Annie Get Your Gun was the first - and only - Squeeze single that I bought, a secondhand 7" from Plastic Wax Records in Bristol, a few years after it peaked at #43 in October 1982.
Not that I was indifferent to Squeeze, just that everything before had been released befare I'd started buying music in earnest. Handily, Annie Get Your Gun had been released as a standalone single to promote the compilation Singles: 45's And Under, which is arguably one of the greatest 'best of' albums of all time.
There was no video for Annie Get Your Gun, but I've tracked down their live performance at the MTV Spring Break event at Daytona Beach Bandshell in Florida, USA on 18th March 1988.
The band are in fine form, Glenn's curly locks blowing in the breeze, Jools Holland at the piano in a cowboy hat, and as far as I can tell, just this song was filmed for broadcast on MTV.
Although Squeeze spilt up shortly after the release of Annie Get Your Gun (albeit briefly, reconvening in 1985) the song shows no signs of a band in a creative rut and for me it's up there with Cool For Cats, Up The Junction and Pulling Mussels (From The Shell).
I also played the B-side a lot. Spanish Guitar didn't make the cut for the Sweets From A Stranger album, and I can see why, but a combination of it's quirky charm and familiarity through repeated listens have secured it a place in my affections.
No comments:
Post a Comment