The 1975 hit song 10cc literally deleted: “It’s crap”
10cc's 1975 UK number one "I'm Not In Love" was originally scrapped by the band during recording after drummer Kevin Godley dismissed the demo as "crap", with songwriter Eric Stewart erasing the tape in frustration. The track, written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman, began life as an unconvincing bossa nova ballad lacking a proper chorus, and even its creators were unconvinced by it before Godley and bandmate Lol Creme's blunt criticism led Stewart to wipe it entirely.
The song was only revived after Strawberry Studios staff, including secretary Kathy Redfern, were caught humming its melody and asked why the band had abandoned it. Godley agreed to rework it on one condition: stripping out conventional instruments and building the track almost entirely from voices. The band went on to record vocal samples for every note of the chromatic scale, layering over 600 voices through synthesisers to create the song's distinctive, ethereal sound, transforming a discarded demo into one of 10cc's most celebrated hits.
- 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" was deleted mid-recording after harsh internal criticism
- Studio staff humming the melody prompted the band to revive it
- Reworked using 600+ layered vocal samples instead of instruments
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"I'm Not In Love" is one of 10cc's best-known songs, a UK number one from 1975 recognised for its lush, wordless vocal harmonies. It was written by band members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman, with fellow members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme also involved in shaping how it was eventually recorded at Strawberry Studios, the band's own studio in Stockport.
The song did not start out as the version people know. Early attempts at recording it were unconvincing, and it was reportedly abandoned partway through before being revived and reworked in an unusual way, using layered vocal recordings rather than conventional instruments to build its sound.