Hidden Treasures - This playlist is brought to you by the number "10"

We don't get very much Art-Rock around here and its about time we at least let you hear some from the very best who have created it.

For the most part, 10cc featured two strong songwriting teams, one 'commercial' and one 'artistic', but both teams injected sharp wit into lyrically dextrous and musically varied songs. Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop-song-writers, who created most of the band's accessible songs. By way of contrast, Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematic inspired writing. Every member was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer and producer. Most of the band's albums were recorded at their own Strawberry Studios (North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) in Dorking, with most of those engineered by Stewart.

PLAYLIST --> http://snack.to/ahkm483n

	The Original Soundtrack 1975 1 - Flying Junk The album was the first to be released by Mercury Records after signing the band for $1 million in February 1975. The catalyst for the deal was the fact the record executives had heard one song – "I'm Not in Love". It was a critical and commercial success reaching No.3 in the UK and No.15 in the US, and featured distinctive cover art created by the Hipgnosis team and drawn by artist Humphrey Ocean. Their biggest success came with the song that sold the album, "I'm Not in Love", which gave the band their second UK #1 in June 1975. The song also provided them with their first US chart success when the song reached #2. A collaborative effort built around a simple title by Stewart, the song is notable for its innovative production, especially its richly overdubbed choral backing.
	How Dare You! 1976 2 - Lazy Ways Released in 1976, it included UK hit singles "I'm Mandy Fly Me" and "Art for Arts Sake". It was also the last 10cc album to feature the classic line-up of Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme, with the latter two departing to work on their own musical projects, and eventually becoming music video pioneers. The album was the band's second to feature cover artwork by the Hipgnosis creative team. In an interview at the time of its release, Gouldman told Melody Maker music newspaper: "It's as different as any album by the same band can be, and I think it's a progression from the last one. I think there's been a progression on every album and I think we've done it again. It's a strange mixture of songs. There's one about divorce, a song about schizophrenia, a song about wanting to rule the world, the inevitable money song, and an instrumental."
	Deceptive Bends 1977 3 - Marriage Bureau Rendezvous The departure of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme in 1976 to form Godley & Creme almost ended 10cc. However Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman kept the group alive as a duo. The cover design was provided by Hipgnosis. Stewart recalled: "I had a big challenge ahead of me to prove to the record world that we were not just 5cc, as some of the British media had graciously called us. The music was simpler than some of the previous 10cc albums, it was far more direct, streamlined and positive. The whole album was recorded very (in our terms) quickly. I was on a mission, and flying higher and faster than I had ever been before, and I knew by then that we had a very strong album. The new songs played a big part in the equation of course, I was out to prove also that we could write a hit album without Kevin and Lol ... we did!" Godley and Creme were still members of the group early in this album's history. The band's original line-up debuted a live version of "Good Morning Judge" at the Knebworth festival on 21 August 1976 and also did studio work on an early version of "People in Love" referred to as "Voodoo Boogie".
	Bloody Tourists 1978 4 - Take These Chains Bloody Tourists was the sixth studio album by 10cc and the second to be produced following the band's 1976 split. It yielded the singles "Dreadlock Holiday", which reached No.1 in the UK in August 1978, and "Reds in My Bed", which did not chart. "For You and I" was issued as a double a-side single with "I'm Not in Love" in the autumn of 1979 but also didn't chart. The band suffered a major setback in 1979 when Stewart was seriously injured in a car crash. He told the BBC: It flattened me completely. I damaged my left ear, I damaged my eye very badly. I couldn't go near music.

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Permalink Reply by Jon on April 3, 2013 at 5:00pm

Sparks!!

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Permalink Reply by Dannolonghair on April 3, 2013 at 6:15pm

Never could get into this band, and once I tried to listen to those 4 songs I now recall why.

Sorry Scott. Just not my barrel of beer!

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Permalink Reply by Scott on April 3, 2013 at 8:27pm

It's hard core Art Rock, not for everybody that's for sure, but thanks for checking in, hopefully I'll give you something better next week... I do take requests as well...

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Permalink Reply by Dannolonghair on April 4, 2013 at 2:44pm

"Art rock"...explain that to me. I don't think I've heard that term before. Who else would fall under this category? Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Scott on April 4, 2013 at 2:48pm

Its in the "ear" of the beholder... haha, kidding, but theres a whole WIki page for this. Check it out..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_rock

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Permalink Reply by Mike Pell on April 4, 2013 at 3:20pm

Now THAT is my kind of music!

What a collection of groups, and such an exciting incredible time for this little dude to be listening.

I notice it mentions Steve Miller, and I just recently talked about him doing "concept" albums before his big success, in one of the John & Mary episodes.