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Lol Creme

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Lol Creme
Creme in 1976 performing with 10cc
Creme in 1976 performing with 10cc
Background information
Birth nameLaurence Neil Creme
Also known asLolagon
Born (1947-09-19) 19 September 1947 (age 76)
Prestwich, Lancashire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • keyboards
  • vocals
  • bass
Years active1962–present

Laurence Neil "Lol" Creme (born 19 September 1947)[1] is a British musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He was later one half of the duo Godley & Creme, with 10cc drummer Kevin Godley. Creme has collaborated with Trevor Horn's Band. He sings and plays guitar, bass and keyboards.

Biography[edit]

10cc and Godley & Creme[edit]

Creme was born in Prestwich, Lancashire, England. Like bandmates Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley, Creme grew up in a Jewish household.[2] While attending art school in Birmingham, where he met Godley, he took up the nickname 'Lolagon'. The pair joined the white R&B combo the Sabres (the Magic Lanterns), Hotlegs and other bands together,[3] most significantly 10cc,[4] and in 1976 they left 10cc together to record as Creme & Godley (later Godley & Creme). The pair became music video directors, working with bands including Yes.[citation needed] He graduated from the college in Birmingham in 1968.[5]

Creme (centre sat down) with 10cc in 1974

Godley & Creme had written many songs for 10cc, including: "Donna" (no. 2 in UK)[6], "Rubber Bullets" (no. 1 in UK)[7], "The Dean and I" (no. 4 in UK)[8], "Silly Love" (no. 24 in UK)[9], and "Life Is a Minestrone" (no. 7 in UK)[10].

From 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five consecutive UK top-ten albums: Sheet Music (1974), The Original Soundtrack (1975), How Dare You! (1976), Deceptive Bends (1977) and Bloody Tourists (1978). 10cc also had twelve singles reach the UK Top 40, three of which were the chart-toppers "Rubber Bullets" (1973), "I'm Not in Love" (1975) and "Dreadlock Holiday" (1978). "I'm Not in Love" was their breakthrough worldwide hit, and is known for its innovative backing track.

In 1988, Godley & Creme parted ways: "What happened was in '89, certainly in '88, maybe before, Kevin changed, I think his priorities in life changed. He'd had enough, he'd simply had enough of me and the way we worked, the things we did, the priorities we had. And the fact that we were a priority, for example. Our working relationship dominated our...lives, you know. It was time for a shift in all that and he was obviously right. When I see him, which is not regularly, but I do see him occasionally, he seems well. I thinks he wants to be lazy and just hang. And God bless him, you know."[11]

Later work[edit]

Creme directed the 1991 Jamaican comedy film The Lunatic.[12]

In 1988, Creme became a member of the band Art of Noise, with Anne Dudley and Trevor Horn, and directed videos for the artists who recorded with them, such as Tom Jones. Further work with Horn followed, including forming the band the Producers with Chris Braide and Steve Lipson, and the Trevor Horn Band. Creme appears on Horn's Echoes: Ancient and Modern.[13]

Family[edit]

Creme's son Lalo was a member of the 1990s indie-dance band Arkarna, and has also worked on a number of projects with his father. Creme's wife, Angie, is the sister of ex-10cc member Eric Stewart's wife, Gloria.[14][15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lol Creme profile". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Heirs to The Beatles: the story of 10cc". The Jewish Chronicle. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  3. ^ Kevin Godley.com, History Retrieved 31 December 2020
  4. ^ Lester, Paul "Heirs to The Beatles: The story of 10cc". The Jewish Chronicle
  5. ^ "THE ART OF NOISE ONLINE www.theartofnoiseonline.com". www.theartofnoiseonline.com. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 552/3. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 287. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  8. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 552. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 29/9/1974". Official Charts. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  10. ^ "10 CC | Artist | Official Charts". web.archive.org. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Lol Creme, Uncut 1988". Mr Blint’s Attic. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  12. ^ The Lunatic (1991) - IMDb. Retrieved 9 June 2024 – via www.imdb.com.
  13. ^ "Steve Hogarth, Robert Fripp and more step up for Trevor Horn's new Echoes – Ancient & Modern album". 22 September 2023.
  14. ^ Tremlett, George (1976). The 10cc Story. Futura. ISBN 0-86007-378-5.
  15. ^ "Lol Creme discusses The Beatles, 10cc and a life in music". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2024.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lol_Creme&oldid=1228012420"