Hotlegs
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1970) - Lol Creme -- vocals, guitar, bass. keyboards - Kevin Godley -- vocals, drums, percussion - Eric Stewart -- vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizers
supporting musicians (1970) - Baz Barker -- fiddle - Mike Bell - sax - Ian Brookes -- trumpet - Graham Gouldman -- bass - Tony Harrison -- string arrangements - Rod Morton -- percussion - Mike Timoney -- organ
line up 2 (1970-71) - Lol Creme -- vocals, guitar, bass. keyboards - Kevin Godley -- vocals, drums, percussion NEW - Graham Gouldman -- vocals, bass - Eric Stewart -- vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizers
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- 10cc - Doctor Father (Lol Creme - Kevin Godley) - Festival (Lol Creme - Kevin Godley) - Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders (Eric Stewart) - Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon (Lol Creme - Kevin Godley) - GG/06 (Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman) - Godley & Creme (Lol Creme) - Graham Gouldman (solo efforts) - Graham Gouldman and Friends (Kevin Godley) - Image of a Group (Lol Creme) - Jerry Lee and The Staggerlees (Eric Stewart) - The Mindbenders (Eric Stewart) - Mockingbirds (Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart) - The New Wave Band (Lol Creme - Kevin Godley) - Producers (Lol Creme) - Rubber Duckie (Lol Creme - Kevin Godley) - The Sabres (Lol Creme) - Sliver Fleet - Eric Stewart (solo efforts) - Wax (Graham Gouldman) - Yellow Bellow Room Boom (Lol Creme - Kevin Godley)
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Thinks: School Stinks Company: Capitol Catalog:
ST 582 Country/State: Stockport, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor cover wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2745 Price: $20.00 |
Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart had both been members of The Mindbenders. With that group's collapse the pair decided to continue their partnership buying Stockport Recording Studios along with Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas road manager Peter Tattersall. Renamed Strawberry Studios, Gouldman quickly recruited singer/guitarist Lol Creme and drummer Kevin Godley (the pair had previously worked as Frabjoy and Runcible Spoon), to serve as studio sessions players. With the pair of the payroll, Strawberry Studios became the go-to studio for a steady stream of acts, including US bubblegum czars Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz who used the group to write and occasionally record a string of material for their Super K. Productions acts including Crazy Elephant ("There Ain’t No Umbopo"), The Fighter Squadron ("When He Comes"), The Ohio Express ("Saulsalito").
So what's the old saying ... something along the lines that sometimes it pays off to be lucky rather than good ? The popular story is that "Neanderthal Man" started out as an in-studio jam, meant to test out a new four track recorded at Strawberry Studios. The group were goofing around with a riff when then-Philips chief Dick Leahy heard the tune and convinced the band to flush it out to a full length track. To be honest, there wasn't much to the song - the band basically spending four minutes mindlessly chanting "I'm a Neanderthal Man, You're a Neantherdal girl, let's make Neanderthal love, in the Neanderthal world ..."
Their name inspired by an attractive Strawberry Studios receptionist, under the name Hotlegs the single was released in 1970:
- 1970's "Neanderthal Man" b/w "You Didn't Like It, Because You Didn't Think of it" (Capitol catalog number 2886) # 22 pop US; # 2 pop UK
With the single proving a world-wide hit, the trio went into the studio to recorded a supporting album. Released in 1970, "Thinks: School Stinks" anyone expecting to hear a collection of "Neaderthal Man" styled novelty tunes was going to be disappointed. That wasn't to imply material like "Um Wah, Um Wah" and the three part suite "Suite F.A." wasn't quirky. It was. Still, the overall impression was of a collection that Godley, Creme, and Stewart wanted to use as an opportunity to trot out their musical diversity, as in "Look, we can write you a '50s inspired rocker ("Desperate Dan"), or, "Fly Away" would be a great ballad for a wedding.
Always wondered if Alice Cooper ripped of his "School's Out" cover from the Godley and Creme designed cover.
