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Barefaced Lies and Boogie-Woogie Boasts
Jools Holland has had a fascinating life. From playing on bomb sites as a boy in the East End, to skiving off school and then selling millions of records with Squeeze, the first twenty years of his life were eventful, chaotic and colourful. Then came The Tube with Paula Yates, the seminal live music programme that propelled him to fame. Over the following three decades, Jools succeeded in placing himself at the epicentre of a global community comprising just about anybody who is anybody in music. Through Later with Jools Holland, the longest-running music programme on television, he has given British TV debuts to countless now world famous bands.Packed with hilarious anecdotes written in Holland’s own inimitable style and laced with quirky insights and deliciously acute detail, this autobiography by one of Britain’s most gifted and debonaire musicians is not just for music fans, but for anyone who is looking for something several cuts above the conventional showbiz memoir.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 1, 2025
Interesting, hilarious and really well written!!
March 17, 2023
When you get to read an autobiography of a performer you’ve admired (since the early days of Squeeze), and on reading the book you come away with an even better opinion of the person then I think you’ve read something special.
I’ve been a fan of Jools from Squeeze to his Later With show, and his big band, and reading his book was a real treat. A real pleasure.
Jools gave me many a good laugh throughout his book. What an informative book whilst retaining his character.
I couldn’t recommend more highly. Truly enjoyable.
You won’t be disappointed
I’ve been a fan of Jools from Squeeze to his Later With show, and his big band, and reading his book was a real treat. A real pleasure.
Jools gave me many a good laugh throughout his book. What an informative book whilst retaining his character.
I couldn’t recommend more highly. Truly enjoyable.
You won’t be disappointed
September 16, 2021
Wow! What a fab book! One from my husbands side of the bookshelf and which I am so glad I picked up when dusting. I like Jools Holland anyway and have seen many a New Year in with special friends & Jools on Hootenanny so was keen to read. What an interesting chap! What a life he has had so far since this book probably only goes up to 2005ish. There are so many interesting musicians that he has met and played with. An open and honest book with no airs and graces. Really enjoyed.
May 9, 2023
It does what it says in the title describing the serendipity and hardwork involved in the music and media business. He was there, played the piano and now can drop the names. It is a long list of known and lesser-known musicians and none the worse for that. I turned to Spotify, of course, and it does provide hours of surprise from working with so many varied stars.
They really did use Concorde in that way!
I would like to read an update.
They really did use Concorde in that way!
I would like to read an update.
September 1, 2019
Although of interest to fans of Holland and Squeeze and those interested in the music of the late ‘70s onward, I found the book quite pedestrian; a chronological narrative of the author’s life and music.
For a rock biography it seemed somewhat sanitised and failed to spark a desire to return to it.
For a rock biography it seemed somewhat sanitised and failed to spark a desire to return to it.
April 14, 2020
A rollicking good time. Reading this is like hanging out with Jools back in the day (or what I’d like to think). At the end, however, it runs out of steam, but maybe it’s because he is happy and content. Most of the autobiography bristles with electricity. Fun!
December 31, 2020
As someone who really likes Jools Holland, I was relieved to still like him after reading the book! I think it would be very enjoyable read to someone who is in the same generation as Jools as there are a lot of cultural references to the 60s-90s.
April 10, 2022
great stories
Lots of stuff you think you knew, not taking himself to seriously is one of Jools most endearing characteristics. Shame there’s no soundtrack to go with it.
Lots of stuff you think you knew, not taking himself to seriously is one of Jools most endearing characteristics. Shame there’s no soundtrack to go with it.
July 30, 2008
I first came across Jools Holland as the somewhat eccentric pianist with the wonderful Squeeze and later as the somewhat shambling presenter of the Tube. After he left Squeeze for the second time I saw him premiering his little Big Band before they grew into the Rhythm and Blues orchestra promoting their fist album on Wogan. ‘World of his Own’ was possibly my favourite record of that year and the ‘Full Compliment’ the next year was just that.
