Graham Gouldman (Graham Gouldman Thing)
Band members Related acts
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line up 2 (1980) - Paul Burgess -- drums, percussion - Rick Fenn -- guitar, backing vocals - Graham Gouldman -- vocals, guitar, bass, percussion - Duncan Mackay -- keyboards, backing vocals - Stuart Tosh -- backing vocals |
- The Fraternal Order of All - Garden Odyssey - The Graham Gouldman Orchestra - The High Society - Hotlegs
- The Mindbenders - Wax - The Whirlwinds
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Genre: pop Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: The Graham Gouldman Thing Company: RCA Victor Catalog: LSP-3954 Year: 1967 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4626 Price: $80.00 |
Having been a professional musician for some
four decades, singer/guitarist/writer Graham Gouldman is an interesting case
story. Even though he's enjoyed considerable success as a musician (notably
through his work with 10cc), most people would probably be surprised to see
his extensive resume as a writer. Gouldman's been recording since 1964,
working with a string of little known bands, including The Whirlwinds and
The Mockingbirds (see separate entries). 1966 found him stepping into a
little noticed and short-lived solo career. A brief stint with The
Manchester Mob proved equally unsuccessful.
"The Graham Gouldman Thing" track listing:
1.) The Impossible Years (Graham
Gouldman) - 2:35 2.) Bus Stop (Graham Gouldman) - 2:21 It's ironic that folks associate The Hollies with 'Bus Stop'. True they had a massive hit with the song, but judging by the Gouldman original they seem to have done a straight rip off his version. Surprised The Hollies didn't simply wipe off Gouldman's vocal tracks and slap their vocals on ... rating **** stars 3.) Behind the Door (Graham Gouldman) - 3:34 A pretty, but pompous and forgettable ballad, two thirds of 'Behind the Door' didn't do much for me. The exception was the two thirds of the way into the track where there was an abrupt tempo change with the song ending as a rocker. rating ** stars 4.) Pawnbroker (Graham Gouldman) - 2:59 As briefly mentioned, 'Pawnbroker' highlighted Gouldman's knack for clever lyrics. The also sounded like a near-perfect Al Stewart knockoff. Great acoustic guitar made it one of my favorite performances. rating **** stars 5.) Who Are They (Graham Gouldman) - 2:00 'Who Are They' was a nice atmospheric rocker and one of the few tracks where Gouldman made no attempt to embedded a pop feel on the results. Great song with a lyrical turn that's always made me smile - "drip-dry dressed unshrinkable ...' My choice for the standout performance. rating ***** stars 6.) My Father (Graham Gouldman) - 2:42 Another pretty ballad, but 'My Father' was just to sensitive singer/songwriter for me. Yech! rating * star
(side 2) 1.) No Milk Today (Graham Gouldman) - 2:12 Herman's Hermits enjoyed a hit with their cover ... not a surprise since 'No Milk Today' was clearly written with an ear for top-40 success. Anyone who enjoyed The Hollies mid-1960s catalog (including 'Bus Stop') was bound to fall in love with this one. The song was released as an American single:
- 1968's 'No Milk Today' b/w 'The Impossible Years' (RCA Victor catalog number 45-9453) rating *** stars 2.) Upstairs, Downstairs (Graham Gouldman) - 2:15 Like the previous track 'Upstairs, Downstairs' was clearly written to ensure commercial acceptance, but this time around it seemed to have been penned with a distinctive Mersybeat flavor - the mix of acoustic guitar hook and the Hollies-styled harmonies may have been extremely calculated, but made it impossible to shake out of your head. The song was released as a UK single:
- 1968's 'Upstairs, Downstairs' b/w 'Chestnut' (RCA Victor RCA 1667) rating ***** stars 3.) For Your Love (Graham Gouldman) - 2:31 'For Your Love' was probably the biggest surprise to my ears. The Yardbirds version remains the classic take, but it's surprising to hear how much of Gouldman's original arrangement and vocal delivery they kept. RCA also tapped the tune as the US single:
- 1967's 'For Your Love' b/w 'Pamela, Pamela' (RCA victor catalog number 47-9584). rating ***** stars 4.) Pamela, Pamela (Graham Gouldman) - 2:09 'Pamela, Pamela' was one of those English pop-psych-meets-vaudeville efforts that you either love, or hate with a passion. I'm in the former category, so think the track's great. How many other rock songs can you thing of that name check Laurel and Hardy? rating **** stars
5.) Chestnut (instrumental) (Graham Gouldman) - 3:21
Unfortunately, like his earlier efforts, the set was greeted with commercial indifference. For some reason RCA tapped the album for a different single in Canada - 'No Milk Today' b/w 'The Impossible Years' (RCA victor catalog number 47-9453).
