About Graham Gouldman
Graham Keith Gouldman is an English singer, musician and songwriter, best known as the co-lead singer and bassist of the art rock band 10cc. He has been the band's only constant member since its formation in 1972. Before 10cc, Gouldman worked as a freelance songwriter and penned many hits for major rock and pop groups, including the Yardbirds, the Hollies, Herman's Hermits and Ohio Express.
Gouldman was born in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, into a Jewish family. He played in a number of Manchester bands from 1963, including the High Spots, the Crevattes, the Planets and the Whirlwinds, which became a house band at his local Jewish Lads' Brigade.
The Whirlwinds – comprising Gouldman , Maurice Sperling , Bernard Basso , Stephen Jacobson , Malcolm Wagner and Phil Cohen – secured a recording contract with HMV, releasing a recording of the Buddy Holly song "Look at Me", backed with "Baby Not Like You", written by future 10cc bandmate Lol Creme, on May 22, 1964.
Gouldman dissolved the Whirlwinds in late 1964, and the following February formed the Mockingbirds with Jacobson, Basso, and a former member of fellow Manchester band the Sabres, Kevin Godley . The Mockingbirds signed with the Columbia label, which rejected Gouldman's first offering as a single – "For Your Love" – and issued two singles, "That's How " and "I Can Feel We're Parting" . The band switched to the Immediate label for "You Stole My Love" and Decca for "One By One" and "How to Find a Lover" .
The Mockingbirds also began a regular warm-up spot for BBC Television's Top of the Pops, transmitted from Manchester. He recalled: "There was one strange moment when the Yardbirds appeared on the show doing 'For Your Love', which was a song that I'd written. Everyone clamoured around them – and there I was just part of an anonymous group. I felt strange that night, hearing them play my song."
At the same time Gouldman signed a management agreement with Harvey Lisberg, and while working by day in a men's outfitters shop and playing by night with his semi-professional band, he wrote a string of hit songs, many of them million sellers. Between 1965 and 1967 alone, he wrote "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul" and "Evil Hearted You" for the Yardbirds; "Look Through Any Window" and "Bus Stop" for the Hollies; "Listen People", "No Milk Today" and "East West" for Herman's Hermits; "Pamela, Pamela" and "The Impossible Years" for Wayne Fontana; "Behind the Door" for St. Louis Union , "Tallyman" for Jeff Beck; and "Going Home", which was a 1967 Australian hit for Normie Rowe.
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