Hey, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters, are you listening? How about some consideration for Squeeze? Influential, consistent, long-running, flat-out brilliant: This British band deserves to be there.
Videos by American Songwriter
Don’t believe us? Here are four songs from deep in their catalog that show off their indisputable excellence. If these standout songs dwell in the nooks and crannies of their output, just think how brilliant their well-known stuff is.
“Wrong Side of the Moon” (1980)
When people think of Squeeze, they often focus on the songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. And that’s understandable, because their songbook stands as one of the sturdiest in pop music. But now and again, another member of Squeeze left an imprint. You might know Jools Holland as the host of an acclaimed music television show in Great Britain. But many might not realize that Holland served as an original member of Squeeze, later returning for a stretch in the late 80s before bowing out for good. He showed off his writing and performing skills on “Wrong Side Of The Moon”. It’s a playfully catchy, Motown-inspired track that brightened up Argybargy, his last album in his original stint with the band.
“Vanity Fair” (1981)
“That’s one of my proudest moments lyrically. I think it’s one of Glenn’s proudest moments musically, too. He and I really came together on that song.” That’s what Chris Difford told American Songwriter about “Vanity Fair”. For those who might not know, Difford generally writes the lyrics for Squeeze songs and then hands them off to Tilbrook, who composes the music. When you look at the lyrics to “Vanity Fair” on the page, you might expect them to be accompanied by Squeeze’s trademark fast-talking pop approach. Instead, Tilbrook dropped them into a gorgeous classical melody without any rock instrumentation. It makes Difford’s story of a would-be party girl somehow even sadder.
“Love’s Crashing Waves” (1984)
Like many bands that enjoy an intensely successful period in a relatively short period of time, Squeeze ran aground briefly in the 80s. After their somewhat disappointing 1982 album Sweets From A Stranger, the band broke up. But Difford and Tilbrook didn’t stray too far, putting out an album as a duo in 1984. The album didn’t do that much commercially. But you can hear now how it influenced the sophisti-pop movement that caught fire in the mid-80s. “Love’s Crashing Waves” epitomizes that sound, with its suave rhythmic pulse opening up into a surging chorus. Technically, it’s not a Squeeze track. But it would later be included on later band compilations, so we’re giving it a pass for this list.
“Loving You Tonight” (1993)
Many people only know Squeeze from the song “Tempted”, which, although it’s a great song, is a crying shame. Those people might think that Paul Carrack is the lead singer of the group. But Carrack only originally stayed in Squeeze for a single album (East Side Story). And he only sang a single song on that album. But he stayed close with the band, even as his career soared as a solo act and as a member of Mike + The Mechanics. Carrack returned for Squeeze’s excellent 1993 album Some Fantastic Place. And, once again, he made the most out of the single track on which he sang lead. “Loving You Tonight”, replete with robust horns, gives Carack the ideal showcase for his incredible chops on the microphone.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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