Squeeze – The Pop Music Played: The Story of Squeeze 1978-1982

by James Griffiths

Emerging from the sleazy South-London pub scene, Squeeze signed to A&M Records in 1977. With songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook at the helm, and the irrepressible Jools Holland on keyboards, they soon scored big hit singles with ‘Cool for Cats’ and ‘Up the Junction’ , two of the most iconic songs of the era. In 1981 their Elvis Costello-produced LP ‘East Side Story’, featuring the immortal track ‘Tempted’, earned plaudits on both sides of the Atlantic. By 1982, the band was headlining Madison Square Garden and being compared favourably to The Beatles.

Containing contributions from three former Squeeze members, ‘The Pop Music Played’ is an unofficial, entertaining account of the 1978-82 incarnation of the band, which gained success during a uniquely exciting period in British pop music. The book charts in splendid detail both the highs and lows, the trials and triumphs of this quintessentially English band.

James Griffiths is a former music journalist for the Guardian newspaper in the UK.

300 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2021

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great find! No Squeeze fan should miss this! I was a bit of a fan back in the day but never really took much interest in their background. Then I stumbled upon this book and bought it on a whim. It has surprised me on many levels, not least in that I read it from cover to cover in a couple of days and was never once bored! It brought the music scene of the time and Squeeze's ups and downs in their early career to life in an engaging and even emotional way, whilst also managing to pack in a lot of fascinating information along the way, without slowing down the pace.

[William Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book