Sqeezer

For such a feisty dance-pop outfit, Sqeezer had an unexpectedly tragic background. Jim Reeves, a German producer and occasional rapper, had formed Sqeezer in the mid-'90s as an outlet for both his slick, harmony-fueled populist house and the overriding belief in songs as vehicles for female vocalists. Initially, the band was styled around Yvonne Spath, as heard on 1995's debut "Scandy Randy" (sample lyric: "Scandy Randy/I'm gonna call you for my handy Randy"), and later for longtime replacement Lori Stern. However, in 1997, after a number of hit records, only a few months after taking over from the band's original stage-dancer, new member Marc Thevan was found in a small forest after a successful suicide attempt. Disturbingly, the remaining members and the band's management were also later allegedly blamed in Thevan's final note. Nevertheless, the band continued on and continued with few explicit changes. The simple lyrics and doo-wop summer lust remained in subsequent singles and 1998's sophomore LP Streetlife, and when the band re-emerged after a two-year absence, they had become a trio again, having added Heidi Goldstein to the band's lineup. ~ Dean Carlson