A Window Above: Tempted

Title: "Tempted"
Writers: Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford
Original Release: July 10, 1981
Band: Squeeze
Album: East Side Story

"I fumble for the clock

 Alarmed by the seduction."

The lyric above is my second-favorite, all-time (after this one).  The "clock alarmed" wrap around is so deliciously clever.



To me, this is the rare song that exists outside of era.  Maybe there's something in the keyboard sound that signifies early '80s but the basic energy feels older.  Calling it retro is over-simplifying.  It is a genre of one.  It never cracked the top 40 in even one country where it was released as a single, yet it has found its way into the classic canon.

It's not even a typical song for the band, though certainly its most enduring.  Most of Squeeze's opus features Tilbrook at lead vocals.  For most that don't, Difford takes the lead.  Instead, keyboardist Paul Carrack sang lead here.  Interestingly, Carrack was only with the band for a relatively short time, replacing Jools Holland.  Carrack was the lead singer for a couple of other successful acts: Ace and Mike + The Mechanics.  Producer Elvis Costello's voice can also be heard on the song, trading off lines with Tilbrook in the second verse.

An a cappella rendition by The Georgetown Chimes:



Want to hear all of the songs I have featured in a convenient playlist?

Enjoy: A Window Above

What are you listening to these days?