Some Fantastic Place is the tenth studio album by the British new wave group Squeeze, released in 1993 by A&M Records. Their first album since the departure of original Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis, it features Pete Thomas and the brief return of keyboardist/vocalist Paul Carrack, who had previously appeared on East Side Story (1981). "Loving You Tonight" became only the second Squeeze song cut in thirteen years to feature Carrack singing a lead part. Additionally, bassist Keith Wilkinson wrote and sang "True Colours (The Storm)", the first song on a Squeeze album not written by Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford, Jools Holland, or any combination of those three.
The album features a pop rock style and was produced by Squeeze and Peter Smith. Recorded in Tilbrook's recently built personal studios, the recording sessions involved a larger deal of debate concerning song structures, which the band said helped contribute towards the album's passionate sound. Unusually, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford wrote songs together rather than apart, which they suggested helped revitalise their working relationship. The album was released to critical acclaim, and the title track remains Difford and Tilbrook's favourite Squeeze song. The album reached number 26 in the UK Albums Chart.
Background
A&M Records had dropped Squeeze following the commercial disappointment of Frank (1989), and they subsequently signed to Reprise Records for the release of Play (1991). However, the album was another sales failure and the band, who were then dropped again and subsequently resigned to A&M for Some Fantastic Place.
Squeeze, at the time consisting of songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook and bassist Keith Wilkinson, originally intended to record Some Fantastic Place as a trio with the addition of programmed drum and keyboard instruments, but ultimately opted to add several members. When the band were rehearsing for Some Fantastic Place, Difford suggested the band readmit Carrack into the band, which they put "to the test". Difford later said "it's worked out marvellously."
Meanwhile, the band line-up was completed by drummer Pete Thomas, previously of Elvis Costello's backing band The Attractions.
Writing and recording
Some Fantastic Place marked another change for the band, in that Difford and Tilbrook, who typically write lyrics and music separately (with Difford usually giving Tilbook completed lyrics to write the music for), went for a relatively simplistic approach, sitting down together and writing the majority of the album as a team. The duo credited this approach with revitalising their working relationship, bringing about a "big jump" in their creativity level. Tilbrook commented: "It was like discovering a new partnership, because suddenly we were able to bounce ideas back and forth off each other."
Tilbrook had recently built a recording studio near his London home, so the band visited the studio everyday, both rehearsing and recording the record there. featuring the band's signature pop rock sound, as exemplified throughout the record with songs as varied as the melodic power pop of "Third Rail" and blue-eyed soul of "Loving You Tonight".
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"Third Rail" was released as a single ahead of the album on 12 July 1993, reaching number 39 in the UK Singles Chart, A&M Records released Some Fantastic Place on 14 September 1993, where it was a modest hit, reaching number 26 on the UK Albums Chart. As of 1996, Some Fantastic Place had sold 67,800 copies.
Some Fantastic Place was released to positive reviews from music critics. Trouser Press criticised the writing, finding too many songs to talk of romantic break-ups, but nonetheless felt the album was "lively and unpretentious." Elton John bought twenty copies of the album for his numerous homes and cars. The album's title track remains one of the band's favourite Squeeze songs.