"Messed Around" is a US

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

released from Squeeze's fourth album, '' East Side Story''.

Background

Author Jim Drury posed that the song was one which ex-Squeeze member

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric ...

may have enjoyed playing on, to which

Glenn Tilbrook Glenn Martin Tilbrook (born 31 August 1957) is the lead singer and guitarist of the English band Squeeze, a band formed in the mid-1970s who broke through in the new wave era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the music for Squeeze's son ...

said, "Yeah. There was definitely a feeling of 'See what you're missing out on, Jools. Look at all the fun you could be having.' Paul arrackdid a great job on it and we recorded it virtually live in the studio." Tillbrook also said that the "song showed what a great band we had at the time, one of Squeeze's strongest line-ups."

Chris Difford Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze. Musical career Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written l ...

said "it actually sounds like Jools ollandplaying on it. It's a breathtaking solo by Paul. Piano playing does not get any better than that. When we recorded this I felt as though I'd finally arrived, that I was in a proper band with real men. Glenn's guitar sounds very

Scotty Moore Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. Rock critic D ...

, with a distant amplifier. It's reminiscent of one of Glenn's earlier solos from when we were younger and a great way to end an album." Tilbrook also claimed that the song was inspired by the

Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...

. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said that "Glenn Tilbrook's ultra-cool rockabilly inflections are supported by the band's tasteful piano sprinkles and guitar licks, creating an authentic late-'50s sound."

Track listing

# "Messed Around" (2:40) # "Yap Yap Yap" (4:13)

References

External links

Squeeze discography at Squeezenet
Squeeze (band) songs 1981 singles Songs written by Glenn Tilbrook Songs written by Chris Difford 1981 songs A&M Records singles Song recordings produced by Elvis Costello {{1980s-rock-song-stub