Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me

"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me"

German/European cover of "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me".
Single by Slade
B-side "Kill 'Em at the Hot Club Tonite"
Released 22 June 1973
September 1973 (US)
Recorded 1973
Genre Hard rock, glam rock
Length 3:31 (single version)
4:28 (full version)
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s) Noddy Holder, Jim Lea
Producer(s) Chas Chandler
Slade singles chronology
"Cum On Feel the Noize"
(1973)		 "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me"
(1973)		 "My Friend Stan"
(1973)

"Cum On Feel the Noize"
(1973)		 "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me"
(1973)		 "My Friend Stan"
(1973)
Audio sample
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"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" is a song by the British rock band Slade, released in 1973 as a non-album single.[1] It was written by lead vocalist Noddy Holder and bassist Jim Lea, and produced by Chas Chandler. It reached No. 1 in the UK, giving the band their fifth number one single, and remained in the charts for ten weeks.[2] The song was certified UK Silver by BPI in July 1973.[3] The song would be included on the band's 1973 compilation album Sladest.[4]

Background

Earlier in 1973, Slade had achieved their fourth number one "Cum On Feel the Noize", which was also the band's first single to enter number one in its first week. This achievement had not been seen since The Beatles' "Get Back" in 1969. While on tour in America, the band entered A&M Studios in Los Angeles to record the follow-up single "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". Released in June 1973, the song also reached the top spot in its first week. It remained at No. 1 for three consecutive weeks[2] and sold 300,000 copies in its first week of release.[5][6]

Lea originally got the idea for the chorus of "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" at the band's regular The Trumpet in Bilston, after listening to local pianist Reg Kierle was performing there.[7] The song had the working title of "You Know How to Squeeze Me". During the release of the song, drummer Don Powell was involved in a near-fatal car crash in July, briefly throwing the band's existence into doubt. Despite his critical condition, Powell was able to make a recovery and the band soon entered the studio to record material for their next album Old New Borrowed and Blue.[7]

Release

"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" was released on 7" vinyl by Polydor Records in the UK, Ireland, across Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Israel, Argentina and Japan. In America, it was released by Reprise Records.[8][9] The B-Side, "Kill 'Em at the Hot Club Tonite", was exclusive to the single and would later appear on the band's 2007 compilation B-Sides. The band had briefly considered releasing the B-Side as a novelty single, however Powell's car crash caused the idea to be scrapped.[7] In America, the B-Side was the Old New Borrowed and Blue album track "My Town".[10] For release as a single, the full-length version of the song was edited down. For the American release, the song was edited down even further, with a length of just under three minutes.

Promotion

Due to Powell's car crash, no music video was filmed to promote the single. The band also appeared twice on the UK music show Top of the Pops prior to Powell's crash.[11] Afterwards, the producers of the show would not allow Slade to perform as a three-piece band. So instead, a video of a studio audience dancing to the song was broadcast.[12] Prior to Powell's crash, the band also performed the song, along with its B-Side, on the UK TV show Lift off with Ayesha. The performance has not been seen since its original broadcast. Footage of the band performing the song at their Earls Court concert in London, has surfaced. The sold-out show took place three days before Powell's crash.[13]

Track listing

7" Single
  1. "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - 3:31
  2. "Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite" - 3:20
7" Single (US release)
  1. "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - 2:55
  2. "My Town" - 3:07
7" Single (US promo)
  1. "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - 2:55
  2. "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - 2:55

Critical reception

Upon release, Record Mirror said: "One-third of the big three up for review this week - those delicately framed arbiters of immaculate taste, Slade. This Noddy-Jim song gives old leather-lungs a satisfactory showcase. They don't change much, but why should they? They go for smash and grab tactics - nipping one by the whatsits. That rolling rhythm pushes the whole thing along with alarming verve and gusto. You WILL get with it, the lads insist in their charmingly courteous way. You WILL, from the first crashing-smashing phrase kindly take notice, they demand. And you do. But don't ignore the flip side here - it's a drastic change of style, putting them back into hotchama-chotcha days, with violin swinging amiably. What a grate groop! - chart certain."[14] New Musical Express said: "A place in the top three for Slade's "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". The start is fussy, and those "whoa-whoa's" in the chorus are a drag. The beat's strong and the words in the verses are the best yet, but all around this doesn't beat "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" or "Gudbuy T'Jane", and it looks like time for Noddy to slow down and show the world what a good singer he is."[15]

In the Record Mirror poll results for 1973, the single reached No. 9 on the list of top ten best British singles.[16][17] In a 1979 fan club poll, Slade fans voted the song at No. 1 of the top three Slade songs fans most want to hear live.[18][19] In another fan club poll in 1986, the song ranked at No. 3 for the same category.[20] In 2010, Classic Rock listed the song as one of 14 Slade songs that belong on an "Essential Playlist".

Cover versions

Chart performance

Chart (1973) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[24] 25
Austrian Singles Chart[25] 12
Belgian Singles Chart[26] 11
Dutch Singles Chart[27] 6
French Singles Chart[28] 35
German Singles Chart[29] 3
Irish Singles Chart[30] 1
New Zealand Singles Chart 25
Norwegian Singles Chart[31] 3
Swiss Singles Chart[32] 4
UK Singles Chart[33] 1

Personnel

Slade
Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  2. 1 2 "slade | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  3. ↑ "Home". BPI. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  4. ↑ "Slade - Sladest at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  5. ↑ "1973 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  6. ↑ Slade Fan Club Newsletter August - September 1973
  7. 1 2 3 "CD Album - Slade - Greatest Hits - Feel The Noize - Polydor - UK". 45worlds.com. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  8. ↑ "ALL Discography @ www.collectadisc.co.uk". Collectadisc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  9. ↑ "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  10. ↑ "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me / My Town - Reprise - USA - REP 1182". 45cat. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  11. ↑ "1973 Press Cuttings". Slade Scrapbook. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  12. ↑ "Slade - Skweeze Me Pleeze Me (TOTP, 1973) - NO WATERMARK!!!". YouTube. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  13. ↑ "SLADE @ www.slayed.co.uk". Crazeeworld.plus.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  14. ↑ Record Mirror magazine 30 June 1973
  15. ↑ New Musical Express magazine 16 June 1973
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ "1974 Press Cuttings". Slade Scrapbook. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  18. ↑ "1980 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  19. ↑ Slade Fan Club Magazine January–February 1980
  20. ↑ "1986 - Slade Fan Club www.sladefanclub.com". Sladefanclub.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  21. ↑ "Muska - Muska (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  22. ↑ "James Last - Non Stop Dancing 1974 at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  23. ↑ "Online Store". THEmusicINDEX. 23 February 1998. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  24. ↑ "Go-Set Australian charts ~ 1973". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  25. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  26. ↑ "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  27. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  28. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tout les Titres par Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  29. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News". Musicline.de. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  30. ↑ Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  31. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". norwegiancharts.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  32. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Slade - Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
  33. ↑ "SLADE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
Preceded by
"Rubber Bullets" by 10cc		 UK number-one single
30 June 1973 		Succeeded by
"Welcome Home" by Peters and Lee
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