FEELING THE SQUEEZE.

Byline: FRED SHUSTER

>MUSIC WRITER

Everybody seems to be a Squeeze fan.

The band's best-known songs -- "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," "Black Coffee in Bed," "Hourglass," "Take Me, I'm Yours" -- continue to be mainstays of VH1 and new-wave pop radio formats like Jack-FM. The group's soulful "Tempted" from 1981 has been used in video games, movies and commercials for Gap, Burger King and, most recently, Heineken. Lily Allen even covers a Squeeze tune in her live set.

Now, after an eight-year campaign by fans urging them to reunite, the main men of Squeeze, songwriting partners Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, are together for a series of dates that take in stops tonight at the Grove of Anaheim and Monday at the Greek Theatre (admitted Squeeze-ophiles Fountains of Wayne open both shows). This time around, Squeeze also includes John Bentley, the bassist who played on the early-'80s albums "Argybargy," "Sweets From a Stranger" and "East Side Story," which was co-produced by Elvis Costello.

We reached Squeeze lyricist Difford at his home in the U.K. seaside city of Brighton.

You've played the Greek before.

Actually, when I saw it on the concert schedule I was a bit nervous. It's a big venue. But we have a long history with Los Angeles. We recorded an album there in the early '90s. KROQ was one of the first stations to play us. New York may be our second home, but L.A.'s always been one of our favorite places to play in the States.

A lot of '80s bands can't draw large crowds today.

I think the difference is, we never had an image to maintain. We just wrote songs and played them and never made a big to-do about it. We weren't known for our clothes or haircuts or bad behavior. Maybe that's why it holds up somehow.

Brighton has a thriving club-music scene. Do you like any of it?

I don't pay any attention to it. It's for young people. Fashions in music come and go. I listen to your L.A. station KCRW on the Internet all over the house all day.

Is it strange that fans have campaigned for Squeeze to reunite in the years since you broke up?

I imagine the fact we broke up is what made people take notice. Someone else has said that you hang around for ages and no one seems to care. Then you break up, and everyone is suddenly interested and wants you back.

"Tempted" has had an unusually long shelf life, especially in commercials.

A lot of it came down to what (former Squeeze singer) Paul Carrack did with it. He made it a real blue-eyed soul number. If it had been up to me, it would never have turned out that way. I'm glad it wasn't up to me.

Fred Shuster [phone]

[e-mail]

SQUEEZE

>Where: Grove of Anaheim, 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim.

>When: 7:30 tonight (and Monday at the Greek Theatre).

>How much: $35 to $65. [phone], www.ticketmaster.com.