Godley & Creme: The Experimental Pop Architects

Godley & Creme were an innovative British music and video production duo, originally known as key members of the rock band 10cc. Their primary musical achievement was a pioneering fusion of art-pop, rock, and early digital sampling, most notably through their 1985 hit "Cry." The pair later revolutionized the music industry by becoming highly influential directors of groundbreaking music videos for major artists throughout the 1980s.

Early Career

Kevin Godley and Lol Creme first collaborated in the late 1960s as part of the quirky pop act Hotlegs, which scored a UK hit with "Neanderthal Man" in 1970. This partnership evolved into the core creative engine of the band 10cc, formed in 1972, where they were responsible for some of the group's most inventive and satirical art-rock songs. Their experimental drive led them to invent the "Gizmotron," a device for creating sustained violin-like sounds from an electric guitar, which featured on 10cc's albums.

Breakthrough

Godley and Creme left 10cc in 1976 to focus on their own ambitious triple-album project, "Consequences." This 1977 release was a sprawling, narrative-driven work that was commercially unsuccessful but cemented their reputation as fearless studio experimenters. Their commercial breakthrough as a duo came in 1981 with the album "Ismism" and its single "Under Your Thumb," which reached the UK Top 10, establishing their distinct blend of synth-pop and clever songwriting.

Key Tracks

Under Your Thumb - This 1981 synth-pop track became their first major hit as a duo, showcasing a sharper, more accessible sound and reaching number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

Cry - The 1985 single is their best-known song, famous for its innovative "one-take" video where faces morph seamlessly, a technical marvel that dominated MTV and charts worldwide.

Wedding Bells - A 1981 track that further demonstrated their knack for melodic, yet complex, pop arrangements and polished production.

An Englishman in New York - Not the Sting song, this 1978 track from "L" highlighted their continued lyrical wit and sophisticated studio craft post-10cc.

Following their musical peak in the mid-1980s, Godley & Creme seamlessly transitioned into directing, creating iconic and often controversial videos for acts like The Police ("Every Breath You Take"), Frankie Goes to Hollywood ("Two Tribes"), and Herbie Hancock ("Rockit"). Their second career arguably had a greater impact, defining the visual style of the MTV era. They briefly reunited in the early 1990s for the album "Goodbye Blue Sky" before largely retiring from active music production.

Fans of Godley & Creme's inventive studio-based art-pop may also appreciate the clever songwriting of 10cc, their former band which they helped steer to success. The quirky melodic sensibilities of XTC also share a similar British eccentricity. For later experimental pop production, explore the work of The Art Of Noise. The visual ambition of their video work parallels the creative concepts of Dire Straits in the same era.