"Hourglass" by Squeeze

   “I feel like I’m pounding on a big door, no one can hear me knocking…”

   A little over ten years ago, I posted something cool to my personal Facebook page. It was a song that I had just heard on the radio for the first time since it’s original late ‘80s chart run. I linked the music video, and wrote a few sentences about it, praising the rapid fire, nonsense lyrics, and surreal imagery. It only got maybe two or three likes. However, it sparked a personal interest in writing about overlooked songs from years prior, which directly lead to the creation of Kyle’s Radio Dial several months after.

   Yet in all the years since, I’ve never given that specific song the proper Radio Dial treatment… until now, that is. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m proud to present Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford, Jools Holland, Andy Metcalfe, Keith Wilkinson, and Gilson Lavis… collectively known as Squeeze, as they watch the grains tumble… upward through their “Hourglass”.

   From the 1987 Babylon and On LP, “Hourglass” was Squeeze’s biggest hit single in the U.S., peaking at #15 on the Hot 100 (slightly better than it’s UK peak of #16). What, you thought their 1981 classic “Tempted” was surely a top 10? Yeah… and so did I! As awesome as it is, and as long lasting as it has proven to be, the reality is that “Tempted” did not chart very high upon on its initial release, peaking only at US #49 and UK #41. I know… sometimes truth is weird.

   The lyrics of “Hourglass” are hard to pin down, but they seem to be about insanity. The protagonist references falling with nobody to catch him, no more sand in his hourglass, no more hands on his watch, no crew on the ship, no one hears him when he calls them on the phone… so is the guy going crazy? Or perhaps its a commentary on the stress of daily life, in which most of us have so much going on, that we feel like chickens running around with their heads cut off? I think we can all identify with that.

   I read an interview with Chris Difford where he stated that the song has no true meaning. He and Glenn Tilbrook simply wrote the song in an hour and he really didn’t know where it came from. But that’s the cool thing about music (and pretty much any art)… the listener (or viewer, or reader, etc) can derive their own interpretation on the artist’s work, filtered through their own life experiences. So what does that say about me that I went straight to insanity and stress as the deeper meaning here? *sigh* Maybe I should switch to decaf…

   Anyway, the music video, a favorite on MTV upon its release, is filled with wacky optical illusions and forced perspective effects. Its quite a fun video to watch, and it never fails to put a smile on my face! Check out the guy falling up the stairs, the infinity doorways, the mirror illusion, and the clock hands that become drumsticks) The mirror illusion in particular amazed Zoey, (the Radio Dial daughter), who kept asking “How’d they DO that?”

   I also appreciate that Tilbrook rocks some sweet ‘50’s rock and roll dance moves (think Elvis or Chuck Berry) in one of the video’s final scenes.

   On a side note, I briefly considered spotlighting not “Hourglass”, but Squeeze’s 1980 track “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)” for this article instead. But that was mainly because I wanted to relate a story of how I once worked with a girl named Michelle who was quite the chatterbox. A sweetheart, but rather exhausting to listen to. Another co-worker, heard “Pulling Mussels…” play over our in-store audio system, and started singing the chorus as “Put A Muzzle on Michelle”. You know, because she talked a lot. Yes, it was mean, but she never knew because that co-worker and I kept it a joke between the two of us. Hey, we all have skeletons in our closets.

   So, refresh your memory and check out Squeeze’s biggest stateside hit tune below. And enjoy that crazy music video, which still looks good after all these years – remember, this was 1987, so none of that pesky CGI in this one folks! (and before the next time that you adjust your tie or put on make up in the mirror, just make sure it’s ACTUALLY a mirror… just a helpful hint from Kyle’s Radio Dial.)

  http://www.squeezeofficial.com/

"Cold Beverage" by G.Love and Special Sauce

    “Summertime is cool… the heat is getting old… yeah I’ll get a beverage, just make sure it’s cold”

    As I began to write this entry (May 27), the A/C unit at the Radio Dial home office has gone kaput. It was over twenty years old, so we knew this day would come sooner than later. Problem is, this happened during a very hot and humid weekend (at least for central Ohio), with temps in the upper 80s, and 90% humidity, and minimal wind. Let’s just say that we were miserable.

    However, one activity that was getting the Radio Dial family and I through the heat wave was enjoying frequent chilled drinks. Ice water, iced tea, lemonade, soda pop, juice, and beer (just the Mrs. and I for that last one of course), have been instrumental in keeping us at least reasonably comfortable, along with frequent spins of today’s spotlighted song, which is perfect for these hot summer days. So let’s give it up for G. Love and Special Sauce’s ode to quenching your thirst… the aptly named “Cold Beverage”.

    Hailing from “The City of Brotherly Love” (Philadelphia, of course!), G. Love and Special Sauce formed in 1993 by Garrett Dutton (the ubiquitous “G. Love” himself), drummer Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens, and Jim “Jimi Jazz” Prescott on string bass. “Cold Beverage” was the first single from their 1994 debut self-titled LP. It became quite popular on college rock stations and also made an appearance on MTV’s Beavis & Butt-Head (wish I could find a clip of that!) However, it did not make an appearance on any Billboard singles chart.

    Classified as “alternative hip hop”, G. Love’s sound is firmly rooted in the blues, with sprinklings of classic soul, rap, and alternative rock blended throughout. Garrett’s brisk blues-rap delivery mentions an impressive menu of mouth watering drinks that are sure to make anyone thirsty by the song’s conclusion. Lemonade appears to be the band’s beverage of choice, as it is mentioned quite a few times, and appears as a tattoo in the opening seconds of the music video. The drink list continues with Sprite, iced tea, A&W, milk shakes, egg creams, orange juice, and various adult libations. There is even a line about how watermelon is basically a drink, so it’s cool with them if you serve ‘em up a large slice.

    There’s also some helpful advice in the guise of this insanely catchy chant, mid-way through the song…

    “Stick it in the fridge… stick it in the fridge… if you like something cold to swig, man... stick it in the fridge” 

    (Zoey, the Radio Dial Daughter, absolutely LOVES this part!)

    My only gripe about the tune is that it is difficult to follow along with Garrett’s lyrics, mainly due to his vocals being “buried in the mix” during the verses. At least that’s how it sounds to my ears. I’m not an audio engineer, so maybe there’s something else at play here. Still, “Cold Beverage”, with it’s cool groove, is a tasty thirst quenching track that should be on everybody’s summertime playlist.

    Has G.Love had any major hits? Well, the band’s biggest single to date was 2008’s “Peace, Love, and Happiness”, which hit #15 on the US Adult Alternative chart, and they’ve made a chart appearance as recently as 2019’s “Go Crazy”, recorded with modern blues legend Keb’ Mo, which hit #30 on that same chart. But the boys of Special Sauce have yet to score a crossover single that has gotten them anywhere on the Billboard Hot 100. However, I get the feeling that they are perfectly fine with that. They’ve continued to record and tour for over 25 years, and that is some incredible longevity!

    So, in case you were wondering… on June 3rd, we replaced our air conditioning unit. Seven thousand big ones. Ugh. But it needed to be done. What’s important is the Radio Dial home office is cool and comfortable once more. However, you can bet that the family will continue to enjoy cold beverages and “Cold Beverage” throughout the summer. Grab your favorite thirst quencher from the fridge, take a swig, check out the video, and tell me...what are some of your favorite summertime songs? Post a comment below! 

https://philadelphonic.com/