Born on 10 May: Graham Gouldman (10cc), the last guardian of the temple

He was born in Lancashire in 1946 and has undeniably established himself as a pillar of British rock for over half a century. Hats off to him!

Bassist and also one of the two main voices of 10cc, he's the only one to have been with the band since its inception in July 1972. Some of his current colleagues, like drummer Paul Burgess and guitarist Rick Fenn, have also spent several decades performing "I’m Not In Love" on tour. It's still on stage that the band tirelessly keeps the flame alive. And having seen them recently, they still perform with the same enthusiasm...

In his twenties, Gouldman first put his pen to work for other artists and had an immediate knack for turning his compositions into hits. Judge for yourself. "No Milk Today" by Herman’s Hermits in 1966, that's him. "Bus Stop" (1966) and "Look Through Any Window" (1965) by the Hollies, that's also him. Just like "For Your Love" (1965), the biggest hit for the Yardbirds. In his early days, to make ends meet, he worked in the back room of a men's tailor and took out his guitar almost every night to tour clubs. When you love something, you don't sleep. Or not much at least!

When 10cc was christened in July 1972 by Eric Stewart (vocals and sound wizards Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, Graham Gouldman doesn't claim to shine under the spotlight but continues to craft choruses that have become classics ingrained in collective imagination. From "I‘m Not In Love" (1975) to "The Things We Do For Love" (1976), from "Good Morning Judge" (1977) to "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978), he shares the credit for all of 10cc's hits with Eric Stewart. Of course, from loud separations to various throes, Graham Gouldman’s legendary creative flair also eventually started to fade. While not inaudible, far from it, the last two studio albums "Meanwhile" (1992) and "Mirror Mirror" (1995) contain some pleasant melodies but not a hint of an everlasting masterpiece.

Every 15 years or so, this devil of a man even found time to record a few solo albums. For the latest "I Have Notes" (2024), he enlisted Brian May (Queen) for "Floating In Heaven", Hank Marvin (Shadows) for "When You Find Love", and even Ringo Starr (Beatles) for "Couldn’t Love You More". His sources of inspiration still revolve around the beatings of a heart in turmoil but, from the first words of "Floating In Heaven", he evokes the passage of time and, implicitly, the inevitable end of the road approaching: "It's time for me to say good-bye/ .. / Our future lies above the clouds".

Indeed, Graham Gouldman is celebrating his 79th birthday today.

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo: © Music Belgium Photos)

Photo: Graham Gouldman with 10cc on stage at De Roma in Antwerp (Belgium) on 12 April 2024