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Home , Argybargy, Bands Reunited, Chris Difford, Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, Crying in My Sleep, Gilson Lavis

SQUEEZE EAST SIDE STORY

Story: Peter Watts Photo: Fin Costello

Deep in their south-east lair, SQUEEZE are putting the finishing touches to their first of new material since 1998. Here, the band’s and – along with past and present bandmates – tell us their remarkable story, from the sweetshops of Blackheath to Eltham police station, Greenwich swimming baths and beyond. “It’s hard to compete with your own past,” they tell us...

Squeeze circa 1980: (l-r) , Chris Difford, , and Glenn Tilbrook

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n the back end of an industrial estate in out and we pushed the bike all the way back to The band record sessions south-east London, surrounded by What Might Jools’ house.” for their self- warehouses containing steel, timber and With Paul Gunn on drums and Harri Kakoulli titled debut with , beer casks, you’ll find a one-storey Have Been… on bass, Squeeze took their name from the title far right building with a cheery “No Vacancies” Glenn Tilbrook was an early Only One of The VU’s final album (“It made us laugh,” sign in the window. This is Glenn says Tilbrook) and began playing local pubs. Tilbrook’s 45RPM Studio; where, fter meeting in 1973, Chris Difford “We did originals and covers like ‘Junior’s Farm’ ensconced in the welcome sanctuary of and Glenn Tilbrook quickly put a band by Wings, ’s ‘Hangin’ Round’, ‘I See “the sofa room”, we find Tilbrook and Atogether. “That summer, we played The Light’ by The Five Americans and a lot of Chris Difford, his songwriting partner for the a couple of festivals, one as a band, one as rock’n’roll,” Difford recalls. The writing routine I past 40 years. Through the wall, you can hear a duo,” recalls Tilbrook. “The band was a bass was already established. “It’s how we’ve always Cradle To The Grave, their first album of original player called Norman and a drummer, John, worked,” says Tilbrook. “The lyrics inspire the material for 17 years, playing in the room next that’s all I can remember. That didn’t really melodies, the rhythm of the lyrics inspire the door. The two men reveal that the record was work. Later, we had a West Indian pianist called rhythm of the song. The lyrics have to tell the born in this studio – which resembles the Floyd. He was great, and I always wondered story before you play with the music.” of a funky motel, although Difford thinks what Squeeze would have sounded like with “Chris’ words have a metre that rolls easily “it could double up as a youth centre”. At him in it. He had some great songs, but it just with music, they are the perfect thing to set to a one end, there’s a small paved open space – didn’t happen, that lineup was very fluid and melody,” explains Holland. “You don’t need to Tilbrook insists on calling it a garden – filled gone in a few months. So after that, we asked force the words. Glenn, musically, is a genius – with benches, flower pots and a pub sign Jools to join.” and I don’t use that word lightly – and from a requisitioned from one of Tilbrook’s favourite Tilbrook was also playing in another South very early time was writing like Burt Bacharach, Squeeze in the studio with John Cale. Cale told the band on-the-road boozers “somewhere between London band at this time. “I played in an early but didn’t have a way of expressing the emotions we to throw out their old material and explore murkier Birmingham and Crewe”. At the other, there’s lineup of ,” he says. “We had a felt, so Chris came along and summed up what life territory. “He was erratic, a dark character, very hard to the recording room, with walls plastered in guy called Lawrence Impey co-manage us. was like in London at that time.” With Holland’s read,” admits Difford. “He’d say to me, ‘Have you ever sticky notes, each bearing the title of a classic He’d been to school with – Pete’s piano jollying things along, another crucial element thought of writing about a sex master, with whips and Squeeze song – “Take Me I’m Yours”, “Tempted”, wife is Harri Kakoulli’s sister. I had a period of came from the vocal harmonies – Tilbrook leading, chains?’ I was 18, I had no idea what that might be like.” Difford (left) “Cool For Cats” and dozens more, a legacy and Tilbrook being homeless so my only way out was playing Difford, almost flat, one octave lower. Difford’s The band recorded an EP, “” in 1977, carefully written out and posted up, proud and performing with Pete and living in his house. He was guitar had a similar function. “Chris played on followed by a self-titled LP in 1978. “We were happy to as Squeeze impossible to ignore. forerunners already a big-time dealer, it was a heavy scene.” everything and was the cement that kept everything go along with everything John said, as it was inspiring “I used to be intimidated by our history,” says Skyco in 1974 together,” says bassist John Bentley, who replaced to be around him, but it didn’t sound like us, it sounded Tilbrook later, surrounded by B-movie posters, Kakoulli in 1979. “We were all very good musicians, like us doing something else,” says Tilbrook. “But he instruments and Squeeze memorabilia. “It’s hard t was a spot of petty pilfering that set Squeeze on their and Chris was more of a Keith Richards character. His was the most musically gifted person I’ve worked with. to compete with your own past, which is what we do way in 1973. “I’d been in a band at school,” says Difford. playing wasn’t immaculate, but it was part of the He pulled some great stuff out of us, like ‘The Call’, which with every record. I always thought that there was no I“And that smell really attracted me. So I put an advert in chemistry that made it sound like Squeeze. If he’d been I’d never have written without John Cale.” point doing another record unless it was the best we made a Blackheath sweetshop window with 50p I stole out of my technically brilliant, it wouldn’t