And so since , a newly reformed Squeeze have been slowly finding time to play a series of gigs and festival dates, preferring to reaffirm their abilities as a band rather than follow some of their peers who have come out in a blaze of publicity, only to be met with disappointment. The new Squeeze line-up, their most able yet, is completed by Squeeze veteran John Bentley, Simon Hanson and Stephen Large who has also recently graced the stages of Duffy and Rebecca Ferguson — and has become an instant favorite on the festival circuit since reforming, with 2 appearances at V, Oxegen, T in the Park, Womad and Latitude to name a few.
As one of the most traditional pop bands of the new wave, Squeeze provided one of the links between classic British guitar pop and post-punk. Inspired heavily by the Beatles and the Kinks , Squeeze were the vehicle for the songwriting of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook , who were hailed as the heirs to Lennon and McCartney 's throne during their heyday in the early '80s.
Unlike Lennon and McCartney , the partnership between Difford and Tilbrook was a genuine collaboration, with the former writing the lyrics and the latter providing the music. Squeeze never came close to matching the popularity of the Beatles , but the reason for that is part of their charm. Difford and Tilbrook were wry, subtle songwriters that subscribed to traditional pop songwriting values, but subverted them with literate lyrics and clever musical references.
While their native Britain warmed to Squeeze immediately, sending singles like "Take Me I'm Yours" and "Up the Junction" into the Top Ten, the band had a difficult time gaining a foothold in the States; they didn't have a U. Top 40 hit until , nearly a decade after their debut album.
Even if the group never had a hit in the U. Chris Difford b. April 11, ; guitar, vocals and Glenn Tilbrook b. August 31, ; vocals, guitar formed Squeeze in Tilbrook answered an advertisement Difford had placed in a store window, and the pair began writing songs.
By the spring of , the duo had recruited pianist Jools Holland b. Julian Holland , January 24, and drummer Paul Gunn , and had named themselves Squeeze , after the disowned Velvet Underground album that featured none of the group's original members. Squeeze began playing the thriving pub rock circuit, although their songs were quirkier and more pop-oriented than many of their peers. June 27, , a former tour manager and drummer for Chuck Berry.
They had also signed a contract with Miles Copeland's burgeoning BTM record label and management company. Squeeze had already recorded several tracks for RCA, including two cuts with Muff Winwood , that the label rejected.
The band entered the studio with producer Cale later that year to work on their debut album, provisionally titled Gay Guys by the group's producer. Cale had the group throw out most of their standard material, forcing them to write new material; consequently, the record wasn't necessarily a good representation of the band's early sound. In America, the band and album had to change their name to UK Squeeze in order to avoid confusion with an American band called Tight Squeeze; by the end of the year, they had reverted back to Squeeze in the U.
Preceded by the hit single "Take Me I'm Yours," the album became a moderate success, but the group's true British breakthrough arrived in , when they released their second album, Cool for Cats. More representative of the band's sound than their debut, Cool for Cats generated two number two singles in the title track and "Up the Junction. Close Followed notifications. Please log in to use this feature Log In. Don't have an account? Sign Up Today. Like what you read? Check, check, and check. Amy s is a freelance journalist specializing in music journalism.
Amy is also a high school and college English teacher. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Best Songs. Top 10 Squeeze Songs.
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