the squeeze reader


Packet of Three Squeeze Picture of the Week: www.packetofthree.com

Friday, July 29, 2005

Announced Japan tour and unconfirmed Glenn date in Oz

An Australian site reports a Glenn show on Sept. 5 at the Northcote Social Club in Northcote, Victoria, outside Melbourne (but most people who could possibly go, probably already knew where Northcote is). The venue has the date listed, but Glenn site does not as of this writing.

However, it looks like there are some Japan solo Glenn dates starting Monday, coinciding with the release of the Japanese Incomplete. Here are the dates listed:

Aug. 1 Irish Pub Spud's (map) Hiroshima 082-225-3748
Aug. 2 Knave Minami-Horie Osaka 06-6535-0691
Aug. 3 Mokkiriya Kanazawa 076-231-0096
Aug. 4 Paradise Cafe 21 Imaike Nagoya 052-741-8566
Aug. 6 Star Pine's Cafe Kichijoji Tokyo 0422-23-2251
Aug. 7 Star Pine's Cafe Kichijoji Tokyo 0422-23-2251
Aug. 8 Star Pine's Cafe Kichijoji Tokyo 0422-23-2251
Glenn's page has links to Web sites in Japan. Incidentally, the tour coincides with Japan's memorial services in Hiroshima and Nagasaki marking the 60th anniversary of the atomic bomb blasts. I thought of this because the other day, I spoke with monks from the local Buddhist monastery who are making a pilgrimage there during almost exactly the dates of the tour. The next few weeks would be an interesting time to be in Japan.

Brandon Squeezes through, having "Tempted" fate.

Ow. Sorry about the headline, but we need to follow up for the record. Even though Brandon, the guy trying out to be the new Michael Hutchence on the TV show Rock Star: INXS, blogged about bombing on "Tempted," the viewers let him pass once more. That, or there were at least three others worse than him. His thoughts:
S#*t F%$k Damn… I sucked! "Tempted" is a beautiful, wonderful song. I couldn’t do it any justice.  I'm very disappointed how my performance turned out,  I know I can sing that song, for whatever reason I panicked just before I went on stage.  As I was standing there just before Brooke announced me I had to ask Suzie to remind me of the lyrics. [snip]
A month ago, USA Today had a mildly funny spoof of reality shows featuring 80s rock pop bands. One of the funnier suggestions:
Average Joe Jackson: He may have ruled discotheques in 1982 with Steppin' Out, but underneath it all, Joe Jackson really is an ordinary guy. Viewers following lanky, 49-year-old Joe's quest for a buxom soul mate each week will surely ask each other, "Is she really going out with him?"
Another suggestion from USAT: The Amazing Erasure.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Chris Difford Show - August 7, 2005

Thanks to Phil on the Chris Difford e-mail list for pointing out a show that's not on the CD web site:

Bermondseybeat.com: Event
Generously funded by Southwark Council, Bermondsey Beat was set up in 1998 to establish an annual FREE all-day community event in the heart of south London. Held in Southwark Park, SE16, visitors to The Event experience a wealth of fun and entertainment, including parachute and skydiving displays, a parade by local schools with highly decorative floats, magnificent traditional fun fair rides, hot and cold food stands, and internationally successful London bands performing live on stage. Each year The Event culminates in a spectacular fireworks display.
Paul Carrack too! And The Proclaimers! Well, I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more....

Police say man at Jools show called himself a suicide bomber

You may have a drinking problem if the following happens to you:
[excerpt from the Cambridge Evening News]The 39-year-old of Tilney Croft, Harlow, was in the exclusive champagne bar of the July Racecourse during the Jools Holland concert on Saturday when it is alleged that he began drunkenly barging into people and being obnoxious....

The police were called and found that there had been a fracas between two groups. Police believed [Gary] Eels had a significant role in the disturbance and he was approached by an officer.

The officer identified him and started making his way over to him.

It is at this point that Eels allegedly held out his arms and shouted: "I am a bomber, I am a bomber."


