The Original Soundtrack is the third studio album by the English art rockband10cc. It was released in 1975 and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. The Original Soundtrack includes the singles "Life Is a Minestrone", and "I'm Not in Love", the band's most popular song. The album received good reviews when originally released on LP and cassette by Mercury Records in March 1975. It was ranked number 976 in All-Time Top 1000 Albums.
Background
The album was recorded and produced by the band at Strawberry Studios in 1974 with Eric Stewart engineering and mixing. The album was the first to be released by Mercury Records after signing the band for $1 million in February 1975. The catalyst for the deal was the fact the record executives had heard one song – "I'm Not in Love". Eric Stewart recalled: The rest of the album, which was already complete, was released just weeks later. The album's opening track, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme's "Une Nuit a Paris", is a nine-minute, multi-part "mini-operetta". In English, the title translates as "One Night in Paris" and the suite is divided into three separate parts:
Lyrically the song tells a tale of a British tourist in Paris, France. The locals attempt to con the man into buying items such as a Swiss watch and photographs. Eventually, the man ends up in the red-light district and although he feels ripped off, sleeps with a prostitute. Due to a series of complications, a policeman arrives on the scene and is shot dead. The album's most famous song, "I'm Not in Love", was built around a simple title by Stewart which asks the many ways the words "I love you" can be said without uttering them. The artwork was designed by Hipgnosis and illustrated by artist Humphrey Ocean.
Release
The album has been reissued on several occasions with bonus tracks including b-sides and single edits and has been remastered.
Reception
The Original Soundtrack was a critical and commercial success reaching No. 3 in the UK and No.15 in the U.S. Ken Barnes gave the album a rave review in Rolling Stone, commenting, "Musically there's more going on than in ten Yes albums, yet it's generally as accessible as a straight pop band." He particularly praised the album for being ambitious without being excessive or pretentious, and for its lyrical content. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau panned the album, remarking of the song "I'm Not in Love": "stretching your only decent melody over six tedious minutes, is that a joke?" The first single "Life Is a Minestrone" was another UK Top 10 for the band, peaking at No. 7. Their biggest success came with the song that sold the album, "I'm Not in Love", which gave the band their second UK No. 1 in June 1975, staying there for two weeks. The song also provided them with their first major US chart success when the song reached No. 2.
