Lol Creme | |
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.jpg) Creme in 1976 performing with10cc | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Laurence Neil Creme |
| Also known as | Lolagon |
| Born | (1947-09-19)19 September 1947 (age 77) Prestwich, Lancashire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1962–present |
Laurence Neil "Lol"Creme (/ˈkriːm/KREEM; born 19 September 1947)[1] is an English musician andmusic video director, best known for his work in10cc. He was later one half of the duoGodley & Creme, with 10cc drummerKevin Godley. Creme has collaborated withTrevor Horn'sBand. He sings and plays guitar, bass and keyboards.
Creme was born inPrestwich, Lancashire, England. Like bandmatesGraham Gouldman andKevin Godley, Creme grew up in a Jewish household.[2] While attending art school inBirmingham, where he met Godley, he took up the nickname 'Lolagon'.
He graduated from the college in Birmingham in 1968.[3]
Creme and Kevin Godley formed the white R&B combothe Sabres (the Magic Lanterns),Hotlegs and other bands together.[4]
After recording a one-off single under the name of 'Yellow Bellow Room Boom' for UK CBS in 1967 ("Seeing Things Green" b/w "Still Life"), the pair began their professional music career together in 1969, performing pop music inStrawberry Studios atStockport nearManchester withEric Stewart andGraham Gouldman. The duo also released a single in 1969, "I'm Beside Myself" b/w "Animal Song", under the name Frabjoy & Runcible Spoon after being signed on toMarmalade Records directly by label headGiorgio Gomelsky. A 7-song LP was slated for a late 1969 release on Marmalade; however, the label collapsed financially before the end of the year, and the LP was shelved until its release in the 2022 compilationFrabjous Days: The Secret World of Godley & Creme 1967–1969 on Grapefruit Records.
Kevin and Lol most significantly performed, wrote and produced with10cc, an art rock group the duo formed withGraham Gouldman andEric Stewart, who had both been in the bandThe Mindbenders (formerly fronted byWayne Fontana).[5]
Godley & Creme wrote 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]
In 1976, Lol and Kevin left 10cc to record as Creme & Godley (laterGodley & Creme). In 1977 they released their first album project –Consequences – a concept album demonstration piece for the "Gizmo" a device that enabled an electric guitar to mimic orchestral instruments the pair had begun developing early on in 10CC years. Consequences is basically a story about meek Walter Stapleton divorcing his French playgirl wife, with English comedian and satirist Peter Cook voicing the parts of 2 solicitors, the irascible Pepperman and the alcoholic Haig, and Haigs' downstairs resident & reclusive musician Mr Blint, who constantly interrupts them and confuses the proceedings, and singer Sarah Vaughan. The album was released as a 3 LP box set.
Consequences attained a niche following and had 1 single released from it, "Five O'clock in the Morning". However, despite the creativity, innovation and imagination involved, it was a commercial flop.
The pair later became music video directors, working with bands includingYes.[citation needed] In 1979, they directed their first music video for their single "An Englishman in New York". After this, they became involved in the production of videos for artists such asUltravox,the Police,Yes,Duran Duran,Frankie Goes to Hollywood,Huey Lewis and the News andWang Chung, as well as directing the groundbreaking video for their 1985 single "Cry".
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) andBloody 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]
After cutting ties with Godley, Creme moved toLos Angeles,California,USA and worked as a director in his own right. Creme directed the 1991 Jamaican comedy filmThe Lunatic, starringPaul Campbell.[12]
After his move to the United States, Creme began experimenting withdigital art andoil painting.[3]
In 1988, Creme became a member of the bandArt of Noise, withAnne Dudley andTrevor Horn, and directed videos for the artists who recorded with them, such asTom Jones. Further work with Horn followed, including forming the bandthe Producers withChris Braide andSteve Lipson, and theTrevor Horn Band. Creme appears on Horn'sEchoes: Ancient and Modern.[13]
Creme's son Lalo was a member of the 1990s indie-dance bandArkarna, and has also worked on a number of projects with his father. Creme's wife, Angie, is the sister of ex-10cc memberEric Stewart's wife, Gloria.[14][15]
10cc (See full discography at10cc discography) Godley & Creme (See full discography atGodley & Creme) | Art of Noise (See full discography atArt of Noise discography) The Trevor Horn Band
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