JULY/AUGUST 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM classic tunes—each painstakingly re-made in such a manner that the new recordings sound nearly identical to the originals. Crafting the faithful songs wasn’t easy; Tilbrook jokes that the recording was more diffi cult than climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, a feat he accomplished last year. “We started by listening to the original recording, got a drum and bass track and built things from there,” Tilbrook explains. “With ‘Up the Junction,’ ‘Slap and Tickle,’ and ‘Is That Love,’ I can’t tell the difference between the new recording and the original. On the other hand, the new version of ‘Black Coffee in Bed’ is better than the old one, because I’m able to sing it with less strain.” Tilbrook readily admits the main motivation behind the project was to regain control of Squeeze’s back catalog, which he and Difford decades ago signed away in a misguided deal. “My fi rst choice would be to never look back,” Tilbrook says. “Those records stand as they were, and they are great records. But this is about control. Stephen Large, Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Danny Clifford Difford, John Bentley, Simon Hanson These new masters belong to us. Now, if someone wants to use them for a movie or an ad campaign, we have the choice to say yes or no.” SQUEEZE And new Squeeze material is on its way—Tilbrook says he would “go mad” if Painstakingly recreating the past while looking re-recording the band’s old songs was all to the future he did. The veteran singer-songwriter is intrigued to see how the renewed working SQUEEZE’S GLENN TILBROOK and more self-important. That lasted for relationship between Difford and himself, knows a thing or two about the pressure a couple of years, and then we drifted who haven’t written together since 1998’s of expectations. In the late ’70s, when the back to earth. The comparison hasn’t been Domino, will play out. “I think Chris and I can London-based band fi rst came onto the an issue since.” mix and match better now,” he says. “Chris scene, he and songwriting partner Chris The latest Squeeze album, Spot has become more confi dent as a performer, Difford were lauded as “the new Lennon the Difference, shows why Tilbrook and and I’m writing more lyrics, which I used to and McCartney.” “That was a tremendous Difford were placed in such high company. leave entirely to him. We’ve both changed, compliment,” Tilbrook says. “But as a result, Recorded over the past three years, the disc and I think our writing will refl ect that.” our writing got more mannered, more stylized features new versions of 14 of the duo’s –Russell Hall was such a harmless thing. I snuck the Mariah Carey Christmas and I worked on that song when Whitney Houston was looking for record, which is odd. From there, once I was 18, I had a lot of material for her project, so it was written with her in mind,” Leonti says. cramming to do.” “It was something that I connected with and became possessive Leonti had released two gospel albums of her own by her of—and we ended up keeping it for us.” Velonskis recalls his partner’s early 20s. In 2007, when she met future songwriting partner Rich determination not to part with the track. “She wasn’t having it,” he Velonskis, she was singing backup for country superstar Carrie says with a chuckle. “Which was good. I couldn’t imagine that song Underwood. Velonskis is a New York City-native DJ and composer done by anyone else.” who (under the pseudonym Rich Skillz) has produced tracks for such Excited by the music they were creating, the two christened artists as Eve and Robin Thicke, and his work on Ludacris’ 2006 themselves Nikki & Rich and began recording their debut Release Therapy earned him a Grammy for Best Rap Album. album, Everything, due in late September. Musically diverse AS SEENWhen IN: Leonti JUL/AUG and Velonskis 2010 started M MUSICwriting together—he & MUSICIANS and loaded MAGAZINE with warm-weather jams, the collection draws on handling the music, she the lyrics—they planned on licensing their infl uences old and new. “Music is not a science project,” says material to other artists. One of their fi rst compositions was “Same Velonskis. “It should be whatever you feel, whatever is inspiring Kind of Man,” about a woman addicted to destructive relationships. you at the time.” Lyrically, it would have been perfect for its intended recipient. “Rich –Kenneth Partridge 17 M mag 5.indd 17 8/1/10 7:12:50 PM.