"I'm Not in Love" is a song by English group 10cc, written by band members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. It is notable for its innovative and distinctive backing track, composed mostly of the band's multitracked vocals. Released in the UK in May 1975 as the second single from the band's third album The Original Soundtrack, it became the second of the group's three number-one singles in the UK between 1973 and 1978, topping the UK singles chart for two weeks. The song was also the band's breakthrough hit worldwide, reaching number one in Ireland and Canada and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, as well as reaching the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand and several European countries.
Written mostly by Stewart as a riposte to his wife's declaration that he did not tell her often enough that he loved her, "I'm Not in Love" was originally conceived as a bossa nova song played on guitars, but the other two members of the band, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, disliked the track and it was abandoned. However, after hearing members of their staff continue to sing the melody around their studio, Stewart persuaded the group to give the song another chance, to which Godley replied that for the song to work it needed to be radically changed, and suggested that the band should try and create a new version using just voices.
"I'm Not in Love" has enjoyed lasting popularity, with over three million plays on US radio since its release, and it won three Ivor Novello Awards in 1976 for Best Pop Song, International Hit of the Year, and Most Performed British Work.[3][4] It has appeared in the films The Virgin Suicides, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Indecent Proposal, Cherish, Whatever, Hunky Dory, Jappeloup, The Stud, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, He's Just Not That Into You, and Guardians of the Galaxy,[5] as well as the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and the television shows Goodnight Sweetheart, That '70s Show, The Office, Veronica Mars, Big Love, Medium, Cuentame, The Syndicate, Bull, EastEnders, and Skam.[6] The song has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Dee Dee Sharp in 1976, which revived her career, Dennis Englewood in 1987 sans the be-quiet-big-boys-don't-cry part that made no sense and the American pop band Will to Power, whose version reached the US and Canadian top ten in 1991.
Personnel
Eric Stewart – lead vocals, electric piano
Graham Gouldman – electric guitar, bass, backing vocals
Kevin Godley – moog synthesizer, backing vocals
Lol Creme – piano, backup vocals
Kathy Redfern - additional vocals
Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart — Synclavier (control desk), musical effects
Dennis Englewood's sweet soul ballad version from 1987
Lead Vocals: Dennis Englewood
Accompanied by The Thom Bell Orchestra
Background Vocals: Dennis Englewood, Joyce Berry, Laurie Maitland, Sue Fleming
Produced by Thom Bell