The little Big Band played Bradford’s Queens Hall, a fantastic old theatre, that May (badly promoted as Joolz Holland) and I secured a fantastic seat on the balcony. Unfortunately it was next to a couple of Jazz purists whom whooped and cheered throughout the support acts’ set. There brand of trad jazz left me cold and I expecting this couple to become even more animated and annoying during the headliners performance. But as I began to enjoy the set they began to look down on the mix of big band music and what they contemptuously considered ‘pop’ as Jools’ set began to take off. I think it was on ‘Lonesome Joe’ the band mixed the blues with an element of country music when my least favourite couple decided to leave in a huff. It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve ever attended and a couple of years later I enjoyed the full orchestra play the Leeds festival, where they gave a wonderful rendition of Count Bassie’s ‘Shake Rattle and Roll’. I couldn’t decide if it was the intimacy of the Queens or the distain of the jazz purists that made it the better gig.
On reading Jools biography his love of all music forms came across without any of the type of snobbery which stopped this couples enjoyment and as he paraphrases his own line ‘Never look down on anyone unless you’re helping them up’ (from the song ‘I, is all I Ever Hear’) I think I understood Jools’ appeal. A true gentleman and a good book to boot.
The little Big Band played Bradford’s Queens Hall, a fantastic old theatre, that May (badly promoted as Joolz Holland) and I secured a fantastic seat on the balcony. Unfortunately it was next to a couple of Jazz purists whom whooped and cheered throughout the support acts’ set. There brand of trad jazz left me cold and I expecting this couple to become even more animated and annoying during the headliners performance. But as I began to enjoy the set they began to look down on the mix of big band music and what they contemptuously considered ‘pop’ as Jools’ set began to take off. I think it was on ‘Lonesome Joe’ the band mixed the blues with an element of country music when my least favourite couple decided to leave in a huff. It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve ever attended and a couple of years later I enjoyed the full orchestra play the Leeds festival, where they gave a wonderful rendition of Count Bassie’s ‘Shake Rattle and Roll’. I couldn’t decide if it was the intimacy of the Queens or the distain of the jazz purists that made it the better gig.
On reading Jools biography his love of all music forms came across without any of the type of snobbery which stopped this couples enjoyment and as he paraphrases his own line ‘Never look down on anyone unless you’re helping them up’ (from the song ‘I, is all I Ever Hear’) I think I understood Jools’ appeal. A true gentleman and a good book to boot.
October 24, 2007
I don't know what l expected from this autobiography really. Jools has had an eventful life, often getting into things that he probably didn't expect to be doing. In the same way it was probably how l ended up reading his story. I should have been listening to his music but instead gave his writing a try.
The story not unexpectedly starts with his family and upbringing, taking us through his turbulent teen years and his discovery of his musical talent. In his 20s he was hurtled into a far more public persona by frequent TV appearances thanks to his hosting The Tube. So a lot of his fame was derived in this way rather than through his music.
One gets the distinct impression that he spent a lot of time thrust into this media role when all along he would have been happier writing and playing music.
It is an enjoyable enough read, in quite a matter of fact style. It is not brimming with celebrity stories except to put into sequence the twists and turns of his success. Finally he takes his bow as a good, honest and likeable musician probably better off letting his music do the talking.
The story not unexpectedly starts with his family and upbringing, taking us through his turbulent teen years and his discovery of his musical talent. In his 20s he was hurtled into a far more public persona by frequent TV appearances thanks to his hosting The Tube. So a lot of his fame was derived in this way rather than through his music.
One gets the distinct impression that he spent a lot of time thrust into this media role when all along he would have been happier writing and playing music.
It is an enjoyable enough read, in quite a matter of fact style. It is not brimming with celebrity stories except to put into sequence the twists and turns of his success. Finally he takes his bow as a good, honest and likeable musician probably better off letting his music do the talking.
October 25, 2008
I love Jools Holland's boogie-woogie Big Band stuff, and I knew he was the pianist in Squeeze back in the day, and that he had a music show on TV in the UK now, but I'd no idea how big a phenomenon he really was or exactly how long and varied his career had been, or what he'd been doing in the long periods between appearances in my life.
