Squeeze

Chris Difford effectively broke up the band in 1999 with his announcement that he was taking a hiatus from working with Tilbrook. Each of the band members has gone on to solo careers. Players with Squeeze during the 1990s included drummer Pete Thomas and pianist Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello's Attractions, drummer Kevin Wilkinson, Don Snow, Hilaire Penda, Ashley Soan, and Jools's brother Christopher Holland. Danoff and Nivert divorced shortly afterwards. By this point Squeeze was basically a trade name for Difford and Tilbrook plus sidemen. The band broke up by 1980, unable to match their previous success (see 1980 in music). Jools Holland left Squeeze again in 1989, and Gilson Lavis left in 1992. David Letterman, then unknown, also participated in the show.

His tenure with the band would last only a year, however. The band hosted a variety show titled "Starland Vocal Band" that ran on CBS for two months. Andy Metcalfe of the Soft Boys and Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians joined the next year to supplement Holland's keyboards. The follow-up, Rear View Mirror was a failure in comparison. However, 1985 saw the return of Squeeze, now featuring Difford, Tilbrook, Holland, Lavis, and Keith Wilkinson on bass. They won two and were nominated for five Grammy Awards. After Sweets from a Stranger was released the next year, Difford and Tilbrook broke up the band. The song was a hit, and the album topped the charts too.

However, Carrack would leave after the release of East Side Story, and was replaced on keyboards by Don Snow. Their debut was Starland Vocal Band, which included "Afternoon Delight". Jools Holland was next to exit, being replaced with Paul Carrack in 1980. East Side Story, perhaps Squeeze's most successful album, was released in 1981, produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, and featured Carrack's lead vocals on "Tempted". They recorded several albums before making a group called the Starland Vocal Band. John Bentley replaced Harry Kakoulli on bass after the latter's firing in 1978. The latter song is the de facto state song of West Virginia, although it has no official status as such. Their debut album was produced by John Cale for A&M Records. Nivert and Danoff wrote "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads", both big hits for John Denver.

Gilson Lavis replaced Gunn on drums and Harry Kakoulli joined on bass in 1976. The group began as Fat City, a husband/wife duo of Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. The founding members were Chris Difford (guitar, vocals), Glenn Tilbrook (vocals, guitar), Jools Holland (piano), and Paul Gunn (drums). Starland Vocal Band is an American rock band, known primarily for "Afternoon Delight", one of the biggest singles in 1976 (see 1976 in music). Founded in 1974 in London, the band broke up in 1982, re-formed in 1985, and broke up again in 1999, this time apparently for good. Squeeze was a British pop/rock band.

Big Squeeze: The Very Best Of Squeeze (compilation), Jun 2002. Up The Junction (compilation), Aug 2000. Live at the Royal Albert Hall (live), 1999. Master Series (compilation), Nov 1998.

Six Of One... (box set), Oct 1997. Excess Moderation (compilation), Nov 1996. Piccadilly Collection (compilation), Aug 1996. Greatest Hits (compilation), Apr 1992.

A Round and a Bout (live), Mar 1990. Classics, Vol. 25 (compilation), 1987. Singles - 45's and Under (compilation), Nov 1982. Domino, Nov 1998.

Ridiculous, Nov 1995. Some Fantastic Place, Sep 1993. Play, Aug 1991. Frank, Sep 1989.

Babylon and On, Sep 1987. Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, Aug 1985. Sweets From A Stranger, May 1982. East Side Story, May 1981.

Argybargy, Feb 1980. Cool for Cats, Mar 1979. Squeeze, Mar 1978. U.K.