Wednesday, June 16, 2021

7.5cc




 

 

The first four 10cc records have remained in fairly steady rotation since I first heard "I'm Not In Love" from a transistor radio on the summer sands of Coney Island beach. I would have been happy with an entire album of harmony drenched pop, but when I finally picked up "The Original Soundtrack" at the Sam Goody in Kings Plaza, I got more than I bargained for. 

What the hell was going on here? This record had everything from a prog opera to funk, to Beatle-esque pop and back again. (As a side note, the single edit of "I'm Not In Love" is a butchered mess and it still made me want to buy the album.)

I've done 10cc appreciation pages before. That's not why I am here.

 


 

I picked up a copy of "You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of It," which is a UK compilation of the best of the two Hotlegs album. Hotlegs is basically 10cc without Graham Gouldman, though he does lend a bass part, here and there.

Like 10cc, forever remembered in the U.S. for their two hits, the aformentioned "I'm Not In Love" and "The Things We Do For Love," neither of which truly represents the band's output, Hotlegs might be remembered for their novelty hit "Neanderthal Man," one of the least appealing tracks in the Hotlegs catalogue.

 




 

You can hear the seeds of some 10cc tracks on these earlier Hotlegs songs. There's a hook in "You Didn't Like it" that was used again in "Fresh Air For My Momma," and the groove of "Run Baby Run" feels more than a little like "Art For Art's Sake."

I wasn't so much surprised by how much I enjoyed this Hotlegs compilation as I was overjoyed. I had forgotten just how wonderful these early tracks were. Kevin Godley and Lol Creme have always let their eccentricity overshadow their absolutely gorgeous vocal abilities, like on "Fly Away," which is a stunner.

And that's my Hotlegs pitch.

 


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

And here I thought you were going to extol the virtues of the Rod Stewart song.

Bill

cmealha said...

"Today" is absolutely gorgeous. How did the Hotlegs story escape me? Anyone who's a 10cc fan has to seek this out. Great stuff!

buzzbabyjesus said...

I remember thinking something was wrong with my radio the first time I heard "Neandertal Man" in 1970. The mix still sounds like it's missing a channel, or something. I don't get it.
"Sheet Music" was my first 10cc album. "Wall Street Shuffle" got FM airplay.
I was instantly a fan, and I played it to death.
The full version of "I'm Not In Love" is an example of great art finding an audience.
There's an interesting documentary about it's creation.
Of the Hot Legs songs in the post, the only one I love is "Today".
It's good enough for "Weekend Mix" material.
"Fly Away" is beautiful, but a little slow, and I'm famously impatient with ballads.
The other two sound like my least favorite album cuts.

Anonymous said...

thanks, never heard of them before. it reminds me of Fresh's "Out of Borstal" of the same time period, and the refusal to choose a style, any style.

hpunch said...

There are two Hot Legs albums? I only know of one- Thinks : School Stinks

Sal Nunziato said...

@hpunch,
Bad writing on my part.
One UK record, "Song," that was tweaked for a US release "Thinks: School Stinks."
Each has its own title and a slightly different tracklist.

hpunch said...

Damn.... I thought I there was another album to hear.

ken49 said...

I was so put off by Hotlegs that I never investigated further. Fully in on 10CC. What a talented 4-some. Rubber Bullets was my indoctrination but the album hasn’t aged well for me save a few cuts. By their second they had hit their stride.