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Squeeze Information
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'Squeeze' was a New Wave band that formed in London in 1974. They are known for their hit songs "Take Me I'm Yours," "Cool For Cats," "Up The Junction," "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)," "Tempted," "Black Coffee In Bed," and "Hourglass," among many others.
In Australia, due to a clash of names, the band was called 'U.K. Squeeze'.
Membership
The band's founding members were Chris Difford (guitar, vocals, lyrics), Glenn Tilbrook (vocals, guitar, music), Jools Holland (keyboards), and Paul Gunn (drums). Gilson Lavis replaced Gunn on drums and Harry Kakoulli joined on bass in 1976. Their debut album was produced by John Cale for A&M Records.
John Bentley replaced Harry Kakoulli on bass in 1979. Jools Holland was next to exit, and keyboard duties were taken over by Paul Carrack in 1980. East Side Story, perhaps Squeeze's most well-known album, was released in 1981. It was produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, and featured Carrack's lead vocals on "Tempted". However, Carrack would leave after the release of East Side Story, and was replaced by Don Snow. After Sweets From A Stranger was released in 1982, Difford and Tilbrook broke up the band.
The two songwriters continued to work together, and released one self-titled album as Difford & Tilbrook in 1984. This is not officially considered a Squeeze album, but over the years Difford and Tilbrook would become the only constant members of the band. Thus, to many fans, Difford & Tilbrook is considered the "lost" Squeeze record.
The band re-formed in 1985 with a lineup of Difford, Tilbrook, Holland, Lavis, and Keith Wilkinson on bass (Wilkinson had played on Difford & Tilbrook). Andy Metcalfe of the Soft Boys and Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians joined the next year to supplement Holland's keyboards. His tenure with the band would last only a year.
Jools Holland left Squeeze again in 1989, and Gilson Lavis left in 1992. By this point Squeeze was basically a trade name for Difford and Tilbrook plus sidemen. Players with Squeeze during the 1990s included drummer Pete Thomas and pianist Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello's Attractions, drummer Kevin Wilkinson, guitarist Nick Harper, Don Snow, Hilaire Penda, Ashley Soan, and Jools's brother Chris Holland.
In 1999, Chris Difford announced that he was taking a hiatus from working with Tilbrook. The two embarked on solo careers, and Squeeze apparently split up for good.
Difford and Tilbrook collaborated with music journalist Jim Drury on the retrospective Squeeze: Song By Song, published in 2004.
Discography
Studio albums
* U.K. Squeeze, Mar 1978
* Cool for Cats, Mar 1979
* Argybargy, Feb 1980
* East Side Story, May 1981
* Sweets From A Stranger, May 1982
* Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, Aug 1985
* Babylon and On, Sep 1987
* Frank, Sep 1989
* Play, Aug 1991
* Some Fantastic Place, Sep 1993
* Ridiculous, Nov 1995
* Domino, Nov 1998
Compilations/live
* Singles - 45's and Under (compilation), Nov 1982
* Classics, Vol. 25 (compilation), 1987
* A Round and a Bout (live), Mar 1990
* Greatest Hits (compilation), Apr 1992
* Piccadilly Collection (compilation), Aug 1996
* Excess Moderation (compilation), Nov 1996
* Six Of One... (box set), Oct 1997
* Master Series (compilation), Nov 1998
* Live at the Royal Albert Hall (live), 1999
* Up The Junction (compilation), Aug 2000
* Big Squeeze: The Very Best Of Squeeze (compilation), Jun 2002
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album |
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| UK Singles Chart | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock |
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| 1977 | "Packet of Three" | - | - | - | Packet of Three [Single] |
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| 1978 | "Take Me, I'm Yours" | #19 | - | - | U.K. Squeeze |
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| 1978 | "Bang Bang" | #49 | - | - | U.K. Squeeze |
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| 1978 | "Goodbye Girl" | #63 | - | - | Cool for Cats |
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| 1979 | "Cool for Cats" | #2 | - | - | Cool for Cats |
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| 1979 | "Up the Junction" | #2 | - | - | Cool for Cats |
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| 1979 | "Slap and Tickle" | #4 | - | - | Cool for Cats |
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| 1979 | "Christmas Day" | - | - | - | Christmas Day [Single] |
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| 1980 | "Another Nail in My Heart" | #17 | - | - | Argybargy |
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| 1980 | "If I Didn't Love You" | - | - | - | Argybargy |
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| 1980 | "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" | #44 | - | - | Argybargy |
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| 1980 | "Farfisa Beat" | - | - | - | Argybargy |
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| 1981 | "Is That Love" | #35 | - | - | East Side Story |
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| 1981 | "Tempted" | #41 | #49 | - | East Side Story |
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| 1981 | "Labelled With Love" | #4 | - | - | East Side Story |
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| 1981 | "Messed Around" | - | - | - | East Side Story |
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| 1982 | "Black Coffee in Bed" | #51 | - | - | Sweets From a Stranger |
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| 1982 | "When the Hangover Strikes" | - | - | - | Sweets From a Stranger |
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| 1982 | "I've Returned" | - | - | - | Sweets From a Stranger |
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| 1982 | "Annie Get Your Gun" | #43 | - | - | Singles 45's and Under |
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| 1985 | "Last Time Forever" | #45 | - | - | Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti |
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| 1985 | "No Place Like Home" | - | - | - | Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti |
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| 1985 | "Hits of the Year" | - | - | - | Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti |
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| 1985 | "Heartbreaking World" | - | - | - | Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti |
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| 1985 | "By Your Side" | - | - | - | Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti |
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| 1986 | "King George Street" | - | - | - | Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti |
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| 1987 | "Hourglass" | #16 | #18 | - | Babylon and On |
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| 1987 | "Trust Me to Open My Mouth" | #72 | - | - | Babylon and On |
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| 1987 | "The Waiting Game" | - | - | - | Babylon and On |
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| 1988 | "853-5937" | - | - | - | Babylon and On |
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| 1988 | "Footprints" | - | - | - | Babylon and On |
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| 1989 | "If It's Love" | - | - | #7 | Frank |
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| 1990 | "Love Circles" | - | - | - | Frank |
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| 1990 | "Annie Get Your Gun" | - | - | - | A Round & A Bout (Live) |
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| 1991 | "Sunday Street" | - | - | - | Play |
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| 1991 | "Satisfied" | - | - | #3 | Play |
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| 1993 | "Third Rail" | #39 | - | - | Some Fantastic Place |
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| 1993 | "Everything in the World" | - | - | - | Some Fantastic Place |
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| 1993 | "Some Fantastic Place" | #73 | - | - | Some Fantastic Place |
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| 1993 | "Loving You Tonight" | - | - | - | Some Fantastic Place |
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| 1994 | "It's Over" | - | - | - | Some Fantastic Place |
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| 1995 | "This Summer" | #36 | - | - | Ridiculous |
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| 1995 | "Electric Trains" | #44 | - | - | Ridiculous |
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| 1996 | "Heaven Knows" | #27 | - | - | Ridiculous |
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| 1996 | "This Summer [Remix]" | #32 | - | - | This Summer (Remix) [Single] |
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| 1998 | "Down in the Valley" | - | - | - | Down in the Valley [Single] |
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