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.
Early life Kakoulli was born in Deptford, South London to a Greek family.Down at the End of Only Street - "Forced into marriage by (Zena) Kakoulli’s tradition-minded Greek-immigrant parents" - retrieved 23 April 2026
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.
Kakoulli joined Squeeze in 1975, after the band had struggled on finding a bass player. 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; Kakoulli appears on the back cover of the album. His reason for departing Squeeze has never been made official, however the bands website previously claimed that he left "to pursue his disco muse".
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. From 1981 to 1982, he played in the band True Life Confessions, that included John Dummer from Darts.
Kakoulli is now a solo artist and producer, and has worked in making world music since the mid-1980s. He has produced albums for The Ukrainians, Jackie Leven, and Jocelyn Brown, and has worked with Sunny Ade and Talvin Singh, and claims to have released over two-thousand singles, five-hundred of those under his own label, HKO records. 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.
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.2014 John Bentley interview - retrieved 22 April 2026 One of Harri's favourite bass players was Rick Danko of The Band.
Personal life Kakoulli's younger sister was musician Koulla Kakoulli, who died in 2018. His brother-in-law is Peter Perrett, who has been married to his sister Xenoulla since 1970.
He now lives in Larnaca, Cyprus.
Discography
Albums YearTitleNotes1978SqueezeSqueeze album1979Cool for Cats1980Even When I'm NotSolo album1989The Legendary Lost AlbumEngland's Glory album1991The UkrainiansThe Ukrainians album / producer1992Pisni Iz the Smiths1994The Mystery of Love Is Greater than the Mystery of DeathJackie Leven album / engineerVoronyThe Ukrainians album / producer2000Turn on the HitsJocelyn Brown singer / composer2007Bliss Like GoldSolo album Source
Singles YearLabelA-sideB-side1980Oval records"I'm On A Rocket""I Wanna Stay"1983New 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
References