Glenn Tilbrook
Encyclopedia
Glenn Martin Tilbrook is the lead singer and guitarist
of the English
band
Squeeze, a band formed in the mid 1970s who broke through in the new wave
era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the melody
for Squeeze, while his writing partner, Chris Difford
, wrote the lyrics
. In addition to his songwriting skills, Tilbrook is respected both as a singer and an accomplished guitarist.
was originally released in 1984, and remastered and reissued in 2006.
and US
in an RV
, playing small venues. He released two solo albums, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook
and Transatlantic Ping Pong. Tilbrook co-wrote some of the songs for his solo recordings with artists such as Ron Sexsmith
, Chris Braide
and Aimee Mann
.
In 2006, the film documentary Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road was released. It followed Tilbrook on his November 2001 tour across the United States
. In 2007, Tilbrook took time off from his solo career to tour once again with Squeeze who had reformed for the third time.
In April 2007, Tilbrook released The Past Has Been Bottled, the first in a five-disc series of remastered demos. The first release included early versions of tracks from Squeeze's East Side Story. The second volume, In The Sky Above, was released in the UK in November 2007, and covered the period from 1993 through 1998. The third volume, Dreams Are Made of This, was released in November 2009 and covered Squeeze's early years, from 1974 to 1980.
In 2008, Tilbrook previewed new material while on tour with The Fluffers, two members of whom are also members of the latest Squeeze line-up. A four track single, "Binga Bong!", was released in November 2008. Tilbrook's latest album Pandemonium Ensues, credited to Glenn Tilbrook and The Fluffers, was released in March 2009. The 14 track album was produced by Tilbrook and Andrew J. Jones, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain
. It featured guest appearances from Johnny Depp
on "Too Close To The Sun" and Depp's wife, Vanessa Paradis
, on "Interest & Love".
In January 2010 it was announced that Tilbrook and Difford would be spending part of the coming summer in Italy
, together writing songs for a new Squeeze album.
. It has been used by other bands such as Nine Below Zero
. Tilbrook supports Charlton Athletic F.C.
and in 1998 Squeeze released "Down in the Valley
", a tribute to his boyhood team.
He is a supporter of the Love Hope Strength
Foundation, a cancer charity founded by Mike Peters
of The Alarm
, and has played concerts in aid of the organisation, including one at base camp, Mount Everest
.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Squeeze, a band formed in the mid 1970s who broke through in the new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
era at the decade's end. He generally wrote the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
for Squeeze, while his writing partner, Chris Difford
Chris Difford
Chris Difford is a singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer....
, wrote the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. In addition to his songwriting skills, Tilbrook is respected both as a singer and an accomplished guitarist.
Difford and Tilbrook
During Squeeze's first hiatus, from approximately 1983 to 1985, Tilbrook wrote, recorded, and toured with Chris Difford, his songwriting partner from Squeeze. Their album, Difford & TilbrookDifford & Tilbrook
Difford & Tilbrook are the songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, known for their work as the principal writers for the New Wave rock band Squeeze...
was originally released in 1984, and remastered and reissued in 2006.
Solo career
Following Squeeze's second breakup in 1999, Tilbrook pursued a solo career, often touring around the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in an RV
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
, playing small venues. He released two solo albums, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook
The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook
The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook was the first solo release by lead singer of Squeeze Glenn Tilbrook. This album featured Tilbrook's first recordings of songs written without his fellow Squeeze member Chris Difford. The album received mainly positive reviews from Squeeze fans...
and Transatlantic Ping Pong. Tilbrook co-wrote some of the songs for his solo recordings with artists such as Ron Sexsmith
Ron Sexsmith
Ronald Eldon "Ron" Sexsmith is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario, currently based in Toronto. He started his own band when he was fourteen years old, and released the first recordings of his own material seven years later, in 1985...
, Chris Braide
Chris Braide
Christopher Braide is an English singer, songwriter, record producer published by Sony/ATV worldwide based in Los Angeles.Producer, Songwriter and Ivor Novello ASCAP and Billboard award winner Christopher Braide has achieved considerable success as a songwriter in the UK and the US. His songs have...
and Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and bassist.-Early life:Aimee Mann grew up in Bon Air, Virginia, graduated from Open High School in 1978 and attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out to sing with her first punk rock band, the Young Snakes...
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2007, Tilbrook took time off from his solo career to tour once again with Squeeze who had reformed for the third time.
In April 2007, Tilbrook released The Past Has Been Bottled, the first in a five-disc series of remastered demos. The first release included early versions of tracks from Squeeze's East Side Story. The second volume, In The Sky Above, was released in the UK in November 2007, and covered the period from 1993 through 1998. The third volume, Dreams Are Made of This, was released in November 2009 and covered Squeeze's early years, from 1974 to 1980.
In 2008, Tilbrook previewed new material while on tour with The Fluffers, two members of whom are also members of the latest Squeeze line-up. A four track single, "Binga Bong!", was released in November 2008. Tilbrook's latest album Pandemonium Ensues, credited to Glenn Tilbrook and The Fluffers, was released in March 2009. The 14 track album was produced by Tilbrook and Andrew J. Jones, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He has worked with many prominent names in music including Bruce Springsteen , The Rolling Stones , Bryan Adams , Robbie Williams Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He...
. It featured guest appearances from Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
on "Too Close To The Sun" and Depp's wife, Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Chantal Paradis is a French singer, model and actress. She became a child star at 14 with the worldwide success of her single "Joe le taxi"...
, on "Interest & Love".
In January 2010 it was announced that Tilbrook and Difford would be spending part of the coming summer in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, together writing songs for a new Squeeze album.
Personal
Tilbrook has his own recording studio, known as '45RPM', in CharltonCharlton
-Places:In Australia:* Charlton, Victoria* Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South WalesIn Canada:* Charlton, Ontario* Charlton Island, NunavutIn England:...
. It has been used by other bands such as Nine Below Zero
Nine Below Zero
Nine Below Zero are an English blues band, who have a cult following throughout Europe, and were most popular in the period between 1980 and 1982.-Career:...
. Tilbrook supports Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and in 1998 Squeeze released "Down in the Valley
Down in the Valley (Squeeze song)
"Down in the Valley" is a song by Squeeze, released as the band's final single on Glenn Tilbrook's independent Quixotic Records in 1998. It was written and recorded for Charlton Athletic, and was not included on the band's final album, Domino....
", a tribute to his boyhood team.
He is a supporter of the Love Hope Strength
Love Hope Strength
James Chippendale and fellow cancer survivor Mike Peters, of The Alarm, launched the Love Hope Strength Foundation in 2006 in hopes of providing critical funding and awareness for cancer centers worldwide. The mission is to save lives, right now, with the advances that have already been made in...
Foundation, a cancer charity founded by Mike Peters
Mike Peters (musician)
Mike Peters is a Welsh musician, best known as the lead singer of The Alarm. He currently lives in Dyserth, North Wales with his family. After The Alarm split up in 1991, Peters wrote and released solo work, which he has been releasing under the name "The Alarm" since 2000...
of The Alarm
The Alarm
The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a mod band and stayed together for over ten years. As a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
, and has played concerts in aid of the organisation, including one at base camp, Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
.