"Hotlegs
Thinks: School Stinks" track listing: 1.) Neanderthal Man (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 4:10 rating: *** star I'm guessing the band were as surprised as everyone when it was tapped as a single and went top 40 throughout the world. In case anyone's interested, YouTube has a promotional film clip for the song. Until the dancing girls show up it was possibly the world's dullest promo clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZqHFbC2Xmc 2.) How Many Time (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 3:57 rating: *** star Powered by lovely strumming acoustic guitars, "How Many Times" showcased the trio's knack for crafting sweet, commercial melodies. The sudden introduction of Baz Barker's heavy string orchestration really didn't help the song, nor did the country fiddles that ended the performance. The song also appeared as the "B" side on their US "Run Baby Run" single. 3.) Desperate Dan (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 2:12 rating: ** stars Apparently inspired by Dudley D. Watkins's British comic strip The Dandy, neither the pedestrian, '50s-flavored melody, or the throwaway lyrics were going to win these guys any awards. You had to wonder why Philips thought it warranted being released as a single in Germany and Spain:
- 1970's "Desperate Man" b/w "Run Baby Run" (Philips catalog number 6006 079)
YouTube has a clip of the band lip synching the tune on the German Disco television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsmdcPtWLu0
4.) Take Me Back (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - 5:01 rating: *** stars It's easy to scoff at the pre-10cc comparisons, but on the sweet ballad "Take Me Back" the comparisons were justified. Creme's fragile voice was instantly identifiable and that unique 10cc sound was already in place. Love the second half where powered by Stewart's electric guitar the tune briefly went off in an unexpected heavy rock direction. 5.) Um Wah, Um Wah (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 5:30 rating:**** stars "Um Wah, Um Wah" was side one's most conventional rocker (take that description with a grain of salt). Kicked along by Stewart's nifty guitar riff, Godley's tribal percussion and a tasty, rhythmically dense melody this one could have been a hit for the trio. Well, except for the fact the lyrics sounded like Elmer Fudd singing the refrain "wock and woll" with a speech impediment ... Did I mention the stereo panning effects used on the guitars kicked collective booty?
(side 2) 1.) Suite F.A Complex, multi-part suites were a staple in the 10cc catalog (think along the lines of "Une Nuit A Paris" from "The Original Soundtrack"), so it was interesting to hear some of their early inspirations in the area. i.) 1st Movement - On My Way (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating:**** stars '1st Movement - On My Way' was a pretty, acoustic ballad showcasing the band's sweet harmony vocals. Very 10cc-ish ... ii.) 2nd Movement - Indecision (instrumental) (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating:**** stars '2nd Movement - Indecision' opened with some dazzling Yardbirds-'Heart Full of Soul' styled fuzz guitar and simply never let up. Eat your heart out Jeff Beck. Easily one of the album's highlights. iii.) 3rd Movement - The Return (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating:*** stars I've
always liked Stewart's voice, but on the first part of '3rd Movement - The
Return' it came off a bit operatic. Pretty enough tune to start;
better when it shifted into the more conventional segment; amazing for the
final segment.
2.) Fly Away (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating: *** stars "Fly Away" was another fragile Creme sung ballad with a strong 10cc flavor. Super pretty with beautiful acoustic guitars and flute backing. Credited as a Godley solo effort, as "To Fly Away" the song was originally written for a Marmalade sampler LP - 1969's "Marmalade 100 Proof " (Marmalade catalog number Marmalade 643 314)
3.) Run Baby Run (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - rating:*** stars I'm usually not a big blues fan and it wasn't a genre that 10cc visited very often, but with Stewart on lead vocals and Creme providing slide guitar, "Run Baby Run" had a nice, slinky edge. Imagine an English version of Canned Heat. This one was released as a US single:
- 1970's 'Run Baby Run' b/w 'How Many Times' (Capitol catalog number )
No idea where it was recorded, but You Tube has a black and white clip of what appears to be a German television performance of the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt3T3Spxn2I
4.) All Gods Children (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - 3:48 rating: **** stars Perhaps it was tongue in cheek, but showcasing Godley's most angelic voice, "All God's Children" offered up a stunning, Beach Boys-tinged tribute to California - or what a trio of English guys thought the state was like. Nice Ian Brookes trumpet solo.
Interested in a follow--up US single, Capitol Records did not hear anything to their liking on the album and instead decided to use a non- LP track the group had previously released themselves under the name of Doctor Father:
- 1970's 'Umbopo' b/w 'Roll On' (Pye catalog number P-2948)
The single followed the album into commercial oblivion.
With Gouldman added on bass, the band hit the road for an English tour opening for The Moody Blues. Unfortunately, the tour was cancelled when John Lodge got sick.
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of It Company: Philips Catalog:
SON 009 Country/State: Stockport, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor cover wear Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $25.00
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Based on 10cc's commercial successes with the
mega hit "I'm Not In Love", in 1976 Philips Records
decided to release another Hotlegs compilation package. Titled "You
Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of It", the
collection featured thirteen tracks. Nine of the songs were taken from the
band's 1971 debut "Thinks:
School Stinks". The other four selections
reflected a mix of odds and ends. "Lady Sadie" and "The
Loser" were from a non-LP US single.
"Today" was
original recorded and released in 1973 under the name "Festival"
while "Desperate Dan" was a forgettable country-tinged non-LP
single. In spite of the fact Graham
Gouldman only appeared on one track ("Time"), the albu m
repeatedly reminded me of the forthcoming 10cc catalog. As a big 10cc
fan that wasn't a bad thing. Perhaps not as enthralled with their only
"cleverness" as would be the case in future projects, demonstrated
by performances like the title track, the multi-part "Suite
F.A" and "How
Many Times" the album offered up a
mixture of experimentation including interesting chord progressions, quirky
themes and some commercial moves frequently wrapped in those
soon-to-be-patented vocal harmonies. It certainly served as a
precursor to what was to come with the addition of Gouldman to the
forthcoming 10cc. Admittedly the results weren't always
successful. Tracks like "Um
Wah, Um Wah" and the earlier "Neanderthal
Man" came off as little more that
throwaway versions of English bubblegum pop. That shouldn't have come
as a surprise given their prior Strawberry Studios efforts which saw Creme,
Godley and Stewart working extensively with bubblegum pop meisters Jerry
Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz. Among those projects were writing and
recording material for Crazy Elephant ("There
Ain’t No Umbopo"), The Fighter Squadron
("When He Comes") and The Ohio Express
("Saulsalito"). Elsewhere "Run Baby Run"
and "The Loser" underscored blues wasn't a niche the trio
excelled at. Was it a consistent effort? No. Was it a good
10cc effort? No. Without Gouldman contributions the band's more
straight ahead commercial pop leanings were sorely misses. Was it
worth hearing? Certainly.
"You
Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of It" track listing: 1.) Um Wah, Um Wah (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 5:30 rating:**** stars "Um Wah, Um Wah" was side one's most conventional rocker (take that description with a grain of salt). Kicked along by Stewart's nifty guitar riff, Godley's tribal percussion and a tasty, rhythmically dense melody this one could have been a hit for the trio. Well, except for the fact the lyrics sounded like Elmer Fudd singing the refrain "wock and woll" with a speech impediment ... Did I mention the stereo panning effects used on the guitars kicked collective booty? 2.) Today (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - 4:05 rating: *** stars "Today" was original recorded and released in 1973 under the name "Festival":. The Hotlegs version features a slightly different mix with Stewart on lead vocals and Graham Gouldman guesting on bass. The result was an unexpectedly straight ahead ballad. Nowhere near as elaborate as "Waterfall", but the overarching sound was similar and an precursor of what was to come with 10c.c..
- 1973's "Today" b/w "Warm Me" (RCA catalog number RCA 2275)
3.) You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of It (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 4:34 rating: *** stars Along with the title, "You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think of It" the first third of the song was among their most experimental work. From there it went off in a distinctive blues direction before shifting into harmony-rich pop tune. Creme on piano, Godley on drums and Stewart on guitar and bass. The song had previously appeared as the "B" side on their "Neanderthal Man" single. The "You Didn't Think of It " portion of the song was re-purposed for 10cc's "Fresh Air For My Mama". 4.)
