Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Recording Week 25
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Prime Day music deals still live
  • Todd Rundgren's top 5 productions
  • Steve Porcaro
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Ozzy mix wisdom
Don't miss these
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders performs at The London Palladium on October 22, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Robin Little/Redferns for ABA)
Artists “A spontaneous and what I thought would be a fun thing”: Chrissie Hynde to release a new album of duets
Clem Burke, Ancienne Belgique (AB), Brussels, Belgium, November 1998
Drummers Clem Burke's 10 essential drum albums
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Birdy performs at the VIP Opening of the David Bowie Centre, V&A East Storehouse, on September 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse)
Singles And Albums Jeff Beck, Roxy Music and Miles Davis all make the list of David Bowie’s 15 favourite tracks
 John Fogerty (C) performs at The O2 Arena on May 29, 2023 in London, England.
Recording “I’m just an adventurer coming back to the homeland”: John Fogerty on the long struggle to own his songs again
David Byrne in a red suit and shirt on a blue background
Recording “One of the executives said, ‘David, you are your own Yoko Ono’”: David Byrne on alienating his audience
Ray Cooper
Artists Percussionist Ray Cooper tells the story of his ‘lost’ live collaboration with Elton John
NEW YORK: Todd Rundgren posed at a studio mixing desk in New York in 1974 (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
Artists “Sometimes it’s best not to meet your idols”: Todd Rundgren’s Top 5 favourite album productions
Rick Davies
Artists “I think a certain amount of friction is inevitable”: How Rick Davies described the conflict that ruined Supertramp
Richard Branson, 28 year old mastermind behind Virgin Music company. Seen here in his recording studio, The Townhouse in West London. In this set of 21 pictures , Richard is seen relaxing on his houseboat, going to work, in his recording studio The Townhouse in West London, and in the brand new Virgin Mega Store with some of the 3,000,000 worth of records and tapes in the background. Picture by Bill Rowntree, picture taken 4th July 1979. (Photo by Bill Rowntree/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
Music Industry Richard Branson says he was in the studio when Phil Collins was recording a legendary drum solo
Glenn Hughes
Artists “I’m not trying to alienate my audience!”: Glenn Hughes says he's still taking inspiration from David Bowie
Mark Knopfler
Artists Mark Knopfler on the Dire Straits song he's come to accept that he has to start in the same way every time
Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones accept the award for Album Of The Year: Public Vote for their album 'Blue & Lonesome'
Guitarists “He tried it when he came in and he said ‘I can’t do it as good as you, Ronnie. You get back on the drums.’”: When Charlie Watts ceded the drums to Ronnie Wood on a Stones track
Derek Trucks takes a slide solo on his Gibson SG as Tedeschi Trucks Band performs live at Madison Square Garden.
Artists Derek Trucks is one of the greatest slide players of all time – here’s how he decides when to use it
PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND - AUGUST 26: Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy performs at Victorious Festival 2023 at Southsea Common on August 26, 2023 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Rob Ball/Getty Images)
Artists “It’s pretty rancid!”: The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon isn’t a fan of modern pop music
Labi Siffre, The Prince's Trust Rock Gala 5 June 1987 Wembley Arena . (Photo by Solomon N’Jie/Getty Images)
Artists "I found myself in my studio sat down at the keyboard”: Labi Siffre on the origins of his biggest hit
  1. Artists

Squeeze’s Chris Difford: the 10 records that changed my life

News
By Matt Frost published 24 December 2017

Genius songwriter on his new solo boxset and top albums

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Chris To... The Mill

Chris To... The Mill

For over 40 years, Chris Difford’s sublime songwriting - both with Squeeze and as a solo artist - has dazzled the heart, minds and souls of successive generations of music fans, undoubtedly establishing him as one of the UK’s finest ever songsmiths.

The brand new Chris To… The Mill box set brings together all three of Difford’s three superb solo albums, I Didn’t Get Where I Am (2002), The Last Temptation Of Chris (2008) and Cashmere if You Can (2011) in addition to a bevy of unreleased bonus tracks and a DVD featuring live acoustic performances and an interview.

“I'm obviously very proud of the boxset. I think it's really well put together,” Chris tells us.

“I think Demon Records and Val Jennings have done an incredible job of putting it together. It looks beautiful: it's really great and it's inspiring. I'm hoping that Squeeze will get a boxset out, too, and I'll use some of the knowledge I’ve gained working on this, working on that."

Where did the idea to put a solo box set together come from?

"Well, I owe it all to my brother Lew Difford, who used to be in the music industry and actually ran Demon Records for many, many years,” explains Difford.

“He's my biggest fan and my biggest brother and he inspired the idea of putting a box set out, which I'd never thought about. It draws a line in the sand and it also opens up the door for chapter two, let's say.

“I have got a new album all ready to come out, which I'm really excited about. It's been in the works for a long time. Boo Hewerdine and myself have written the songs together over the last five years. It's called Not Only But Also and it will hopefully come out in April.”