Gary Eels, in a court appearance, denied making the bomb threats, but pleaded guilty to disorderly behavior (or behaviour), according to the Cambridge Evening News. The Evening News reported that Eels is scheduled for a pre-trial review on Aug. 23. The paper reported no injuries at the Newmarket Racecourse Jools Holland show.

This alleged incident is one of those things that you shouldn't let your drunken self do in these times/this day and age/insert your own aphorism here.

No word on whether the show was interrupted at all, but an earlier story in the Cambridge Evening News indicated that the only unusual occurrence was a guest pianist.

Tempted by the food of another?

(I riffed on Rob's headline. I hope he doesn't mind.)
I'm just as puzzled as Rob, now that I've heard (not seen, sorry), Brandon Calhoon's performance on Rock Star: INXS. Was he tempted by the food of another? The feud of another? What was that he bought after the flannel for his face and the hairbrush? I shouldn't be mean --- he picked probably one of the hardest songs from the list of tunes available. The lyrics are a mouthful and the melody requires a lot of confidence. He shouldn't feel so bad, though. I've only heard Paul Carrack and Glenn Tilbrook manage it.

Here's more from the Rock Star Web site:
The haggling over who gets to sing what song is becoming more contentious. It's not just the fear of choosing the wrong song -- the Rockers are also cognizant that ignoring INXS's advice can have fatal consequences. They each have their reasons for wanting specific songs. Told to explore his more melodic side, Brandon immediately zeroes in on Squeeze's "Tempted," calling it a "beautiful song" that would be "really different" for him....
[but]
Brandon has problems navigating the melody of "Tempted." In rehearsals, Paul, the musical director of the House Band, advises him to sing from his chest not his head.


So, my two observations after looking at that Web site: 1) Michael Hutchence of INXS was a hell of a frontman. 2) I now know why Squeeze didn't have more fans: other bands made easy songs look hard, but they had the knack for making hard songs look easy.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Tempted by the foot of another?

Following up to yesterday's post, I got to thinking about Brandon taking on Tempted, and I came to the same opinion that this fellow expressed in the comments:
Oh yeah! I was wondering when someone else in Squeezeland would notice the song "Tempted" being used on this show, and the contestant Brandon either screwing it up horribly, sending people (and Squeeze fans alike) running for the relief of the original song, or nailing it beautifully, gaining new fans for the wonderful Squeeze catelog of good music! Either way, it's publicity for a Classic act. I love Squeeze, and always will!

Cross your fingers folks, it's gonna be crazy.
He or she is right, this is great for Difford/Tilbrook.

Well, I can't sing a lick, so I won't comment on Brandon's ability to sing Tempted, it didn't seem to be in his range and it's hard to be critical of a guy for that.

He does have to take some flogging, though, for mucking up the lyrics. I could chalk up flubbing some of the lines in the song, but not the chorus. Dude, it's "tempted by the FRUIT of another," not "foot," "flute," or whatever you were saying.

In any event, the INXS guys didn't seem impressed, but there seemed to be other singers who did worse, so Brandon might "squeeze" though this week.

Brandon has a blog, go check it out.

The show's web site sums up his performance like this:
Brandon gets points for bravery tonight. Responding to INXS's request that he stretch out and get melodic, he chooses Squeeze's 1981 single, "Tempted." It's a tough song, one that requires a light touch. An homage to The Temptations (hence the title), even Squeeze knew it demanded a singer of singular gifts and drafted Paul Carrack (who sang Ace's 1975 hit, "How Long," and later joined Mike & The Mechanics) to supply the vocal. Considering his Michigan roots, Brandon sounds terribly uncomfortable assaying the Motown-styled song. It's not that he has trouble with the song's range. As Dave comments, his voice is all over the place, sharp and flat from one note to the next. Jon adds that he's just really struggling with the song.
I've never heard that about the "homage to the Temptations" before, I'll have to consult Squeeze: Song by Song. I do remember off the top of my head, though, they didn't recruit Paul Carrack to sing the song, Elvis Costello (song producer) suggested it in the studio, and the rest went along.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Incomplete Glenn, with Bonus Tracks (updated post)

The Japanese version of The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook is listed by Amazon.com as released today, with bonus tracks, including "Parallel World (Piano Version)." (Oooooh.) Yours for $44.49. Ooooh.