Gouldman subsequently signed with Kasenatz-Katz Productions, serving as a staff writer and studio musician (he provided the lead vocals for a number of Kasenatz-Katz acts - Ohio Express's 'Sausalito (Is the Place To Go)'). The early-1970s found him collaborating with Kevin Godley and Eric Stewart in Hotlegs and 10cc.
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Genre: pop Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Animalympics Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4810 Year: 1980 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 2 Catalog ID: 5375 Price: $30.00
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On a hiatus from 10cc after Eric Stewart was involved in a near fatal traffic accident, some 22 years after his last solo effort Gouldman wrote and recorded a new song for the soundtrack for the quickly forgotten Farrah Fawcett flick "Sunburn" (Arrival catalog number NU 9540). Recorded with the rest of 10cc (sans Stewart), Gouldman originally planned to release the track as a 10cc effort, but after Stewart objected Gouldman released it as a solo effort. 1979 saw the single 'Think About It' b/w 'Sunburn Mer Sunny' (Mercury catalog number SUNNY1) pulled from the soundtrack. In the UK the single hit # 45 on the charts. For anyone curious, there's a copy of the promotional video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSIvsn-eS3U
As part of planned coverage of the 1980 summer and winter Olympics, NBC television commissioned a series of animated features starring animals in Olympic-styled competition. On a hiatus from 10cc after Eric Stewart was involved in a near fatal traffic accident, Graham Gouldman was hired to write and record a companion soundtrack. Unfortunately world politics intervened in the form of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Carter administration subsequently boycotted the summer Olympics which were held in Moscow and other than a handful of festival screenings, plans for a widespread release of the Animalympics film were scuttled.
VHS release of the film
Released some 21 years after his solo album debut, 1980's "Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Animalympics" must have set some sort of record in terms of time span between solo efforts. Interestingly, with Gouldman gathering up the rest of 10cc (less Stewart), for all intents and purposes the end result was another 10cc studio album. With Gouldman responsible for writing all ten tracks, the sound was certainly unmistakable - glistening and highly polished top-40 pop that was every bit as good as recent 10cc album. If anything, with partner Stewart temporarily out of the picture, tracks like the rocker 'Underwater Fantasy', the ballad 'Away From It All', and 'Born To Lose' were even more commercial than recent 10cc releases. Ironically in the wake of President Carter's decision to cancel American participation in the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow, I can remember stacks of the album being piled up in record stores as cutouts. My local Penguin Feather couldn't even give the thing away. I imagine truckloads ended up in landfills, or being recycled. Now it's a surprisingly hard album to find. Makes you wonder whether it had been marketed as a 10cc release it might well have proved a big seller.
