Chris Difford Biography
Christopher Henry Difford, 4 November 1954, Greenwich, London, England. Difford and Glenn Tilbrook formed one of the great songwriting duos of the post-punk era as leaders of Squeeze. Often referred to as the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of their era, Difford was the main lyricist and guitarist with Squeeze, with Tilbrook providing the melodies and the vocals. Smart, literate wordplay poured out of Difford on classic early 80s hits such as "Cool For Cats", "Up The Junction", "Another Nail In My Heart", "Tempted" and "Labelled With Love', although his awkward singing voice was rarely heard. The duo released an album in 1982 as Difford And Tilbrook during a break in Squeeze activities, before returning to the parent band for 1985"s Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti.
Squeeze finally broke up for good in 1999, years of critical indifference and steadily declining sales having finally taken their toll. Difford, who had suffered from well-publicised addiction problems, took stock and began work on his solo debut. Released in late 2002 on the Aquarian Nation label, I Didn't Get Where I Am featured writing and production assistance from singer-songwriter Francis Dunnery, and largely eschewed the quirky melodies and lyrical smarts of Squeeze in favour of smooth pop rock and affecting ballads. The follow-up South East Side Story found Difford offering up acoustic-based arrangements of the formidable Squeeze catalogue.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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