The Tale of the Tape

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For the boxing term, see Wiktionary:tale of the tape.
The Tale of the Tape
Tale of the Tape.jpg
Studio album by
Billy Squier
ReleasedMay 1980
Recorded1979–1980
StudioEddie Offord's remote studio, Woodstock, New York
GenreRock, hard rock
Length37:24
LabelCapitol
ProducerBilly Squier, Eddy Offord
Billy Squier chronology
Can't Wait
(1977) 		The Tale of the Tape
(1980) 		Don't Say No
(1981)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Okayplayer3.5/5 stars link
Allmusic3.5/5 stars link

The Tale of the Tape is the debut studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier.[1] It was his first solo album, following two albums with the band Piper. Despite not being a huge success, the disc spent three months on Billboard's album chart and helped to kickstart Squier's solo career.

Although no songs from the album reached the charts, the song "The Big Beat" has been notably sampled by hip hop artists, including Run-D.M.C.'s "Here We Go", Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin'", Jay-Z's "99 Problems", Dizzee Rascal's "Fix Up, Look Sharp", U.T.F.O's "Roxanne, Roxanne" and Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire".[2] The song also featured a pre-MTV music video.

Critical reception[]

In the review made 10th of May, 1980, the observer of Billboard Magazine expressed a hope that Billy Squier will be able to realize his potential with this album, which he could not fulfill with his previous band Piper. Reviewer name the music as commercial that "fits nicely in a set with Journey and Styx."[3]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Billy Squier, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Big Beat" 3:36
2."Calley Oh" 4:05
3."Rich Kid" 4:39
4."Like I'm Lovin' You" 3:07
5."Who Knows What a Love Can Do"Billy Squier, 3:39
6."You Should Be High Love"Billy Squier, Desmond Child4:14
7."Who's Your Boyfriend" 3:34
8."The Music's All Right" 5:46
9."Young Girls" 4:08
Total length:37:24
2006 Rock Candy reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
10."The Music's All Right" (original acoustic demo) 
11."Young Girls" (abbreviated acoustic demo) 

Personnel[]

  • Billy Squier - Vocals, Guitar, Percussion
  • Bruce Kulick - Guitar
  • David Sancious - Keyboards, Synthesizers
  • Richard T. Bear - Keyboards
  • Bucky Ballard - Bass
  • Bobby Chouinard - Drums
  • Ernest Carter - Percussion
  • Woodstock Children's Chorus - Ellen Todd, Conductor

Production[]

  • Produced by Billy Squier & Eddie Offord
  • Engineered and mixed by Eddy Offord & Rob Davis
  • Mastered by Wally Traugott
  • All songs published by Songs Of The Knight (BMI), except "Who's Your Boyfriend" (Songs Of The Knight/Bomass Music Corp.), "Who Knows What A Love Can Do" (Songs Of The Knight/Hostel Music), and "You Should Be High, Love" (Songs Of The Knight/Desmobile Music Company).

References[]

  1. ^ Strong, Martin C. "The Great Metal Discography." Canongate Books Ltd. Edinburgh, Scotland. 1998. p. 315
  2. ^ Samples of The Big Beat by Billy Squier | WhoSampled
  3. ^ "Review: Billy Squier — The Tale of the Tape" (PDF). Billboard. 85 (19). 10 May 1980. p. 77. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 31 May 2020 – via American Radio History.
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