Recently, I was fortunate to talk with Glenn Tilbrook, singer, guitarist, and half of the extraordinary songwriting team behind Squeeze. Tilbrook took some time out from his current acoustic tour promoting his first solo CD The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook on Quixotic Records (www.glenntilbrook.com) to answer some questions.

Purchase the CD by clicking here or by clicking the above cover

He’s taken the better part of a year to craft this new CD, and the care shows. Writing lyrics for the first time, and also finding new collaborators, Tilbrook continues to grow as a musician.

One of the songs on the new CD “Interviewing Randy Newman,” relates the true-life tale of when Glenn conducted a radio interview with Randy Newman, and how things did not go all that smoothly. I explained that my interviewing him might be much the same type of deal, but again, “everything can be fixed in the edit.”

Surprisingly, Tilbrook was relaxed, honest and a delight to interview. There is no pretense to him whatsoever and he is willing to take on any and all questions. Knowing he was a big fan of both the fab four and the fabricated four, I jumped right into the thick of my interrogation.

GG: So who is your Favorite Beatle and why?

GT: Paul McCartney, because most people pick John and no one seems to single out Paul. He did quite a bit there and deserves the credit.

GG: Fair enough. Who is your favorite Monkee and why?

GT: Micky Dolenz, because he was funny and he looked like he really could play the drums. Also, I really like that song he wrote, what’s it called “Randy Scouse Git?”

GG: “While four kings of EMI are sitting stately on the floor?”

GT: Yeah, that’s the one.

GG: You’ve had a number of hits over the years and I suppose you still have to play many of them, even now. Are there any songs you hate to play?

GT: It’s simple. If I hate a song, I don’t play it. But if you’re asking me if I’m duty bound to play certain songs, then I’d have to say it’d be foolish not to give people what they want. Luckily, I like most of the songs in my history.

GG: Can you estimate the approximate amount of times you’ve played some of the more popular songs, say a “Pulling Mussels from A Shell” or “If I Didn’t Love You?”

GT: I really don’t know, couldn’t even put an accurate number on that. In the thousands, I’d imagine, sure.

GG: Let’s talk songwriting. I know that for your solo album you’ve written songs with others and also alone. How do you go about writing the songs - music first, lyrics first, or does it matter?

GT: In all honesty, it varies. Coming out of working with Chris (Difford), it always was a case where I wrote the music and he did the lyrics. That was just the way we worked. So lyrics are a whole new world for me. I often try to write the lyrics first and work from that, but I’ve found that sometimes it’s best to work through both at the same time. On the new CD, Ron Sexsmith & Aimee Mann did lyrics on those collaborations. But with Chris Braide it was a mix of music and lyrics; same really with Kim Stockwood. It’s been a fun challenge.

GG: How many songs would you say you have written in your life, including collaborations?

GT: I’d say the number runs into probably 2,000 or so. See, when Chris and I met we really did nothing but write songs. We had nothing else to do, no real gainful employment and really nothing else of interest to us. Songwriting was what we did.

GG: To my thinking, you were and always shall be the readily recognized distinctive voice of Squeeze. Yet, with the song “Tempted,” Paul Carrack sang lead vocals. Was it difficult to have a hit with someone else singing lead vocals?

GT: First off, having a hit never is difficult. And Paul just has a really fantastic voice. We originally had recorded a version of this with me singing it (which is on the compilation Excess Moderation) and it was sort of a sub-ELO arrangement, good for laugh value now, and not much more. Paul’s version was so much better - I really learned that sometimes a producer can bring more to a song than you thought was there (Interviewer’s note: Elvis Costello produced that more Motown-version of “Tempted.”).

GG: Having attended many a Squeeze concert back in the day, I always was impressed with your lead guitar skills, particularly since not many lead singers can handle both at the same time. I know you’ve contributed to many other artists’ records - Aimee Mann’s I’m With Stupid > and Kimberley Rew’s Tunnel Into Summer, just to name a few. Ideally, if you could have your choice to work with any artist, who would it be?

GT: I do like playing on other artists’ albums, which I’ve done a lot. I suppose the most recent work I’ve done for someone else would be on Nick Harper’s CD. And I guess the artist I’d most like to work with is Willie Nelson, actually. I love his emotive voice. But that’s the way I am. I’m not terribly into strictly technical singers. For me, I need the emotion and the believability. I suppose it’s just a continuation of the kind of music I like to listen to myself.

GG: And what sort of music might that be? Any new and upcoming bands we should know about?

GT: My current favorite is a group called The Avalanches, who use a lot of sampling and also play along as well. They remind me a little bit of Faces, back in the early days. I saw them live and there were what looked like these two deejay guys up on stage, just doing this incredibly good modern pop music. I also liked the danger factor - the feeling that at any second it could all fall apart.

GG: Okay, I shall have to track them down and check it out for myself. So that’s your new music recommendation - what about the classics? What’s your most favorite older album?

GT: I know it’s sort of a musician’s cliché, but I really have to say that Pet Sounds is to me the perfect album. It’s just amazing.

GG: It’s not unusual for me to come across press releases and music reviews that describe a sound as very “Squeeze-like.” Your sounds are oft imitated, particularly what was the very unique octave-apart style of shared vocals between yourself and Chris. Just curious, how did that style develop?

GT: It was just one of those stupid things, we sang and it sort of came out that way. There wasn’t really any grand plan to it. In so far as the way we are cited and imitated, I do hear some of it and I think it’s a bit of a compliment, a tip o’ the hat. It’s nice that way.