Still, maybe if we could convince Amazon to get Glenn for its celebrity delivery promotion. He's already got the RV for it.

Update: I compared the track list with my American version of the Incomplete. The Japanese version omits the acoustic version of "One Dark Moment" (one of my favorite tracks), and has instead "By the Light of the Cash Machine" and the piano "Parallel World," which was available on the "Parallel World" single. Both versions have "Sunday Breakfast Treat" and "This is Where You Ain't ('now that's what I call now, mate' version)." The Japanese Incomplete is listed for 13 pounds, directly from Quixotic London, much less than Amazon.

You're just not right for our song: Tempted by Squeeze

American Squeeze fans are in for a treat or torture.

The CBS reality series Rock Star: INXS, airing today Tuesday 26 July at 10:00 PM EDT and Wednesday 27 July at 9:00 PM EDT, follows the Australian band INXS as they audition new lead singers to replace the late Michael Hutchence.

On last night's show, one of the contestants, Brandon, receives Squeeze's song Tempted to perform on tonight's episode.

He screws up the song royally at rehearsals, CBS describes it like this on the official web site:
When the time comes for rehearsal with the house band, Brandon is challenged by his selection of “Tempted” by Squeeze. Band leader Paul observes, “Brandon singing…is a bit of a worry [because he’s] not singing melody.” Brandon confesses, “Singing melodically is very difficult for me.” Not a good sign for tomorrow night’s show.
Tune in tonight to see if he manages to treat the song with the respect that it deserves or if I'll be blasting him here tomorrow.

Eureka! Cosmic Harmony

For some of your this won't be news, but I have found the Web page for Christopher Holland's band Cosmic Harmony, which released a new album last year. Here's the spooky bit: the lettering that the band uses for the cover of its album Butterfly Effect is exactly the same as one I used long ago for a logo promoting a Squeeze-related Internet-relay chat (details obscured with a "butterfly" brush, to protect the innocent and the guilty).

Coincidence? Kismet? Dare I say, cosmic harmony?

I know what some of you are thinking. IRC? Yeah, I've been an Internet Squeeze fan for A LONG TIME in Internet years.

Feed the Need for Squeeze

Thanks to Feedburner, you can get Squeeze Reader updates on your Yahoo or MSN home pages, your Firefox browser, or any other newsreader that can process RSS/XML news feeds. Follow your news reader's instructions, and enter http://feeds.feedburner.com/squeezereader when it asks you for the feed URL. For Yahoo users, the appropriate steps start with the "add content" option of your my.yahoo.com home page.

MSN users can start here:

Or, of course, the "low-tech" option (as low-tech as it gets on the WWW), you can just bookmark us, and check us out every day.

You can ask specific questions in our comments section, and we'll try our best to answer them. We're Squeeze fans, and not techies, though, and you may have to ask your site administrator for issues we can't help you with.

For more information, look at Yahoo's RSS FAQ.

Catch Jools While You Can

BBC Norfolk is providing a rather lengthy review and Real Audio clips of a recent concert broadcast from Blickling Hall. I've only listened so far to the "Billy Blue," which includes an awesome sing-along. My goodness, I need to see Jools (again). Sorry this post is so short, considering how cool that is. Feel free to add your witticisms in the comments section.

Monday, July 25, 2005

If it includes Laughing in My Sleep, it's thorough

Here's a good list of Squeeze recordings. David still has the best.

If you have found another list, please let me know about it in the comments.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

One Million Jools Fans Can't Be Wrong

The Cambridge Evening News noted Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra playing to 20,000 fans at the Newmarket Racecourse on Friday. The article includes a bit of history on the band:

More than a million people have paid to see the band in the past 10 years.

