East Side Story (Squeeze album)

East Side Story
Studio album by Squeeze
Released 15 May 1981
Recorded 1980-1981 Eden Studios, Chiswick, London
Genre New wave
Length 49:03
Label A&M
Producer Roger Bechirian
Elvis Costello
Squeeze chronology

Argybargy
(1980)		 East Side Story
(1981)		 Sweets from a Stranger
(1982)
Singles from East Side Story
  1. "Is That Love"
    Released: 1 May 1981
  2. "Tempted"
    Released: 10 July 1981
  3. "Labelled with Love"
    Released: 25 September 1981
  4. "Messed Around"
    Released: 1981 (US only)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic (link)
Robert Christgau (link) B+
Rolling Stone (link)
MelodicMusic

East Side Story is the fourth studio album by new wave group Squeeze. The initial concept was for a double-LP with one side produced by Elvis Costello, another by Dave Edmunds, a third by Nick Lowe and the fourth possibly by Paul McCartney. Ultimately it was largely produced by Costello and Roger Bechirian, and released on one disc.

However, Edmunds did produce the album's opening track, and sessions with Lowe yielded "Looking For A Love". This latter track (and one other album outtake produced by Bechirian and Costello) was appended to a 1997 UK CD reissue of East Side Story, as part of the band's Six of One... box set. The set included the band's first six studio albums, all digitally remastered. A year later, each separate CD (including the expanded East Side Story) was made available for individual purchase.

The album was a definite break with Squeeze's "New Wave" sound, as it contained songs influenced by rockabilly, R&B, blue-eyed soul, Merseybeat, and psychedelia among other genres. It also contained Squeeze's last top 10 UK single, "Labelled With Love". This was a track that Costello allegedly had to fight to have recorded, as Tilbrook in particular initially felt that the song was too country-and-western sounding for Squeeze's image.

East Side Story was the first album for new keyboardist Paul Carrack. He sang lead on the track "Tempted", which became one of Squeeze's best-known songs, and Squeeze's first U.S. chart hit. Shortly after the release of this album, Carrack would leave the band for a solo career, but he returned to Squeeze for a time in the early 1990s, playing and singing on the Some Fantastic Place album.

Track listing

All songs written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook except as indicated.

LP side A:

  1. "In Quintessence" – 2:55 Produced by Dave Edmunds, assisted by Neil King
  2. "Someone Else's Heart" – 3:00
  3. "Tempted" – 4:02
  4. "Piccadilly" – 3:26
  5. "There's No Tomorrow" – 3:27
  6. "Heaven" – 3:49
  7. "Woman's World" – 3:42

LP side B:

  1. "Is That Love" – 2:31
  2. "F-Hole" – 4:41
  3. "Labelled With Love" – 4:44
  4. "Someone Else's Bell" – 3:08
  5. "Mumbo Jumbo" – 3:13
  6. "Vanity Fair" – 3:09
  7. "Messed Around" – 2:42

Bonus Tracks (1997 reissue)

  1. "The Axe Has Now Fallen" – 3:51
  2. "Lookin' for a Love" (James Alexander, Zelda Samuels) – 3:00 Produced by Nick Lowe

Personnel

Additional Personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1981 Billboard Pop Albums 44

Single

Year Single Chart Position
1981 "In Quintessence" Billboard Mainstream Rock 39
1981 "Tempted" Billboard Mainstream Rock 8

References