Deceptive Bends

Deceptive Bends
Studio album by
10cc
ReleasedMay 1977
RecordedOctober 1976 – March 1977
StudioStrawberry Studios South (Dorking, Surrey)
Genre
Length39:32
LabelMercury
Producer10cc
10cc chronology
How Dare You!
(1976) 		Deceptive Bends
(1977) 		Live and Let Live
(1977)
Singles from Deceptive Bends
  1. "The Things We Do for Love"
    Released: December 1976
  2. "Good Morning Judge"
    Released: April 1977 (UK)
  3. "People in Love"
    Released: May 1977 (US)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]
Uncut[3]

Deceptive Bends is the fifth studio album by the British rock band 10cc, released in 1977. It was the first album released by the band after the departure of founding members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme and produced the hit single "The Things We Do for Love".

History

The band started recording sessions for the fifth album in late summer of 1976 with the song "People in Love", at that time referred to as "Voodoo Boogie". But with the tensions in the band rising the track was considered "awful" when assembled, and Kevin Godley and Lol Creme decided to temporarily split with Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman to start work on what would later become their debut project Consequences. As their work progressed Godley and Creme decided to leave the group.[4]

As Stewart and Gouldman were left as a duo they opted to try recording "Good Morning Judge", which debuted live at the Knebworth Festival on 21 August 1976 with the original line-up, and later "The Things We Do For Love". Satisfied with the results they continued to run the band with the assistance of drummer Paul Burgess, who had already worked with 10cc, acting as second drummer to Kevin Godley on tour.

Stewart recalled: "I had a big challenge ahead of me to prove to the record world that we were not just 5cc, as some of the British media had graciously called us. The music was simpler than some of the previous 10cc albums, it was far more direct, streamlined and positive. The whole album was recorded very (in our terms) quickly. I was on a mission, and flying higher and faster than I had ever been before, and I knew by then that we had a very strong album. The new songs played a big part in the equation of course, I was out to prove also that we could write a hit album without Kevin and Lol ... we did!"[5]

The album was the first by 10cc to be recorded in the newly built Strawberry Studios South, though the original recording attempts with Godley and Creme were made in the original Strawberry Studios now referred as North.[4]

Cover and title

The cover design was provided by Hipgnosis.[6][7][8] The title of the album was taken from a sign warning of dangerous curves in the southbound A24 between Leatherhead and Dorking in Surrey. Gouldman said in 1977: "Every day I used to travel down from London and see the sign, 'Deceptive Bends.' It struck me to be quite a subtle word the Department of Transport was using, and Eric agreed it was a nice title."[9] The sign is no longer there.

Release

The first single taken from the album, "The Things We Do for Love", reached No. 1 in Canada, No. 6 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 where it was later certified Gold[10] and became the band's best selling single there.

Deceptive Bends itself was also a success, performing better than previous 10cc albums in a number of countries.

The album was reissued and remastered on CD in 1997 with b-sides as bonus tracks.

An early "Voodoo Boogie" version of "People in Love" that featured a more offbeat arrangement and prominent backing vocals by Creme, was later included in 10cc's limited-edition box set Tenology in 2012.

Track listing

All tracks written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman.

Side one

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Good Morning Judge"Stewart2:55
2."The Things We Do for Love"Stewart3:27
3."Marriage Bureau Rendezvous"Gouldman4:04
4."People in Love"Stewart3:48
5."Modern Man Blues"Gouldman and Stewart5:35

Side two

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
6."Honeymoon with B Troop"Gouldman2:46
7."I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor"Stewart1:48
8."You've Got a Cold"Stewart3:36
9."Feel the Benefit
I: "Reminisce and Speculate"
II: "A Latin Break"
III: "Feel the Benefit""		Stewart and Gouldman11:32

Bonus tracks on 1997 CD reissue

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
10."Hot to Trot"Gouldman4:30
11."Don't Squeeze Me Like Toothpaste"Stewart3:39
12."I'm So Laid Back, I'm Laid Out"Gouldman3:46

Personnel

Credits sourced from the original album liner notes.

10cc

  • Eric Stewart – lead (1, 2, 4, 5, 7–9), co-lead (6) and backing vocals (1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9), electric lead (all tracks) and rhythm guitars (3, 9), slide guitar (1, 3–5), piano (1, 2, 4–6, 8, 9), Fender Rhodes electric piano (3, 6, 9), organ (2, 3, 6), Moog synthesizer (1, 9), maracas (8, 9)
  • Graham Gouldman – lead (3, 5, 6, 9) and backing vocals (all tracks), bass guitar (all tracks), fuzz bass (7, 8), electric lead (1, 9) and rhythm guitars (all tracks), 12-string acoustic guitar (9), acoustic guitar (2–4, 9), organ and dobro (5), autoharp (9), tambourine (1, 2), handclaps (2), triangle (6), guiro (8)
  • Paul Burgess – drums (all tracks), tambourine (1, 2, 4, 9), cabasa (1, 6, 9), "wah" piano (1), gong and handclaps (2), congas (3, 9), triangle and piano stool (3), bell-tree and roto-toms (4), wood blocks and vibraphone (6), agogô (8), claves (9)

Additional musicians

Charts performance

References

  1. ^ Guarisco, Donald A.. Deceptive Bends at AllMusic. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  2. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 697, 698.
  3. ^ Lester, Paul (September 1997). "10cc: How Dare You! / Deceptive Bends / Bloody Tourists". Uncut. No. 4. p. 89.
  4. ^ a b Newton, Liam (2020). The Worst Band in the World. Rocket 88. ISBN 9781910978450.
  5. ^ "Eric Stewart - 12 Questions" Archived 25 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Deceptive Bends - album 1977".
  7. ^ "Hipgnosis album art : DECEPTIVE BENDS by 10cc, 1977". 11 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Richard Manning | Hipgnosis album cover art | 10cc Deceptive Bends 1977".
  9. ^ '10CC not pleased with pop image' Morristown (New Jersey) Daily Record, 10 July 1977 p. J14
  10. ^ "US Certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5243b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  13. ^ "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961" (in Finnish). Sisältää Hitin - Suomen listalevyt (Timo Pennanen). Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – 10cc – Look Hear?" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – 10cc – Look Hear?". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  16. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – 10cc – Look Hear?". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  17. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – 10cc – Look Hear?". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  19. ^ "10cc Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  20. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 429. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  21. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1983". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1977 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Top Albums 1977" (PDF). Music Week. 24 December 1977. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
  24. ^ "Australian Gold for 10cc" (PDF). Cash Box. 29 October 1977. p. 89. Retrieved 25 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
  25. ^ "British album certifications – 10cc – Deceptive Bends". British Phonographic Industry. 4 February 1977.
  26. ^ "Canadian album certifications – 10cc – Deceptive Bends". Music Canada. 1 July 1978.