Jools Holland could play the piano fluently by ear at the age of eight, mastering the rudiments of Boogie Woogie and Blues piano.

By the time he reached his early teens, he was confident enough to be appearing regularly in many of the pubs and clubs in South East London and the East End Docks.

The Jools Holland Big Band, which was set up by Jools in 1987, has gradually metamorphosed into the current Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, which currently consists of a pianist, drummer, two female vocalists, guitarist, bass guitarist, organist, two tenor saxophonists, two alto saxophonists, one baritone saxophonist, three trumpeters and four trombonists.

If you want to be among the more than one million served, the Times of London notes that Jools and the R&B Orchestra plays Tuesday in Edinburgh:
Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Playhouse, Greenside Place, Tue, 8pm

No halfway respectable jazz festival would be complete without the star turn of the Jools Holland orchestra. The current ragtag line-up of former pop stars and fellow Squeeze cohorts is probably as good as it’s ever been, particularly with the guest vocalists Sam Brown and Ruby Turner on board.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

New old Squeeze photos

New to the web, but they're from 1977. Check them out.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Group listings in a Squeeze?

This is an open letter to the administrators of the ex-Squeezemen Yahoo group sites, i.e., Glenn_list and DiffWorld, etc. I just took a peek at the Squeeze directory and there appears to be only one group listed: squeezefansoftheworld. While I'm sure they are a worthy group, they are five members strong and I know there are more rabid Squeezefans in groups than that. Hey, list moderators, let's show a little Squeeze-love, and add the groups to the Yahoo directory.

Now, how to do that, I have no idea.

WOMAD

Virtual Festivals
21 July 2005

The finishing touches have been added to the lineup for this month's WOMAD festival in Reading, with organisers announcing the final few acts and confirming the weekend's billing.

Crystal Music, David Lowe's Dreamcatcher, Future World Funk, Pete Moser, Swami, and The King Swingers have just been confirmed, and will join a robust line-up of over 70 artists from 37 countries.

WOMAD 2005 takes place at Rivermead, Reading, from 29-31 July. Its just one of several WOMAD festivals that take place around the world. CLICK HERE for more.

Each year the festival welcomes over 26,000 visitors, offering an unrivalled atmosphere, live music, and attractions that include hundreds of participatory workshops, a kids procession, a traditional funfair, shopping in the 'Global Village' with international food, drink, arts, craft and merchandise stalls, and loads more.

The day-by-day lineup follows [snipped]:

Saturday 30 July

Chris Difford Songwriting Workshop (UK)

Sunday 31 July

Chris Difford (UK)

Weekend tickets have already sold out but day tickets are available priced between £35 and £55. Click here to buy.
http://www.chrisdifford.com/ lists the 31st show, but not the 30th workshop, so I'm not sure what that means.

Solfest reminder

The News & Star reminds us that Solfest is coming up and one of the Squeeze alumni is playing:
THE second Solfest Celtic and world festival takes place at Tarns, near Silloth, on Friday August 26 to Sunday August 28. Highlights include Shane MacGowan and The Popes, Glenn Tilbrook, Karine Polwart, Peatbog Faeries. Tickets £30-£40 (full weekend) from The Carnegie Theatre, Workington. Call 01900 602122. www.solwayfestival.co.uk

Ash in the pages



In checking out former Squeeze members, I found that Ash Soan has a web site. Check it out.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

The sincerest form of flattery

The boys from Squeezed report that they have a gig coming up. Here's the details:
The Horn in St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK

Thursday 21st July
If they can play Piccadilly, I want to see them pull off the "Trini Lopez" line. We need to get them to the States.

Daphne

Squeeze friend Aimee Mann, the inspiration for the song Daphne, gets a lukewarm review for a show in Scotland.

icScotland: Aimee Mann's Carling show packs a punch
Aimee flew around the stage with great energy and stature as she gave the crowd a live taster of her new concept album The Forgotten Arm. The album tells the not so upbeat story of a Vietnam War veteran, turned boxer who starts a relationship with a young girl in the early seventies and of how they flee of to Las Vegas and their relationship falls apart.

but i don't have the heart to tell him....

