THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
SQUEEZE
POLYDOR 2383 180
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 1973
01 Little Jack
02 Crash
03 Caroline
04 Mean Old Man
05 Dopey Joe
06 Wordless
07 She'll Make You Cry
08 Friends
09 Send No Letter
10 Jack & Jane
11 Louise
Arranged & Produced By The Velvets
All titles Written by Doug Yule
"Squeeze was the fifth and last studio album to be released under the Velvet Underground name. It was primarily written and recorded by singer-guitarist Doug Yule in a London recording studio, following the departures of Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison. Drummer Maureen Tucker, while still technically a member of the band at this time, was not involved in the recording, reportedly due to cost-cutting measures. Tucker never re-joined the band, effectively ending her association with the Velvets until the 1993 reunion of the band's "classic" lineup.
About the album
The Velvet Underground — which at that time consisted of Doug Yule (vocals/guitar), Willie Alexander (keyboards/vocals), Walter Powers (bass guitar) and Maureen Tucker (drums) — had toured the United Kingdom and The Netherlands in October and November of 1971 to support its latest album, Loaded, which had seen a European release in March of that year. The plan was to record a second and final album for their record company, Atlantic Records, afterwards, but Atlantic had lost faith and decided to issue an archive recording from 1970 featuring Lou Reed, Live at Max's Kansas City, instead.
After the tour, band manager Steve Sesnick managed to get a recording deal with Polydor UK to record a final Velvet Underground album. Alexander, Powers and Tucker were sent back to the United States by Sesnick, however, presumably to retain maximum control over the finished product. Thus, Yule was the only Velvet to actually perform on the album.
The eleven songs that make up Squeeze were recorded with the help of Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, with additional occasional saxophone and backing singer assistance. They range from Beatles-like whimsy ("Crash") via pop to typical 70s rock ("Mean Old Man").
Squeeze was recorded in the autumn of 1972 and released in the United Kingdom, France, Germany (all 1973) and Spain (1974). No singles were taken off it and the album did not chart. The album saw a number of re-issues in France during the 1970s and early 1980s. It has been out of print since, and has not been issued on compact disc.
Yule assembled a backing band consisting of Rob Norris (guitar), George Kay (bass guitar) and Mark Nauseef (drums) to tour the United Kingdom in November and December 1972 to promote the upcoming album; a live recording from this tour is included on the 2001 live box set Final V.U. 1971-1973. After the tour, during which they were deserted by Sesnick, Yule also called it quits, bringing the Velvet Underground to an end."