Squeeze: Picadilly

If George and Ira Gershwin were young men in east London in the 1970s, they might have formed a band that sounded like Squeeze. That's what Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, the songwriters for the band, did over thirty years ago. Although they are lumped in with rock's new wave movement, Squeeze, thanks to the Difford-Tilbrook songs that emphasised craftsmanship over punch, are really throwbacks to the Tin Pan Alley era of music.

Squeeze formed in 1974, split up in 1982, reformed in 1985, broke up again in 2000, and reunited in 2007. The band has had constant lineup changes, perhaps matched by no other band. For instance, Jools Holland was the original keyboardist for Squeeze, who left and was replaced by Paul Carrack--he sang lead on its best-known song, "Tempted." Carrack left after one album to be replaced by Don Snow. After Squeeze got back together in 1985, Holland returned, then Snow and later Carrack. There were some other keyboardists as well, including Holland's brother Chris. Simon Hanson fills that role currently for Squeeze.

Don Snow (I think) is behind the piano on "Picadilly," which comes from Squeeze's best album, 1981's East Side Story. This performance is from a 1982 concert.



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