"BLACK COFFEE IN BED" SQUEEZE (1982)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

For most of my life as a music fan, I really only cared about the final output and the individual elements that make a song amazing, like a perfectly executed backing vocal part or a simple, yet impactful bass line. But more recently I’ve become more curious about the songwriting process. The way lyrics and music come together is unique for each band, which makes the process that much more intriguing to think about. Sometimes the process is quite surgical: one bandmate writes a riff or melody and then hands it off to another bandmate who writes lyrics. Sometimes, it’s the other way around where the lyricist gets the words down first and then the one in charge of the melody takes it from there. There are also situations where members share the songwriting load. The Beatles might be most famous for this, where Lennon and McCartney co-wrote many of the songs, while also individually contributing songs along with Harrison and Starr. One of the more fascinating songwriting duos is Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, a partnership that I’ll examine further through one of the band’s early 80’s singles “Black Coffee In Bed”.

This is a post-breakup song inspired by a coffee stain on a notebook. Difford, as usual, started with the original song theme and lyrics. From there, Tilbrook took the words and modified them a bit to fit into a melody that was dancing in his head. While Difford originally envisioned “Black Coffee In Bed” having a country feel, Tilbrook had other ideas. The musical arrangement is where Squeeze took it to the next level. There’s nothing exceptionally noteworthy in terms of the instrumentation itself, but “Black Coffee In Bed” breaks out some stellar harmonies by two guest vocalists with distinct voices of their own: Elvis Costello and Paul Young. The result is a cool, Motown vibe and a songwriting gem that became a mainstay on MTV in the early 80s.

“The stain on my notebook remains all that's left of the memory of late nights and coffee in bed.”

"THE KNACK" SQUEEZE (1979)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

Squeeze is generally hailed as an underrated rock band. An outfit that deserves more attention that it has received from critics and fans. The songwriting partnership of Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook has netted a catalog that’s big on melody, often on the cheery side of things. While “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)” and “Tempted” are classics in my book, the band is generally not my cup of tea. But there’s one lesser-known track off of Cool For Cats that is very un-Squeeze-like, and maybe my favorite track of theirs: “The Knack”.

The melody on “The Knack” is less neat and defined unlike most Squeeze songs. It’s hard to even decipher which notes are being sung. I think it’s why I like it so much. “The Knack” is less on the nose. It’s also less cheery, almost sinister, lying comfortably on the darker side of new wave. The most iconic elements of the song are the skittish keyboard hook and the rhythm section that features a punchy bass line that gets out in space. Cool For Cats is often remembered for the title track and “Up the Junction”, but halfway through the album one can find a song that defies expectations.

“Waffle in a Guinness. Tied between the bars. Fifty fifty chances. Bulletproof all cars.”

"PULLING MUSSELS (FROM THE SHELL)" SQUEEZE (1980)

Growing up, I thought this song was about seafood - and I still loved it. Later, I learned it was about seaside holiday life, not to mention a certain British innuendo phrase - and then I liked it even more. I’ve always found it surprising how Squeeze flew under the radar in the States all those years. For a new wave band, Squeeze played it very straight for much of their catalog, but “Pulling Mussels” had just enough melodic ingenuity and edge.

“But behind the chalet, my holiday's complete. And I feel like William Tell. Maid Marian on her tiptoed feet.”