Squeeze take their press shot literally. Chris Difford (left) and Glenn Tilbrook (right).
FIN COSTELLO/REDFERNS
AS POP-ROCK MASTERPIECES go, it’s hard to top Squeeze’s “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell).” With its airtight hooks, wicked musicianship and highly literate lyrics, the first single from the band’s 1980 third album, Argybargy, played a key role in breaking Squeeze in the States, and over the years it’s become one of their most popular songs.
“ ‘Pulling Mussels’ definitely helped us throughout the U.S.,” says lead guitarist and singer Glenn Tilbrook. “What’s funny is, the song did okay on the charts. It wasn’t a huge hit, but it’s grown in stature over the years. That’s the story with a lot of our songs.”
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Like Elton John and Bernie Taupin, the Squeeze songwriting team had a system: Rhythm guitarist and singer Chris Difford wrote the lyrics, and Tilbrook set them to music. “We rarely discussed lyrics,” Tilbrook says. “Chris would hand me what he had, and off I went. Fortunately for me, he made my job quite easy. The lyrics for ‘Pulling Mussels’ were tremendously inspirational, so I started in a good place.”