‘Tempted’: When Squeeze called on the inspiration of Motown for a defining hit
Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford are two of the greatest songwriters England has ever produced, and, unlike a plethora of English-born songwriters, they have never made any attempt to hide their Englishness, either.
You only need to take a passing glance at a song like ‘Cool for Cats’ or ‘Up The Junction’ for the national background of Tilbrook, Difford, and Squeeze more generally to become incredibly evident. Lyrically, their finest work is the musical equivalent of a 1960s kitchen sink drama from the peak of the British new wave; they were never going to lower themselves to affecting an American accent or singing about the Mississippi Delta – the dirty water of the Thames was enough for the pair.
That is not to say, however, that the allure of the United States had no bearing on Squeeze’s output at all. There is a longstanding tradition of British groups going out on US tours and coming back with a newfound suitcase of musical inspiration, going right back to the 1960s and the days of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Squeeze were no different in that respect. While US audiences might have been baffled by the cockney realism of ‘Cool for Cats’, Difford and Tilbrook soaked up as much American inspiration as they possibly could.
A key source of that evergreen inspiration was the realm of Motown Records. By the early 1980s, when Squeeze were in the throes of their heyday, the 1960s golden age of the Detroit label had long since passed, but those legendary recordings by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, Stevie Wonder, and The Temptations, among countless others, still had a command over the airwaves of the States.
It should be noted, of course, that Motown also had a presence in the UK, originally owing to the mod subculture of the 1960s, before those R&B and soul sounds hit the British pop charts. Even during the 1970s, in fact, the northern soul realm in England kept the spark of Motown – albeit increasingly obscure Motown recordings – alive. However, it was only when Squeeze visited the US that those influences became prevalent in their own sound.
‘Tempted’ was the track that placed those American influences front and centre, borrowing a boatload of inspiration from the realm of Motown, and The Temptations in particular, and entering Squeeze – if only briefly – into the world of blue-eyed soul. With production provided by another ardent appreciator of American soul and R&B, Elvis Costello, the 1981 track was dripping in the timeless sound of Black America.
“The original story behind ‘Tempted’ is we’re going on another American tour,” Difford once shared with Fox News. “I got in a taxi, and I started writing down what I saw lyrically. I don’t know the course of time, of how long it took, but then I gave Glenn the lyrics, and then Glenn put the music to it… It’s an extraordinary song. It’s one of the most played songs that we have in our catalogue.”
Despite their inherent Englishness, then, Squeeze beautifully showcased their ability to take on a deluge of different genres with seemingly effortless grace. In doing so, they not only struck upon one of their defining anthems, but also one of the most original, expansive tracks of the new wave period.
Seemingly, Motown’s 20th-century influence knew no bounds, and neither did the songwriting power of Tilbrook and Difford.