GG: Recently, you spent an afternoon and evening busking in New York City’s Grand Central Station, just you and an acoustic guitar, playing requests while trying to raise charity funds for the families of those lost in the Trade Tower incident. At one point you asked the crowd if they’d join you in singing and trying to raise people’s spirits in this time of tragedy. Like a Pied Piper, you unplugged and led a crowd of about 50 people on a walk throughout the train station while singing “Goodbye Girl” along with you. It was tremendously fun. What are your impressions of how these recent tragic events have affected people and music in general?

GT: Well obviously, the people in NYC still are a bit shell-shocked, quite understandably. Aside from the tragedy itself, I’d have to say the worst part of it all is the fear. People have this real fear now as a result of what has happened. But I do think that, over time, people can rebound and return to getting on with their lives.

GG: You were in town as part of the “UK in NYC” festival. It was a great experience catching you live. All these commuters were standing around, surprised - dialing their cell phones and holding them out above their heads to let their loved ones in on your impromptu concert.

GT: So you were there?

GG: Yes. You didn’t hear me singing harmonies?

GT: Did you go the next day when I was cooking?

GG: No, sorry, I missed that.

GT: I cooked up my specialty “Welsh Rarebit.” Wonderful stuff, that.

GG: Cheese on toast?

GT: No - it’s much more than that. It’s grated cheese, for one thing, with this mustard-based sauce on bread with an egg and covered with the right mix of salt and pepper, then grilled right up. Bet you’re sorry you missed it now.

GG: I am. Truly. That same busking day, I noticed you did a number of covers (Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child,” Chuck Berry’s “Sea Cruise” - as well as some Elvis). When someone walking by asked “Is that really Paul McCartney” you proceeded to launch into a great cover of “All My Loving.” Would you ever consider doing a CD of covers?

GT: Yeah, I’d quite like to do that someday. Unfortunately, I’m too wrapped up in my own projects to get around to that right now.

GG: Okay, here’s something different. Give me three adjectives to describe yourself.

GT: Caring, Sharing and Lovely. (He laughs.)

GG: Even with your very distinctive voice, some say that you and Neil Finn have much the same sound. What is your take on that?

GT: Oh, we’ve met, actually. I think he’s more of a singer than I am, really. He has a really lovely voice. And there was that one song on Woodface that was quite a musical tribute to Squeeze.

GG: Speaking of Squeeze, I know the later Squeeze albums had all sorts of distribution problems. In fact, I had to go to London to purchase a copy of Domino, which hadn’t been released yet here in the states.

GT: That seems a bit extreme.

GG: Okay, well I was with my family in London - it’s not like I made the trip entirely for that purchase. But while I was there, I did manage to hunt it down. I know that labels were a big problem with those past few Squeeze records. I also note that your new CD The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook is out on Quixotic, your own label. Are all record companies horrible?

GT: I wouldn’t say that. I think major labels can do a good job providing that all goes right. But it rarely works that way. With Squeeze, we were dropped from a label shortly after our most successful record. For a time, we were on a different label with each new album. Which was very discouraging, particularly as two of my favorite albums were among these: Play and Some Fantastic Place. For Play we even did a lot of recording out in LA, to be closer to the Warner people.

GG: Right, I remember a lot of actor/celebrity types contributed to that CD. Christopher Guest was one of them, right?

GT: Yeah, didn’t realize that we were the inspiration for Spinal Tap, did you? But what kept happening was that we were getting dropped. Major labels realize there’s no point in spending for big production budgets with small sales. That never really worked, even at the height of Squeeze’s popularity. So at age 44, I’m really more interested in selling records and getting my music out to people.

GG: Are there any favorite producers you’d like to work with?

GT: I know the best producers are able to bring something out of you that you didn’t know you had. However, for the moment, I’m content to produce myself.

GG: How many guitars do you currently own - and which are your favorites?

GT: I own 19 guitars and my favorites are the two I’ve taken on the road with me, both of them Taylors, one six- and one twelve-string. My favorite electric guitar is a 1967 Jet Black Telecaster with a V-Bender. I love that kind of retro sound I can get with that. I’m not precious with my guitars, mind you. I don’t go crazy if other people pick them up and play them. But I do love them dearly.

GG: What sort of formal music training did you have, and is guitar your only instrument?

GT: I started playing piano and guitar at 7. I didn’t really want to sound too good too fast, and it was a nice way to learn, gradually. With piano, I only got so far and then stopped at about age 14. Still, the piano knowledge helped me a lot with songwriting.

GG: Thank you so much for this interview. I wish you the best of luck with the acoustic tour (currently underway) and with sales of the fine new CD.

GT: Thank you and cheers.

NOTE: For those of you wishing they could have been there, I’ve included a recipe for “Welsh Rarebit”

2 to 4 slices of bread
1½ cups of grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons of milk or beer
30 grams / 1 oz of butter
1 teaspoon of mustard
Pepper & Salt
1 Egg, beaten

Toast the slices of bread and grate 1½ cups of cheese. Arrange the cooked toast on a baking tray ready for grilling and spread with butter. Slowly melt the cheese and milk in a small saucepan. Then add the mustard and pepper. Stir continuously. Combine the egg mixture with the hot mixture and continue cooking until the mixture thickens. When smooth and hot pour over each piece of toast and grill until golden brown.

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