Hi everyone and welcome to the final Squire newsletter of the year.
First of all, thank you to everyone who sent, and continue to send messages of condolence and comments on social media. It has really helped to frame Kevin's musical legacy for his family who miss him so much. We would normally reflect on the passing year in this pre-Christmas newsletter, and we'll do just that, but we also want to take the time to celebrate Kevin's crucial contribution to the music.
A while back, we shared a newsletter focused on his drumming influences which you can still read here.
We will be posting some special clips of songs throughout the season, ringing the bells so to speak, and celebrating the breadth of music we made together. There are so many recordings, and so many more unreleased recordings that we will dig into to honour the legacy.
Meanwhile, we want to give you something special to mark the moment. Kevin's first recordings were the demos we made together as ‘The Numbers’, featuring songs that later appeared on the "Get Ready To Go" and "The Fan Club" albums. His last Squire release was the September Gurls mono 12-inch, which really underlined the breadth of his playing. Every song captured the maturity in the rhythm, the assuredness in each performance. The drum intros to every song on the record - from “Debbie Jones”, "Boys Don't Lie", "Can You Tell Me When” etc., simple, straight forward, understated and totally characterful.
Just compare these later songs to the dynamism and fearlessness of the early recordings on ‘Get Ready To Go’! For example, ”Left Behind" - that hi-hat break on the last verse alone is worth buying the album for! There's the Merseybeat groove of “Sniff Some Glue”, the ska feel of “Tesco music", and the tom roll in "I Know A Girl" on The Fan Club album! Not forgetting the jewel in the crown; Side Two of The Fan Club album recorded in Swindon in 1982! As All Music Guide wrote: "...If you can imagine the first Beatles album slammed through the sound of classic Flamin' Groovies, with all the wide-eyed enthusiasm and tunefulness that it implies, you'll be close to capturing the sheer joy of Squire" - Dave Thompson - All Music Guide.
As an end of year special, you can have all three albums for £30 with free postage too (in UK only)! Already have one? Pass a copy to a friend! Let's remember together the great moments and put a smile on our faces during this challenging time.
Looking back over the year reveals a fascinating story of returning to our roots. Having spent a busy 2023 celebrating the Get Smart 40th Anniversary, going on tour with Secret Affair, and playing our own dates in Brighton and Blackpool, this year seemed to capture Squire in a quieter mood. But actually, the opposite seemed to be true - we had a busy year of a different kind! We started the year with the final Secret Affair tour date, had our own ‘homecoming’ gigs, two Mods Mayday concerts, James rejoining so we became a 4-piece, and then the release of the long lost September Gurls Mono mix to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the 1984 original!
So we thought it might be interesting to take a look back through the lens of which newsletters resonated most with you in 2024. I’ll also share a little behind-the-scenes insight into what we learnt from each post.
For transparency, this ranking is based on total newsletter view counts, including those from email opens (where most of you catch up with our newsletters), and facebook links to our web page hosting all the newsletters.
Stay tuned as we count down your favourites—and relive some of the moments from the year!
#1 - Tribute to Kevin
Of course this tragic post was the most recent and most read. Its impossible to come to terms with the loss, as family, and as a Squire fan. Kevin was a huge Squire fan as well. As co-founder and driving force, he was insistent that the band should always continue to ‘make great music’ and keep the spirit of Squire alive.
#2 - Boys Dont Lie!
This was a big surprise! Following the release of September Gurls, we started a series looking at each song on the record and the influences behind it. We had already featured Debbie Jones, discussed the Big Star connection and launched the mono record release newsletter, yet this was the newsletter that captured the imagination and had most reads! It seemed to resonate with Shoes fans, and power-pop fans from all over.
#3 - We’re Back In Black
The first newsletter of the year always finds Squire fans in a hungry for news mood! We not only launched the final black vinyl release of the single series, ‘The Place I Used To Live’, but outlined upcoming live dates and introduced a new member of the guitar family - a black DeArmond Jetstar guitar! There is a huge cohort of Squire followers who love guitar posts and this did not disappoint! The guitar shape is unusual but has an eclectic heritage. Indeed, a later post ‘Going Blonde’ about the yellow guitars was just outside the Top 5, and ‘Rickenbacker’ from August 2021 was back in the Top 10! We’ll feature some interesting ‘guitars and gear’ newsletters in the upcoming series.
#4 - Mod To The Core
This is a perennial favourite subject. Anything that discusses the Mod Revival or has ‘Mod’ in the title line is sure to pick up a lot of interest! But this newsletter was very special. It was a ‘homecoming’ warm up gig in Haslemere to debut the expanded 4-piece power pop line up that bought James back on stage on guitar! It was also, though we didn’t realise the poignancy of the occasion a chance for Kevin to rejoin Squire in his home town and meet all together, for the first, and sadly, last time. Indeed every line up of Squire was in the room that night! It was a remarkable moment.
#5 - Rare Records
Another favourite subject! Squire fans are also record collectors and can be found discussing rare records as much as the Mod Revival, concerts, and up-and-coming bands! Indeed, we are honoured that our followers are such passionate music fans, always eager to share discoveries, swap stories, and keep the spirit of the music alive. It’s this enthusiasm that inspires us to keep digging into the archives and share new releases with you. And we did this time when we discovered a box of original 1982 No Time Tomorrow 7 inch records! Even though we mentioned it at the very end of the newsletter, many of you read to the end and ordered the record!
Thank you again for all your support this year. We wish you a Merry Christmas & New Year.
