RETRO C TROP 2026

The meeting of The B-52s could be described as a stroke of fate. After sharing some strong alcoholic beverages at a Chinese restaurant in Georgia, vocalist Cindy Wilson and her older brother guitarist Ricky joined vocalist Kate Pierson, original drummer and percussionist Keith Strickland and vocalist Fred Schneider in an impromptu musical jam. Shortly after they played their first gig as a unit at a friend's Valentine's Day party.

The band's managed to gain crucial backing from record labels in the early days partially helped by the strength of their debut single 'Rock Lobster' which charted worldwide. In 1979 The B-52's signed contracts with Warner Bros. Records for North America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand; and with Island Records for the UK, Europe, and Asia.

The debut self titled album went on to chart within the top 30 of the UK charts and top 60 in the US, a moderate success for a new artist. The next album 'Wild Planet' spawned three top 5 US dance chart hits and increased the band's chart peaks around the world. On October 12, 1985 Ricky Wilson died from the illness HIV/AIDS at the age of 32 with his other bandmates unaware he was even suffering from the disease. With Cindy Wilson devastated by her brother's death, and her bandmates too being depressed about Ricky's passing, the band went into seclusion and did not tour to promote their album nor the group, prompting a hiatus from their musical careers.

They reformed in 1989 with the 'Cosmic Thing' album which included a number of hit worldwide singles, including their biggest US Billboard hit 'Love Shack'. In 1990 the B-52's were nominated for 4 MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year. They won two awards, Best Group Video and Best Art Direction. Their tour schedule has been consistent throughout their career.

Originally formed in 1974 by Chris Difford who advertised for a guitarist in a local sweet shop, guitar player Glenn Tilbrook was the only respondent and subsequently joined. Keyboard player Jools Holland and drummer Paul Gunn arrived shortly afterwards and the group began playing the pub rock circuit under the monikers Captain Trundlow’s Sky Company and Skyco. The name Squeeze was later decided upon, chosen as a tribute to The Velvet Underground’s 1973 album of the same name. Bassist Harry Kakoulli was added in 1976 at the same time Gunn was replaced by former Chuck Berry drummer Gilson Lavis.

Squeeze released their debut EP “Packet of Three” in 1977 on Deptford Fun City Records, after which the group secured a record deal with A&M Records. With much of their initial output discredited by label execs, Squeeze’s debut self-titled album didn’t prove to be the best representation of their early material upon release in 1978. The group’s 1979 sophomore release “Cool for Cats” was a much more cohesive sound and spawned a pair of No. 2 singles “Cool for Cats” and “Up the Junction”. Subsequently the EP “6 Squeeze Songs Crammed into One Ten-Inch Record” was issued in late 1979, after which Kakoulli was fired from the group and replaced by John Bentley.

“Argybargy” appeared in 1980 representing a modest U.S. breakthrough, spawning the singles “Another Nail in My Heart” and “Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)”. Proficient pianist Jools Holland departed the group after the release wishing to pursue a boogie-woogie aesthetic and was replaced by the extolled Paul Carrack, formerly of Ace. Produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, Squeeze’s fourth full-length “East Side Story” was critically acclaimed, peaking at No. 44 on the Billboard 200. The group continued to release a string of albums across the 1980s, following a short hiatus, including “Sweets from a Stranger”, “Difford & Tilbrook”, “Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti”, “Babylon and On” and “Frank”, raising Squeeze’s reputation as one of the respected live bands in the UK.

The live album “A Round & a Bout” arrived in 1990, after which, with contributions from sessions musicians Steve Nieve, Bruce Hornsby, and Matt Irving, the group issued the full-length “Play” in 1991. With little label backing the album performed poorly, and following the record drummer Lavis went to play in Jools Hollands’ big band. The record “Some Fantastic Place” was released in 1993, debuting at No. 26 in the UK, followed by “Ridiculous” in 1995, and the compilations “Piccadilly Collections” and “Excess Moderation”. Having completed their contractual obligations to A&M, Squeeze signed with independent Quixotic Records for their 1998 studio release “Domino”.