This book was really interesting, and much funnier than I expected. When I've seen Jools on TV, he's been showcasing other musicians, and sometimes playing with them, rather than talking -- he's a musician, not a chat show host, after all -- so his sly wit and self-deprecating style surprised me and made me laugh at least once a chapter.
A good biography gives you a glimpse not just into the subject's life, but into his times, and this is a good biography. Well, autobiography. Thanks, Jools; you've got me intrigued and wondering how I can get my hands on your other books.
This book was really interesting, and much funnier than I expected. When I've seen Jools on TV, he's been showcasing other musicians, and sometimes playing with them, rather than talking -- he's a musician, not a chat show host, after all -- so his sly wit and self-deprecating style surprised me and made me laugh at least once a chapter.
A good biography gives you a glimpse not just into the subject's life, but into his times, and this is a good biography. Well, autobiography. Thanks, Jools; you've got me intrigued and wondering how I can get my hands on your other books.
August 29, 2011
Na 'We need to talk about Kevin' nood aan iets luchthartigers...
Het feit dat ik relatief lang over dit boek gedaan heb, heeft niets te maken met de kwaliteit ervan. Het is een leuk overzicht van Jools Hollands leven tot nu toe. Best wel rock-'n-roll met momenten! Mijn idee over de man is trouwens niet aangetast: hij lijkt me nog steeds een heel aardig, liefhebbend individu. Het feit dat hij zoveel Bekende Mensen kent, en met hen heeft samengespeeld, en hen dus ook vernoemd in zijn boek, komt helemaal niet opschepperig over. Net omdat hij - net zoals tijdens zijn concerten - met heel veel respect en warmte en liefde over hen schrijft.
Afijn, ik ga niet zeggen dat dit hoogstaande literatuur is, maar het geeft wel een mooi beeld van een goede muzikant en een toffe vent.
Het feit dat ik relatief lang over dit boek gedaan heb, heeft niets te maken met de kwaliteit ervan. Het is een leuk overzicht van Jools Hollands leven tot nu toe. Best wel rock-'n-roll met momenten! Mijn idee over de man is trouwens niet aangetast: hij lijkt me nog steeds een heel aardig, liefhebbend individu. Het feit dat hij zoveel Bekende Mensen kent, en met hen heeft samengespeeld, en hen dus ook vernoemd in zijn boek, komt helemaal niet opschepperig over. Net omdat hij - net zoals tijdens zijn concerten - met heel veel respect en warmte en liefde over hen schrijft.
Afijn, ik ga niet zeggen dat dit hoogstaande literatuur is, maar het geeft wel een mooi beeld van een goede muzikant en een toffe vent.
September 1, 2012
For a man who was in Squeeze and has met some of the greatest rock and rollers of all time I expected more. It was like, "Well I met Morrissey... blah, blah, blah, and them.... snore. Surely somebody could have told him he was making really exciting anecdotes really boring. And boy, he does have some good anecdote. It is his style really. It is like, 'then this happened. Oh well. And then this happened.'
August 8, 2014
A genuinely enjoyable book, even though I didn't know much about Jools Holland before reading other than the fact that he had been a member of Squeeze. He's a great storyteller, and even though I'm not terribly into music myself, reading about his enthusiasm was more than enough to keep me interested and entertained all the way through.
February 5, 2016
I like music. There , its that simple. Books about music always interest me . Some are good, some are bad , some are just stories of cocaine addiction. Now , if only the DJ's on the radio would talk about the music they play....ah, dreams. I'll stick with the books for now, I should have thought about the concept of talking about the music when I was younger. Might have made a career out of it.
March 16, 2012
Probably 3 and a half stars... interesting biography of a very interesting life. Interesting subtexts as well... the subtle shift from working class origins to rubbing shoulders with both rock 'n roll and regular royalty. It's cool for cats.
January 21, 2014
An homely nostalgic read. Jools is too nice to really dish the dirt, so it's all a little pal-ly, but a good read nonetheless.
How he got into music and especially jazz in his childhood was particularly interesting.
Nice short chapters for a non - reader such as I helped!
How he got into music and especially jazz in his childhood was particularly interesting.
Nice short chapters for a non - reader such as I helped!
July 28, 2011
Great story - from a living legend.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews