GODLEY AND CREME Under Your Thumb ►1st Performance 17.9.81

[verty87]

It is a great song,but Under Your Thumb...should be renamed Over The Top for Kevin's performance. Also award for worst miming ever!!

[djspl51bw]

This has such a haunting feeling to it,always felt that way about this.Any song that can really make you feel something is good.

[Amandamoo73]

the most unlikely looking pop duo but with a voice that strong it puts most recent artists to shame

[NCW250]

Steve Wright looks a right twatt in those threads and shades. Excellent song!

[MsFanmail]

g8 song i still get goosebumps listening to it

[IzwoldChannel]

Love them :-)

[motocross1975]

Does anyone know who the presenter is at the start of the vid??

[dingding377]

@motocross1975 Radio DJ Steve Wright now works for radio 2

[motocross1975]

@dingding377 Wondered if it was him, thanks for confirming, Cheers.

[s10m0t10n]

Brilliant piece of music with lyrics that tell a story. And Kev Godley can sing, too.

[H4rryF]

embarassing

[BlueOrpheus1988]

@H4rryF embarassing that todays music is nothing compared to classics like this

[workaholic1076]

I got married on 19/09/1981 to a violent bully whom I eventually managed to leave. This was played at the wedding reception, summed up my feelings of the marriage really! Didn't wanna be under his thumb, fist or hob nail boots any more!

[GRAHAM5020]

I thought this song had an edge to it, a mystery.....was working in Carlaw-Baxters garage in Sept 81, remember running along to the record shop during my lunch break to buy the single....thanks for posting sodaspops

[numberwang2020]

thats him from the big show at the start..shame its cut short...no smiling faces then

[LAnonHubbard]

@numberwang2020 That's wordwang!

[BlackSkyThunder]

He was the drummer of 10cc, wasn't he?? i didn't know that he was able to sing and he does it well, I knew that Godley & Creme were composers but I did not know that they were them, they are genius for sure! Brilliant song from October, 1981, the date where I was born,

[drewerz01]

Love this song, very eerie tale, it's brilliant!

[forestdowser]

Comments below are really making me laugh. I loved this, thought it was quite original, however, horrified when I saw the guys on TOTP; they were so SQUARE, I mean no-one my age had hair or trouser-bottoms like that. I was very futurist/goth so this was visually a guilty pleasure, but musically excellent. Obviously when I grew up a bit I had much more respect for the SQUARES ex of 10cc, although David Bowie never let us down, did he? Remembered with great affection.

[80musiclover]

Haunting brilliance.

[lustyloveoil]

wow,i remember seeing this on "top of the pops" ive added to my favourites,cool,thanks from a sentimental old fool. ;o)

[ziggybin]

he does over act like a twat ,but ha has said its about aghost on a train

[twotrains]

i had just split upwith the love of my life when this came out- its haunting ethereal sound fitted my mood (and yes, i wanted to be under her thumb forever). fabulous song from a fabulous time- RIP Liz, will love you forever no matter what.

[MOSESCAT69]

You ever tried being on stage, miming ok, but nevertheless, you'd frickin twitch

[burooo]

good song ,but i want to call the paramedics out to that poor bloke

[cujo9]

brilliant , haunting tale.

[scrumsie]

Feeze frame is one of the most creative albums ive ever heard. I heard it as a child ,and its still haunting me.Great.

[dingledee49]

Maybe his underpants is giving him a very uncomfortable wedgie so the twitching is his way of relieving it haha

Wkd tune!

[HisWestiness]

Why is he twitching like that? Is there something wrong with him?

Great song. One of those that i knew for years but hadn't heard and didn't know the name of.

[Polyphemus47]

It's a dramatic representation of a man who's just had an encounter with a ghost. Kevin is Godley. Lol's the Creme.

[DH2pilot]

Thomas Dolby of the same time period might interest Godley& Creme fans. "Flying North" and "Europa" are noteworthy!!

[vazjam]

Hi, DH

I agree with you regarding T.Dalby but, just by instinct, think that TD was less happy performing than composing and creating.. G & C were so far ahead of their time re: video rep (see Cry [and cry at the creativity..!] for a demonstration of timeless innovation...

I am on a one woman mission to convince the new generation of techno innovators to watch videos such as 'Cry' ...it's an up-hill struggle but I'm determined

Best

Vaz xx

[Forestamtul]

I like htis song and also Wedding Bells they sound so talented dont they?