Back cover painting - nice leisure suit there guy
"Animalympics" track listing:
1.) Go For It (Graham Gouldman) - 3:34 'Go for It' opened the album with a rather faceless disco-lite number with plenty of synthesizers and even syndrums - harmless, but not exactly the creative zenith of Gouldman's career. rating: ** stars 2.) Underwater Fantasy (Graham Gouldman) - 3:18 Well, dropping the disco-influences in favor of a more conventional pop-rock framework, 'Underwater Fantasy' was a step in the right direction. Always loved the multi-tracked harmonies and Gouldman's tuneful bass work. rating: *** stars 3.) Away From It All (Graham Gouldman) - 2:32 'Away From It All' was a pretty, if somewhat bland radio friendly ballad. Very 10cc-esque feel on this one. In the States and the UK the song was pulled as a promotional single:
- 1980's 'Away from It All' b/w 'Away From It All' (A&M catalog number AM-2251). rating: ** stars 4.) Born To Lose (Graham Gouldman) - 4:04 Gouldman always had a knack for catchy, poppy melodies and 'Born To Lose' was certainly a prime example of the gift. Always loved the hyperactive Hammond solo, but the song still seemed incomplete; almost like a demo that was never completed. rating: *** stars 5.) Kit Mambo (Graham Gouldman) - 4:30 I guess if you were a six year old the African tribal rhythms and jungle sound effects of 'Kit Mambo' were kind of cool. Otherwise, not so much ... No idea why, but n Germany this tune was tapped as a single:
- 1980's 'Kit Mambo' b/w 'Bionic Boar' (Mercury catalog number 6059296). rating: ** stars
(side 2) 1.) Z.O.O. (instrumental) (Graham Gouldman) - 3:29 The instrumental 'Z.O.O.' sounded like a piece of incidental film music; more along the lines of something Mark Knopfler might have penned for 'Local Hero' than something written for a cartoon. Quite a lovely melody until the orchestration took over and turned it into dreck. rating: *** stars 2.) Love's Not For Me (Rene's Song) (Graham Gouldman) - 2:42 One of his prettiest ballads (okay, the accordion has always struck a chord with me). In the UK and much of Europe it served as the second single:
- 1980's 'Love's Not for Me' b/w 'Bionic Boar' (Mercury catalog number 7-42979). 3.) With You I Can Run Forever (Graham Gouldman) - 4:04 One of the album's most top-40 ready tune with wonderful harmony vocals and plenty of jangle-rock guitar.. Surprising it wasn't tapped as a single. rating: **** stars 4.) Bionic Boar (instrumental) (Graham Gouldman) - 3:35 Throwaway synth-dominated instrumental. Guess he needed something to pad the running time. rating: ** stars 5.) We've Made It To The Top (Graham Gouldman) - 3:53 Gouldman at his Hallmark commercial best ... Surprising this wasn't licensed to some sportsware manufacturer, or professional sports league. The song was also released as a Dutch 45:
- 1980's 'We've Made It To the Top' b/w 'Kit Mambo' (Mercury catalog number 6059 302)
Couple of related tidbits - the album's never been released on CD, but there's a website devoted to such a project:
http://www.kkwow.com/album/index.shtml
You can also see virtually the whole film on YouTube. It's been broken down into nine segments. The quality isn't great, but I've included links to each segment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Zs3607vQs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox0eIylJ_OE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-EyxrdO49g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3oLrWfZL_Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJhPI68pnHw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldLMm59YTnA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW9IIoY3ICk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iryFOvtKJs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSsPRCuqIt4
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Genre: pop Rating: **** (34 stars) Title: Modesty Forbids Company: Rosalarecords Catalog: LJX101LP Year: 2020 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): NM/NM Comments: sealed Available: 1 Catalog ID: 30996 Price: $60.00
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I'm clearly showing my age when I admit I own some of Graham Gouldman's pre-10cc releases. I'm also showing my age expressing appreciation for an album written and performed by a 74 year old with nary a rap segment or an auto tuner effect in the mix. To be honest, co-produced by Graeme Pleeth and Phil Thornalley, 2020's "Modesty Forbids" sounds so old school that it sounds somewhat cutting edge. It's like seeing my sixteen year old discovering a turntable.
Gouldman's first new studio work in three years (since the release of the 2017 EP "Play Nicely and Share"), the album seems to have been a direct outcome of renewed interest in Gouldman resulting from his participation in the 1998 version of Ringo Starr's All Star Band. Gouldman played bass on the band's US and European dates. He was also given the spotlight to perform three 10cc tracks ('I'm Not In Love', 'Dreadlock Holiday' and 'The Things We Do for Love'), which introduced him to a new generation of fans.
