The Graham Gouldman Thing
Released 1968
Recorded Olympic Sound Studios, London
Genre Pop
Length 29:19
Label RCA Victor, BMG
Producer Graham Gouldman, Peter Noone, John Paul Jones
The Graham Gouldman Thing was the debut album by singer and songwriter Graham Gouldman. Gouldman had already written hit singles for Herman’s Hermits (“No Milk Today” and “Listen People”), the Yardbirds (“For Your Love”), the Hollies (“Bus Stop”) and Wayne Fontana (“Pamela, Pamela”, “The Impossible Years”) and on this album Gouldman delivered his own versions of some of those songs as well as other new compositions.
Gouldman, who would later become a founding member of 10cc, recorded the album at Olympic Studios in London, a studio that would later be extensively used by Led Zeppelin. It was recorded with the assistance of John Paul Jones and Eddie Kramer, both of whom would also achieve considerable success with Led Zeppelin.
In sleeve notes for the 2004 CD re-release, Gouldman said his manager Harvey Lisberg suggested he make the album, reworking his hits and recording new songs.
He wrote: “It was also a chance to work on a big project with John Paul Jones, with whom I had worked many times before … he is a great bass and keyboard player who had an important influence on my playing.
“The album was supposed to have been co-produced by Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits. The idea being that the artist produces the writer. After the first session he didn’t show up again, so John and I ended up producing the album with Eddie Kramer engineering.”
The liner notes acknowledge the use of “some fabulous players on the sessions”, but do not name them.
At the time, only one single was released from the album sessions in the UK and the album was subsequently not released in the UK until it appeared on CD years later.
Track listing
All songs composed by Graham Gouldman
Side 1
“The Impossible Years” – 2:38
“Bus Stop” – 2:24
“Behind the Door” – 3:38
“Pawnbroker” – 3:02
“Who are They” – 2:03
“My Father” – 2:47
Side 2
“No Milk Today” – 2:15
“Upstairs, Downstairs” – 2:17
“For Your Love” – 2:34
“Pamela, Pamela” – 2:11
“Chestnut” – 3:23
Personnel
Graham Gouldman – vocals, guitar
John Paul Jones – arrangements
Clem Cattini – drums
Eddie Kramer – engineer
Bill Inglot – sleeve design
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia