445 – 10CC – I’m Not In Love (1975)
Written by Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman
Produced by 10CC
Label – Mercury

Denial as a result of relationship breakdown is ofcourse a very simple human emotion, and Eric Stewart’s lyric conveys this perfectly on this Ivor Novello winning hit. Whilst the message and vocal melody may seem aimed directly at the heart, the backing track is a complex sonic miracle created by studio effort, understanding the value of vocal harmonics, and simply not giving up on a great tune. When Stewart presented this to the band as a simple acoustic bossa nova they initially rejected its lightweight musical content. Hearing various Strawberry Studio staff continually humming the chorus for weeks after the band were sufficiently encouraged to rework the track for their “The Original Sountrack” album. Backing vocals from by Stewart, Gouldman and Creme recorded on a loop and multiplied to create a 256 voice choir provide a backing track that beautifully swirls around the melody and brings a celestial sheen to one of the few UK number one singles that is worthy of its position.