You might remember hearing Glenn Tilbrook's easily recognizable singing voice during the years he was in the British band Squeeze. He co-wrote and sang the songs "Pulling Mussels ( From The Shell ) " and "Black Coffee In Bed," as well as many,
many others. On his long-awaited solo disc, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook ( W.A.R./Quixotic London ) , Mr. Tilbrook performs songs he co-wrote with Aimee Mann ( "Observatory" ) and Ron Sexsmith ( "You See Me" ) , as well as several originals, including the retro pop "This Is Where You Ain't," "Morning" ( co-written with Chris Braide ) , the music industry commentary of "G.S.O.H. Essential," the dance-friendly "Up The Creek," and the wacky, but accessible "Interviewing Randy Newman." Even if you aren't familiar with Squeeze, Tilbrook's solo effort stands out as one of the great singer/ songwriter albums of the year, and holds of the promise of many more fine albums to come.
Gregg Shapiro: The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook is being released on Quixotic London Records, your own label. Can you please say something about having your own record label?
Glenn Tilbrook: It's something that I've done over here in Britain for the last five years that we've had the label. It is, for me, a way of releasing not only my own music. ( Presently ) we have only one other person making records for us and that is Nick Harper. It's music that I believe in, firstly. Secondly, it's also wonderful to have the chance to determine the whole package, the whole thing about the record, from day one to when it comes out. I very much like that.
GS: I'm glad that you mentioned releasing your own album. Why did you wait so long to release a solo disc?
GT: Because I was perfectly happy with Squeeze, actually. I never felt the urge to leave Squeeze. Squeeze was built around the songwriting partnership that I had with Chris Difford. When Chris reached a point, three years ago, when he felt that he could no longer tour, I toured with Squeeze as a four-piece without Chris. He pulled out of the tour the day before we were due to go. We decided to do the tour anyway and, in fact, we had a great tour. I felt that was really the end of Squeeze. I felt, also, that it was an opportunity for me to record a solo album, which I am very happy with,
GS: The title of the album, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook, is a little on the ironic side, would you agree?
GT: ( Laughs ) It was the first title that I felt summed up the record. The title works on many levels, for me, not the least of which is that I see the record as the first in a series of many. It's a whole set.
GS: So, we'll soon be hearing from the "complete Glennn Tilbrook," yes?
GT: ( Laughs ) Indeed.
GS: Great. "G.S.O.H. Essential" sounds like a comment from you on the music industry...can you comment on that?
GT: "G.S.O.H. Essential" is more of a comment on my own position within the music industry. I've been very fortunate in that I've been making records since I was 19. I've been involved in major-label deals for years. I've gone through all sorts of periods of success and nonsuccess throughout that time. The music industry is a constantly changing place, and I certainly don't have the opinion that it was better 20 years ago than it is now. It's constantly changing, as it should do, and it's interesting for someone like me to try and find where I fit in. I think the place I fit in, at the moment, is by determining how I make my records and trying to determine where they'll appear. I think that major labels work extremely well for some people. I think they worked, with varying degrees of success with Squeeze. It certainly enabled me to be where I am now, the fact that I was on major labels for that amount of time. But, I think that unless I was able to write my own contract, I wouldn't like to be on a major label now. I'm happy with the situation being where I am. I'm happy with that because I've thought, over many years, about why I do what I do, what my motivation is, and what I want from it...and all that is quite clear in my mind. I'd love to sell millions of records. But the fact that I'm not selling millions of records...at least Squeeze hasn't...doesn't deter me from loving what I do, from loving touring and loving playing. I'm extremely lucky to be able to do that. I'm a very small shop operating in a global economy ( laughs ) .
GS: That's a great description of it. You worked with Aimee Mann, who also had her own negative experiences with major labels, on her I'm With Stupid album and you co-wrote the song "Observatory" with her on your album. Can please say a few words about what it's like working with Aimee?
GT: Aimee is a very talented and very determined person. I admire her. She's used her anger with the business to her own ends, I believe, very successfully. I have nothing but praise for her personally and professionally. I love the way she writes. We toured with her in 1994. When I found myself writing ( songs ) for this record, it was a very natural step to ask Aimee to work with me. I'm very pleased with the song. I think it's a unique hybrid.
