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Squeeze (English rock band)

Squeeze are an English rock/pop group formed in London in 1974, known for the songwriting partnership of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook and hits including "Cool for Cats", "Up the Junction" and "Tempted".

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Squeeze is an English rock and pop group formed in London in 1974. Often associated with the late-1970s New Wave movement, the band became known for concise, melody-driven songs that combine conversational, observational lyrics with strong pop hooks. The principal songwriting partnership of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook is widely regarded as the creative core of the group.

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Origins and lineup

The group grew out of the London pub-rock and emerging new-wave scene. Personnel changed several times across the band's history; notable contributors have included keyboardists and rhythm-section players whose work shaped the arrangements on both studio records and tours. Albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s helped establish their reputation in the UK and abroad.

Style and influences

Squeeze's songs merge elements of classic British pop and contemporary rock, often featuring tight arrangements, piano or keyboard textures and melodic guitar lines. Lyrics frequently tell short stories or sketch characters and situations drawn from everyday life, delivered in a distinctly British idiom. Vocal interplay and carefully crafted song structures are hallmarks of their approach.

Key songs and albums

Among their best-known recordings are the singles Cool for Cats and Up the Junction, both noted for their storytelling and memorable hooks, and the soulful Tempted, which has enjoyed lasting radio play. Important albums from their most influential period include late-1970s and early-1980s releases that showcase the Difford–Tilbrook partnership and the band's development as arrangers and performers.

Career arc and later activity

Over the years Squeeze experienced breaks and reunions while continuing to record and tour intermittently. The group’s catalog has been revisited in retrospectives and reissues, and members have pursued solo projects alongside occasional band work. Their songs remain part of popular playlists and continue to receive attention from critics and new listeners.

Legacy

Squeeze is regarded as an influential British pop-rock act whose accessible, literate songwriting influenced later artists. For a concise summary and discography, see the band's main profile and historical overviews, including a general band overview and discussions that place their work within the broader New Wave era and the London music scene where they began (background).

Members

Founding members

  • Chris Difford (* November 4, 1954; guitar, vocals, lyrics)
  • Glenn Tilbrook (* August 31, 1957; guitar, vocals)
  • Paul Gunn (drums)
  • Julian "Jools" Holland (* 24 January 1958; Keyboard)

Other members

  • Gilson Lavis (* 27 June 1951, drums)
  • Harry Kakoulli (electric bass)
  • John Bentley (* 16 April 1951; electric bass)
  • Paul Carrack (* 22. April 1951; keyboard, vocals)
  • Don Snow (* 13 January 1957; Keyboard)
  • Chris Holland (Keyboard)
  • Keith Wilkinson (* September 24, 1954; bass)
  • Andy Metcalfe (Keyboard)
  • Matt Irving (Keyboard)
  • Pete Thomas (drums)
  • Kevin Wilkinson (drums)
  • Ashley Soan (drums)
  • Hilaire Penda (electric bass)
  • Chris Braide (keyboard, vocals)

Discography

Studio albums

  • Squeeze (AUS/CDN/USA: U.K. Squeeze) (1978)
  • Cool for Cats (1979)
  • Argybargy (1980)
  • East Side Story (1981)
  • Sweets from a Stranger (1982)
  • Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti (1985)
  • Babylon and On (1987)
  • Frank (1989)
  • Play (1991)
  • Some Fantastic Place (1993)
  • Ridiculous (1995)
  • Domino (1998)
  • Cradle to the Grave (2015)
  • The Knowledge (2017)

Compilations / Live

  • 6 Squeeze Songs Crammed Into One Ten-Inch Record (Compilation, 1979 - USA only)
  • Singles - 45's and Under (Compilation, 1982)
  • Classics, Vol. 25 (Compilation, 1987)
  • A Round and a Bout (Live, 1990)
  • Greatest Hits (Compilation, 1992)
  • Piccadilly Collection (Compilation, 1996)
  • Excess Moderation (Compilation, 1996)
  • Six Of One... (Box Set, 1997)
  • Master Series (Compilation, 1998)
  • Live at the Royal Albert Hall (Live, 1999)
  • Up The Junction (Compilation, 2000)
  • Big Squeeze: The Very Best Of Squeeze (Compilation, 2002)
  • The Squeeze Story (Compilation, 2006)

Singles (selection)

  • Take Me I'm Yours / Night Nurse (1977)
  • Packet of Three (1977)
  • Bang Bang / All Feed Up (1978)
  • Goodbye Girl / Saints Alive (1978)
  • Cool for Cats / Model (1979)
  • Up the Junction (1979)
  • Slighty drunk (1979)
  • Slap and Tickle / All's Well (1979)
  • Christmas Day / Going crazy (1979)
  • Another Nail in My Heart / Pretty thing (1980)
  • If I Didn't Love You (1980)
  • Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) / What the butler saw (1980)
  • Is that Love / Trust (1981)
  • Tempted / Yap. yap. yap. (1981)
  • Labelled With Love / Squeeze on forty fab (1981)
  • Messed around (1981)
  • Black Coffee in Bed / The hunt (1982)
  • When the Hangover Strikes / Elephant Girl (1982)
  • Annie get your Gun / Spanish guitar (1982)
  • Last Time Forever (1985)
  • Hits of the Year (1985)
  • No Place Like Home (1985)
  • Heartbreaking World (1985)
  • King George Street (1986)
  • Hourglass (1987)
  • Trust Me To Open My Mouth (1987)
  • The Waiting Game (1987)
  • 853-5937 (1988)
  • Footprints (1988)
  • If It's Love (1989)
  • Love circles (1990)
  • Sunday Street (1991)
  • Satisfied (1991)

Difford & Tilbrook

Albums

  • Difford & Tilbrook (1984, UK chart # 47, US chart # 55)

Singles

  • Love's Crashing Waves (1984, UK chart # 57)
  • Within These Walls (1984)
  • Hope Fell Down (1984)

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