The Original Soundtrack

Background

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:

At that point in time we were still on Jonathan King's label, but struggling. We were absolutely skint, the lot of us, we were really struggling seriously, and Philips Phonogram wanted to do a deal with us. They wanted to buy Jonathan King's contract. I rang them. I said come and have a listen to what we've done, come and have a listen to this track. And they came up and they freaked, and they said, "This is a masterpiece. How much money, what do you want? What sort of a contract do you want? We'll do anything, we'll sign it." On the strength of that one song, we did a five-year deal with them for five albums and they paid us a serious amount of money.

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". Its melody can also be heard in the overture to Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera. 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. The song is noted for its innovative production, especially its richly overdubbed choral backing.

Reception

The Original Soundtrack was a critical and commercial success reaching No. 4 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 (though less so than the two preceding 10cc LPs)." He particularly praised the album for being ambitious without being excessive or pretentious, and for its lyrical content.

Robert Christgau panned the album, remarking of the song "I'm Not in Love": "stretching your only decent melody (a nonsatirical love song) 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.

Side one

1. "Une Nuit a Paris" (Kevin Godley, Lol Creme) – 8:40
2. I. "One Night in Paris"
3. II. "The Same Night in Paris"
4. III. "Later That Same Night in Paris"
5. Lol Creme – vocals, pianos, vibes, percussion
6. Eric Stewart – vocals, steel guitar
7. Graham Gouldman – vocals, bass, percussion
8. Kevin Godley – vocals, drums, timpani, percussion
9. "I'm Not in Love" (Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman) – 6:08
10. Eric Stewart – lead vocal, electric piano
11. Graham Gouldman – guitar, bass, backup vocals
12. Kevin Godley – Moog synthesizer, backup vocals
13. Lol Creme – piano, backup vocals
14. Lol Creme, Kevin Godley, Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart - synclavier (control desk) & musical effects
15. Cathy Redfern - additional vocals
16. "Blackmail" (Gouldman, Stewart) – 4:28
17. Lol Creme – vocals, organ
18. Kevin Godley – vocals, drums
19. Eric Stewart – vocals, guitar, steel guitar, piano
20. Graham Gouldman – vocals, guitar, bass

Side two

1. "The Second Sitting for the Last Supper" (Stewart, Creme, Gouldman, Godley) – 4:25
2. Eric Stewart – lead vocals, guitar, organ, piano, electric piano, backup vocals
3. Kevin Godley – drums, percussion, backup vocals
4. Lol Creme – guitar, percussion, piano, backup vocals
5. Graham Gouldman – guitar, bass, backup vocals
6. "Brand New Day" (Godley, Creme) – 4:04
7. Kevin Godley – 1st lead vocal, marimba, bass drum, timpani, cellos, backup vocals
8. Eric Stewart – 2nd lead vocal, guitar, backup vocals
9. Lol Creme – pianos, Gizmo, violins, Moog synthesizer, backup vocals
10. Graham Gouldman – bass, double bass, backup vocals
11. "Flying Junk" (Gouldman, Stewart) – 4:10
12. Eric Stewart – lead vocals, lead guitar, electric piano, piano
13. Graham Gouldman – bass, acoustic guitar, six string bass, autoharp, backup vocals
14. Lol Creme – acoustic guitar, piano, autoharp, backup vocals
15. Kevin Godley – drums, percussion, backup vocals
16. "Life Is a Minestrone" (Creme, Stewart) – 4:42
17. Lol Creme – lead vocal, piano, electric piano, percussion, guitar, backup vocals
18. Kevin Godley – drums, timbali, percussion, backup vocals
19. Eric Stewart – guitar, backup vocals
20. Graham Gouldman – bass, guitar, acoustic guitar, backup vocals
21. "The Film of My Love" (Godley, Creme) – 5:07
22. Graham Gouldman – lead vocals, bass, guitar, mandolins
23. Eric Stewart – guitar, organs, percussion, backup vocals
24. Lol Creme – piano, percussion, mandolins, backup vocals
25. Kevin Godley – bongos, percussion, backup vocals

Deluxe Edition bonus tracks

Japanese Bonus Tracks