The background to reuniting the original 10cc members was the success of the 1987 compilation album Changing Faces – The Very Best of 10cc and Godley & Creme: Initially the project looked promising with Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman entering the studio with a stockpile of 22 songs: The band became involved with producer Gary Katz at the request from the band's label Polydor, who was known for his strong association with Steely Dan, a band with whom 10cc were often compared. However, their relationship didn't work out in terms of production and the use of session musicians for which both Gouldman and Stewart expressed their regrets: The album also didn't capture the actual reunion of 10cc: Kevin Godley performed lead vocals on "The Stars Didn't Show" and backing vocals on two songs, while Lol Creme supplied backing vocals on six songs. Neither of them contributed to the recording process of the album. In a 2006 interview Kevin Godley recalled the tension in the studio as he participated in the recording of the album: Both Gouldman and Stewart point to the experience of making ...Meanwhile as the beginning of the end of their partnership and 10cc. Apart from Kevin Godley's vocals on "The Stars Didn't Show" and a b-side "Lost in Love" with Gouldman singing lead, all of the album's lead vocals were sung by Stewart. Session musicians Jeff Porcaro and Freddie Washington, who were hired by Gary Katz, were featured on all tracks on drums and bass respectively. Notable appearances on the album include Andrew Gold, who collaborated with 10cc and Graham Gouldman in the past, and blues pianist Dr. John. The album's closing song, "Don't Break the Promises", was co-written by Eric Stewart and Paul McCartney during the sessions to McCartney's album Press to Play and later finished by 10cc for the album. The album's liner notes included the line: "In memory of Hyme "The Rhyme" Gouldman ". Gouldman, an amateur playwright, was the father of Graham Gouldman. The cover photography was supplied by the Prefecture de Police, Paris.
Release and reception
By the time the album was completed and ready to release there had been changes at Polydor and the new regime didn't believe it would be a hit, and spent very little to promote it. In a hospital radio interview in 1993, Graham Gouldman said: "Polydor spent £750,000 to make it and £7,500 to promote it." The album narrowly missed the Top 75 album chart in the UK. Two singles were picked up from the album. The first was "Woman in Love" backed with the non-album track "Man with a Mission". The single included the album version of the track rather than the single edit that was issued to radio. The second single, "Welcome to Paradise", a favourite of both Eric and Graham's followed, included the album version of the title track, with two further non-album tracks: "Don't" and "Lost in Love". Both singles failed to chart Stewart and Gouldman stated that there were additional songs planned as singles from '...Meanwhile'. Graham Gouldman was interviewed by Mark Wardle on Tarka Radio – a hospital radio station – in 1993 and stated that "Don't Break the Promises" would have been the third single, and then "The Stars Didn't Show" and "Wonderland" as fourth and fifth possible singles. Due to the lack of success of the first two singles, these were cancelled. Later that year, Polydor, who the band had signed a five-album deal with, didn't take up their option and dropped the band. The album was reissued in 2008 with single edits and b-sides as bonus tracks.
