The Gig Cartel - Gig guide: 10cc's Graham Gouldman and Heart Full of Songs Stamford Corn Exchange

10cc's Graham Gouldman and Heart Full of Songs Stamford Corn Exchange

(featuring 10cc's Graham Gouldman)

Venue: Stamford Corn Exchange

For lovers of perfectly-crafted music performed by the composer, a Heart Full of Songs concert is truly an exquisite experience.

It is only between 10cc’s sell-out, bi-annual UK tours that the band’s co-founder Graham Gouldman is able to fully indulge his Heart Full of Songs project and take it on tour.

As a result, the semi-acoustic four-piece returns with a 16-date tour in March 2025, performing a broad range of Graham’s song-writing catalogue, including chart hits for 10cc, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, the Yardbirds and from his time in Wax with Andrew Gold.

Since Heart Full of Songs last toured the UK in March 2023, Graham has taking 10cc to some of Scandinavia’s and central Europe’s most prestigious concert venues, as we; as returning to Australia and New Zealand, and undertaking the band’s first US tour in more than three decades/ Meanwhile, Heart Full of Songs also managed a seven-date tour of Holland and a series of intimate gigs around the launch of Graham’s sixth solo album, I have Notres in July 2024. Guest musicians on the record include Ringo Starr, Brian May, Hank Marvin an Albert Lee.

Graham’s status as one of the world’s leading songwriters was acknowledged in 2014 with his induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame – an arm of America’s National Academy of Music

Previous inductees include Noel Coward, Irving Berlin, Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton

John, Leonard Cohen and Sting. Other accolades include America’s Broadcast Music Incorporated declaring him an Icon of the Industry at a special ceremony in London, where he stunned the audience with an acoustic rendition of I’m Not In Love, which he co-wrote, accompanied by Lisa Stansfield on vocals.

Being invited by Ringo Starr to join his All Starr Band for arena tours of Europe and the USA in 2018 – during which the band played three 10cc songs each night – was “one of the most enjoyable things I’ve done”, says Graham.

Another event, although not widely known, gave Graham a further lift. It happened backstage at a festival when Robert Plant thanked him for writing one of the songs that got him through the audition to join what became Led Zeppelin. The song was one of his early compositions, For Your Love.

When Graham formed what became Heart Full of Songs 11 years ago, it was purely for the pleasure of playing his songs in their simplest form, acoustically.

The format became so popular that Heart Full of Songs now tours the UK every two years, along with concerts and festival appearances in the UK and Europe.

How it all began … Born on 10 May 1946 in Manchester, Graham was given his first guitar at the age of 11 and started playing with local bands at 15. He received early encouragement to develop his musical talent from his mother Betty and father Hymie, who also contributed with suggested lyrics and song titles. Graham played with various Manchester bands before forming The Mockingbirds in 1965 with Kevin Godley (later a fellow 10cc founding member) on drums, and when the record label Columbia rejected Graham’s first single composition for the band, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The song, For Your Love, became a huge hit for The Yardbirds.

 

Working by day in a mens outfitters shop and playing by night with his semi- professional band, Graham went on to write a string of hits, such as Pamela, Pamela for Wayne Fontana, For Your Love, Evil Hearted You and Heart Full of Soul (The Yardbirds), Bus Stop and Look Through Any Window (The Hollies), No Milk Today and Listen People (Herman's Hermits), and Tallyman for Jeff Beck. In 1972, along with Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, he formed 10cc and enjoyed a string of Top 10 hits, including three No 1s - Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday – along with Donna (No 2), Art For Art’s Sake and Good Morning Judge (both reaching No 5), The Things We Do For Love and I’m Mandy Fly Me (6), and The Wall Street Shuffle (10).

It’s the enduring popularity of these tracks, along with others such as Bridge To Your Heart from Graham’s time in Wax with the late Andrew Gold and songs from film soundtracks including Animalympics, that led to the formation of Heart Full of Songs. Needless to say, the band also features tracks from Graham’s acclaimed solo albums, And Another Thing, Love And Work, Play Nicely And Share, Modesty Forbids and 2024’s I Have Notes.