Fly Away (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - 2:45 rating:
*** stars
"Fly Away" was another fragile Creme sung ballad with a strong 10cc flavor. Super pretty with beautiful acoustic guitars and flute backing. Credited as a Godley solo effort, as "To Fly Away" the song was originally written for a Marmalade sampler LP - 1969's "Marmalade 100 Proof " (Marmalade catalog number Marmalade 643 314)
5.) Run Baby Run (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 2:52 rating:*** stars I'm usually not a big blues fan and it wasn't a genre that 10cc visited very often, but with Stewart on lead vocals and Creme providing slide guitar, "Run Baby Run" had a nice, slinky edge. Imagine an English version of Canned Heat. This one was released as a US single:
- 1970's "Run Baby Run" b/w "How Many Times" (Capitol catalog number )
No idea where it was recorded, but You Tube has a black and white clip of what appears to be a German television performance of the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt3T3Spxn2I
6.) The Loser (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 2:37 rating: *** stars Powered by barrelhouse piano, slide guitar and Stewart's "treated" voice "The Loser" was another bluesy tune. This one also featured a distinctively 10cc-ish sound. The song was tapped as the "B" side to their "Lady Sadie" 45. 7.) Neanderthal Man (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 4:10 rating: *** star I'm guessing the band were as surprised as everyone when "Neanderthal Man" was tapped as a single and went top 40 throughout the world. In case anyone's interested, YouTube has a promotional film clip for the song. To go along with the song until the dancing girls show up it was possibly the world's dullest promo clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZqHFbC2Xmc
(side 2) 1.) How Many Times (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 3:57 rating: *** star Powered by lovely strumming acoustic guitars, "How Many Times" showcased the trio's knack for crafting sweet, commercial melodies. The sudden introduction of Baz Barker's heavy string\ orchestration really didn't help the song, nor did the country fiddles that ended the performance. The song also appeared as the "B" side on their US "Run Baby Run" single. 2.) Desperate Dan (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 2:12 rating: ** stars Apparently inspired by Dudley D. Watkins's British comic strip The Dandy, neither the pedestrian, '50s-flavored melody, or the throwaway lyrics were going to win these guys any awards. You had to wonder why Philips thought it warranted being released as a single in Germany and Spain:
- 1970's 'Desperate Man' b/w 'Run Baby Run' (Philips catalog number 6006 079)
YouTube has a clip of the band lip synching the tune on the German Disco television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsmdcPtWLu0
3.) Take Me Back (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - 5:01 rating: *** stars It's easy to scoff at the pre-10cc comparisons, but on the sweet ballad "Take Me Back" the comparisons were justified. Creme's fragile voice was instantly identifiable and that unique 10cc sound was already in place. Love the second half where powered by Stewart's electric guitar the tune briefly went off in an unexpected heavy rock direction. 4.) Lady Sadie (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme - Eric Stewart) - 4:22 I love 10cc's quirkiness, but I also love their more mainstream and commercial offerings. "Lady Sadie" falls in the second category. After the success of "Neanderthal Man" both the band and their record label were concerned they were in danger of being labeled a novelty act. The horn-powered, blues-rocker "Lady Sadie" was seemingly an effort to show they were a true rock and roll outfit. The track was released as a single in the UK and several other European markets
- 1971's "Lady Sadie" b/w "Loser" (Philips catalog number 6006 140) 5.) All God's Children (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - 3:48 rating: **** stars Perhaps it was tongue in cheek, but showcasing Godley's most angelic voice, "All God's Children" offered up a stunning, Beach Boys-tinged tribute to California - or what a trio of English guys thought the state was like. Nice Ian Brookes trumpet solo. 6.) Suite F.A Complex, multi-part suites were a staple in the 10cc catalog (think along the lines of "The Original Soundtrack"), so it was interesting to hear some of their early inspirations in the area. i.) 1st Movement - On My Way (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating:**** stars '1st Movement - On My Way' was a pretty, acoustic ballad showcasing the band's sweet harmony vocals. Very 10cc-ish ... ii.) 2nd Movement - Indecision (instrumental) (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating:**** stars '2nd Movement - Indecision' opened with some dazzling Yardbirds-'Heart Full of Soul' styled fuzz guitar and simply never let up. Eat your heart out Jeff Beck. Easily one of the album's highlights. iii.) 3rd Movement - The Return (Kevin Godley - Lol Creme) - rating:*** stars I've always liked Stewart's voice, but on the first part of '3rd Movement - The Return' it came off a bit operatic. Pretty enough tune to start; better when it shifted into the more conventional segment; amazing for the final segment.
© Scott R. Blackerby February 2026
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