SOUTH Londoners Squeeze are to release their first album of new material since 1998's Domino on October 2 to coincide with an autumn tour that closes at Harrogate International Centre on October 24.
Issued through Virgin EMI, Cradle To The Grave assembles Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook songs that will feature in the forthcoming television comedy of the same name, based on broadcaster and music journalist Danny Baker’s autobiography and starring Peter Kay as Danny's father.
Preceded by the single Happy Days, the 14th Squeeze studio album was recorded at 45 RPM Studios in Charlton and produced by Tilbrook and Laurie Latham. Among the track titles will be Nirvana, Beautiful Game, Happy Days, Top Of The Form, Honeytrap and Snap, Crackle And Pop.
The 2015 Squeeze line-up comprises Tilbrook on vocals and lead guitars; Difford on vocals and acoustic guitar; Simon Hanson on drums; Stephen Large on keyboards and Lucy Shaw and John Bentley on bass duties. Guest musicians on the recordings include Melvin Duffy on pedal steel and Nine Below Zero founding members Dennis Greaves and Mark Feltham on guitar and harmonica respectively.
The album will be available as a 12-song CD and digital download and on 12-inch double vinyl with exclusive cover versions of Lou Reed's Hanging Around, Tom Waits' I Don't Wanna Grow Up, Tom T. Hall's Harper Valley PTA and Ray Davies's This Strange Effect. A special Collector’s Edition CD, with a numbered insert, will be released on August 28, available from squeezeofficial.com
The Cradle To The Grave TV series will be set on a council estate in the 1970s, based around Baker's memoirs. The NME rock writer turned radio and television presenter was brought up in Deptford, the old stomping ground of Squeeze, who were asked at an early stage to become involved.
Tilbrook recalls: “When I read the book, I got in contact with Danny and said that I thought we could do something together with his book. Danny was already talking with co-writer Jeff Pope about a TV series and the mood and sentiment of Cradle were completely in sync. Danny and Jeff both loved it and everything else followed on from there.”
The sleeve for Squeeze's new album
The scripts were inspiring and hugely funny, reckons Difford. "Cradle To The Grave tapped into a period that lyrically I was very familiar with, as I grew up in the same neighbourhood as Danny,” he says.
“We've been on location to see how it's going. It gave us a spring in our step to see the quality of filming and the direction and the attention to detail. It was very heartening and we're grateful to be involved in something that's so refreshing and also represents our past. We went to the same school, wore the same uniform, fell in love with same art teacher.”
Over the years there have been solo careers and occasional separations, but since Difford and Tilbrook re-formed Squeeze in 2007, the old bond has tightened anew. “Things went so well, here we are eight years later," says Tilbrook. "Four years ago, we agreed that if we were to carry on, we really needed to work on new material.”
Hence Cradle To The Grave, which has reflected the fresh impetus. "We’ve grown up a lot in the last few years, musically," says Difford. "We still love and own our past, but as musicians we needed to grow.”
Squeeze will be on the road from September 25 for a month, playing Sheffield City Hall on October 2 as well as Harrogate on the last night. Box office: Sheffield, 0114 278 9789 or sheffieldcityhall.co.uk; Harrogate, 01423 502116 or harrogatetheatre.co.uk
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