Don't Miss

Squeeze's Chris Difford on songwriting with Glenn Tilbrook

Boo Hewerdine also co-wrote and produced Difford’s 2008’s The Last Temptation of Chris long-player, while the other two albums in the boxset were produced by Francis Dunnery (I Didn’t Get Where I Am) and Leo Abrahams (Cashmere if You Can) respectively. How did each of these three producers differ in terms of what they brought to the table?

“Well, I'm most at home working with Boo, I have to say,” Chris replies. “I think he's a very inspirational person who actually has a terrific sense of humour and that, in a way, makes one feel at ease when you're recording or you're writing. I think it's really important to have a sense of humour around you.

“Leo brought to the table his expertise of production, recording and his very skilled musicianship. He's got an incredible history and he did a really great job considering I don't think I was in a great headspace at the time.

“Francis Dunnery is just an all round genius really. I haven't seen him for many years and I haven't worked with him for many years but when I watch what he does and listen to him, I learn quite a lot about life. He's very inspirational."

So what does the remainder of 2017 have in store for Mr Difford?

"The rest of this year is Squeeze,” he explains.

“Squeeze is my main draw and I'm writing with Glenn [Tilbrook] as we speak, which is great and a different kind of inspiration. Squeeze really have been my life for 43 years. We've got a tour in the UK later in the year and one in America, and then we've got tours booked for next year, too, so there's really not a lot of space for my solo stuff… but that's absolutely fine. I've got the rest of my life to breathe that kind of stuff!”

Here, Chris takes you through 10 records that changed his life…

Chris To… The Mill is out now via Demon Music Group.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1. Carole King - Tapestry (1971)

1. Carole King - Tapestry (1971)

"It's an obvious one to pick but it was the first record that attached me to an emotional heartbeat. The more I listened to it, the more I found feelings which I'd never had.

“I was 16 when I first heard it and I really didn't know what feelings were but, through listening to that record, I kind of connected to an internal emotional clock. It started to tick and it connected me with so many albums that followed.”

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
2. The Who - Live At Leeds (1970)

2. The Who - Live At Leeds (1970)

"This was from around the same time because, when I got that record, I was doing my exams at school. It was a great diversion from exams and, consequently, I didn't really concentrate.

“All I did was listen to it and I decided that I wanted to be in a rock 'n' roll band and couldn't give a toss about doing the exams, so this album kind of unravelled a rebellious young man.

“I already liked The Who by that time - I liked Happy Jack and I liked the singles but, for me, there's nothing better than The Who playing live."

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
3. The Small Faces - Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (1968)

3. The Small Faces - Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake (1968)

"Again, this was a record that connected me with the idea of being in a band, but it was also a storytelling record and telling stories has always been an integral part of my life.

“I just loved the way it all wove itself together in a kind of mad way. It was like, 'Woah, yeah, if a band can do this, then I want to be in a band!'

“The Small Faces just seemed like a gang of lads that I wanted to be in. I just wanted to be in that gang and eventually I did have my own gang called Squeeze and, you know, that was pretty good!"

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
4. Tamla Motown Vol. I & 2

4. Tamla Motown Vol. I & 2

"They were records that just got me on the dancefloor and got me into a groove. I lived on a council estate and we all played Tamla Motown records all night long, and there was really no better collection than the Tamla Motown greatest hits packages.

"I’d say that my favourite single from that album would be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. A slow dance with skinheads dancing - loved it!"

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
5. Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972)

5. Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972)

"When I saw them on The Old Grey Whistle Test, I thought, 'God, this is a weird bunch!' I wasn't quite ready for it, to be honest. I thought, 'This is just very weird... I don't know what to do with this', but I listened to the song and I looked at Bryan Ferry, listened to his voice and I went and bought the record.

"I then became addicted to him and his writing style. His lyrics are just absolutely charming and deep, and had everything that I was looking for as a young writer. He's just really amazing."

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
6. Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Get Happy!! (1980)

6. Elvis Costello And The Attractions - Get Happy!! (1980)

"The reason I love this is because it was recorded in a couple of days, and it's got the same kind of vibe as Tamla Motown. It's full of enthusiasm and life, and lyrically it's a very inspirational record.

“When Elvis came along and I started listening to him, I just thought, 'God, I want to be able to write lyrics like that' and, when we eventually worked with him, it was one of the most inspirational times, because I knew I couldn't slack. I had to get all my lyrics really dead on. That was a pretty gifted time, really.”

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
7. David Bowie - Blackstar (2016)

7. David Bowie - Blackstar (2016)

"What I like about it is the fact that I didn't like it when it came out. I was kind of perplexed in a way. I didn't understand what the story was… and I'm his biggest fan.

“I suppose I should have listened to my instincts in some ways because he’d always been very good at tripping people up. When he sadly passed away and I listened to it again, it suddenly all made sense and I just thought, 'My God, what an incredibly brilliant record.'

