It’s not like Top of the Pops...
AS LATER... WITH JOOLS HOLLAND CELEBRATES 30 YEARS, THE MUSICIAN AND PRESENTER TALKS ABOUT THE SHOW’S ENDURING APPEAL WITH
FOR Jools Holland, frank conversations begin in his dressing room.
With an upright piano and a cup of tea for company, the music impresario fondly describes his favoured instrument as a “friendly piece of furniture” to find yourself in the presence of.
“It puts people at their ease somehow,” reflects the presenter, former Squeeze member and renowned jazz pianist.
Describing the “magical moments” that regularly take place inside the confines of its four walls, the intimate conversations that ensue before cameras begin rolling are among the most priceless for Jools.
With the new series of Later... with Jools Holland once again returning to North London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre, it’s mention of the show’s former home, at BBC Television Centre, that sees the pre-show memories come flooding back.
“It was like a cross between a 1960s hotel, a KGB interrogation room and a showbiz dressing room,” recalls Jools with a smile.
“It had an upright piano, a little desk, there was sort of 60s furniture – and a kettle, so you could have people round and have a cup of tea.
“It was amazing some of the things that would happen there; people wandering in and out – and the piano was what enabled it.
“That gave them the confidence the show was going to be alright.”
Regularly framed behind the instantly recognisable silhouette of a black Yamaha grand piano, it’s a work of art Jools, 64, describes as the “unsung star of the show”.
“It’s as much part of it as I am,” admits the multi-platinum selling artist.
Entering its 60th series and marking 30 years since Later...with Jools Holland first graced our screens, fans can now look forward to three months of musical celebrations.
It is a series which has already featured the likes of indie acts Arctic Monkeys, south London native Loyle Carner, and pop phenomenon Self Esteem.
With celebrations culminating in the 30th Annual Hootenanny, it is Jools’ 30th Birthday Bash, a one-off live recorded special at London’s Eventim Apollo, that is undoubtedly the highlight. Mirroring the 25th Anniversary event which took place London’s Royal Albert Hall, the televised special will bring together a host of artists from across the musical spectrum.
“Keeping all the musicians in the room at the same time is quite difficult,” laughs Jools, who describes his constant battle to stop them “wandering off”.
It conjures a merry image as he describes how the musicians are arranged in a circle and present throughout all performances.
“It’s not like Top Of The Pops where you’re hearing the most popular things. But you’re hearing, hopefully, a reflection of the most interesting things,” says Jools, reflecting on the show’s wider concept.
“I think ours is the only place where the worlds collide. John Lydon with Bruce Johnston, Sheryl Crow and PJ Harvey – there’s just people that you wouldn’t ever normally put together.”
The music industry has changed significantly in the 40 years since Jools graced television screens as part of Channel 4 show The Tube.
Launched in November 1982, the musician took to the stage alongside the likes of Paula Yates and Leslie Ash. Forming part of a wave of shows that shaped modern music television, the series acted as the launchpad for Jools’ now stratospheric career.
Ensuing years saw the ipod transform music consumption, Bluetooth and 5G internet allow for music access on-the-go, while platforms such as Youtube and Spotify beckoned in the streaming revoluat
tion. It is a landscape dominated by technology, yet the “essence” of music remains the same according to Jools.
“When you get a person with a guitar, harmonica, piano, or singing their song, telling their truth, that part, I don’t think, has changed for a long time, for thousands of years.
“When the programme started, I imagined that in 2022 we’d all be travelling on monorails and having antimatter pod transfers, where you just sit in a big tube and you’d be in New York in 30 seconds flat and all that... But the future is never quite the same as how we imagine it.”
Reflecting on the changing dynamics of the music industry, conversation warps into something of a history lesson. Discussing shrinking attention spans and the dominating power of music streaming services, Jools explains how today’s listening habits have become more aligned with those of the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries.
“In those centuries, there would have been people like me who were just going around getting people going – in either the tavern or in the marketplace or playing for the court when they had a dance...
“But nobody knows what they sounded like, so they’ve all been forgotten about,” says Jools.
Journeying through to the introduction of singles pressed onto 78 rpm vinyl records – “people were selling millions” – and the invention of lengthier albums during the 1940s, Jools says even the dawn of the CD proved a high earning era for recording artists.
“Then suddenly, streaming comes along, downloading and all that, and it all sort of falls off a cliff,” admits Jools.
“That’s all very well, but it leads the poor musicians back to where they were at the turn of the century.
“Where people don’t really have the same attention span, they’re hearing one side at a time and the live gig is where the action is. We’re sort of back to square one a bit here.”
Defiantly labelling music a “magical thing” – “the more you look, the more you’ll experience,” says Jools – the jazz pianist is keen to emphasise the unique power live music holds.
“The algorithm is the big thing nowadays. It’s alright, but what that’s doing is pointing you in the direction of the same thing you’ve listened to.
“On our show, you’ll have some things you listen to and then, others you weren’t listening to – say reggae music comes on [and] you’ll go ‘well, I quite like that’.”
The timeless appeal of Later... is undoubtedly its ability to effortlessly meld genres. Collaboration and mutual appreciation at the fore, the effortless blend of cultures and sounds acts as a modern day jukebox for those disregarding the aforementioned algorithm.
“Although it might not be immediately obvious to people, what we’re trying to do is to have a mix of some great pop stars today, a great legend of yesteryear, and a new artist and some people from the world we don’t normally see – music genres like folk music or jazz music or reggae or whatever.
“That idea would only survive really, on the good old BBC.”