Harri Kakoulli
Harri Kakoulli | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Harry Kakoulli |
| Born | 17 December 1959 |
| Genres |
|
| Occupations | Musician, producer |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Formerly of | England's Glory, Squeeze |
Harri Kakoulli (born 17 December 1959), sometimes spelled Harry Kakoulli, is a British musician, best known for being the original bass player for Squeeze from 1975 to 1979.[1]
Early life
Kakoulli was born in Deptford, South London[2] to a Greek family.[3]
Career
In 1973, Kakoulli, his sister Zena, and Peter Perrett formed the band England's Glory together, and recorded an album that wasn't release upon completion, before disbanding in 1974.[4][5][6]
Kakoulli joined Squeeze in 1975, after the band had struggled on finding a bass player.[1][7] He played on the bands first two studio albums, and their first two big hit songs, "Cool for Cats" and "Up the Junction", both songs peaking at number 2 in the UK charts in 1979, however Kakoulli was fired and replaced by John Bentley in March 1979, before the release of either single and the Cool for Cats album;[1][8] Kakoulli appears on the back cover of the album.[9] His reason for departing Squeeze has never been made official, however the bands website previously claimed that he left "to pursue his disco muse".[10]
In 1980, he released his first solo album, Even When I'm Not; the album, mastered by George Peckham, is mostly-independent, apart from a few guitar and drum tracks by session musicians including Hamish Stuart and Kevin Armstrong.[11][12] From 1981 to 1982, he played in the band True Life Confessions, that included John Dummer from Darts.[13][14]
Kakoulli is now a solo artist and producer, and has worked in making world music since the mid-1980s.[15][16] He has produced albums for The Ukrainians, Jackie Leven, and Jocelyn Brown, and has worked with Sunny Ade and Talvin Singh,[17] and claims to have released over two-thousand singles, five-hundred of those under his own label, HKO records.[16] In 2014, he released a single, "Christmas Isn't Christmas Anymore", with the proceeds going to Freedom Dolls Initiative, a charity to support victims of trafficking.[18]
In a 2014 interview with John Bentley, his replacement in Squeeze, he said that Kakoulli came "out on top in my book" out of all of the bands former bass players.[19] One of Harri's favourite bass players was Rick Danko of The Band.[20]
Personal life
Kakoulli's younger sister was musician Koulla Kakoulli, who died in 2018.[21] His brother-in-law is Peter Perrett, who has been married to his sister Xenoulla since 1970.[21]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Squeeze | Squeeze album |
| 1979 | Cool for Cats | |
| 1980 | Even When I'm Not | Solo album |
| 1989 | The Legendary Lost Album | England's Glory album |
| 1991 | The Ukrainians | The Ukrainians album / producer |
| 1992 | Pisni Iz the Smiths | |
| 1994 | The Mystery of Love Is Greater than the Mystery of Death | Jackie Leven album / engineer |
| Vorony | The Ukrainians album / producer | |
| 2000 | Turn on the Hits | Jocelyn Brown singer / composer |
| 2007 | Bliss Like Gold | Solo album |
Source[11]
Singles
| Year | Label | A-side | B-side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Oval records | "I'm On A Rocket" | "I Wanna Stay" |
| 1983 | New York Connexion | "She's Mine" | "She's Mine In Dub" |
| Strut | "Sugar Daddy" | "Sugar Daddy (Dub)" | |
| "Lonely Boy" | "I Don't Need You Any More" |
Source[22]
References
- 1 2 3 "Harri Kakoulli – The Night Demons – Packet of Three". www.packetofthree.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "Song Of The Day 8/26/2016: Harry Kakoulli – "Stop Me, Nudge Me, Push Me" | Paul Pearson". Song Of The Day 8/26/2016. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Down at the End of Only Street - "Forced into marriage by (Zena) Kakoulli’s tradition-minded Greek-immigrant parents" - retrieved 23 April 2026
- ↑ Trimaximalist (2021-01-06). "The Only Ones -". Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "England's Glory Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & ..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "England's Glory - Legendary Lost Album gullbuy music review". www.gullbuy.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ paul.dunoyer. "Squeeze Interview". Paul Du Noyer | Music Book Author | NME Journalist | In the City: A Celebration of London Music | Liverpool: Wondrous Place | We All Shine On | Music Journalism | John Lennon | Liverpool Music and London Music. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "Squeeze Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | A..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Trimaximalist (2022-01-28). "Squeeze -". Retrieved 2026-04-30.
- ↑ Dominic, Serene (1999-02-04). "Suicide Squeeze". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- 1 2 "Harri Kakoulli Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
- ↑ Harry Kakoulli - Even When I'm Not, 1980, retrieved 2026-04-24
- ↑ Mercer, Mick (2025-06-03). "ON THIS DAY ... in 1982 - TRUE LIFE CONFESSIONS". Mick Mercer's Panache. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ Pfenninger, Leslie J. "True Life Confessions | On A&M Records". www.onamrecords.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "Harri Kakoulli". EthnoCloud. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- 1 2 kakoulli, harri. "harri kakoulli on about.me". about.me. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "About". Harri Kakoulli. 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "Christmas Isn't Christmas Anymore – Harri Kakoulli – Packet of Three". www.packetofthree.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ 2014 John Bentley interview - retrieved 22 April 2026
- ↑ "Squeeze's first biography – Packet of Three". www.packetofthree.com. Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- 1 2 snoeischaar (2018-08-11). "De grote onbekende Only Ones-zangeres is niet meer". De Kettingzaag (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-04-22.
- ↑ "Harry Kakoulli Discography". 45cat. Retrieved 2026-04-24.