A few weeks back, Mark Caro of the Chicago Tribune mad a gratuitous Squeeze reference as an example of a reunion that worked, as he predicts that the newly reunited Smashing Pumpkins may be hexed with the Curse of the Reunited Band. Here's an excerpt:
 Here's how it works: Established band breaks up. It gets back together. It's a shadow of its former self.
That's the broad stroke. Let's look at the finer print.

The band may still sound great live. It may still fill auditoriums, excite fans. But when it comes to being a functioning, forward-moving artistic endeavor -- when it comes to creating new works -- the band never approaches the level of its prime.

The Curse holds true if a band reunites after many years, like the Eagles or Fleetwood Mac. It works if a band pulls a quick about-face and reforms after just a few years, like Squeeze.

It applies if a band relaunches itself minus a key member, like Pink Floyd in the mid-'80s or the Band or Little Feat. It applies if all of the original players get back together, like the Byrds in the mid-'70s or Television or the Monkees.
Doesn't matter. The Curse conquers all.

(Here's the shorter, no-registration version reprinted in another paper.) That's the only mention of Squeeze, and Mr. Caro never revisits the sad ending to Squeeze's dozen or so extra years of life. I wonder if he, or his readers, know.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Bad luck for Jools

Brand Republic: Esure backs Will Young concert after promoter goes into administration
LONDON – Insurance firm Esure and its blue 'Mr Mouse' mascot has stepped in to save a Will Young concert after the promoter of the gig, John Hessenthaler Concert Productions, went into administration.

[snip]

Jools Holland fans have not been so lucky as two of his gigs, at Broadlands Romsey on July 30 and Powderham Exeter on July 31, have been cancelled because of the promoter going into administration.

Win Jools Holland!

Well, if not the man himself, than a chance to see him perform. Oh and they're throwing in a trip to Barbados.

CEN News: Heading for a great Escape
IMAGINE waking up in a beachfront apartment in the Caribbean listening to the sea crashing on the golden sand.

One lucky reader will be able to do just that by winning the chance to jet off for a luxury holiday in Barbados in today (Monday, 18 July)'s fantastic competition.

We are giving away a seven-night spa holiday for two on the West Coast of Barbados and all you have to do for a chance of wining is collect tokens from this week's News.

[snip]

And Newmarket Racecourses will invite the winners to attend evening racing on Friday, July 22, where they will be presented with their prize and enjoy the evening's racing and a performance by the legendary Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

On the road with Chris

Chris Difford reports that he has updated his web site with the latest tour dates. Click on the Diary tab.

Scroll down to see the dates in December with Jools.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Status Jools

Jools is going to be playing with Status Quo.

EDP24 What's On: Quo: Rockin’ All Over... Blickling
Indeed the Quo, loved by the armed forces, women in tight jeans and their long-haired boyfriends alike, will be doing exactly that when they roll into Norfolk, bringing their head-banging three-chord boogie to Blickling Hall tonight in the midst of a run of concerts that includes Will Young (tomorrow), Jools Holland (next Saturday) and Ronan Keating (next Sunday).

A pint of prawns in hand

Thanks to bitterspice for the invite to participate in the squeeze reader and the kind welcome, I've been a reader since the start, it's an honor to help keep my fellow Squeeze fans abreast of the boys' doings.

A few words about me, I've got a blogger profile here that will give you my vitals. I post a bit on my own blog, Slightly Rough, which takes its title from a couple of words in the first rock and roll song I can remember loving.

I've had several brushes with Squeeze greatness, one of them is detailed here.

