Graham Gouldman is a music legend thanks to 10cc, but his long career includes success in the 60s and a determination to keep touring and creating music. He talks to Viv Hardwick as the new-look 10cc prepare to tour to the North-East and North Yorkshire.

SEVENTIES hit band 10cc are still touring with last remaining original member Graham Gouldman finding himself in the unusual position of paying tribute to disgraced pop idol Jonathan King.

Media hate figure King actually suggested the Manchester band's unorthodox name and his record company launched their hits for two years. Now, 61-year-old Gouldman, who has written some of the best-known songs of the Sixties and Seventies, says: "I suppose he's known for the rather infamous part of his life now but on the business side of things he was excellent and he had a very good ear for talent, not only 10cc but Genesis as well. He had the foresight to put out Donna our first single in 1972 after it was Eric Stewart's idea to contact him. Jonathan and his record company guided us through the first couple of years and when I say 'guided us', he was our record company but he didn't have any artistic input into what we did. We were a completely self-contained unit with our own studio but he was an important part of our career, no doubt about it."

"Every single day I have to explain how the band got it's name," he says with ironic humour claiming that his children - he has two by each of his two ex-wives - particularly the younger ones aren't bothered about a band title linked to a measure of a man's fertility.

10cc are joined on tour by Kiki Dee for dates at York's Grand Opera House (March 2, 0870 606 3590) and Newcastle City Hall (March 4, 0191-261 2606). Salford-born Gouldman, who first played live back in 1963, says of still being on the road 43 years later: "Why do I put myself through this? Because I want to put myself through it is the short answer. I've never lost the touring bug... from when I was a young teenager I've loved the idea of being in a band, not necessarily fronting a band, but being in a band."

Questioned about his continued tenacity on stage he says: "I don't think about it. I can understand it when you say it, but I went to see Cliff (Richard) last night and the guy's 66 and you wouldn't know it, it's just Cliff doing his thing. As long as people want to come and hear the music that's really what it's all about for us. I'll continue to do it."

He claims not to be aware about his place in the musical history books of creating some of the best-known hit songs of the Sixties and Seventies. His first hit was For Your Love for The Yardbirds and followed by Heart Full Of Soul, Bus Stop, Look Through Any Window, No Milk Today and Behind The Door (a Cher hit) in a string of million-sellers.

"I don't think that many artists who have achieved this kind of thing are aware of it, it's only when people like you say it that you think about it. The rest of the time you're going about your business. I'm very proud of my achievements and those of the band, but I'm more interested in what's going to happen tomorrow," he says modestly.

The formation of 10cc came from four musicians who became the unofficial house band for Neil Sedaka at Strawberry Studios in Stockport back in 1971. The quartet, Gouldman plus Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and Eric Stewart, helped Sedaka resurrect his career with an album.

"Yes, I think we were quite responsible for his return," says Gouldman.

Asked how he felt at the early time in his career being a member of a failing band, called The Mockingbirds, but churning out Sixties hits for The Hollies, Herman's Hermits and The Yardbirds, he says: "I wanted my band to be successful, but everything we recorded was a failure and everything I gave away was a hit so I cannot say there wasn't a slight frustration. But I wasn't saying 'oh my God I'm going to have to spend my time writing songs for other people' it wasn't like that. But just when you thought it was safe we formed 10cc in 1972 and in that way and all those desires to be on the road with a band were satisfied."

It's hardly surprising to learn that 23 years of hits - three UK No 1s and five Top Ten albums - have rubbed off on Gouldman's children. "My son Louis is a very successful A&R man with Universal Records so we talk about the history of music a lot," he says revealing that Louis looks after top Indie band The Feeling who were inspired by the music of 10cc.

"I have two younger children of 16 and 13 and they are completely in their own musical world and my music doesn't come into it. They're interested in the gigs and being on the road but as far as the music is concerned they don't connect. Alex my youngest comes home sometimes and say 'ooh, the teachers know who you are' and they think it's great that my son goes to their school and he's a bit embarrassed about it. I understand that. He says 'I'm really proud of you dad but I feel a bit funny about this'."

But what heartens Gouldman most of all is that daughter, Rosanna, is a big fan of The Beatles.

"I never sat her down with it and said 'now you're really going to learn what music's about' she picked this up herself and just shows you how great that music is. They don't care how old it is, they just recognise great music."

He allows me the 'duff' question of asking about a 10cc reunion. Legendary bands like Cream and Genesis are performing together again, and he and Kevin Godley created four tracks for a website recently.

Gouldman sighs and says: "I think it's highly unlikely that we will reform. Kevin and I have been working together on the web and that's about as near as we're going to get. Kevin and I have been working on and off over the past three years. The web was the perfect place, we could have waited to release an album but that would have been rather a long time. Everybody goes what-if, it's human nature to 'what-if' but you know it would be great and I would be up for it but I think that for certain people too much water has gone under the bridge."

Godley and Creme quit 10cc in 1976 to develop a guitar attachment called the Gizmo but Gouldman and Stewart, who had already combined for classic track I'm Not In Love, went on to new heights until Dreadlock Holiday marked the band's highest point in 1978. He and Stewart battled on with 10cc until 1983 and then tried again in 1992-95. The current line-up includes: Rick Fenn (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Burgess (drums), Mick Wilson (percussion) and Mike Stevens (keyboards).

Gouldman blames his split with Eric Stewart more on the cultural change in music rather than a late-1970s road accident in which Stewart nearly died.

"I don't know what would have happened if Eric hadn't have had his accident because we were about to go to Australia and Japan and we'd just had The Tourists album that had done really well. When we got back together the albums don't compare with what we did before."

Eventually, Gouldman set up the band Wax with Andrew Gold.

"Whatever happens you have to do the best with what you do because sometimes you'll be in favour and sometimes you won't but the most dangerous thing I find is to try and follow a trend or mould a song or way you record a track to what's going on currently. It will always sound naff," he says.

Asking him for his favourite all-time track he goes for Bus Stop after informing me it's my second duff question. But, yes, he's still likely to sing that one at York and Newcastle in March.

* 10cc with special guest Kiki Dee play York's Grand Opera House on March 2. Box Office: 0870 606 3590 and Newcastle City Hall on March 4, 0191 261 2606.