have been as good.” Engineering the sessions was John Wood, who had and Cradle To The Grave was a litmus test. You can’t hide in “the metre mum’s purse and that 50p took me all this way. Did I pay it The final element was Gilson Lavis, who replaced worked with Cale for years. “John was very front of an audience.” back? Probably in brandy.” Gunn on drums in 1976. Lavis had drummed for agitated, very manic,” recalls Wood. “He had Tilbrook and Difford sit across from each other, politely of ‘cool for One of two people to answer the ad was 15-year-old touring American musicians, including Dolly been brought in because this was punk and the sharing jokes and acting more like colleagues than close Glenn Tilbrook. “It said, ‘Wanted: Guitarist for band. Parton, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, but had material was quite aggressive, but the label friends. The pair met in Greenwich in 1973 and immediately Influences Kinks, Lou Reed, Glenn Miller’,” he says, most recently been working in a brickyard in didn’t think they had a single, so without John established a routine they’ve maintained ever since, cats’ was remembering the exact wording. “It also said there were Bedford. He admits that when he saw the Melody we did ‘Take Me I’m Yours’. It was as far from the separating songwriting duties with Difford composing tours coming up and a record deal. My girlfriend said I Maker advert – “South London band seeks rest of the album as it could get.” lyrics and Tilbrook taking musical direction from those inspired by should answer, so I gave him a ring. Everything in that drummer” – he was desperate. “I took the seats out “Take Me I’m Yours” reached No 19 and paved the words. Many of their most memorable songs are rooted in advert was a lie except for Chris. He was real.” my mum’s Mini, shoved my drumkit inside and drove way for a second LP, co-produced by Squeeze and the London of the 1970s; indeed, the new album was Tilbrook and Difford were impressed by each other’s to Greenwich swimming baths for an audition with this John Wood on A&M in 1979. “We did Cool For Cats inspired by the teenage memoirs of Bermondsey boy benny hill” songs, particularly as neither had previously met bunch of weirdos,” he says. “They already had songs quickly,” says Holland. “We recorded in Pink Floyd’s Danny Baker, the DJ and former NME writer. “I read chris difford anybody else who wrote. A routine swiftly developed. so different to what was in the charts – they were studio in Britannia Row and they had this amazing new Danny’s book [Going To Sea In A Sieve] four years ago and “Chris gave me a lyric and I put a tune to it,” says Tilbrook. witty and had melodies.” mixing desk, and on day one somebody knocked a can thought for the first time that this might be a project Chris “It worked, so he gave me some more lyrics.” As it transpired, Lavis became instrumental in of Coke over it and brought everything to a halt. That was and I could work on,” says Tilbrook. “I rang up Danny and The pair put a band together, which went through knocking these songs into shape. “It’s hard not to what we were like, gumming up the best mixing desk in told him it could be a musical. He said it was going to be a various incarnations before Tilbrook recruited his old overstate Gilson’s importance,” says Tilbrook. “He the world with the most syrupy thing you can find.” TV series and he’d love to have us involved.” friend Jools Holland on piano. “I met Jools when he was taught us such a lot in terms of . Before, In spite of such incidents, Squeeze were entering their Cradle To The Grave is, Difford feels, “the most cohesive trying to sell a guitar for £5 that was worth 50p,” laughs we didn’t think about changing a song. Gilson imperial phase. Wood recalls Difford walking round the Squeeze record we’ve made. It sounds like us.” It marks Tilbrook. “The guitar was rubbish but Jools wasn’t. He showed we could do other things.” After his time in studio with a school satchel full of lyrics containing the culmination of a process that has seen Difford and was the first person I met who could play. An incredibly the brickyard, Lavis relished his new role. “It was songs like “It’s Not Cricket”, about London lowlife. “Our Tilbrook rebuild a troubled relationship, restoring trust precocious talent and very unwashed.” great fun,” he laughs. “I said something, and they environment had changed quite radically, we had gone that had gone awry and finding the confidence to start Holland, talking down the phone 19 to the dozen, recalls paid attention. It was very empowering.” from hibernating to being lauded in the pubs and clubs producing new material that stands comparison with the being equally impressed by Tilbrook. “He even had a of Greenwich and Deptford, getting locked in with past. This is no small thing. At their peak during the late girlfriend,” he marvels. “I’d never met a man so ahead of he year 1976 was an auspicious one for Squeeze. villains, so there was a lot to write about,” says ’70s and early ’80s, Squeeze enjoyed five Top 20 singles, the game in every area. We played in pubs and discovered They signed to RCA and found themselves Difford. “We were growing up, relationships were combining the energy of new wave with Difford’s kitchen- we had the ability to make people dance or cry or sing Tassigned a high-flying producer. “We were in a getting more complicated, so there was a lot more sink, witty lyrics. “They wrote amazing songs, the way the along. We learnt we had that power and we both studio with Muff Winwood,” says Tilbrook. “He spent fodder. That album was directly influenced by life lyrics and the music fall together, and they reflected their unconsciously realised that this was going to be what most of the time on the phone and the rest trying to experience and also people like . As soon as times,” says producer John Wood. “I always thought that we would do with our lives.” make us sound like the Bay City Rollers. If it had come I heard him, I locked on to it – it was so brilliant, the use

