Ten Out of 10

Ten Out of 10
Studio album by 10cc
Released 27 November 1981
Genre Rock
Length 44:32 (UK release)
Label Warner Bros./Mercury Records
Producer Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman
10cc chronology
Look Hear?
(1980)		 Ten Out of 10
(1981)		 Windows in the Jungle
(1983)
Singles from Ten Out of 10
  1. "Les Nouveaux Riches" b/w "I Hate to Eat Alone"
    Released: Feb 1981
  2. "Don't Turn Me Away" b/w "Tomorrow's World Today"
    Released: Nov 1981
  3. "The Power of Love" b/w "You're Coming Home Again"
    Released: Mar 1982
  4. "Run Away" b/w "Action Man in Motown Suit"
    Released: Jul 1982
  5. "We've Heard It All Before" b/w "Overdraft in Overdrive"
    Released: Oct 1982
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Ten Out of 10 is the eighth studio album by 10cc and was released in 1981. It failed to chart in the US or UK. The album marked the first involvement with the band by American singer-songwriter Andrew Gold, who was also invited to join the band, but declined because of other commitments.[2]

Gouldman said the band's label in the U.S., Warner Bros. Records wanted more of an American flavour 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]

Gouldman later admitted greater involvement by Gold might have lifted the band's early 1980s output from its mediocrity. "We should either have tried to change direction, which we didn't, or got someone else in the band, which we almost did. The albums weren't really bad, there was always the integrity, and the production values, but in retrospect, I find them rather dour, rather lacklustre. That's why I thought we should have got someone else in, to kick us up the arse. We didn't see what was going on around us, maybe we should have got a producer at that point."[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. 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 favour of pursuing my own career and returned to America."[3]

Although the album featured two of the musicians used on 1980s' Look Hear? – drummer Paul Burgess on all but two tracks, guitarist and singer Rick Fenn on two tracks – Ten Out of 10 was clearly a return to the core duo of Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart. A variety of session musicians, including pianist Vic Emerson of Sad Café, were employed for the album, but unlike its predecessor, they were not acknowledged on the album as part of "the group". Instead they were credited by name after the contributions of Gouldman and Stewart, who were identified only as "Graham" and "Eric". The only band member photos on the album were those of Gouldman and Stewart.

The album yielded the following singles: "Les Nouveaux Riches"/"I Hate to Eat Alone" (UK release); "Don't Turn Me Away"/"Tomorrow's World Today"; "The Power of Love"/"You're Coming Home Again" (released with "Action Man in a Motown Suit" as the B-side in some countries); "Memories"/"Overdraft in Overdrive" (Holland only); "Run Away"/"Action Man in a Motown Suit"; "We've Heard It All Before"/"Overdraft in Overdrive" (UK only). "Memories" was also scheduled for UK release in February 1982[4] but substituted with "The Power of Love" a month later.

Recording was split between the band's two studios, Strawberry Studios South at Dorking, Surrey, and Strawberry Studios North at Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Cover design for the album was by Visible Ink Ltd, which also created the cover for ABC's The Lexicon of Love (1982).

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.

Track listings

UK version

Mercury – 6359 048[5][6]

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Don't Ask"  Graham Gouldman 4:02
2. "Overdraft in Overdrive"  Eric Stewart, Gouldman 3:24
3. "Don't Turn Me Away"  Stewart 5:03
4. "Memories"  Stewart, Gouldman 4:31
5. "Notell Hotel"  Stewart, Gouldman 4:56
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
6. "Les Nouveaux Riches"  Stewart 5:11
7. "Action Man in a Motown Suit"  Stewart, Gouldman 4:45
8. "Listen with Your Eyes"  Stewart, Gouldman 3:10
9. "Lying Here with You"  Gouldman 3:22
10. "Survivor"  Gouldman, Stewart 5:46

US version

Warner Bros. Records – BSK 3575[7][8]

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Don't Ask"  Gouldman 4:01
2. "The Power of Love"  Stewart, Gouldman, Andrew Gold 4:14
3. "Les Nouveaux Riches"  Stewart 5:12
4. "Memories" (US Mix)Stewart, Gouldman 4:27
5. "We've Heard It All Before"  Stewart, Gouldman, Gold 3:48
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
6. "Don't Turn Me Away"  Stewart 5:03
7. "Notell Hotel"  Stewart, Gouldman 4:56
8. "Overdraft in Overdrive"  Stewart, Gouldman 3:22
9. "Tomorrow's World Today"  Gouldman 3:14
10. "Run Away"  Stewart, Gouldman, Gold 4:07

CD Release

The UK version was first released on CD in the early 80's in Europe (800 039-2). The album would not be released again on CD (and then only in Japan) until a deluxe edition in 2006 which combined all of the tracks from the U.S. and UK versions of the album as well as various B-sides. It was reissued in the SHM-CD format in 2008 (again a Japanese exclusive release) in 2008. Both the 2006 and 2008 reissues were packaged in mini-LP replica artwork.

On August 25, 2014 the album finally received a UK release featuring the same track listing as the 2006 deluxe edition but packaged in a jewel box with a booklet. The 2014 version was mastered by Andy Pearce. The album received a U.S. release on CD the following week of September 2, 2014.

2006/2008 Track Listing

  1. Don't Ask
  2. Overdraft in Overdrive
  3. Don't Turn Me Away
  4. Memories
  5. Notell Hotel
  6. Les Nouveaux Riches
  7. Action Man in Motown Suit
  8. Listen with Your Eyes
  9. Lying Here with You
  10. Survivor
  11. The Power of Love
  12. Memories (U.S. mix)
  13. We've Heard It All Before
  14. Tomorrow's World Today
  15. Run Away
  16. Les Nouveaux Riches
  17. You're Coming Home Again

Personnel

10cc
with

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. 1 2 3 "10cc : A Pure Injection Of Pop," chapter 10, by Dave Thompson, "Goldmine" magazine, 11 April 1997
  3. ↑ Liner notes on Wax's "ComonKnowledge.com" album
  4. ↑ Liner notes of Greatest Songs and More (Great Box)
  5. ↑ "10cc - Ten Out Of 10 (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  6. ↑ "Images for 10cc - Ten Out Of 10". Discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "10cc - Ten Out Of 10 (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  8. ↑ "Images for 10cc - Ten Out Of 10". Discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
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