The Original Soundtrack
Encyclopedia
The Original Soundtrack is a 1975 album
by 10cc
.
after signing the band for $1 million in February 1975. The catalyst for the deal was one song – "I'm Not in Love
". Stewart recalled:
The Original Soundtrack, which was already complete, was released just weeks later. 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
.
It is also notable for its opening track, Godley & Creme's "Une Nuit A Paris
(One Night In Paris)", an eight-minute, multi-part "mini-operetta", its melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber
's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera
.
The jaunty single "Life Is A Minestrone" (1975) was another UK Top 10 placing, peaking at #7. Eric Stewart (from a BBC Radio Wales interview): "We'd finished in the studio, Strawberry Studios, we'd finished recording and Lol was staying with me at the time, Lol Creme, and we were driving home and listening to BBC radio and this guy says 'mmmrrhhr mmhmrmr strone' and Lol says, 'Did that guy say life is a minestrone?' I said I don't know but what a great song, what a great idea for a song, what a great title. Life is a minestrone, isn't it. It's a mixture of everything we pile in there and of course once we sat down to start writing 'Life Is A Minestrone,' well, what's death? Death's got to be a cold lasagna, you know, 3 days old, stuck in the fridge, you don't want to eat it, and once you get on, on a roll like that about food and, and feeling, we had it written in a day." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England). Their biggest success came with the dreamy "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 title by Stewart, "I'm Not in Love" is notable for its innovative production, especially its richly overdubbed choral backing.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by 10cc
10cc
10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
.
Overview
The album was the first to be released by Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
after signing the band for $1 million in February 1975. The catalyst for the deal was one song – "I'm Not in Love
I'm Not in Love
"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
". Stewart recalled:
The Original Soundtrack, which was already complete, was released just weeks later. 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
Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis was a British art design group that specialized in creating cover art for the albums of rock musicians and bands, most notably Pink Floyd, T.Rex, The Pretty Things, UFO, 10cc, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Scorpions, Yes, The Alan Parsons Project, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, ELO and XTC...
team and drawn by artist Humphrey Ocean
Humphrey Ocean
-Biography:Humphrey Ocean was born Humphrey Anthony Erdeswick Butler-Bowdon, on 22 June 1951 in Sussex, England, and went to art schools in Tunbridge Wells, Brighton and Canterbury...
.
It is also notable for its opening track, Godley & Creme's "Une Nuit A Paris
Une Nuit A Paris
"Une Nuit A Paris" is a mini rock opera by the British rock band 10cc, originally taken from their 1975 album The Original Soundtrack. Despite never being released as a single, the song appears on several "best of" compilations from the band including The Very Best Of 10cc and Greatest Hits ......
(One Night In Paris)", an eight-minute, multi-part "mini-operetta", its melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
.
The jaunty single "Life Is A Minestrone" (1975) was another UK Top 10 placing, peaking at #7. Eric Stewart (from a BBC Radio Wales interview): "We'd finished in the studio, Strawberry Studios, we'd finished recording and Lol was staying with me at the time, Lol Creme, and we were driving home and listening to BBC radio and this guy says 'mmmrrhhr mmhmrmr strone' and Lol says, 'Did that guy say life is a minestrone?' I said I don't know but what a great song, what a great idea for a song, what a great title. Life is a minestrone, isn't it. It's a mixture of everything we pile in there and of course once we sat down to start writing 'Life Is A Minestrone,' well, what's death? Death's got to be a cold lasagna, you know, 3 days old, stuck in the fridge, you don't want to eat it, and once you get on, on a roll like that about food and, and feeling, we had it written in a day." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England). Their biggest success came with the dreamy "I'm Not in Love
I'm Not in Love
"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
", 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 title by Stewart, "I'm Not in Love" is notable for its innovative production, especially its richly overdubbed choral backing.
Side one
- "Une Nuit A ParisUne Nuit A Paris"Une Nuit A Paris" is a mini rock opera by the British rock band 10cc, originally taken from their 1975 album The Original Soundtrack. Despite never being released as a single, the song appears on several "best of" compilations from the band including The Very Best Of 10cc and Greatest Hits ......