edferns to compare them to anybody, it had to be The Kinks.” Difford’s first meeting with long-haired biker Holland out people would have had a completely different of language. You had people like Dury, /R

ive Original pianist Jools Holland looks back still further. was also memorable. “He came round to play piano,” perception of what we were about.” The band tried and writing shit-hot songs and you really h “Squeeze captured the popular culture of ’70s London in says Difford. “He’d had a few ciders, played this again, recording a version of “Take Me I’m Yours” had to sharpen the pencil to match your peers.” B ArcB

A the way Chaucer did for 14th-Century London,” he says. wonderful song, fell off the stool and then raced to before RCA eventually dropped them. Miles The skills were becoming increasingly apparent. “Cool edferns ; G ; “Being in Squeeze [gave me] some of the most enjoyable the toilet to be sick. I thought that was a fantastic start. Copeland, their manager, formed his own label, For Cats” reached No 2. “That was inspired by Benny /R experiences of my life, but also the most important. It was He rode a motorbike without a licence, helmet or Deptford Fun City, and using his contacts – one Hill,” says Difford. “The metre of the songs on his show onnor ostello

O’C great to spend that time with people who shared such great insurance. He gave me a lift once, we got stopped brother, Ian, was a booking agent, the other, were so simple, like nursery rhymes. If you read the lyric C ob in F R humour and camaraderie and musical respect.” and locked up in Eltham police station. His dad got us Stewart, was the future Police drummer – to get you can put it into a Benny Hill song.”

