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"...A Bit Of Slap And Tickle...Down The Pub..."
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It
was time to up the game. Released in March 1978 on A&M Records, the
self-titled and self-assured debut album for Deptford's finest
"Squeeze" was the first of their large catalogue to contain the
mighty trio of Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford and Jools Holland. But it had
failed to chart in either Blighty or the USA (known Stateside as "U.K.
Squeeze" also on A&M).
But
the catchy-as-a-cold singles, toned-down Punk trashing and naughty-boys
schoolyard humour of their second platter "Cool For Cats" saw Squeeze
launch into public transistor radio consciousness with a cricket-bat wallop – the
45-single "Cool For Cats" going all the way to No. 2 on the UK
singles charts - "Up The Junction" doing the same (they rivalled The
Police for sales on A&M).
Its
journey however on digital has been a weird one and in May 2022, "Cool For
Cats" on a CD Remaster is at times, a bit of difficulty to find. Initially launched
in and part of the November 1997 "Six Of One..." 6CD Box Set
on A&M Records 540 801-2 (Barcode 731454080125) - it was then put out as an
A&M Re Master Pieces single CD re-release in January 1998 (February
1998 USA) with its Two Bonus Tracks intact (both are pictured above).
But
it has been deleted years now and often carries with it a hefty price tag when
it comes up for air on sale sites. The same goes for the A&M Re Master
Pieces single CD editions of their popular debut and third albums "Squeeze"
(1978) and "Argybargy" (1980) - both also issued with the Box set's
Two Bonuses as single CD variants - see full reissue list details below.
Let's
go back to the 'Slap And Tickle' and 'Slightly Drunk' Deptford boys, hip enough
back in the day to be actually considered to be cool cats...
UK
released 19 January 1998 (4 February 1998 in the USA) - "Cool For Cats"
by SQUEEZE on A&M 540 804-2 (Barcode 731454080422) is an A&M Re
Master Pieces CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Previously Unreleased Bonus
Tracks that plays out as follows (44:06 minutes):
1.
Slap And Tickle [Side 1]
2.
Revue
3.
Touching You Touching Me
4.
It's Not Cricket
5.
It's So Dirty
6.
The Knack
7.
Hop Skip And Jump [Side 2]
8.
Up The Junction
9.
Hard To Find
10.
Slightly Drunk
11.
Goodbye Girl
12.
Cool For Cats
Tracks
1 to 12 are their second studio album "Cool For Cats" - released April
1979 in the UK on A&M Records AMLH 68503 and in the USA on A&M Records
SP-4759 with the same tracks. Produced by JOHN WOOD and SQUEEZE - it peaked at
No. 45 in the UK (didn’t chart USA).
BONUS
TRACKS (Both Previously Unreleased):
13.
I Must Go
14.
Ain't It Sad
SQUEEZE
was:
GLENN
TILBROOK – Lead Guitar, Vocals
CHRIS
DIFFORD – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
JOOLS
HOLLAND – Keyboards
HARRY
KAKOULI – Bass
GILSON
LAVIS – Drums
Part
of the "Six Of One..." 6CD Box Set - it won't take Squeeze fans long
to work out that there's two things wrong with this CD Reissue.
Annotation
- without the accompanying 52-page long book that came with that Box Set
(a fabulous looking thing with huge swathes of memorabilia pictured), the
skimpy gatefold slip of paper with barely any info that acts as an inlay for this
CD is wildly inadequate. Pages 11 and 12 of the Box Set's 52-page booklet
carried track-by-track comments for the debut album from the band, and that
could easily have been re-printed for here. A&M took the lazy way out and
simply reissued the CDs as is from the box set.
Bonuses/Missing
- with a total playing time of 44:06 minutes, yes it's nice to have two new
outtakes, but where's all the singles and their non-LP B-sides - a format this
band was not only famous for but one that fans revelled in?
To
the good stuff - Digitally Remastered by band founder GLENN TILBROOK and
A&M's go-to Audio Engineer for the A&M Re Master Pieces Series ROGER
WAKE - the original tapes certainly pack a lethal punch.
Having
a mad synth go at the Funk and Disco market of the day (every band tried in
their own sly way), the album "Cool For Cats" opens with the travails
of a young romance gone left (or to the pub) with the brilliantly
ordinary-world observant "Slap And Tickle". It comes roaring into
your living room too – a song that gets better and better after every listen
(dig those guitars as it fades out). Blackpool, back-page reviews and
tittle-tattle in dressing-rooms comes in for some stick in "Revue" –
Squeeze reacting to the flack they used to get for the British Press not being able to
musically pigeonhole them.
Better by far is the funny, rude and self-decrepating "Touching Me
Touching You" – our active adolescent thinking of his girl just a little too
often and putting those thoughts into private play (watch those curtains missus). That weedy Elvis Costello-type-organ sound in the
background now has just enough power in the Remaster – as do the twin guitars
that race "Touching Me Touching you" to its very-10cc finish. She
used to do a topless down at the Surrey Docks with tassels on her trupenny bits
– but our singer can't name names because "It's Not Cricket". You can
imagine that if Madness had issued their own version of "It's Not Cricket", they would have
had another Top 5 hit in Page 3 obsessed England. Huge organ and rhythm
section pumps out "It's So Dirty" with lyrics about the old man
not finding out about the latest squeeze who may or may not meet his exacting standards for female companionship.
Four-minutes and thirty-three seconds of "The Knack" ends Side 1 with
a typically candid tale of lesser-men regaling their collective weaknesses.
Opening
Side 2 is the cracking rocker "Hop Skip And Jump" – a very Jools Holland
bopper that makes me smile, even now – good quality in the transfer too. Hard
to resist either the hooky melody or the girl-from-Clapham lyrics in the
brilliant "Up The Junction" – kissing in front of the telly in a
smelly flat leading to little kicks inside her. Two years on and his drinking
has become a problem while his lady's mother has left for a soldier and now
there are no more nights with nappies whiffy (telly's gone to the hock shop too). After the urban cool of "Up
The Junction" – the twin vocal leads in "Hard To Find" and the song itself do well
to hold their own – ballerina tights if only he was a girl. "Slightly
Drunk" still doesn't do much for me though.
"Goodbye
Girl" was the first 45-single off the album in November 1978 – a whole
sixth months in advance of the LP (its Non-LP B-side "Saints Alive"
is unfortunately not included here). It's a good tune, but I never thought it
was a great one and I can kind of understand its No. 63 placing on the UK
charts for only two weeks. But then comes the big daddy - "Cool For Cats"
– Cowboys taking positions behind the trees while Davey Crockett rides around
saying its...Cool For Cats. A brilliant chitty-chatty tune about likely lads in rough-and-tumble pubs, flashing the cash to disreputable types staggering from the dartboard amidst the overflowing ashtrays and spilled Watney's Pale
Ale. Love that synth break before it kicks into the girl-standing-by-the-wall
Disco scene and Holland's endearing plinky-plonky keyboard solo – so damn – well, cool.
The
two Bonus Tracks are properly exciting - "I Must Go" (2:16 minutes)
is a tale of Moscow and New York with Carry-On Fish-Wives witty vocals after
the chorus and would have made a top Non-LP B-side for "Up The Junction"
instead of the album track A&M did use ("It's So Dirty"). The
rocker "Ain't It Sad" (3:27 minutes) is even better - a very
cool-guitar and snotty-vocals number similar to some of the more Punky material
on their March 1978 self-titled "Squeeze" debut album. I can imagine someone putting this on a period CD-R
and a punter being shocked to find that it's edgy vibe is by Squeeze. Damn cool to hear these two now anyway
– and pleasing to know they are actually worthy of the moniker Extras.
Squeeze would follow with the similar (if not better) brilliance of "Argybargy"
for their third studio album in February 1980 – opening that productive decade
with a doozy. But like so many, I have only to see that strangely lovely
artwork that kind of harks back to Lounge Music, and I'm a happy purring feline (who maybe leaves the touching to someone else)...
SQUEEZE A&M
Re Master Pieces CD Reissue Series
Released
January 1998 UK, February 1998 USA
Each Single CD Remaster Contained Two
Previously Unreleased Bonuses
1.
"Squeeze"
Original
UK LP March 1978 on A&M Records AMLH 68465
UK
CD Reissue January 1998 on A&M 540 806-2 (Barcode 731454080620)
Bonus
Tracks "Deep Cuts" and "Heartbreak"
2.
"Cool For Cats"
UK
LP April 1979 on A&M Records AMLH 68503
UK
CD January 1998 on A&M Records 540 804-2 (Barcode
Bonus
Tracks "I Must Go" and "Ain't it Sad"
3.
"Argybargy"
UK
LP February 1980 on A&M Records AMLH 64802
UK
CD January 1998 on A&M 540 803-2 (Barcode 731454080323)
Bonus
Tracks "Funny How It Goes" and "Go"
4.
"East Side Story..."
UK
LP May 1981 on A&M Records AMLH 64854
UK
CD January 1998 on A&M 540 805-2 (Barcode 731454080521)
Bonus
Tracks "The Axe Now Fallen" and "Looking For A Love"
5.
"Sweets From A Stranger"
UK
LP May 1982 on A&M Records AMLH 64899
UK
CD January 1998 on A&M 540 807-2 (Barcode 731454080729)
Bonus
Tracks "I Can't Get Up Anymore" and "When Love Goes To
Sleep"
6.
"Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti"
UK
LP August 1985 on A&M Records AMA 5805
UK
CD January 1998 on A&M 540 802-2 (Barcode 731454080224)
Bonus
Tracks "Love's A Four Letter Word" and "The Fortnight Saga"
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