Squeal (song)
| "Squeal" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by No Doubt | ||||
| from the album The Beacon Street Collection | ||||
| B-side | "My Room Is Still Clean" | |||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1994 | |||
| Studio | Home Recordings (Fullerton, California) | |||
| Genre | Ska | |||
| Length | 2:38 | |||
| Label | Beacon Street | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Eric Stefani | |||
| Producer(s) | No Doubt | |||
| No Doubt singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Squeal" is a song by American band
The single is a "ska-tinged" song with a more developed and rawer sound than their material from 1992.[1] In addition to the band members performing their standard instruments, its instrumentation is joined by a saxophone, trombone, and trumpet. "Squeal" features the last performance by saxophonist Eric Carpenter, who left the band shortly after. The lyrics describe a female criminal who is under fire when her partner betrays their trust and reveals her behavior to the police. For revenge, she resolves to kill him. Music journalist and author Jeff Apt provided a mixed review of "Squeal", praising Tom Dumont and Adrian Young's contributions to the production, but criticizing its uneven sound.
Background and release
After the release of No Doubt in 1992, Interscope Records was disappointed in No Doubt for the album's lack of critical and commercial success. As the group prepared to begin work on another album, Interscope refused to drop No Doubt from the label and revoked funding for their recording sessions.[2] To avoid wasting time, the group began recording their own songs from a makeshift recording studio in their home garage. Guitarist Tom Dumont said that the group wanted to be able to sell products to their fans after concerts and shows, so they professionally recorded "Squeal" to be given away. The single was also one of the first songs recorded for The Beacon Street Collection, the group's second studio album.[3]
In 1994, "Squeal" was the first song released as part of No Doubt's two-part series of
Music and lyrics
"Squeal" is a "
"Squeal" is set in common time and has a very fast tempo of 161 beats per minute. The key of the song is set in D-flat major, with Stefani's vocal range spanning nearly an octave and a half. Stefani reaches a high note of F5 and a rather low note of G3 / A♭3 in scientific pitch notation.[10] Written by Eric Stefani, the song's lyrics detail a criminal's reaction to her partner's betrayal to the police. The couple had agreed to be "in this together" but, after the man "squeals", the woman resolves to "kill the narc" who revealed that she was guilty of a crime.[10] During the song's chorus, Stefani questions her accomplice to a crime: "Why can't you keep a secret? / Why'd you squeal? / I thought that I could trust you / Why'd you squeal?"[6]
Critical reception
Jeff Apter, a music journalist and author of the 2009 biography Gwen Stefani and No Doubt: A Simple Kind of Life, provided a mixed review for "Squeal" when discussing The Beacon Street Collection. He suggested that the song sounded as if it was "stitched together from several separate, unfinished pieces of music". However, he enjoyed the performances from guitarist Dumont and drummer Young, who "gave the song [some] real juice". Ending his review, he claimed that "Squeal" had become popular amongst No Doubt fans, as it featured the last performance from Eric Carpenter who later departed the band.[1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Squeal" | 2:38 |
| 2. | "My Room Is Still Clean" (Live) | 2:02 |
Credits
Credits obtained from the liner notes of The Beacon Street Collection.[9]
- Bass – Tony Kanal
- Drums – Adrian Young
- Guitar – Tom Dumont
- Keyboards – Eric Stefani
- Saxophone – Eric Carpenter
- Trombone – Gabe McNair
- Trumpet – Phil Jordan
- Vocals – Gwen Stefani
- Written by – Eric Stefani
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1994 | 7"
|
Beacon Street | [4] |
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0857120489. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ Bush, John. "No Doubt: Biography by John Bush". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- Complex. Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Squeal" / "My Room Is Still Clean (liner notes). No Doubt. United States: Beacon Street. 1994. No. 1.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "No Doubt: Music – Singles". No Doubt. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ a b "The Beacon Street Collection: Squeal". No Doubt. 24 January 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ Bush, John. "No Doubt – The Beacon Street Collection". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ "The Beacon Street Collection". No Doubt. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ a b c The Beacon Street Collection (liner notes). No Doubt. Beacon Street. 1995. 3.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Stefani, Eric (1994). Squeal – Words and Music by Eric Stefani. Beacon Street.