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“We wanted to break that and it took us many tours before uppermost in my head was making sure we did the past it began to crack.” perfectly,” he says. “In the ’90s we got comfortable, we Here, Squeeze’s Britishness – the breezy music hall toured without rehearsing and became complacent. pop of Tilbrook, the colloquial, location-heavy lyrics of Brian Wilson had clearly spent time on it. I thought if Difford – proved to be a benefit. “We found accidentally we were doing our past, we had to be the best Squeeze that being very English can be charming, the fact tribute band ever. That would make it worth doing.” you remain where you come from without being This was partly what inspired 2010’s Spot The professional Londoners,” explains Tilbrook. “People Difference, for which they re-recorded older Squeeze like the real deal and make allowances for it. You don’t songs, including “Cool For Cats”, and “Up The have to be American to understand Springsteen even Junction”. And then came Danny Baker’s book. “I though you might not get all the cultural references.” played Danny a new song, ‘Cradle To The Grave’,” and Recording East Side Story, Holland was having fun, but the strain was getting he said he wanted it,” says Tilbrook. “With that song, 1981, with visiting Attractions: to him. “I couldn’t do it any more,” he says. “I had my we did something we’d never done before, which is How We (l-r, back row), John Bentley, Difford, , Tilbrook, own records and TV shows and it was all getting a bit Chris would sit and listen while I was on the piano over Gilson Lavis, Elvis Costello; much. The first record we did [] there, and we’d actually communicate. I helped with Wrote… (front row) , Paul “Up The Junction”, Carrack, Bruce Thomas was in Brussels and we were out almost every the lyrics. It became more collaborative.” by Difford & Tilbrook night, roaring with laughter, that’s what I most The album – a nostalgic look back at ’70s enjoyed. The records were wonderful, but it’s London – was written in Tilbrook’s studio retreat e were in New It was followed by “Up The Junction”, another No 2 band. Having brought a different groove to us, the time we spent making them I remember. But while the industrial estate around it was being “WOrleans on our single, and then a brilliant third album, , in 1980, and we began to explore black influences that hadn’t been while it was great fun, it meant there was a lot of sold. London is in a state of great change, and second US tour and we as the band perfected their smart, jittery pop. “By there so readily.” East Side Story found the band embracing things I wanted to do that couldn’t get done.” Charlton is no different to the rest of the city. didn’t have much money Argybargy, I felt we were getting better at everything we soul, psychedelia and country, and yielded a couple of Holland’s second departure in 1990 was Soon the warehouses will be pulled down, the so we had to stay 15 miles were doing, with the band as a backbone to everything we terrific singles, “Tempted” and “”, but it followed by a subtle shift in the band’s dynamic. industrial estate swept away. Squeeze’s studio,

outside town,” recalls did,” says Tilbrook. “That made it easy to write for them as it also marked the end of Squeeze’s golden era. “When we did Difford & Tilbrook in 1984, Shep though, will remain and this seems fitting. With stylorouge;

Difford. “We were was an enormous palette to play with.” “East Side Story was the last of the to be made Gordon was managing us and he said Squeeze London’s transformation comes a renewed ges a m young, we wanted to go John Bentley was now on bass as the band sought a relatively pressure-free, before the relentless touring was me and Chris, so we should say this was a fascination with its past, and few bands are in a I to the French Quarter, heavier sound. “They were enthusiastic and ambitious and became tiring,” says Tilbrook. “The pressure of doing a new Squeeze album,” says Tilbrook. “But we better position to interrogate that nostalgia than but we had to sit there we were very busy,” he recalls. “There was always a radio record every year and trying to keep moving forward can insisted that Squeeze was all of us, the band. But Squeeze. And so Difford and Tilbrook remain in creetty/G

