East Side Story (Squeeze album)
| East Side Story | ||||
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| 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 |
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| Squeeze chronology | ||||
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| Singles from East Side Story | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| The Village Voice | B+ |
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. The album peaked at number 19 in the UK Albums Chart, spending 26 weeks in the listing.
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".
East Side Story was the first album for new keyboardist Paul Carrack, replacing Jools Holland who had departed in early 1981. He sang lead on the track "Tempted", which became Squeeze's first U.S. chart hit. Shortly after the release of this album, Carrack left 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.
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