Signed and recorded under Starr's Lojinx label, "Modesty Forbids"(great English title), featured eleven Gouldman originals covering a wide range of musical genres. Tunes like 'All Around the World', 'What Time Won't Heal', 'Different Times' and 'Wake Up Dreamer' were all typical Gouldman material - highly commercial, radio-friendly pop. Featuring Starr on drums, 'Stand Next To Me' was an autobiographical look back at his 1998 tour with Starr's All Star Band. Anyone looking for a nod to 10cc was probably going to be pleased with 'It's Not You It's Me'. Less impressive to my ears was the jazzy 'That's Love Right There' and his climate change commentary 'Hangin' By a Thread'. Nothing against his activist stance, rather the song simply wasn't all that memorable. While it wasn't he most original album of the year, the performances were consistently enjoyable and I found it hard to get over the fact Gouldman's voice did not seem to have lost any of its edge or vitality. This wasn't like listening to some '70 year old rock star vainly trying to reclaim his golden youth.
"Modesty Forbids" track listing:
1.) Standing Next To Me (Graham Gouldman) - 4:00 rating: **** stars A hysterical remembrance of his time touring with the 1998 version of Ringo Starr and His All Star Band ... Ringo on drums. The man can still play. Gouldman and company managed to effortless nail The Beatles' classic, slightly lysergic vibe ... 2.) That's Love Right There (Graham Gouldman) - 2:37 rating: ** stars Hum, I was not expecting to hear a lounge act jazz number. Very English in demeanor and feel. Cna't say it rocked my world. 3.) All Around the World (Graham Gouldman - Beth Nielson Chapman - Gordon Kennedy) - 3:15 rating: **** stars A classic Gouldman perfomance, 'All Around the World' reflected a first rate pop melody with a set of sweet and hopeful lyrics. It also served to showcase Gouldman's nice voice - he literally did not seem to have aged. Not sure who provided the pedal steel gutar solo, but it was a killer performance. The song was released as a single. 4.) It's Not You It's Me (Graham Gouldman) - 3:23 rating: **** stars If there was a song that recalled the 10cc catalog, then it was the breezy rocker 'It's Not You It's Me'. The snarky title, biting lyrics and nod to 10cc's 'Dressed To Kill' all made this one a standout. Ironically, Gouldman apparently wrote the song for a reunited version of The Yardbirds. 5.) What Time Won't Heal (Graham Gouldman) - 3:48 rating: **** stars 'What Time Won't Heal ' was a super sweet and commercial pop tune - with a lovely, stripped down '60s vibe and a glistening refrain it should have attracted someone on the airwaves. 6.) Different Times (Graham Gouldman) - 3:24 rating: *** stars 'Different Times' may not have been the most original tune you've heard, but it sported the album's prettiest melody. Easy to picture this one on some romantic comedy soundtrack.
(side 2) 1.) Wake Up Dreamer (Graham Gouldman) - 3:06 rating: *** stars The abrupt shift in melody and clever wordplay made for another tune with a touch of 10cc in it's bones. Ringo Starr would have been happy with the "power of love" sentiments expressed. 2.) Russian Doll (instrumental) (Graham Gouldman) - 4:27 rating: **** stars The album's lone instrumental, 'Russian Doll' sounded like something from a lost television soundtrack. Quite pretty with segments reflecting kind of a waltz flavor. 3.) Hangin' By a Thread (Graham Gouldman - Cassa Jackson) - 3:54 I found a blurb where Gouldman talked a little about the album: " ... there are two recurring themes. One if about climate change awareness." While I can't argue with Gouldman's sentiments (yes I recycle and carpool), the lyrics were a little heavy handed for my tastes. 4.) Waited All My Life for You (Graham Gouldman - Phil Thornalley) - 3:48 rating: **** stars Sweet Beatles-esque ballad ... actually it sounded mor elike a McCartney solo effort. Pretty with lilting harmonies. 5.) New Star (Graham Gouldman) - 3:32 rating: **** stars I'm a pushover for pretty acoustic guitar so 'New Star' had me from the opening chords ... Largely Gouldman and acoustic guitar, this was sweet and sweeter ...
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