Cool cats: Tilbrook a and do our laundry, session, photo session, gigs. What was unusual was we only work when you are happy, and it all became too much.” Shep was right, it just took us a while to accept it.” and Difford prep their quirky eyrie, surviving change, still looking ood

feeling homesick. The didn’t rehearse before going in the studio. There was a fresh In some ways, Squeeze were a victim of their own Lavis was the last of the old guard to move on, for a Squeeze out at London and still playing its tunes. G lyrics just popped into and spontaneous feel to the music because you don’t quite brilliance. “They were being compared to Lennon and leaving in 1992. “I stayed around ’cos I believed video shoot, 1995 rtyn

my head, influenced by know what you are doing.” McCartney,” says Lavis. “That’s a heavy in Squeeze and wanted them to be successful Cradle To The Grave (Virgin EMI) is reviewed p83 Ma watching TV plays, Although Tilbrook and Difford say their burden to carry.” again,” he acknowledges. “There was this desire kitchen sink dramas relationship was already “distant”, Eventually, it became too much for to recapture the glory days that was naïve, really. You BUYERS’ GUIDE by Mike Leigh, Ken Holland recalls the era fondly, saying, “In them. 1982’s can’t. But we had some success and were still writing Loach, Alan Ayckbourn. every photo I’ve got, we are laughing.” proved to be something of a quality songs and playing well. I probably stayed too It was written in one Bentley agrees. “Maybe they’re building disappointment for its creators. “For the long, and in the end I was asked to leave because I How To Buy SQUEEZE sitting, sometimes you up mystique about a screwed up first time, the next album wasn’t as good reverted to my old ways and began drinking.” Lavis just put the pen to relationship, but I didn’t see anything as the one before,” says Tilbrook. “We’d now paints, and plays with Jools Holland’s band. For Uncut’s pick of the Difford/Tilbrook songbook paper and it’s done. beyond the normal amount of moaning run out of energy and the chemistry in Squeeze, these were uncomfortable times. The music Cool For Cats Play I never question that, it you get in any group,” he says. Lavis’ the band wasn’t great. Gilson was going was patchy, record labels came and went without ever A&M, 1979 Reprise, 1991 was a spiritual thing recollection is that while “it was never through a difficult time with drink and we really getting to grips with the band, and Difford and Tilbrook calls this While Difford prefers peace, love and understanding, there was were all doing a fair amount of drugs.” Tilbrook’s relationship was poor, with communication Squeeze’s real debut. Frank, this is Tilbrook’s camaraderie and a lot of joy. Glenn can be While the LP contains some great songs - issues not helped by alcohol, cocaine, heroin and It’s a breezy introduction favourite album from hard work, he likes to be in control, which “When The Hangover Strikes” and “Black to the band’s world, Squeeze’s troubled depression. Neither Difford nor Tilbrook like to dwell 9/10 7/10 wasn’t the way at the start, but became more Coffee In Bed” – its darker tone reflected on these personal struggles, preferring to recall errors comprising songs about second era, containing the case as things went on. It was a fantastic “a record the general mood. “I’m hard pushed to made by labels who were confused about what Squeeze masturbation (“Touching Me, Touching easily overlooked treats such as “Crying In band with great songs. But we were remember the sessions,” says Difford. “It meant. “We were out the loop and getting further and You”), crime (“The Knack”) and the danger My Sleep”, “Walk A Straight Line” and the individuals, there wasn’t a group identity.” every year was a dark time. When you make a record further out,” says Tilbrook. “You can’t be new and of intoxicated songwriting (“Slightly extraordinary “The Truth”. that isn’t as good as the three before, it exciting all the time, and we certainly weren’t new.” Drunk”), as well as matchless singles “Cool t was at this point that Holland decided begins to bear quite heavily down upon you. The end came in 1999. “I didn’t turn up to a gig,” says For Cats” and “Up The Junction”. The Complete to leave. He’d become less involved during only works Glenn and I were on a train in Germany and Difford. “I’d stopped drinking, but there were personal BBC Sessions Ithe Argybargy sessions and it was time to we both decided independently that should things to work through. We’d recorded an LP I didn’t Argybargy Mercury, 2008 move on. “It was upsetting from a friendship when you be it, we were tired and needed a break. So feel confident about, so I sort of left.” As Tilbrook puts A&M, 1980 Ostensibly a career point of view, but I wanted to play my own we went to a pub in Putney and told the it, “I was the last person left standing.” Even now, 16 After Cool For Cats retrospective, but much of music and I was feeling a bit like the George band it was the end.” established the Squeeze the material was cut after are happy” years later, the mood grows chilly. 