GS: It's a wonderful song. "You See Me," also from The Incomplete Glennn Tilbrook, was co-written with Ron Sexsmith.
GT: Again, working with Ron Sexsmith on "You See Me," was a lovely thing. We had toured together in the U.K., I think, about five years ago. He's a fantastic bloke. He's got a wonderful way with the audience. The interesting thing about working with Ron and Aimee is that those two collaborations worked in the same why that I worked with Chris Difford. Both Ron and Aimee provided lyrics for me and I worked on them at home. They were not "same room" collaborations. We exchanged e-mails, faxes and tapes ( laughs ) . We didn't sit together until they were done.
GS: Is the story-song "Interviewing Randy Newman" based on a real experience that you had?
GT: Yes, it was entirely true ( laughs ) . I did an hour-long show for Radio Two about Newman and his career. I'm a big fan and felt very confident about doing it. I can only describe what happened when I interviewed him as a massive panic attack. I had no clue of any nerves until 30 seconds before the interview. He was in L.A. and I was in London, in the studio, sitting on the other side of the glass from the producer. Because I'd felt so comfortable before, I thought, "Okay, I won't write any questions. We'll just talk for an hour." We can talk about his career and his writing. Then I just started coming out with the most inane and stupid questions.
GS: Oh no!
GT: It was just awful. ( Exaggerated voice ) "I'm a big fan of yours. So, how do you write?" All the questions I'd sworn I'd never ask anyone, I was asking. It was just the most excruciating hour. He, of course, was the model of politeness and charm. Really sweet and very, very kind to me. But I blew it in a big way ( laughs ) .
GS: I think that the song redeems it.
GT: It was a hard way to get a good song, but I guess that it's about the only redeeming thing.
GS: There are three bonus tracks on the domestic release. Why didn't the song "Sunday Breakfast Treat" make it onto the original version?
GT: Because at some point, we had to decide for the singles here, what we thought were in excess of what we wanted for the record when we were sequencing it for over here ( the U.K. ) . I thought that "Sunday Breakfast Treat" was a bit too flippant at the time we decided that it wasn't going on the record, although I like it a lot more now than I did at the time. There's another song that we left off, another collaboration with Ron Sexsmith that I really wish that I'd put on the disc.
GS: Do you think it might show up as the B-side of a single?
GT: Yes. That's why we had to make those choices, because I've had a couple of singles out here and we had to decide what was going on the album. There was too much for the album and I wanted all the best stuff to go on.
GS: Some of the songs have a bit of an electronic feel to them. One of the bonus tracks, the dance mix of "This Is Where You Ain't," which you call the "now that's what I call now mate version," could potentially go over well in the gay dance clubs. Can you please say something about why you included a dance-club type of remix?
GT: Because I love that sort of music. You don't hear a lot of that in what I do, because that's just not what comes out. But what I really love, and what I'm really open to, is the whole concept of remix. That's exactly what that is. It's taking the song, as thought of and recorded, then we thought, "What happens if you take away all that stuff?" There's that one slide guitar bit and breakdown section in the original version that actually became the motif for the whole song in the remixed version. I think it works fantastically. I had a very hard time deciding which version to make the album version and the single over here. I am very proud of the remixed version.
GS: It's the kind of thing that could expose you to a different audience.
GT: Yeah, it could do that. I don't know if people will really take that from me. All I can is that I can only do that sort of thing if I'm fully enthused. It seems to me that the purest forms of dance music are moving away from song construction and I'm not about to give up on that because that's where my inspiration comes from. The thought behind a lot of dance music...the production, the sound...is a completely different approach to making records and it's something that fills me with enthusiasm.
GS: Wonderful. Earlier in the interview you were talking about touring, and now you are about to come to the States on what is essentially your first solo tour.
GT: I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to it. I love communication with people, and I've gotten good at that. I've been doing solo shows, as well as stuff with Squeeze, for ten years. In that time I've come to relish the difference between playing with a band and playing by myself.
GS: In some cities you are sharing the bill with Warren Zevon and with Marshall Crenshaw in others. Is there any chance that you will join each other on stage for some songs or will they be two solo sets?
GT: ( Laughs ) I don't know. All I can say is that anything is possible. ... I like spontaneous things.
