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The Original Soundtrack
Studio album by 10cc
Released	11 March 1975 (1975-03-11)
Recorded	1974
Studio	Strawberry Studios, Stockport, Cheshire, England
Genre	Art rock progressive pop soft rock
Length	41:46
Label	Mercury
Producer	10cc
10cc chronology
Sheet Music (1974) The Original Soundtrack (1975) 100cc (1975)
Singles from The Original Soundtrack
"Life Is a Minestrone b/w "Channel Swimmer" Released: 28 March 1975 "I'm Not in Love b/w "Good News" Released: 23 May 1975 "Life Is a Minestrone" b/w "Lazy Ways" Released: August 1976 (US double A-side)

The Original Soundtrack is the third studio album by the English rock band 10cc. It was released in 1975 and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. The Original Soundtrack includes the singles "Life Is a Minestrone", and "I'm Not in Love", the band's most popular song.

The album received good reviews when originally released on LP, 8-Track and cassette by Mercury Records in March 1975. It was ranked number 976 in All-Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).

Background

The album was recorded and produced by the band at Strawberry Studios in 1974 with Eric Stewart engineering and mixing. The album was the first to be released by Mercury Records after signing the band for $1 million in February 1975. The catalyst for the deal was that the record executives had heard one song – "I'm Not in Love". Eric Stewart recalled:

At that point in time we were still on Jonathan King's label, but struggling. We were absolutely skint, the lot of us, we were really struggling seriously, and Philips Phonogram wanted to do a deal with us. They wanted to buy Jonathan King's contract. I rang them. I said come and have a listen to what we've done, come and have a listen to this track. And they came up and they freaked, and they said, "This is a masterpiece. How much money, what do you want? What sort of a contract do you want? We'll do anything, we'll sign it." On the strength of that one song, we did a five-year deal with them for five albums and they paid us a serious amount of money.

The rest of the album, which was already complete, was released just weeks later.

The artwork was designed by Hipgnosis and illustrated by artist Humphrey Ocean.

Release

The album has been reissued on several occasions with bonus tracks including b-sides and single edits and has been remastered.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Christgau's Record Guide	D+

The Original Soundtrack was a critical and commercial success reaching No. 3 in the UK and No. 15 in the US

Ken Barnes gave the album a rave review in Rolling Stone, commenting, "Musically there's more going on than in ten Yes albums, yet it's generally as accessible as a straight pop band (though less so than the two preceding 10cc LPs)." He particularly praised the album for being ambitious without being excessive or pretentious, and for its lyrical content.

Village Voice critic Robert Christgau panned the album, remarking of the song "I'm Not in Love": "stretching your only decent melody (a non-satirical love song) over six tedious minutes, is that a joke?"

The first single "Life Is a Minestrone" was another UK Top 10 for the band, peaking at No. 7. Their biggest success came with the song that sold the album, "I'm Not in Love", which gave the band their second UK No. 1 in June 1975, staying there for two weeks. The song also provided them with their first major US chart success when the song reached No. 2.

Track listing

Bonus tracks on the 1997 CD edition

Additional bonus tracks on Japanese edition

Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes of the album.

10cc

• Eric Stewart – lead (1–6) and backing vocals (1, 3–5, 7, 8), electric (3–8) and steel guitars (1, 3), Fender Rhodes electric piano (2, 4, 6), piano (3, 4, 6), organ (8), percussion (8)
• Lol Creme – lead (1, 3, 7) and backing vocals (all tracks), piano (all but 3), Fender Rhodes electric piano (1, 7), organ (3), Moog synthesizer (5), percussion (1, 4, 7, 8), electric (4, 7) and acoustic guitars (6), Gizmo (3, 5), vibraphone (1), violins (5), autoharp (6), mandolin (8)
• Graham Gouldman – lead (1, 3, 8) and backing vocals (all but 8), bass guitar (all tracks), electric (2–4, 7, 8) and acoustic guitars (6, 7), percussion (1), double bass (5), autoharp (6), mandolin (8)
• Kevin Godley – lead (1, 3, 5) and backing vocals (all tracks), drums (1, 3, 4, 6, 7), bass drum (5), timpani (1, 5), marimba (5), timbales (7), bongos (8), percussion (1, 4, 6–8), Moog synthesizer (2), cellos (5)

Technical

• 10cc – production
• Hipgnosis – cover design
• Humphrey Ocean – cover illustration

Charts

Certifications

References

1. "Rocklist". Retrieved 22 July 2018.
2. "I Write The Songs". Retrieved 15 January 2014.
3. Deming, Mark. The Original Soundtrack at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 15 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
5. ^ "10 C.C." The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
6. "10cc Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
7. Barnes, Ken (19 June 1975). "Album review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008.
8. 10CC Hot 100 chart history, Billboard. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
9. The Original Soundtrack (liner notes). 10cc. Mercury. 1975. 9102 500.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 307. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
11. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4055a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
12. "Charts.nz – 10cc – The Original Soundtrack". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
14. "10cc Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
15. "Top Selling Albums For 1975" (PDF). Music Week. 27 December 1975. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
16. "Australian Gold for 10cc" (PDF). Cash Box. 29 October 1977. p. 89. Retrieved 25 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
17. "British album certifications – 10cc – The Original Soundtrack". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 November 2021.

• 10cc albums
• 1975 albums
• Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis
• Mercury Records albums
• Albums recorded at Strawberry Studios