You Should Be High, Love

Hey there, Zoo Freaks, the Zoo Crew just dropped the needle on Billy Squier's "You Should Be High, Love" from his 1980 solo debut The Tale of the Tape, and man, this track still hits like a long ride on an open highway with the stereo cranked. Co-written with a young Desmond Child back when both guys were hungry and scrapping for a break, the song carries that raw edge of two writers pushing each other to capture something real about love's ups and downs. Squier has talked in interviews about how the collaboration worked because they were both in that same place of wanting to make it, turning the track into a radio favorite that kept listeners calling in nonstop. On the official site he notes it spent six weeks as the nation's most requested rock track, lighting up AOR stations and giving him that early momentum before the bigger hits rolled in. He has said in conversations with folks like Eddie Trunk that the radio success with this one, paired with a solid tour opening for Alice Cooper, made him feel like he was finally getting somewhere after years of grinding it out in bands. The album itself, cut with Eddy Offord up in Woodstock, peaked modestly on the charts but showed Squier finding his voice as a solo act, with the cover photo of him lounging amid piles of magnetic tape capturing that hands-on studio vibe. Capitol released the song as a single alongside "The Big Beat," and while neither cracked the pop charts, the rock airplay proved he had the goods to fill arenas down the line. Squier has reflected that hearing it top request lists for that long stretch told him he had done something right, even if the full commercial breakthrough waited for the next record. That sense of progress from this cut set the stage for everything that followed, including the arena anthems that would define his peak years. Listening now, you catch the blend of tough riffs and a hook that invites you to turn it up and ride along, the kind of freeform rock that fits right in with the deep cuts and classic vibes we spin here at THE ZOO.

Digging into how Billy Squier got his start takes you back to Wellesley, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1950 and first got his hands on a piano thanks to his grandfather at age nine. Those early lessons gave way to singing in church and school groups, but the real spark came when he picked up a guitar around thirteen or fourteen after scoring a Danelectro and a Supro amp from a neighbor. He formed his first band, The Reltneys, at fourteen, playing school dances and soaking up the British Invasion sounds that filled the air. A life-changing moment arrived when he heard John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton; that record hit him hard and locked in his path toward serious music. Seeing Cream live at the Psychedelic Supermarket in Boston pushed him further, and soon he was gigging in local outfits like the Tom Swift Electrical Band, warming up for acts and honing his chops onstage. By the early seventies he had moved between Boston and New York, linking up with short-lived projects including Magic Terry and the Universe, then Kicks alongside future New York Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan. He even spent a brief stretch at Berklee College of Music before diving fully into the scene. The Sidewinders came next, but it was with Piper that he landed a proper record deal, putting out two albums on A&M and opening for Kiss on a big tour that included Madison Square Garden. Those years taught him the band dynamic was like a gang, yet he eventually realized the others were not ready to go as far as he wanted. Going solo with Capitol Records led straight to The Tale of the Tape, where songs like this one showed the payoff of all that persistence. Squier has described the album as the point where things started coming together, a cohesive statement after the earlier band records. From those Massachusetts roots and the long road through clubs and lineups, he built the foundation for the radio success that "You Should Be High, Love" delivered and the career that followed. You can catch more of his story and updates over at his official site, along with the socials where fans still connect around the classic cuts and new projects. Check out Billy Squier's official website, his Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest from the man himself. Zoo Freaks, this track is pure rock and roll spirit, the kind that reminds us why we keep spinning these records for all of you out there listening in.