Deceptive Bends - 10cc

Vinyl L.P - Mercury Records - 6310 502.

1977 - Germany.

Sleeve design, photography: HIPGNOSIS.

Sleeve graphics: Colin Elgie.

Liner bag graphics: George Hardie.

Photo retouching: Richard Manning.

Back cover

Inner gatefold

Labels

10cc

Eric Stewart & Graham Gouldman

About the artwork:

Graham Gouldman: ‘I was renting a house in London and driving to the studio in Dorking,’ he recalls. ‘Every day I kept seeing a road sign which read “Deceptive Bends”. Not dangerous bends, just deceptive, which intrigued me.’

Initial draft

Storm took the phrase to its illogical conclusion and suggested a diver as a play on ‘the bends’, the nickname given to decompression sickness after surfacing too quickly in deep water. Hipgnosis’s diver appeared on the cover, cradling a female model wearing an evening gown, as if she’d fallen overboard during a party at sea.

Unfortunately, the diver’s wetsuit was so heavy, he could only hold the model for a short time. A metal frame was built on which to rest his arms and then airbrushed out of the picture. Two other divers, one played by Emo, appeared in the foreground.

‘We shot it on the River Thames in Twickenham or Barnes,’ recalls Emo. ‘The diver’s helmet must have weighed 50 pounds and in between takes I had to rest my head on the jetty. Another all-day shoot for just a fiver. Typical Storm – art for art’s sake.’

                Text extracted from US AND THEM The Authorised Story Of Hipgnosis.

Memorabilia:

10cc REACHES A NEW DEPTH!

Mercury Records

   About the artist and the album:

10cc is an English art-pop band that emerged in the early 1970s, celebrated for their witty lyrics, sophisticated studio production, and a unique ability to blend avant-garde experimentation with accessible pop hooks. Best known for their global breakthrough hit, "I'm Not in Love" (1975). The track is legendary for its "wall of sound" vocal production, achieved by layering 256 vocal tracks to create a ethereal, choir-like backdrop.

Formed in Stockport, Cheshire in 1972, the band consisted of four multi-instrumentalists, singers, and producers who had already spent years working in the music industry as session musicians, songwriters, and hitmakers.

Eric Stewart (formerly of The Mindbenders) and Graham Gouldman (a brilliant tunesmith who had penned 1960s hits like "For Your Love" for The Yardbirds and "Bus Stop" for The Hollies). They tended to write the band's most accessible, melodic, and romantic material. Kevin Godley and Lol Creme they were art-school graduates who favored cinematic concepts, dark humor, theatrical arrangements, and technical sonic experimentation.

In 1976, Godley and Creme left the band to pursue more experimental work and develop the "Gizmotron" (a mechanical device for the guitar). They later became pioneers in the music video industry, directing iconic clips for artists like Herbie Hancock and The Police.  Stewart and Gouldman continued as 10cc, releasing successful albums like Deceptive Bends and Bloody Tourists. While the band went through various hiatuses and lineup changes, Graham Gouldman continues to lead a touring version of the group today, keeping their meticulously crafted live sound alive.

Deceptive Bends was 10cc's fifth studio album, but it was the first one recorded after the band split in half. Founding members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left the group in 1976 to pursue their own project (and develop their multi-effects guitar gadget, the "Gizmotron").  Remaining members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman were determined to prove they could carry on alone, jokingly noting that some British media called them "5cc" after the split. They tightened up the songwriting, leaning into a more direct, streamlined pop-rock sound while keeping their trademark intricate vocal arrangements and clever wit intact. 

The streamlined approach paid off massively. The album produced some of the band's biggest global hits. "The Things We Do for Love" – A masterclass in 70s pop songwriting that reached No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 in the UK. "Good Morning Judge" – A bouncy, tongue-in-cheek rock track that became another UK Top 10 single.

The title itself, Deceptive Bends, was taken directly from a warning sign for dangerous curves on the A24 southbound road between Leatherhead and Dorking in Surrey, which Gouldman passed regularly on his commute.