Squeal

"Squeal" is a song by American band No Doubt for their independent second studio album, The Beacon Street Collection (1995). Produced by the band, it was written by member Eric Stefani and released as the album's lead single in mid 1994. The band recorded "Squeal" in their Fullerton garage following Interscope Records's refusal to allow them studio time due to the commercial failure of No Doubt in 1992. Using the proceeds from their concerts, No Doubt created 7" singles for album tracks "Squeal" and "Doghouse". 1,000 copies of the single were distributed as part of the group's Beacon Street Records label. The single is a "ska-tinged" song with a more developed and rawer sound than their material from 1992. 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. 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. In 1994, "Squeal" was the first song released as part of No Doubt's two-part series of 7" singles titled ND Beacon Street Singles. Only 1,000 copies of the 7" single were produced, with each single being individually numbered. The B-side song to "Squeal" was "My Room Is Still Clean", a previously unreleased track written by Tony Kanal and taken from a live recording from the group in 1993.