Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXXVII--Squeeze: Tempted

In the late 70's/early 80's there were a slew of bands coming out of the British Isles (Police, U2, the Jam, Dire Straits, The Clash, to name a few) who were either debuting their talents or hitting their stride artistically--most of whom I discovered during that time and most of whom I still listen to today.  This week's band was another I found during this time period, and while they didn't quite have the commercial success or eventually a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on their resume, they were still a hell of a band, especially for those of us who love songs with a solid pop music bent.

Squeeze formed in London in 1974 when Chris Difford put an advertisement in a candy shop window for a guitarist for his band that didn't exist, and Glenn Tilbrook was the only one to respond.  The pair began writing songs together, soon picked up keyboardist Jools Holland and drummer Paul Gunn, and in 1978 released their first LP.  The band quickly became known for its catchy pop tunes (Tilbrook) and whimsical lyrics (Difford).  Through the years, Squeeze has released 15 albums, fourteen of which charted in their native U.K. and seven which hit the Billboard charts here in America.  The band has gone on hiatus several times through the years, but are together now and released their latest LP in 2017.  They've had ten singles hit the top 40 in England (including two which hit #2), but only two here in the States.  Oddly enough, the band has released almost as many compilation albums--14--as they have studio albums.  I've always felt they were a very underrated outfit, but as regular readers know (both of you) emaycee is a big fan of the top of the pops and Squeeze could write and compose pop tunes with the best of them.

Released in 1981 on their album East Side Story (one of the best albums of the 80's and one which stands the test of time and sounds as good today as it did in 1981), "Tempted" would go on to reach #49 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, and #41 on the U.K. charts.  Oddly enough, as "Tempted" is arguably their best and best-known song, it failed to crack the top 40 in any country.

Fun Fact:  Squeeze took its name from the Velvet Underground's album entitled, surprisingly enough, Squeeze.  The naming was mostly tongue-in-cheek, as Squeeze contained none of the original members from the Velvet Underground, and is widely considered to be an awful recording.

Difford and Tilbrook have been called the heirs to Lennon and McCartney, and while that may be a bit of hyperbole (besides because of their attention to quirky details and anglocentric references they're a lot closer to Ray Davies), but with "Tempted" they come pretty close.  Difford zeroes in on the day to day minutiae reminding an unfaithful lover of the woman he cheated on, while Tilbrook provides a foreboding groove that captures his mood.  Vocals are provided by Paul Carrack, whom pop music aficionados may know from the one-hit wonder band Ace, which had a #3 hit here in America in 1975 with "How Long," in which Carrack also sang lead.  Carrack's vocals steal the show--he does blue-eyed soul very well--though he's given an assist by Tilbrook and East Side Story producer Elvis Costello.  The band does some nice "woo-oo-oohs" in the background, Carrack's keyboards are the tune's mainstay, and Paul Gunn's drumming is a lot more prominent--and electric--than I remembered.   All in all, it's just another in a (sarcasm alert) long line of songs about cheating bastards who realize their cheating garnered them nothing more than an empty bed.  "Tempted" is smart pop for people who like smart music and is a very fine addition to the plethora of tunes that have graced Friday Night Jukebox.

Lyric Sheet:  "I'm at the car park, the airport/The baggage carousel/The people keep on crowding/I'm wishing I was well..."

Enjoy:

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emaycee