8/10 attached to a feeling.” Harrison of the band,” he says. “I loved them, Difford and Tilbrook worked together sound, Argybargy took it the ’85 reunion, show- Tilbrook was handed but I had to do my own thing. I loved playing gilson lavis again two years later, on Difford & Tilbrook, queeze’s second reunion, however, was a a stage further, with casing Tilbrook and Difford’s continued 9/10 the lyric while the band their songs but I wanted to play mine.” before formally reconvening the Argybargy long time coming. Both Difford and Tilbrook wonderful tracks like “If musical chemistry in laidback surroundings were recording Cool For Holland was replaced by Paul Carrack at the suggestion of lineup – Tilbrook, Difford, Holland, Bentley and Lavis – to Spursued other projects. Difford managed Bryan I Didn’t Love You” (“Singles remind me of despite their personal difficulties. Cats and wrote the tune new manager Jake Riviera, who also managed Elvis play a benefit show at the Saxon Tavern in Catford. “I Ferry and ’s , while continuing kisses”) and “Another Nail In My Heart”. ges a m in his lunch break. “It just Costello. Riviera wanted their next album, East Side Story, remember the excitement the next day,” says Difford. to collaborate with other musicians; he released a solo Cradle To tumbled out, I didn’t to be a double, with each side recorded by a different “Everybody calling each other up saying it was brilliant album, I Didn’t Get Where I Am, in 2002. Tilbrook, East Side The Grave etty I /G have to think about it.” producer – , Nick Lowe, Paul McCartney and and we needed to do something.” Encouraged, the band meanwhile, released two solo albums, The Incomplete Story Virgin EMI, 2015 John Wood knew at Costello. McCartney was a pipe dream, sessions with went back on the road; without Bentley. “I wasn’t involved Glenn Tilbrook and Transatlantic Ping Pong. In 2007, A&M, 1981 Inspired by Danny Baker’s edferns once it would be a hit. Edmunds went nowhere, sessions with Lowe ended down for 23 years and I was pissed off, but in retrospect I’m though, the two men found themselves in the same Brilliant, funny and clever memoir, Squeeze’s new /R “It is an amazing story in the pub, so Costello did the job himself with Roger sure it was the best time to be in Squeeze,” he says. room for the first time in years. “It was another singles songwriting from a pair on album is a coming-of-age

orris 7/10 two and a half minutes. Bechirian. “Cool For Cats and Argybargy were brother and At first, everything seemed to be going well as the band collection and we had to do some press,” reveals top of their game, with drama, featuring songs h M 10/10 The label didn’t agree, as sister, one was a progression from the other, but they were played larger venues, especially in America. “We’d been Difford. “We went to a hotel in London and started Paul Carrack bringing a about home, school, girls, football and f Keit it didn’t have a chorus, so cut from the same cloth,” says Tilbrook. “Elvis saw another to America a couple of times and that really opened our talking about going back on the road to preserve what new voice to “Tempted” and Tilbrook and growing up, including the marvellous title

a te O that’s why we released side of the band and got us through the next door, which mind and spirit, to discover there was a world out there we’d done.” Tilbrook, ever the leader, was inspired by Difford producing a string of faultless songs track, “The Beautiful Game”, “Happy Days” st

E ‘Cool For Cats’ first.” meant growing up a bit as songwriters, musicians and a that listens to music in a different way,” says Difford. seeing Brian Wilson perform SMiLE. “The thing from “Piccadilly” to “Someone Else’s Bell”. and “Sunny”.

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