Tags
101 Part Time Jobs, Amelia Street, Chris Catalyst, Chris Difford, Cool for Cats, Davey Lane, Dodgy Accent, Glenn Tilbrook, Lawnmower Deth, Lily Allen, Particular People, Renee Cologne, Squeeze, The Capitalist Kids, The Hotrats, The Lathums, They Might Be Giants, Up the Junction
Unlike the Beatles (to whom they are often compared) Squeeze has not seen its catalogue widely covered by other bands. I think that has to do with the fact that there’s something so idiosyncratically Squeeze about the compositions and their performances. And if there ever was a cut that seemed especially uncoverable it might be their south London lament “Up the Junction.” Taking its name from Ken Loach’s 1968 film adaptation of Neil Dunn’s novel, the song gives voice to a distinctively English working class cultural representation – the kitchen sink drama. I’ve always found the song more than a bit melancholy, starting with the narrator’s surprise that he got the girl (‘I never thought it would happen with me and the girl from Clapham’) but ending up with him on his own (‘alone here in the kitchen’). Still, the song and its story are clearly engaging, as confirmed by its rise to #2 on the UK charts in 1979. The video features the band playing in front of a literal kitchen sink.
Covers of “Up the Junction” were rare until the new millennium. I’m telling you, nobody thought it would be possible to divorce the song from the Squeeze’s distinctive performance of it. But over time the rules of coverage have appeared to change, allowing public appetites to drift in wholly new directions. Lawnmower Deth’s early 1993 cover gave the tune a pop punk blast, which suited the song’s repetitive verse-heavy structure. From there we wait until 2006 for two covers that share a working class performative style. In some ways Lily Allen was always going to be an obvious choice to cover the song, given her London background and strongly accented singing style. Then there’s Chris DIfford’s countrified solo version of the song from his South East Side Story album, with able vocal accompaniment from Dorie Jackson.
Things definitely get more creative into the next decade. In 2010 The Hotrats offer up an ethereal rumination on the tune. Then the legendary They Might Be Giants inject their own idiosyncratic energy into the song, complete with accordions. The Capitalist Kids’ 2013 version rocks things up a bit more that we have come to expect with this song, amps cranked. But if you looking for something really different check out Renee Cologne’s very contemporary sounding 2019 version from her Coverlings album. It puts the song in a very different musical register.
As lockdown kicked in 2020 would become the year of covers album and it seemed a lot of people had time on their hands to discover Squeeze. Typical was Amelia Street’s lovely intimate duo acoustic guitar take. But Particular People’s more rock and roll treatment also works. Dodgy Accent lightens the mood of the song with uncharacteristic instrument choices. The Lathums breathe some youth back into the song with their sweet cover on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show in 2021. 101 Part Time Jobs don’t so much cover as deconstruct and mumble a 15 second crib of the song which somehow still has its own charms.
Our most recent versions return to more familiar rock and roll territory. Chris Catalyst’s 2024 take adds some grandeur, depth and occasional menace to a track that typically lacks all three, with guitars prominent in the mix. In many way Davey Lane’s version from the same year returns to the guitar-centric feel of the original. Last word here goes to songwriters Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford performing a duo acoustic version of the song at the Glastonbury Festival accompanied by a marching band kazoo chorus near the end. Fitting really.
Squeeze continue to put our new music. You can follow their adventures on their website and various social media accounts.
Photo: Up the Junction movie card.
Poprock Record 