" (Kevin GodleyKevin GodleyKevin Godley is a British musician and music video director.He was born in a family of Jewish descent, and went to North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham....
, Lol CremeLol CrèmeLol Creme is an English musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings, plays guitar and keyboards.-Biography:...
) – 8:40- Lol - Vocals, Pianos, Vibes, Percussion
- Eric - Vocals, Steel Guitar
- Graham - Vocals, Bass, Percussion
- Kevin - Vocals, Drums, Timpani, Percussion
- "I'm Not in LoveI'm Not in Love"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
" (Eric StewartEric StewartEric Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995....
, Graham GouldmanGraham GouldmanGraham Keith Gouldman is an English songwriter and musician who is a long-time member of British band 10cc.-Early life and 1960s pop career: 1946–1968:Gouldman was born in Broughton, Salford, England...
) – 6:06- Eric - Lead Vocal, Electric Piano
- Graham - Guitar, Bass, Backup Vocals
- Kevin - Moog, Backup Vocals
- Lol - Piano, Backup Vocals
- "Blackmail" (Gouldman, Stewart) – 4:28
- Lol - Vocals, Organ
- Kevin - Vocals, Drums
- Eric - Vocals, Guitar, Steel Guitar, Piano
- Graham - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Side two
- "The Second Sitting for the Last Supper" (Stewart, Creme, Gouldman, Godley) – 4:25
- Eric - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Electric Piano, Backup Vocals
- Kevin - Drums, Percussion, Backup Vocals
- Lol - Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Backup Vocals
- Graham - Guitar, Bass, Backup Vocals
- "Brand New Day" (Godley, Creme) – 4:04
- Kevin - 1st Lead Vocal, Marimba, Bass Drum, Timpani, Cellos, Backup Vocals
- Eric - 2nd Lead Vocal, Guitar, Backup Vocals
- Lol - Pianos, Gizmo, Violins, Moog, Backup Vocals
- Graham - Bass, Double Bass, Backup Vocals
- "Flying Junk" (Gouldman, Stewart) – 4:10
- Eric - Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Electric Piano, Piano
- Graham - Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Six String Bass, Autoharp, Backup Vocals
- Lol - Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Autoharp, Backup Vocals
- Kevin - Drums, Percussion, Backup Vocals
- "Life Is a Minestrone" (Creme, Stewart) – 4:42
- Lol - Lead Vocal, Piano, Electric Piano, Percussion, Guitar, Backup Vocals
- Kevin - Drums, Timbali, Percussion, Backup Vocals
- Eric - Guitar, Backup Vocals
- Graham - Bass, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backup Vocals
- "The Film of My Love" (Godley, Creme) – 5:07
- Graham - Lead Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Mandolins
- Eric - Guitar, Organs, Percussion, Backup Vocals
- Lol - Piano, Percussion, Mandolins, Backup Vocals
- Kevin - Bongos, Percussion, Backup Vocals
Japan bonus tracks
- 9. "Life Is A Minestrone (Single Edit)"
- 10. "Channel Swimmer"
- 11. "I'm Not In LoveI'm Not in Love"I'm Not in Love" is a song written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of the English group 10cc, from the album The Original Soundtrack. The lyric reveals a narrator in denial about the title's ostensible theme.-The 10cc version:...
(Single Edit)" - 12. "Good News"
Personnel
- Lol CremeLol CrèmeLol Creme is an English musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings, plays guitar and keyboards.-Biography:...
- vocals, piano, percussion, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, gizmo, organ, Moog, vibes, violin - Kevin GodleyKevin GodleyKevin Godley is a British musician and music video director.He was born in a family of Jewish descent, and went to North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham....
- vocals, drums, percussion, timpani, Moog, bongos, marimba, cello - Graham GouldmanGraham GouldmanGraham Keith Gouldman is an English songwriter and musician who is a long-time member of British band 10cc.-Early life and 1960s pop career: 1946–1968:Gouldman was born in Broughton, Salford, England...
— vocals, bass, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, percussion - Eric StewartEric StewartEric Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer most known for his tenure with The Mindbenders in the 1960s, and 10cc from 1972 to 1995....
— vocals, guitar, piano, organ, percussion