[nobogroll]

yeah am a big fan of thomas dolby and yes its same theme top banna 2 you

[DH2pilot]

This goes without saying- Godley & Creme were more experimental than the others in 10cc. They took risks musically, and I think that is commendable. I only ownthe album "Freeze Frame" (not to be confused with J.Geils Band) but I'll tell you what- it stand up to ANYTHING I've heard since for creativity and catchiness. "Brazilia" is such an amazing work. And these guys are video pioneers from what I understand. My hat is off to these two fellows. Thanks for your brilliance!!!!

[cathoderoy]

I think there was just TOO MUCH genius to be contained in one band at the same time. I wish so badly that I got a chance to see them live with the original 4 members. A friend of mine saw them w/out letting me know about it, and I never forgave him for it. Streetwalkers, another brillant British Band with Chapman and Whitney from Family opened up for them. I'd have killed to see them back then, too. Luckily I found some live Streetwalkers recently on You Tube, though.

[Forestamtul]

Do u have any idea which number this song go to the charts thanks.??

[mauvezonemagick]

Check both Melody Maker & NME[new musical express]. Both are U.K. newspapers, Your answer is there.

[lyn10807]

No 1 in UK

[Forestamtul]

No I found out it got to number 3 in 1981

[ColumRogers]

It got to No3 in Sept/Oct 1981 humiliatingly being kept there by the Birdie song.

[cathoderoy]

There goes the rest of your brain.

[bdf2718]

This song tempts me to say that Godley and Creme were the better half of 10cc, but I know that's wrong. Stewart and Gouldman were just as good.

Damn, I wish they hadn't split.

[olebarca99]

NEither did i, but it was good when it lasted.

[mauvezonemagick]

Bands, like rivers and people, go their seperate ways. We all have wishes, don't we?

[Timebandit720]

Did they ever do a video to this?

[sodaspops]

Ironically not! and if they had i can imagine it would have been superb given their subsequent video production career

[MitchyLR]

Actually there was. It was shot in B&W and unusally for a music vid, followed the story in the lyrics quite well. It used to be available on YouTube, but I think the copyright nazis had it taken down.

[fulcrum100]

MithcyLR is right; thre was a very stylish B/w video made for this song, and it was up for a while on youtube but was taken down. By the way, Mitchy, there's nothing wrong with asserting copyright. It's a right, upholding the costs spent creating.

[rainbowrealms]

Fantastically atmospheric song, thought so when it first came out and still do, all of these years later. It's sad but true that they really don't make them like this any more.....

[andy25104741]

hear hear! I agree with you there, the only time anything comes close is when they've sampled someone else's hard work.

[ajs41]

A nice early 80s song.

[punchyjoe]

Great dark and atmospheric song. Kevin Godley lives this song as he sings it, almost like he is in a trance.

Gone are the days of the true musicians like these two.

[ashingtoon]

What a great great song, I remember buying this with my mate at the time. We were both into Numan, Ultravox etc but just loved the synth beat in this track, sadly my mate died 6 years ago aged just 42. What a loss... this will always remind me of good times though.

[JensLynet]

This is just fantastic... Anyoune out there know how to get hands on Birds of Prey on mp3 - willing to pay of course!! Cant seem to find it. Theyre brilliant!!

[cathoderoy]

I tried to give you a link to Amazon where you can get it for between $16.00 and &97.00(which I would have gladly paid a few years ago when I was on the hunt). It took me about ten years to track it down (on vinyl for $5.00). I can't remember how many vinyl copies I've had. They seem to disapper over the years. It's funny, 'cause I only like a few tracks; "Worm and the Rattlesnake","Cat's Eyes" and "Out in the Cold", but I still missed it enough to keep looking all those years.

[JensLynet]

Hi there!

Thanks a lot. In the meanwhile, I've come across the whole album on mp3's. Found some odd looking torrent, that allowed me to get it - and now it's playing beautifully on my iPod :)

If you want to, I can send you the whole album, or perhaps just the few ones you mention - give me an e-mail add and I will. Glad to meet a fellow appreciator :) Regards - Jens - Denmark - Europe

[pleeezeeatme]

I think I may have stated it inadequately, or something -I meant to say that the link to Amazon couldn't be posted for some reason, but that was because you were looking at the time, but I found it a while back on vinyl for $5.00, so I'm O.K. at this point. I wish I had the internet search option about ten years ago. And I think it's pretty fucked-up that some asshole is holding out for $97.00 and you can grab it for $16.00 elsewhere. I think "Worm and the Rattlesnake" is priceless, though.

