"Cool for Cats" is a song by English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Squeeze, released as the second single from their album
of the same name. The song features a rare lead vocal performance from
cockney-accented Squeeze lyricist
Chris Difford
Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze.
Musical career
Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written ly ...
, one of the only two occasions he sang lead on a Squeeze single A-side (the other was 1989's "
Love Circles
"Love Circles" is the second and final single released from Squeeze's eighth album, '' Frank''. It featured a rare lead vocal turn by Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford
Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, mu ...
"). The song, slightly edited from the album track, peaked at No. 2 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 1979, making "Cool for Cats" one of the band's biggest hits.
Background
"Cool for Cats" was written about the social scene the band experienced in their youth. Tilbrook recalled: "Originally it was written about the social circle we were moving in at the time, being young and being... we were almost entirely centered in our own little world. I remember hearing Chris sing those lyrics for the first time and thinking he's just nailed what our lives are about now. It's lovely to be able to look back on that and see how we were as youngsters."
The title phrase, which Difford felt "was a great song title", is a reference to the television series ''
Cool for Cats''. Difford commented in a 1979 interview: "I don't know if you're familiar with the phrase 'Cool For Cats,' but it was the first rock 'n' roll television show in England during 1959. That's where the album and single title originated - I just worked it into some personal experiences within the lyrical content."
Originally, the song was performed much slower and featured a different set of lyrics. However, at the request of co-producer
John Wood, Difford wrote a new lyric to the backing track the band had recorded. According to Difford, he wrote a new lyric after watching ''
The Benny Hill Show
''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV (from 1969) between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketches that were full of slapstick, mime, parody ...
'', which featured character-based musical numbers performed to a flat
metre
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...
. Tilbrook felt Difford's new lyrics and vocals "sounded unbelievably cool" and recruited his girlfriend and her friends to contribute the female backing vocals on the chorus.
Release
"Cool For Cats" was released as a single on 9 March 1979. The band performed the song on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' to promote the single, though the band was forced to alter the lyric ''"I'm invited in for a coffee / and I give the dog a bone"''.
The band also released a music video for the song featuring the band and female backing singers performing the song. Tilbrook later said the video "makes me cringe", particularly for a moment where Tilbrook "burst through a group of girls" in an attempt to look "panther-like and super-sexy", only to "just look pissed".
Difford notes that the band originally filmed a different video where the band constantly changed hats, but it did not appear on TV because it featured a clip of drummer
Gilson Lavis
David Leslie Gilson Lavis ( , born 27 June 1951, Bedford, England) is an English drummer and portrait artist. He gained fame as the drummer with band Squeeze in the 1970s and 80s. Lavis is currently the drummer for Jools Holland's Rhythm and ...
downing a pint of beer in two seconds.
"Cool For Cats" would prove to be the band's biggest UK hit to that point, reaching number two on the charts there.
"Cool For Cats" remains tied with the band's subsequent single, "
Up The Junction
''Up the Junction'' is a 1963 collection of short stories by Nell Dunn that depicts contemporary life in the industrial slums of Battersea and Clapham Junction.
The book uses colloquial speech, and its portrayal of petty thieving, sexual encoun ...
", for the band's highest charting single. The band became ambivalent about these songs, however: Difford noted that the band "deliberately binned" their two best-charting singles when he and Tilbrook started attracting critical acclaim as "the new
Lennon–McCartney
Lennon–McCartney was the songwriting partnership between English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is the best-known and most successful musical collaboration ever by records sold, with the ...
". Difford concluded, though, "Now I look back on those songs with great affection because without them I wouldn't be where I am today."
The song has also appeared on several of the band's compilations, such as ''
Singles – 45's and Under
''Singles – 45's and Under'' is a compilation album by Squeeze, released on the A&M Records label on 22 October 1982. The album consisted of all their singles from 1978 to 1982 in chronological order, with the exception of "Bang Bang", "Christ ...
''.
Reception
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' called it "a light, bouncy number that almost borders on a disco beat combines with amusing tongue-in-cheek lyrics and cute female backup vocals."
Track listing
# "Cool for Cats" (3:10)
# "Model" (3:30)
1992 UK Re-issue
''A&M AMCD 694'' – Limited Edition Cool Cat Pac
# "Cool for Cats"
# "Trust Me to Open My Mouth"
# "Squabs on Forty Five"
Personnel
* Chris Difford – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
* Glenn Tilbrook – lead guitar
* Harry Kakoulli – bass
*
Jools Holland
Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...
– keyboard
* Gilson Lavis – drums
Chart positions
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
External links
''Squeeze discography''at Squeezenet
Squeeze (band) songs
1979 singles
Songs written by Glenn Tilbrook
Songs written by Chris Difford
1979 songs
Pub rock (United Kingdom) songs
New wave songs
{{1970s-rock-song-stub