10cc is one of those bands that I keep coming back to because you never know exactly what you are going to get. They could make some of the smartest pop music around and then turn around and play something completely different. They had a sense of humor that ran through much of their music, along with being good musicians and songwriters.
This is a song that caught my attention because it sounds like 10cc taking an older form of music and running it through their style. The blues influence is there, but this isn’t a band trying to convince you they came straight out of the Mississippi Delta. That slightly off-center 10cc humor is there, and that made them difficult to put in a box.
By this period, 10cc had changed considerably from the original lineup of Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme. Godley and Creme had left in 1976, leaving Stewart and Gouldman to continue the band. They still managed a huge hit with “Dreadlock Holiday” (we will see later) in 1978 before moving into the 1980s with Look Hear?. The album arrived after a difficult period for Stewart, who had been seriously injured in a car accident in early 1979 and temporarily suffered problems with both his sight and hearing.
What I like about it is that it doesn’t sound like 10cc simply checking off the blues box. They were too quirky for that. They could take a familiar style and twist it enough to make it their own. That is one reason I’ve always liked this band. Even when they tried different things, it was always interesting.
Since I mentioned “Dreadlock Holiday…” Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman wrote the song after experiences they had while traveling in the Caribbean, mixing things that actually happened with fictional elements. Gouldman later explained that the idea was partly to poke fun at a white tourist trying desperately to appear cool.
The song peaked at number 1 in the UK.
The video might be as entertaining as the song. It was directed by Storm Thorgerson, one of the founders of Hipgnosis, the design team responsible for some of rock’s most recognizable album covers. The video plays the song’s story broadly, with Eric Stewart wandering into increasingly ridiculous trouble while the rest of the band eventually turns up. It has that wonderfully strange late-70s quality where you get the feeling somebody said, “We have four minutes, a beach and some costumes…let’s make a video.”
Modern Man Blues
I’m tired Lord and I’m drawn
And I’m chilled right to the bone
I crawled home from my work
And this note said she was gone
Said your dinner’s in the cat
And your love is out the door
I’m goin’ back to my momma
And I don’t want you no more, no more
She said she don’t want me no more
She’s gone back to her momma
Said she’s never never comin’ back no more
Now a man can take so much
And only heaven knows his limit
But a naggin’ bitchin’ woman
Digs a hole and puts him in it
A sophisticated man
Needs a little something on the side
So what you don’t get at home
You’ve gotta get outside, hey
She’s gone
I’m spending all of my money
She’s gone, gone, gone
And I can swing with my honey
She’s gone
I’m so glad my woman’s gone
Now time goes marching on
And it won’t wait for you
You’ve gotta take it when it’s offered
And get it when it’s due
Now a man can move much faster
Without a millstone around his neck
So if you get the chance to lose it
You’ve gotta drop it and run like heck, hey
She’s gone
I’m spending all of my money
She’s gone, gone, gone
And I can swing with my honey
She’s gone
I’m so glad my woman’s gone
She’s gone
I’m spending all of my money
She’s gone, gone, gone
And I can swing with my honey
She’s gone
I’m so glad my woman’s gone
Discover more from PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
10cc were pretty quirky. I love “Dreadlock Holiday” – cool funky tune with great lyrics! “Modern Man Blues” was all new to me. I enjoyed it as well.
I mostly know 10cc from their biggest hits and a corresponding sampler I borrowed from somebody and taped on music cassette during my young and wild teenage years back in Germany where I taped stuff on MC like a mad man! 😆
Thats what I know as well Christian…from their greatest hits…they were quirky no doubt…and I love quirky! You never know what you were getting at all with them…that makes it exciting.
Wow the name 10cc takes me back to “I’m Not in Love” and high school girlfriends. But I never listened to much from them. This is pretty far away on the spectrum for sure! Lots of soul there.
They are quirky as hell…and I love that. I live quirky…so it fits lol.
Of course I remember I’m Not in Love…
Oh yes! What a sad somber…but catchy song!
Their album “The Original Soundtrack” is my fav of mine.
What a cool name! I will check that out Glyn…thank you!
They did vary it up some and always had talent. I’d never seen any videos by them though, which come to think of it is surprising since Godley & Creme did that as their mainstay after leaving the group. I always liked ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ but had I not known, would not have believed it was the same group as ‘I’m not in Love’
I know…they were so quirky that you wouldn’t know what was coming next with them…they were a very interesting band…
I’m sorry.😇
Someone mentioned ‘Art for Art’s Sake’…fine song I’d forgotten but took them in yet another new direction. Gouldman was a great writer. ‘Bus Stop’ to my ears is the closest any of those British Invasion bands came to matching the Beatles for a totally catchy pop single.
I often wonder what Jamaicans think of ‘Dreadlock Holiday’? I know for me, it’s ‘don’t like Dreadlock Holiday/ I love it!’ but it ain’t a tourism ad in the making…
I love the video of that song and the song. I’ve known people like that…that is why I love it. They were different! for sure… very talented quirky band. I’m quirky…so I really like this.
Dave when we played live…I would want….as an example…Helter Skelter and the next song…I don’t know… Yesterday…no we didn’t play that song but you get what I’m saying. You don’t know what is coming next.
Heck…that is the way I try to do my blog…ultra musicians in this song….and then Monkey with a Gun…totally the opposite…good musicians but different.
As Max says, ‘presto chango.’ All four knew their schtick, Stewart was in ‘The Mindbenders’ in the 60s, Gouldman wrote hits as a schoolboy. I always liked them as Hotlegs, ‘Neanderthal Man.’ though there’s I’m the first to admit there’s no tricky songwriting on that particular song!
Fun group, Max as I enjoyed watching them jamming. Graham Gouldman wrote hit songs for the Yardbirds, the Hollies and Herman’s Hermits.
He was really young as well then…I think he wrote Bus Stop and a lot of the big hits.
‘No Milk Today’ one of the rare Hermits tracks I could enjoy rather than endure.
The one I liked by Herman Hermits…was…and don’t stone me too hard…was “Something Good” ….dam it! Now it will be in my head all day.
I’m a big boy Max, I can take that, just. ‘Silhouettes?’ Yeah… ‘Sleepy Joe?’ Noooooooooooo.
I never heard Sleepy Joe…arghhhhh now I have. I cannot unhear it.
They had to be for 7-8 year olds.
Sorry Max! Welcome to the Herman’s Hermits Depreciation Society.’
“it couldn’t be that bad”…. oh yes…it was!
Ruin your day further? I offer you ‘Sunshine Girl.’ You”re welcome. ‘Years May Come, Years May Go.’ The last one is as if Paul McCartney vomited up the first overly sentimental draft of ‘When I’m 64’ and someone swept it up for recycling.
Nope…nope…I learned my lesson with Joe! Nope…I”m going there!
Shit…yea I went there. The horns just make it worse.
Im hearing Lennon in this one for sure. The production budget and what they came up with ‘Dreadlock’ puts a lot of Hollywood to shame.
He does have that Lennon quality about him. I love quirky and this band is… and that is a huge compliment coming from a quirky person!
I like this band. Lots of creativity and humor. Both work for me.
that live album was a game changer for me…until then, yeah, the things we do for love….but then the Second Sitting of the Last Supper had me hooked…Arts for Arts Sake…a god live band.
I’ll check that out Warren thanks!
Im going to give that record some time. I was always on the outside looking (hearing) into this band.
I want to check a live album by 10cc that Warren mentioned a few minutes ago
Yes. I meant that comment as a response to Warren.
Excellent review, Max. A great. innovative band that is also understated. Really intelligent stuff.
Most of the time I steer clear of intellectual rock/prog rock. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I like some of it very much, but most of it comes across a little too contrived for my taste. 10cc isn’t like that. Like you point out, they reflect a sense of humor–that goes a long ways in pop music.
Thanks Pam… usually I stay clear of it as well…but this hits home much more than a lot of it.
(You gotta laugh at some of the Prog full blown bluster at times.)
Good stuff; as you infer with 10cc you were going to get something eclectic somewhere on the track listing.
Thats the fun with them…you never know what you are going to get!
Pretty nice. Really don’t think I’ve heard much of anything other than their two massive hits. Worth checking out.
Yes…they the definition of quirky… and since I am…it fits with me.
I was going to interject into the whole Herman’s Hermits conversation, but I didn’t see a reply button. Those stellar songs that obbverse mentioned are just one more reason why The Who opened for them on the Murray The K show. Obviously they weren’t ready for the big time. Head-scratcher.
That is odd! That you didn’t have a reply button…that won’t do! I want to hear everyone’s voice on here…I’ll look into it M.Y. Are you on the “reader” or my official page?
I’m just reading from the website, but there wasn’t any reply under yours or obbverse’s comments. I meant the head scratcher part about why anyone would make The Who open for Herman’s Hermits.
Ok…I just got on my page with my profile…and I just tried with my alter ego ship profile…I didn’t see reply on them but I did see an arrow… Sorry for the drill here….are you on a phone? I’m on a computer. Do you see an arrow?
And yes…the Who opening up for Herman Hermits…just insane! Hendrix and the Monkees come to mind as well.
I’m on a phone. I don’t see arrows. There was a reply under your original reply to newepicauthor, but nothing for yours or obbverses comments.
I’ll check my phone later tonight and get back with you tomorrow if that is alright
That is OK. Have a good night.
love 10cc, saw graham Gouldman a few weeks ago doing his 60’s hits and beyond. Still fab!
Yes they are…and I got a hell of a response on this.