Graham Gouldman & Friends
Heart Full of Songs Live!
Unknown dates and venues, 2013
Acoustic performance
Soundboard recording, excellent quality (promotional release)
Mp3 @320 kbps
Graham Gouldman, best-known as a member of the wonderful band 10cc, established himself as a successful songwriter long before his involvement with 10cc. Although his own early bands did not gain much success (The Mockingbirds, The Mindbenders), in the mid-sixties he wrote a string of hit songs for other bands, including The Yardbirds ('For Your Love', 'Heart Full of Soul', 'Evil Hearted You'), The Hollies ('Look Through Any Window', 'Bus Stop'), Herman's Hermits ('Listen People', 'No Milk Today'), and Wayne Fontana ('Pamela, Pamela'). In 1969, Gouldman entered into an agreement to write bubblegum pop songs for Super K productions, which was a 'creative lowpoint' for him, but he eventually convinced the producers that him and his musician friends could play and record all their songs for much cheaper than bringing in outside musicians, and so they did. This brought together Gouldman with Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme (whom he had worked with previously in various bands) to crank out a large number of pop songs in a short period of time, under many different band names, at Strawberry Studios, and eventually lead to them becoming 10cc, in 1972, with a record deal of their own. And, of course, 10cc went on to much success, with both hit records and critical acclaim over the next several years. But by 1976, Godley and Creme left the group, with Gouldman and Stewart carrying on as 10cc until 1983. Gouldman then teamed with Andrew Gold to form Wax in 1984 and released three albums over the next few years. Then in 1991, the original lineup of 10cc briefly got back together in a semi-reunion (Godley and Creme were basically guesting on a Gouldman-Stewart album) with additional guest artists (such as Jeff Porcaro and David Paich of Toto, Dr. John, and Andrew Gold) for the 10cc 'comeback' album ...Meanwhile (1992). Although Godley and Creme were only involved for a short time, Gouldman and Stewart kept 10cc going for a subsequent tour and another new album in 1995, which was the final album credited to 10cc. After that, Gouldman split with Stewart, but continued to tour sporadically with a 'touring' version of 10cc on and off over the ensuing years. Gouldman released solo albums in 2000 (And Another Thing) and 2012 (Love and Work). The concept for the 'Heart Full of Songs' acoustic shows grew out of the strong audience response from an acoustic section in the middle of the 10cc shows. So, in 2013, Gouldman, along with current 10cc bandmates Rick Fenn, Mick Wilson, and Mike Stevens, played a series of acoustic shows featuring songs from throughout all stages of Gouldman's career, from his earliest songwriting days through the 10cc years, to his more more recent solo work. The recording featured here was professionally recorded by Gouldman and his crew, but was never released commercially. It was sold for a short time at HFOS shows in 2014, but has not been available in any form for several years. I got this from the now-defunct Willard's Wormholes site, and the only reason I have not posted it previously is that I was not sure if it could be considered an official release or not. However, the fact that it is not available through any commercial outlets or listed anywhere as an official release, including Gouldman's own website, I presume that this is OK to share. If not, I'm sure I will find out very quickly. The show itself is a delightful event, Gouldman's voice is still strong and clear, and the acoustic arrangements bring a light and refreshing sound to these many fine and familiar songs, and serves as a wonderful celebration and look back at Gouldman's career. Highly Recommended. Gouldman was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2014, and this serves as a fine resume for his songwriting credentials. Gouldman has recently announced a new Heart Full of Songs tour in the UK this year (starting March 2020), as well as a new solo album, Modesty Forbids, to be released at the same time.
Tracklist:
01. Pamela, Pamela
02. Heart Full of Soul
03. Good Morning Judge
04. No Milk Today
05. Sunburn
06. Love's Not for Me (Rene's Song)
07. The Halls of Rock'n Roll
08. Look Through Any Window
09. Daylight
10. Bus Stop
11. Dancing Days
12. Building A Bridge To Your Heart
13. I'm Not in Love
14. Ariella
15. Ready To Go Home
16. The Things We Do for Love
17. Memory Lane
18. For Your Love
19. Donna
20. Dreadlock Holiday
Graham Gouldman - vocals, guitar, bass
Rick Fenn - vocals, guitar
Mick Wilson - vocals, gutitar, percussion, ukelele
Mike Stevens - keyboards, accordian, sax, penny whistle
Graham Gouldman_Heart Full of Songs Live!_2013.rar
Link updated 08/30/23
6 comments:
Mostly thankful for this gift. Graham Gouldman is a marvelous songwriter and this is quite an incredible record!
Good afternoon,there would be a new link to post,thank you
I don't think it's fair to say that the Mindbenders did not gain much success. Both with and without their original siunger Wayne Fontana, they had several chart hits, including one which went to no.2 on both sides of the Atlantic, though it's true that Gouldman only joined them after their most successful period.
Thank you. I've been looking for this.
Great concert. Didn't realise the number of hits that he had written for other artists.
A brilliant song writer!
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