WORKING CLASS HERO

New Wave icons Squeeze will be playing hits from their 45-year career at Cheltenham Jazz Festival in May, alongside rarities from their back catalogue and solo albums. Katie Jarvis spoke to Glenn Tilbrook: lead singer, guitarist and the man behind those classic melodies

- Katie Jarvis

The story is so oft-told, it’s legend. So oft-told that Squeeze aficionados must sometimes forget they weren’t actually there, they can picture it so vividly. You know, that moment when Chris Difford pilfered 50p from his mum’s purse and scrawled an ad seeking a fellow songwriter. Someone who might just understand his mad, allenveloping passion for music.

He was 18 at the time. Fed up with school careers advice that laughed when he said he wanted to be in The Who; perfectly satisfied when he changed it to “Be a pig farmer”. It was semi-desperation that made him swipe 50p, the cost of sticking that ad in the tobacconist’s window.

So, OK. He made up the bit about being in a band. Also the bit about having a recording deal. Oh, and the bit about having a tour lined up.

You’ve got to think big. Maxine, 15-year-old Glenn Tilbrook’s girlfriend at the time, happened to see the ad. She was the one who answered it on his behalf; she knew what it would mean to him. (Meant a lot to Chris, too. It was to be his only reply.)

1973 was a mixed bag, musically.

As the ad sat waiting for Glenn in the tobacconist’s window, Pink Floyd had just released The Dark Side of the Moon; The Rolling Stones raised more than $350,000 with a benefit concert for the Nicaraguan earthquake victims; David Bowie collapsed from exhaustion after performing in Madison Square Garden.

(On the other hand, Dawn was busy recording Tie A Yellow Ribbon, and Cliff came a disappointing third in Eurovision. But, still…)

Music meant something. It meant everything to Glenn Tilbrook.