[pleeezeeatme]

BTW, I was Cathoderoy a couple of days ago, because I was using a friends computer at the time, and it signed me in with his name.

[CloudCucku]

I love Kevin Godley's twitchy, edgy performance

[cathoderoy]

LLLL

[shellatella]

I added this amazing song to a video photo montage (Leto Photo Montage 2006 - 2008 part 7 - check my videos?) of my sweet chihuahua called Leto. The song brings back memories of being a new romantic in '81, those were the days...

[bluesbrother37]

Wanker, this is fucking brill, u moron!!!

[Trusten1984]

I`m born 15/10-81, circa. one mounth later, synth-pop !

[ilmajc]

This Guy Has A Great Voice....whats His name?

[pianohbc]

ilmajc - they are Kevin Godley and lol creme from 10cc - look up the album How dare you - dont hang up, Im Mandy fly me - if you like them

[ilmajc]

Hi Pianohbc...thankyou for that. He really does have a great voice. Love this one and i love CRY.Love 10cc as well but didn't know that. Once again, thanks.

[FreakyStyleydotnet]

How Dare You also has a fabulous artwork - best seen on the gatefold album sleeve *drools like a vinyl-loving maniac*

[CloudCucku]

Kevin Godley

[ilmajc]

CloudCucku....thankyou for that. They were great in their time and i was only in my early 20s....46 now lol, wish i could go back.

[CloudCucku]

You're welcome ilmajc - I remember this exact performance on TOTP - I was 12 at the time - and it has stayed with me ever since. It prompted me to go out and buy the single - I was chuffed to come across this clip.

[ilmajc]

Thanks for the reply m8.

Take care

ilmajc

[xoxsweetpea1986xox]

ace what a song I play this to my wife when she starts, it gets her going big time he,he

[FreakyStyleydotnet]

You should play her 'Used to Love Her' by Guns 'n' Roses, hehehehe

[kevpunk]

these 2 were part of 10cc and were brilliant then, just as they are in this song. brilliant stuff

[Geritopia]

Godley and Creme were great but I always felt they had it in them to deliver more. It's one of those things where I listen to their stuff and I want to steer these good ideas to a conclusion.  It's kind of like jazz that never resolves but it doesn't have the discipline of jazz.

Hard to explain... never mind.

They were obviously very talented guys and some of their lyrics more thatn made up for most definciencies.

[maccafan10]

Why is it that when he sings "don't wanna be", I just want to sing "Bobby's girl" and try and make it fit , LOL

[stefolof]

Such a great song! Nerd alert: Anyone knows what that weird synth is that Lol is playing? The box with colored buttons I'm pretty sure is a Roland CR-78 drum machine.

[rga24yt]

The synth underneath all the drum machines is a Roland Jupiter-4. It has similar coloured buttons to the CR-78 as its presets and memories.

[stefolof]

Thanks a lot, rga, great info!

[rga24yt]

No problem, I have two of them right here as it happens!

[balmbra911]

LOL Nerd Alert!!

[JiggaJagga]

Thanks rga24yt.

[scoobychick13]

Still gives me the shivers 26 years on!!! Brilliant!

[prestwickboy]

Great post sodaspops! This song came into my head for some weird reason the other day. Glad i found it. Remember at the time thinking it was different to what was out at the time. Great song!

[poistje]

Wel Wel Wel. Jamais vu cette video avant aujourd'hui. Très bon concept/duo.

[nickgarlour]

help like this song but remember a music video for this can any one tell me where to find it

[onimod29]

Great song,bought back lots of memories from that time for me.

[Strawberryskyz]

Wake up love!

[ajs41]

This is September 17th, 1981.

[ranhound]

Their music is so quirky yet profound. Godley & Creme and their music from the 10cc days will always be among my favorite artists and best loved music. Also love Lol's new project: The Producers.

[stevetantop]

Superb (agonised) song remembered fondly since it was released - thanks for posting it.

[TheSpindles]

Kevin has a great great and a very under rated voice.

[mitchikaboola]

I agree completely...I have never considered Kevin's voice to be anything other than absolutely perfect. Two great artists...pity they do not talk to each other anymore let alone collaborate.