ART pop pioneers 10cc are to perform their defining album, Sheet Music, in its entirety at the York Barbican on February 9 next year with a line-up led by co-founder Graham Gouldman.
The 40th anniversary of this highly inventive record, which boasted the hit singles The Wall Street Shuffle and Silly Love, will be marked by a 19-date tour featuring a special video contribution by co-founder Kevin Godley.
Released in 1974 and produced by the Stockport band, Sheet Music reached number nine in the British charts and entered the Top 100 in the United States. It typified the invention that characterised the early 10CC work of Gouldman, Godley, Lol Creme and Eric Stewart: soft and fuzzed art-rock guitar, immaculate harmonies and elements of spoof and parody.
The 2015 show's second half will focus on all the usual 10CC classics, including the number ones I'm Not In Love, Rubber Bullets and Dreadlock Holiday, The Dean And I, Life Is A Minestrone and I’m Mandy Fly Me.
The present 10CC line-up has been touring together for more than a decade with Gouldman, Paul Burgess, Rick Fenn, Mike Stevensand Mick Wilosn in the ranks. "Year on year, we get busier and visit more countries," says Gouldman.
"We love touring and playing together and the audiences these days are very gratifying. You get the people you would expect, who grew up with 10cc, but you also get young kids who know the songs too.”
Gouldman attributes 10CC’s lasting appeal to the quality and individuality of the songs. “They don’t seem to date," he says.
"They are original, we never followed any trend; we simply wrote for our own pleasure. The fact that the songs are being played as often on the radio today as they ever were shows how true that is.”
In June, Gouldman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in the USA alongside The Kinks' Ray Davies and Donovan. He has not only written songs for 10CC but earlier penned hits for The Yardbirds, The Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Wayne Fontana.
Tickets for February 9 are on sale on 0844 854 2757 or at yorkbarbican.co.uk
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