A cousin of mine sent me a link to this song and I haven’t heard it in a long time. Black Coffee in Bed was released in 1982 and it surprises me that this did not chart in the Billboard 100. It did peak at #51 in the UK Charts.
The first article I read about Squeeze gave them a “New Beatles” label. The band did have a hit the year before with Tempted.
Paul Young and Elvis Costello sang backup vocals for this song.
Black Coffee In Bead
There’s a stain on my notebook
Where your coffee cup was
And there’s ash in the pages
Now I’ve got myself lost
I was writing to tell you
That my feelings tonight
Are a stain on my notebook
That rings your goodbye
With the way that you left me
I can hardly contain
The hurt and the anger
And the joy of the pain
Now knowing I am single
They’ll be fire in my eyes
And a stain on my notebook
For a new love tonight
From the lips without passion
To the lips with a kiss
There’s nothing of your love
That I’ll ever miss
The stain on my notebook
Remain all that’s left
Of the memory of late nights
And coffee in bed
Now she’s gone
And I’m back on the beat
A stain on my notebook
Says nothing to me
Now she’s gone
And I’m out with a friend
With lips full of passion
And coffee in bed
East Side Story is a great album- that is where I ‘discovered’ the band- Elvis produced the album and if he was signing off on them I figured they were pretty darn good. Difford and Tilbrook have always been compared to the greatest songwriting duo those fella from Liverpool- and they are quite good. Their other albums never struck me like East Side Story did- but their greatest hits is a fine listen.
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I’ve always liked their sound and yes I really liked that album. I was just shocked that it didn’t chart higher…and I thought Tempted charted really high but it didn’t either.
A lot of these songs I’m digging up…I thought they were bigger hits than they were…this and the Lone Justice song surprised me. Maybe I heard them so much regionally…
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I thought of Tempted as a big hit also- I don’t know if you have heard Paul Carrick’s solo album from that period Suburban Voodoo- but it is very good. .. Jeez Tempted barely cracked the top 50.
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I know it shocked me…It as in heavy play on MTV that is for sure….
No I never heard his album. Another one to check out because his voice is so smooth.
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He must have left Squeeze after East Side Story- a lot of very good pop songs on his album-in a better world he would have had some hits off of it. I Need You cracked the Top 40 -#36.
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I do know that song…I just looked it up. I had forgot about it.
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Carrick one of those guys who seems to turn up here and there over the years..
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Now I remember…Ace is where I remember him with the song “How Long”
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Yes How Long with Ace… reading up on him he backed up Frankie Miller.. he must play well with others he has worked with a virtual who’s who..
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Who would not want that voice and keyboards…it was like he was a voice for hire.
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They were big in Toronto but I’ve heard that from people in Atlanta and Texas too- “seemed like they were bigger than the charts indicate!”
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I was totally shocked when I looked at Billboard…and also Tempted didn’t do much better…I heard both of the songs here much more…I thought Tempted was top ten at least…but no
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Sorry….wrong post reply!
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Squeeze were a great band, one of the best examples of post-Beatles British pop, I’d say. I never had any of their studio albums, but did have some singles and have the “Singles 45 and Under” best of, which I love and listen through end to end. curious trivia – I’ve had official Squeeze releases of “Another Nail…” that list the title differently– some have it as “Another Nail THROUGH My Heart”and others “Another Nail FOR My Heart”. Go figure!
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They were great…they got labeled with the “next Beatles” tag and that never ends well. They had some great songs but never charteed…as I said in the wrong post…I was surprised by the lack of chart success.
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