“I think the fact that he was brave enough to go and try something completely different before leaving us is something else.”

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
8. Chris Wood - So Much To Defend (2017)

8. Chris Wood - So Much To Defend (2017)

"This is a new record that's just come out and... has it changed my life? Yes, I suppose it has changed my life in a way because it's come along at such a political time.

"I'm not a political writer but [Chris Wood] is brilliant at that. He is a genius lyricist and he can open up worlds that I certainly can't. That record couldn’t be more timely with the atmosphere as it is today… and it's kind of inspired me to think, 'Well, actually, even though I'm not a politician and I don't have political views particularly, I can maybe transmit somebody else's feelings in that way.'"

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
9. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971)

9. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East (1971)

"This is probably the best recorded live album of all time. Even when I put it on today, I just go, 'Oh my God, that sounds amazing!'

"They didn't have the technology in those days to record in the way that we do today but, bloody hell, it's just head and shoulders above any other live record that I know of. It's funny because we don't get many live records anymore, which I think says an awful lot about the way we are.

"I do remember when I first heard it. It was in my bedroom as a kid and I'd been on a bus up to London to buy it from HMV. In those days, when you were buying a record, you'd have to wait to get it home and play it. The anticipation was building all day long, which was always brilliant!"

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
10. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

10. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

"I have to include The Beatles and this is an odd choice, I guess, but it changed me in a lot of ways. At the time, I got to stay up late to watch it on TV, which was a big deal... and every song on it didn't disappoint.

"It was an extraordinary record. It just seemed like fun; it was absurd and I just wanted to be part of that. I wanted to be in The Beatles, basically!"

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Matt Frost
Read more
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders performs at The London Palladium on October 22, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Robin Little/Redferns for ABA)
“A spontaneous and what I thought would be a fun thing”: Chrissie Hynde to release a new album of duets
 
 
Clem Burke, Ancienne Belgique (AB), Brussels, Belgium, November 1998
Clem Burke's 10 essential drum albums
 
 
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Birdy performs at the VIP Opening of the David Bowie Centre, V&A East Storehouse, on September 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse)
Jeff Beck, Roxy Music and Miles Davis all make the list of David Bowie’s 15 favourite tracks
 
 
 John Fogerty (C) performs at The O2 Arena on May 29, 2023 in London, England.
“I’m just an adventurer coming back to the homeland”: John Fogerty on the long struggle to own his songs again
 
 
David Byrne in a red suit and shirt on a blue background
“One of the executives said, ‘David, you are your own Yoko Ono’”: David Byrne on alienating his audience
 
 
Ray Cooper
Percussionist Ray Cooper tells the story of his ‘lost’ live collaboration with Elton John
 
 
Latest in Artists
Jacob Collier
Jacob Collier says that the problem with using AI for music making is that “it’s almost too perfect”
 
 
Lars Ulrich of Metallica performs at Levi's Stadium on June 20, 2025 in Santa Clara, California.
"Stick with it. Focus…You've gotta put the time in”: Lars Ulrich’s advice to young artists
 
 
Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones accept the award for Album Of The Year: Public Vote for their album 'Blue & Lonesome'
“He tried it when he came in and he said ‘I can’t do it as good as you, Ronnie. You get back on the drums.’”: When Charlie Watts ceded the drums to Ronnie Wood on a Stones track
 
 
Bowie
How David Bowie created one of the greatest songs of all time
 
 
Gorillaz
“It's an arcane 18th century German form of rap”: The inside story of the Gorillaz classic Feel Good Inc.
 
 
Freddie Mercury in 1975
“Oh, we're Number One again! It almost got boring after a while”: Brian May and Roger Taylor on Queen’s masterpiece
 
 
Latest in News
hisong
Hisong's AirStudio S1 is a pocket-sized all-in-one recording solution for musicians on the move
 
 
yamaha
Steinberg rebrands hardware products under Yamaha and shifts focus exclusively to software
 
 
allen heath
Allen & Heath's Xone:K3 brings RGB backlighting, improved hardware and USB-C to its portable performance-oriented MIDI controller
 
 
Warm Audio's Tube Squealer is a greatest-hits of Tube Screamer circuits, three-in one, while the Throne Of Tone, the new dual-overdrive twofer from the Texan pedal company channels not one but two classic pedals, which in a way were both inspired by the classic Marshall "Bluesbreaker" amps used by Clapton back in his John Mayall days.
Warm Audio channels the greatest hits of classic overdrive with the regal Throne Of Tone dual-drive and the 3-in-1 Tone Squealer
 
 
A pair of Sennheiser HD 600 studio headphones on a yellow and orange background
With some astonishing discounts of up to $3,500 off, the Sweetwater Recording Sale is the place to pick up studio gear for less this Prime Day
 
 
Guns N' Roses
“There’s so much material at this point”: Slash says a new Guns N’ Roses album is coming
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...