From the vaults: Watch Chris & Glenn on BBC London

"Still squeezing out sparks"


Imagine my panic when I read the headline on the BBC London site...

"... Squeezing out Sparks"?!!!

What on earth could have happened to the delightful Ron and Russell Mael?

I was about to launch an expedition to make sure that the electro-pioneers were safe and well, when I read the first paragraph:

" As English as they come and Londoners to boot: Lord Crowley meets songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook..."

Phew! That was a close one!

So imagine my delight to find that you can also watch Chris & Glenn chat to Lord Gary of Crowley (plus hear a bit of an acoustic take on 'Take Me I'm Yours').

The interview is from a couple of years back when Messrs Difford and Tilbrook were promoting their 'Song By Song' book at Borders.

I whooped a cry of happiness, put on my headphones and whipped out my copy Jim Drury's excellent 'Squeeze: Song By Song' book.

Lovely.


Read the article and watch Chris & Glenn chat to Gary Crowley here!


"Here's hoping they stay close and I wouldn't be too surprised if they end up working together in the future. And soon-ish too. Here's hoping anyway"- Gary Crowley

And they did! :0)

Chris talks about Squeeze getting back together

Talking Shop: Squeeze

From the BBC:

Squeeze are reforming for the first time in eight years for a UK tour, and are releasing an album of their greatest hits.

The London band, which formed in 1974, chalked up a string of hit singles in the late '70s and early '80s, including Up the Junction, Cool For Cats and Black Coffee In Bed.

In 1982 Squeeze split up, but returned with a variety of line-ups before stalwarts Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook played the band's final gig in 1999 and launched solo projects.

Difford, who is reuniting with Tilbrook for the revival, discusses returning to the band and his quest for old footage of Squeeze.

Are you getting back together for the love of it?

Universal approached us and said we'd be foolish to miss this window, as they were pushing the boat out to promote the album. Glenn and I didn't plan it this year as we had solo plans.

But we've downed tools, we are getting the band together and we are going to do it. Squeeze has been our lives, so it's important that we show people we care.

Are you prepared for working together as a band again?

I'm looking forward to it - I've been saving up for an electric guitar as I haven't had one for years. I think it's going to be good as it's 24 shows, so you can plot how it's going to work.

Is there a possibility of a full-scale reunion on the back of your tour?

To make another Squeeze record we'd have to take six months out of our solo careers and neither of us can afford to stop at the moment. It's like we're "courting" again, showing each other our feathers. I'd love to write lyrics for Glenn again - he's one of the most inspirational people I've ever written for.

Do you prefer being a solo artist or a member of a band?

Being on my own is like being a skipper of a small yacht - Squeeze is like an ocean liner.

Have you been putting in any extra training for the tour?

I'll have to go to the gym as I don't want to be seen as an old man. I probably won't be jumping around on stage, but I'm hoping to embarrass my children as much as I can.

Are you in tune with the rapidly-changing music business, including downloading and the new chart?

My homepage is the BBC News entertainment site, so I get a lot of information from there. I can keep up with the charts from the comfort of my living room too. I don't look to see where my records have charted, but I'm always on the hunt for Squeeze videos I've never seen.

What are your long-term plans after the Squeeze tour?

My solo album is out next year and I'm working on the new Squeeze musical - we had one back in 1984 which was called Labelled With Love.

Essential Squeeze is released in the UK on 30 April. The band will embark on their reunion tour in November.

Squeeze's Chris Difford was talking to BBC News entertainment reporter Michael Osborn.

A squeeze reader amendment to the BBC article-

"I'm working on the new Squeeze musical - we had one back in 1984 which was called Labelled With Love."

Chris has posted to Diffworld to say that he:

"would like to work on one but not working on one at the moment, it should read

Cd"

Thanks for clearing that up!

BBC article
The Official Squeeze website
The Official Squeeze MySpace
Chris Difford's Website
Chris Difford's MySpace
Diffworld

Bumper Jools News: An outdoor concert, 'Later...' expands, and an appearance on Marc Almond's new album

There's a whole lotta Jools goin' on!

A whole mailbag* of Jools news has been emptied onto my desk here at Squeezereader Towers!

*Ok, it's just the three stories... but that doesn't sound showbiz enough!

Firstly, the Lowestoft Journal reports that:

"RHYTHM and blues legend, Jools Holland is the latest musician to be added to a spectacular line up of outdoor concerts being held across the region this summer.

The musician will play a one-off gig with his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and special guest Lulu at the Somerleyton Estate, near Lowestoft, on Saturday, August 11."

Read the whole article here (you might need to log in, but it's free!)


Then, as if that's not enough!...

There's going to be six extra editions of the BBC's 'Later... With Jools Holland'!

You can read all about it under the unintentionally funny headline of:

" TOTP2 cut back as Jools expands"

At first, I thought that our favourite boogie-woogie player had put on a bit of weight, but I am pleased to report that he's doing fine! ;0)

And finally, Jools pops up on Marc Almond's new album:

"Stardom Road is the first release for Almond since his motorcycle crash in October 2004 in which he sustained serious injuries. The record, produced by Marius De Vries and Tris Penna, features guest appearances by Jools Holland and Antony Hegarty of Antony And The Johnsons. Almond also duets with St. Etienne's Sarah Cracknell on the Dusty Springfield number, "I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten."

Click here and you can read all about it!

Manhattan Transfer? (See what I've done there? ;0)

"Yeah, but... No, but... innit?"

Jools has popped up in a newspaper article which discusses renaming an area around Greenwich Avenue, Manhattan:

"The streets around Greenwich Avenue in Manhattan would appear to have little in common with village greens and warm beer. However, because of the sheer number of British businesses in the district, Anglophiles in New York are campaigning to have a corner of the island officially renamed Little Britain...

"... Musician Jools Holland said: "There'll be somewhere I can feel at home amongst badly dressed, ill-mannered people that are my fellow countrymen."

We doff our ill-fitted bowler hats in your direction! ;0) :0)

And if any of our readers are wondering why the renaming has tickled our collective British funny bones- take a look at our Little Britain :0)

Official Jools Holland website

JoolsWeb - a fansite

Glenn on Radio 2

From his Myspace bulletin:

BBC RADIO 2
Thursday 15 March
22:30 The Mark Radcliffe Show
Tom Robinson sits in for Mark Radcliffe with a late-night mix of live sessions, celebrity guests and listener interaction. With live music and chat from Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook.

Here's the Web site for Radio 2. It's been a while since I've tried to listen to something on Radio 2, so I don't know whether we can listen to it in the U.S.