Released 22 June 1973 | Recorded 1973 Length 3:24 | |
B-side Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite | ||
"Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" is a popular song in the UK by Slade.
Contents
Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea and produced by Chas Chandler, Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me was the band's fifth number one single in the United Kingdom, and their second to debut at the top spot immediately, spending three weeks at the top in July 1973. Typical of Slade's releases at the time, it fared less well in the US where it failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100 but also peaked at #1 in Ireland.
For the Record Mirror poll results of 1974, the single peaked at #9 on the top ten list of best British singles.
The single sold 300,000 copies in the first week of release.
The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in July 1973.
Background
Lea got the idea of the track at the Trumpet pub in Bilston where local pianist Reg Kierle was playing piano. At the time of the release, drummer Don Powell suffered serious injuries in a car crash and the producers of Top of the Pops would not allow Slade to perform as a three piece band. Dancers were shown instead. The b-side was briefly considered as a novelty single but the idea was scratched after Powell's accident.
The single was recorded whilst the band were touring in America, originally being titled "You Know How To Squeeze Me".
Reportedly, the band only recorded the song as a joke, not intending for it to be released at all. After promoting the song upon release, the band soon disowned the song, never performing it live again after 1973.
No official promotional video was created due to Powell's injuries.
In reference to the single, Slade T-shirts with the song's title were made available, used on the Top of the Pops video and seen in the Sun newspaper of the time.
The song was voted #1 of the top three Slade songs that fans would most want to hear live in the Slade Fan Club Poll of 1979. In the September–December 1986 Slade fan club magazine, the poll results were announced for the 1986 opinion poll based on Slade’s material. For the songs most wanted to be heard live, Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me placed at #3.
Promotion
At the time of the release, drummer Don Powell suffered serious injuries in a car crash and the producers of Top of the Pops would not allow Slade to perform as a 3 piece band and so a video involving dancers was shown instead as well as some band footage. No official promotional video was created due to Powell's injuries.
The song, and the b-side, was performed together on the UK show Lift off with Ayesha although this performance has not been seen since the original broadcast. In 1973, the band performed the song at Earls Court in London, where the performance was filmed, (the show took place three days before Powell's car crash), available unofficially on YouTube.
Track listing
- "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me" - 3:27
- "Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite" - 3:20
Critical reception
Record Mirror magazine reviewed the single upon release, "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."
NME magazine wrote "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."
In early 2010, Classic Rock magazine featured Slade as part of their ‘The Hard Stuff Buyers Guide’ where the magazine reviewed numerous Slade albums. As part of this article, an ‘Essential Playlist’ listed 14 Slade songs which included Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me.