitar that a cousin of mine brought me back from Spain,” he says. “My parents actually sent me to the Manchester School of Music. I lasted for about two or three weeks because all the guy taught me, blast him, was the scales. I didn't want to learn the scales. I wanted to learn the intro to ‘Move It’.”

Gouldman played in early-Sixties Manchester bands called The High Spots, The Crevattes and The Planets. “Crap,” he recalls of them. “We were just doing covers of Cliff Richard songs, basically.” The Whirlwinds was the first of his bands to get a recording deal. “We did a Buddy Holly song, ‘Look At Me’. The B-side [‘Baby Not Like Me’] was written by Lol [Creme, a childhood friend, later his colleague in 10cc] because I didn't have a song at the time.” ‘Look At Me’, however, was the sum total of The Whirlwinds’ recording career:“I didn't like the stuff that the Whirlwinds were doing. It was kind of like a cabaret band. We used to finish with ‘Alexander's Rag Time Band’ and it was starting to get on my nerves. And that's when I said ‘I've had it’ and split off, taking Bernard Basso, who played bass, with me and a guy called Stephen Jacobson, who is [the novelist] Howard Jacobson's brother. And I had seen Kevin [Godley] play with another band and I thought he was a pretty cool drummer, so I asked him to join. And that was The Mockingbirds.”

Gouldman's songwriting came about through necessity in 1964 when The Mockingbirds, then signed to Columbia, were looking for material. “Basically we wanted to make a record and we went round Denmark Street, or our manager did, and nobody was interested in giving an unknown Manchester band any songs and because of The Beatles I felt, ‘Oh sod it - if they can do it, I'm going to have a go as well’. We recorded two songs for EMI, one of which was ‘For Your Love’.” ‘For Your Love’ was a superb composition, a message of devotion lent a haunting quality by its minor chords and stop-start structure. Gouldman: “Well, EMI turned down ‘For Your Love’. They didn't like it.”

Being a Manchester band helped The Mockingbirds secure a fairly prestigious gig as warm-up group on the BBC television chart programme Top Of The Pops, then filmed in that city. It caused the young Gouldman to find himself in a surreal situation. Following Columbia's rejection of ‘For Your Love’, The Yardbirds had shown greater suss and made it their first top 20 hit: “It was a very odd feeling to be the support band for a band that was doing one of my songs.” The Yardbirds’ rendering of the number added an exotic tinge with harpsichord and a bowed bass. Had Gouldman been surprised by ‘For Your Love’’s rejection? “Yeah. I thought we did a very good version of it.” He is happy to accept, though, that The Yardbirds’ version was even better.

Gary Cavanagh sent us some pictures of the gig that Graham Gouldman did in Ieper, Belgium, August 14th. 'We enjoyed it so much', Gary states. Here are some of the pics.

'You ain't heard nothing yet' is the name of a show for the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) where Graham Gouldman will perform on June 13th, 2004, 7.30 pm. The gala evening in aid of the TCT will take place at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, London WC1. Tickets cost £25, £32.50 and £40 and are available only from UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, Box Office: 020 7388 8822. Online bookings are also possible via www.thebloomsbury.com/shows/youaintheard/index.htm
Graham Gouldman will perform classic songs he has (co-)written for 10cc and sixties bands like Hollies and Yardbirds. Making a rare UK appearance is Canadian rock icon Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who, whose anthems 'You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet' and 'American Woman' are among the most-performed songs of all time. The third music celebrity in line is Dennis Locorriere, former lead vocalist with Dr Hook. The line-up is completed with two gifted new talents: Lauren Field, whose acclaimed debut jazz/crossover album 'Modern Woman' was released recently, and Polly Paulusma who is being hailed as one of the most exceptional UK singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years.
Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) focuses on the particular needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer, leukaemia, Hodgkin's and related diseases by creating specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. TCT, established in the early 1990s, has already designed and built eight units in the UK; London (two sites), Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool. Building the units costs between £750,000 and £2 million each. The charity's target is to have at least 22 units across the UK to ensure every young person has access to one. It has been shown that treatment on a TCT unit gives the patient a 15% greater chance of recovery and patients themselves are involved in the concept and design of the units. TCT has already enjoyed the support of the music business for past few years with its annual series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring The Who and many other major names.
The show is being presented by David Stark, Editor/Publisher of music industry publication SongLink International (considered the 'bible' for music publishers and songwriters worldwide). Stark is also co-author of the book "Inspirations - The Stories Behind The Songs" (Sanctuary Publishing) which helped to raise over £350,00 for children's charities five years ago. For this show he works together with his cousins Jan & Colin Lewis, who will both be trekking in Vietnam in October to raise additional funds for TCT, along with many other volunteers including Graham Gouldman. The idea for the show arose during a dinner conversation between David, Colin and Jan just a few weeks ago, and thanks to the instant support from all the stars and their respective managers/agents, the stage is set for what promises to be a memorable night, held in one of London's most intimate and comfortable theatres (500+ capacity), with an excellent view from all seats.
More info: www.teencancer.org

APRIL 9th, 2004
GRAHAM GOULDMAN IN BELGIUM
Graham Gouldman and his band will perform in belgium again coming summer. On August 13nd GG plays at Terras Bilzen. It's a festival where audience has free entrance. The day after, on August 14nd, GG can be seen and heared at the Stadsfestival in Ieper.

SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2003
Graham Gouldman is heading for a tour in Australia. A string of concerts will start of at Sunday 12th October at the Perth Concert Hall. The rest o the tour dates: Wednesday 15th October: Sawtell, RSL Club; Thursday 16th October: Kedron, Wavell Services Club; Friday 17th & Saturday 18th September: Twin Towns Services Club; Sunday 19th October: Darwin, MGM Grand; Monday 20th October: Townsville, Entertainment Centre; Tuesday 21st October: Newcastle, Wests Leagues Club; Wednesday 22nd October: Dapto Leagues Club; Friday 24th October: Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club;
Saturday 25th October: Rooty Hill RSL Club; Sunday 26th October: Canberra, Southern Cross Club; Wednesday 29th October: Hobart, Wrest Point Casino; Thursday 30th October: Launceston, Country Club Casino; Friday 31st October: Melbourne, Mercury Room, Crown Casino; Saturday 1st November: Mildura, Bank Centre; Sunday 2nd November: Adelaide, Fowlers Live

AUGUST 19th, 2003
Added a photo of the Labadoux concert to the GG interview page: GG doing a soundcheck with Rick Fenn and Mike Stevens

JULY 12th 2003
Gill Gouldman, former wife of Graham Gouldman, died, after a fall in her flat.She was only 35 years old. Our deepest condoleances go out to Graham and the children, Rosanna and Alex - John Bruinsma

MAY 22nd 2003
THE GRAHAM GOULDMANINTERVIEW
'If someone calls you a dirty Jew as a little boy, which has happened to me, you are ready and willing to show them who you are'. Graham Gouldman speaks out in the surroundings of the Labadoux festival at Ingelmunster (Belgium), in an exclusive interview with the Graham Gouldman Things homepage. Read more HERE

MAY 22nd 2003
Under the name of UNKLE British musician James Lavalle soon releases 'Never Never Land', the follower to 'Psyence Fiction'. Like on that previous cd (which had guest appearances by Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Richard Ashcroft) there will be some prominent artists on the new UNKLE-album: Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) sings on 'Safe In Mind', Eno and Jarvis Cocker (ex-Pulp) are involved in a synthesizer battle on 'I Need Something Stronger', 3D (Massive Attack) delivers guest vocals on 'Invasion' and Ian Brown and Mani (ex-Stone Roses) put up a kind of Manchester reunion on 'Reign'. Speaking of Manchester, the greatest news for 10cc-fans probably is the guest appearance on this record by Graham Gouldman. Nothing less than 140 vocal tracks were recorded by Gouldman for a song called 'In a state'. Did he lend them the multivocal tape from I'm not in love? "No", says Gouldman, "we made something new, although the producer wanted to get the same effect as on I'm not in love. The result is something thas has a similar effect, but when you listen to it you will notice it's not the same."

MAY 20th 2003
Graham Gouldman is appearing at the Eastleigh Festival in Hampshire, England, on Friday 1 August. He will be performing with The SAS Band, Spike's All-Stars. Next to keyboardplayer Spike Edney (who toured with Graham Gouldman's 10cc in 2000) Gouldman will be playing with Paul Young, Leo Sayer and Fish. Tickets are now on sale price £20 from Ticketweb, 08700 600 100. Full details can be found on the Festival website or at the SAS Band website

FEBRUARY 21st 2003
Graham Gouldman will be performing in Belgium this year. Bart Quintens (Artist Management & Agency) has informed the Graham Gouldman Things website that there will be a performance at the Labadoux Festival in Ingelmunster (May 3rd, see their site ) at the Boerenrock festival in Kortenaken (August 16th) and at the Marktrock festival in Poperinge (August 30th).
In Poperinge Graham Gouldman will perform on the Great Market square from 21.15 until 22.45. Other bands performing at the festival are Sergio and the Bang Gang (16.00-17.15), Hof van Commerce (17.50-18.55), Gorki (19.30-20.30) and De Kreuners (23.30-1.00). There are no details yet about the Boerenrock festival. Regarding their list last year (with Fisher-Z and Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel on it) they are quite ambitious in Kortenaken.

AUGUST 26th 2002 'Animalympics' finally released on cd? Chris Haslage, from Ohio, USA, is working on it. He's working on getting a perfect cd-copy of the vinyl album in his full studio at home. He plugged his AIWA record player into his Pyramid mixer, which is plugged into his computer. He used Cool Edit Pro and GoldWave to edit. But he is still looking for an undamaged vinyl example, to be sure no ticks or distortion makes it onto the cd.
Chris is also trying to get in touch with Graham Gouldman (through this website) to discuss the possibilty of re-releasing 'Animalympics' on cd from the original mastertape. If you want to know more about Haslage's efforts, visit his website, speciality dedicated to 'Animalympics'.

ARCHIVED
For archived material go to thearchive page . Contains: interview with Eric Stewart (May 2003), interview with Tony O'Malley (March 2002), concert review Graham Gouldman in Genk (June 2002)