I try to keep up with the goings on of the Squeeze alumni and I hope that this is the sort of news that appeals to you:

BBC: Is this the way to Ama-Rhyl-O?
The huge free outdoor summer sizzler in Rhyl, organised in conjunction with Denbighshire County Council, kicks off on Saturday 16 July at 1.00pm and promises four hours of free live music and fun for all the family to enjoy.

World-renowned musician Paul Carrack and singer-songwriter Jonathan Rice are also lined up to wow the crowds at the summer's hottest outdoor event in Rhyl Events Arena.
Paul is known to Squeeze fans as the keyboardist on the albums East Side Story, Some Fantastic Place, and the voice of the single Tempted.

I look forward to hearing from you all. One of the nice thing about blogs is that they can create a conversation, not someone just delivering the news to someone else.

Two words on titles: I love the way Chris turns a phrase. It's one of those things I can't put a finger on why I like it, I just like the way he writes. Anyway, I'll nick lines from songs as post titles sometimes. Once in a while, there will even be a significance to the lines I swipe.

Friday, July 15, 2005

welcome, rob!

Welcome to Rob Booth as a blogger on the Squeeze Reader. Thanks for joining, Rob! It's great to have another enthusiastic Squeeze fan posting articles here. And this is proof (maybe) to any random person who finds this blog that Squeeze has more than one fan.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

john dunbar: difford or tilbrook? (or penn?)

A reviewer thinks that New York-based singer-songwriter John Dunbar sounds likes across between Chris Difford and Michael Penn. After listening to MP3 samples off Mr. Dunbar's Web page, I think the reviewer got Chris and Glenn mixed up. (Listen yourself, and see if you don't agree.) Actually, I wish the production of these songs were a little smoother --- I agree with that reviewer, that they sound a little like Michael Penn's demos.

Friday, July 08, 2005

japanese glenn "interview"

I'm not sure what the protocol is for a Japanese newspaper interviewing someone who speaks English and translating it to the Japanese and translating it back to English. But the effect in the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Weekly is humorous, nonethess. It sounds like, and it may be, that Glenn filled out a questionnaire. An example exchange:
You and Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford were described as thinking person's songwriters. Someone who doesn't look past the title of "Genitalia of a Fool" might get the idea that it's not your brain that's doing the thinking now. They'd be wrong, right?


Yes, very much so. "Genitalia," although not my song, is a humorous song that made me laugh. I stand by my judgment.

bruised and bloodied, but unbowed

People of Britain, you have every reason to be proud of yourselves today. The world admires you for it.

Monday, July 04, 2005

surprise people from squeeze past...

In this Telegraph article about the Glastonbury Festival, which apparently was soggy and very... festival-like, not only does Jools Holland get a name-check, but so does Miles Copeland, former Squeeze manager. Miles put together the dozen belly-dancers who danced across the mainstage. If you don't read that article for anything else, it does have a nice picture of one of the belly dancers.

live aid memories

Graham Jones of CNN International remembers the party atmosphere in Britain that surrounded the original Live Aid.
With wife Lynne I was lucky enough to be part of the 72,000-strong audience at London's Wembley Stadium for what became one of Britain's most treasured days.
For once the reality trounced the build-up. It was much, much bigger than the publicity. Few music fans will forget what they were doing on July 13, 1985.
[snip]
Jools Holland said during one of the TV links that he had been driving through London and, on this hot summer night, the sounds of Live Aid were blasting out from every bar in the city.
Jones wonders, "How Geldof persuaded so many super rock star egos to come off after just 17 minutes each I don't know."

Indeed!

music of someone's life....

Stacy Rector, Neighbors Editor of the Dallas Morning News, tells everyone about the soundtrack of her life which includes:

My lineup will go something like this: Ani DiFranco, John B, John Coltrane, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, Jools Holland, John Lennon, the Mars Volta, Metallica, Patty Smyth, Pink Floyd, Pat Benatar, Rachael Yamagata, Prince, Rilo Kiley, Portishead and Radiohead.
I'm not sure why she wrote this, but thanks, Stacy! (The DMN link needs registration and a password --- find one at Bug Me Not.)