Famed for big hits including Up The Junction, Cool For Cats and Another Nail In My Heart, the band got back together again last year for US and UK tours.

Since then they've started to pick up the awards they simply didn't get first time round.

As Squeeze bassist John Bentley, who lives in East Preston, says, Squeeze are seeming to be more popular than ever.

"It's just phenomenal, the amount of publicity. (Squeeze frontmen)
Chris (Difford) and Glenn (Tilbrook) are starting to get the awards now. They are now getting the acknowledgement for their talents as writers - acknowledgement they didn't get at all first time round.

"They have already jointly had Ivors just recently. And they are getting another one now, a Silver Clef. I think they are probably a bit surprised, but they are obviously really happy."

The point is that Squeeze are back - with a vengeance. As John says, they seem to be on the radio pretty much every time he turns it on.

Last summer for the first time in years Squeeze did a US tour followed by a UK tour. Now a number of dates are falling into place for this summer, staring off with an appearance at Chichester's Real Ale and
Jazz Festival this Saturday (July 12).

After that, they'll be off to the States again in August for another tour, kicking off in Washington DC, followed by dates in Toronto, Cleveland, St Louis, Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle before finishing the tour at New York's prestigious Radio City Music Hall.

"I very much enjoy the States," John says. "I wouldn't say it is so very different to playing over here, but it is different. You know what the Americans are like about England and our history. They look upon us as a bit of history. We are almost iconic over there.

"But actually it's getting more like that over here as well. People like to see us as a bit of their past. They remember what they were doing when they first heard Up The Junction."

But the good news is that John, who recently released the solo album The Man Who Never Was, feels that Squeeze are playing the classics better now than they ever did then.

They deliver very much a greatest hits package - though there is talk of new material at some stage.

"But basically it is all the old hits but we try to do them justice in a way that we never did before. Everyone is more grown up as people and the technology is so much improved now."


Chichester's Real Ale And Jazz Festival lines up as: Wednesday, July 9 -From The Jam; Thursday, July 10 - 10cc; Friday, July 11 - The Spirit FM Party Night featuring Bad Manners, The Beat and Django; and Saturday, July 12 - Squeeze. In the afternoon on Saturday, the Festival offers Jazz in the Park featuring The Jazz Smugglers. Tickets via www.chichester-rajf.com.