10cc

10cc formed in Stockport in 1972 – Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme. All four could write, all four could sing, all four could produce. That concentration of talent in one band was unusual. The fact that they were based in Stockport, not London, and chose to stay there was even more unusual.

Strawberry Studios on Waterloo Road in Stockport was the key to everything. Stewart had built it from a basic setup into a proper recording facility. 10cc recorded there, other bands came to record there, and it became one of the most important studios outside London. The Saddleworth Moor Murders trial tapes were stored there too, which is a grim piece of trivia the studio could have done without.

I’m Not in Love is the masterpiece. Released in 1975, built from layer upon layer of multitracked vocals creating that ethereal wash of sound – the production technique was groundbreaking. It took three weeks to record. The whispered line in the middle section still raises hairs. Rubber Bullets, Dreadlock Holiday, The Things We Do for Love, Wall Street Shuffle – the hit rate was remarkable across the mid-70s. Art-pop that was actually popular, clever without being cold.

Godley and Creme left in 1976 to pursue their own projects (and eventually became pioneering music video directors). Stewart and Gouldman continued as 10cc with various lineups. Strawberry Studios closed in 1993. The building on Waterloo Road still stands – it’s been various things since, but there’s a plaque acknowledging its history.

Stockport doesn’t shout about 10cc the way it should. They were making pop music in a converted building in a town that most people drove through on the way to Manchester. Gouldman still tours under the 10cc name. The songs hold up. Strawberry Studios deserves a museum. It won’t get one, but it deserves one.