10cc from the Warner Bros. years (1980 - 1982)

Look Hear?: Look Hear? is the seventh studio album by 10cc, released in 1980. It reached No. 35 in the UK and No. 180 in the United States. The album was recorded after a long break the band had to take due to Eric Stewart's car accident in January 1979 that left him with blindness in one eye and temporary hearing loss in one ear[2][3] and was the first by 10cc since the departure of Godley and Creme to include songs written by neither Graham Gouldman or Eric Stewart. Like previous albums, it was recorded at the band's Strawberry Studios South in Dorking, Surrey. The cover art, created by Hipgnosis, led to speculation that the album was titled Are You Normal and underwent significant alteration for the album's U.S. release: the prominent display of the words "Are you normal" was replaced by a photo of a sheep relaxing on a beach, a similar image of which had appeared only as a small insert on the UK cover. The album was the band's first for their new label in the U.S., Warner Bros. Records. Two singles were lifted from the album: "One Two Five (edit)"/"Only Child" and "It Doesn't Matter at All"/"From Rochdale to Ocho Rios". While the singles failed to chart in the U.K. "One Two Five" reached #9 in Norway.[4] In the U.S. only "It Doesn't Matter at All" was released (B-side changed to "Strange Lover") and it failed to chart. Both Gouldman and Stewart would later express their disappointment with the album's lukewarm reception, but they would also acknowledge that their hearts might not have been in it. At the time of its making, Stewart was still recovering from an automobile accident. They also admit that the hiatus the band was forced to go into following Stewart's accident was the beginning of the end, and that musical tastes had shifted in the interim.[2] The album was reissued in 2008 on CD with bonus tracks from "One-Two-Five" single. Ten out of 10: Ten Out of 10 is the eighth studio album by 10cc. It was released in two different versions for the European and American markets in November 1981 and June 1982 respectively. After two albums of 10cc as a sixpiece lineup Ten Out of 10 was a return to the core duo of Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart with all other contributors taking a role of session musicians, despite the fact that the album featured two of the musicians used on the band's previous album, 1980s Look Hear?: drummer Paul Burgess on all but three tracks and guitarist and singer Rick Fenn on two tracks. Other session musicians included pianist Vic Emerson of Sad Café, who also joined 10cc on tour. The album credits resulted in identification of Gouldman and Stewart only as "Graham" and "Eric" with other musicians credited by full name after the contributions of the former. The only band member photos on the album were those of Gouldman and Stewart. The album marked the first involvement with 10cc by American singer-songwriter Andrew Gold. Gouldman said the band's label in the U.S., Warner Bros. Records wanted more of an American flavor to the album: They were keen for us to work with an American producer or writer. Well, we hadn't had any big success since '78, and we wanted to get hot again. When they suggested Andrew Gold, I was over the moon. I'd always adored his work, and I reckoned he would be a kindred spirit ... I felt really we needed some new blood, but it didn't work out. Andrew was doing so much stuff in America that it just wasn't practical, although he really wanted to do it."[2] Gold was invited to record with the band by Lenny Waronker, head of A&R at Warners. He explained: He was of the opinion that, although the album was very strong, it might benefit the US audience to have a few additional cuts tailored more for the American ear. As he knew I was an Anglophile, we might hit it off well. Soon I was in the UK, co-writing and co-producing three tracks for the album, which was a blast to do and turned out very well. Andrew Gold was also invited to join the band, but declined because of other commitments: During the course of my three-week stay, Eric, Graham and I fell in love, as it were, and soon they asked me to join the band, which was an extremely exciting offer. For various reasons, which now seem dumb to me, and after great consideration, I demurred in favor of pursuing my own career and returned to America.[2][3] The US edition of the album included three new compositions co-written by Andrew Gold ("The Power of Love", "We've Heard It All Before", "Run Away"), "Tomorrow's World Today" which was originally a b-side to "Don't Turn Me Away" single and a different mix of "Memories". The new songs replaced "Action Man in Motown Suit", "Listen with Your Eyes", "Lying Here with You" and "Survivor". Following Ten Out of 10, the band ended its stint with Warner Bros. Records. Their following release, Windows in the Jungle (1983), would be released on Mercury Records.