Thursday, August 5, 2021

The Blow cover 10cc


It took The Blow covering "I'm Not in Love" for me to discover that it was originally recorded by a band called 10cc in 1975. Yes, that's right. The quintessential 1980's electronic pop song was recorded smack dab right in the middle of the 1970's. For The Blow's version, they strip it way down into an almost a capella cover with a few electronic keys here and there. It's still as easy listening as it could possibly be, but The Blow are a wee bit hipper than 10cc has been for over forty years. As with the best covers, this one is fun, whether or not you like "I'm Not in Love." Even if you don't, you can still appreciate an oddball cover of it.

Khaela Maricich of The Blow talks about the cover:

"We’ve both been obsessed with this song, ever since we discovered how it was made. Even though it sounds like an 80s song, it was actually made in 1975, by a rock band, before electronic pop really existed (at least on a mainstream level). 10cc produced it using a crazy and elaborate process, recording their voices in layers for weeks, taking a big risk on an experiment that ended up being a huge hit. It was one of the rare moments when experimentation is canonized in popular culture, and that’s exciting because sometimes the things that happen in the mainstream are inspiring, and sometimes they just make you feel small.

"We made this song in our apartment, while the cat that we got during Covid watched us. For most of the process he laid there on a sheepskin-covered chair, arching his body in time with the sounds. Sometimes, at the especially swoony parts, he would roll on his back, stare into space, and hold completely still; we chose to read this as an indication of bliss and took it to believe the song was good. Or at least good for cats. Good for cats is good for us, especially after this past year, and maybe it’s always the goal to strive for. Last year was hard but it seems like it was actually a pretty good year for cats, and that's a nice way to remember it." 

You can listen to The Blow's cover of "I'm Not in Love" below. The song is currently available over at Bandcamp. For more on The Blow, check out the band's website.

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