FEATURE:
Saluting an Iconic Music Show:
Later…with Jools Holland at Thirty
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I hope this show…
gets written about ahead of its thirtieth anniversary on 8th October. One of the longest-running music T.V. shows ever, Later…with Jools Holland has featured some real legends through the years! At a time when there are really no other music shows around, it is essential that we keep Jools Holland’s Later… continuing strong! He features a mix of newer artists and established greats. It is quite simple in the sense you get live performances and interviews. Holland, always an enthusiastic presenter, still has that passion for the show after nearly three decades. On 18th October, the BBC turns one hundred. As part of their BBC 100, they highlighted the incredible Later…with Jools Holland:
“The first edition of Later... with Jools Holland aired on 8 October 1992. It featured The Neville Brothers, The Christians and D-Influence. Each week several bands from across the spectrum of popular music crammed into the studio, and performed live. It began life as one strand of the arts magazine The Late Show, but outlived and outgrew it, and is still going strong 20 years later.
Jools Holland was a musician who had proved to be a natural presenter on Channel 4's pioneering music show The Tube. He brought his relaxed style to Later, either accompanying the guests on boogie-woogie piano, or leading everybody in a loose jam at the start of the show. Producer Mark Cooper ensured that the programme featured a wide range of musical styles, writing "it is not intended to be rock or chart orientated, although we do hope to feature some mainstream artists".
Later... with Jools Holland
Later has added an extra show on Tuesday evenings in 2008, broadcast live after the recording of the main programme, which goes out on Friday. Every New Year the programme celebrates Jools's Annual Hootenanny, which has become an institution and Later... continues to bring familiar and unfamiliar sounds to its loyal audience”.
On 5th October, there is a special event being filmed at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo to mark thirty years of the wonderful Later…with Jools Holland. Although tickets have already gone on sale, here are some more details:
“30 years, 60 series and over 450 episodes since it all began back on 8th October 1992, Later… with Jools Holland at 30 shifts to the iconic Eventim Apollo in West London for one night only, to be broadcast later this year.
The special line-up, which will be kept under wraps until the night, will include a typically exciting blend of artists from different eras and musical worlds who have appeared on the show over the years as well as one or two newer acts in line with the tradition of the show. They all will give us an unforgettable evening of live performances, interviews and musical magic, all steered as ever by Jools himself.
Jools says: "It’s unbelievable that this year sees my show reach its thirtieth birthday. It’s a testament to the great power of music that we are still going strong , and are now the longest running international music show on earth . I’m delighted and honoured that we’re going to celebrate this monumental milestone with a special one off event in the fabulous Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, the scene of so many legendary musical moments”.
If you have never watched the show, you can catch up and get information about the legendary Later…with Jools Holland. I have been watching the show since the ‘00s, and it has been wonderful watching it evolve. Seeing all the terrific artists who have appeared on it. Maybe my favourite group who have been on it are The White Stripes. One of the jewels in the BBC crown, let’s hope the series runs for decades more. It is useful to be able to see some of the most interesting and promising new artists perform live. Aside from streamed gigs, there is no way for people to get a taste of an artist this way. It seems so odd that, at a time when there is so much great music around, that there is only really one music T.V. show on. Some might say the Internet and social media negates the need for this type of show. I would disagree. This article from 2021 salutes Later…with Jools Holland, but it also highlights how Holland has brought in artists from all walks of life:
“Holland’s upbringing was a pivotal step towards his global success, his upbringing brought him the pleasures of sociability, as his grandparents often hosted a variety of different people venturing in and out of his house. Musicians of all kinds would come and go due to his uncle being in a semi-professional band known as The Planets. Jools’ uncle was actually the person to teach him the iconic Boogie Woogie on the piano, which has become Jools trademark song on the piano. Holland explains his upbringing and his sociability skills have been critical in his line of work, allowing him to build rapport with many different types of people when out on the road, and when conversing with a diverse range of artists when presenting his shows.
Moreover, as a bandleader, Jools tries to pass on the same family values that he grew up with: help people, hang on to your sense of humour, be tolerant, and keep your judgments to yourself. Skills that have established Jools as one of the most well-respected musicians and host of musicians in Europe.
His magical fingers and wonderful presenting skills make him the man we all know today, but there is a lot more to the man than what lies behind the piano. Jools was an original member of the band Squeeze playing on the keys. Squeeze were incredibly successful during the 1970s and 80s, and achieved millions of record sales. Following his exit from the band, Jools pursued a solo career. Jools Holland worked with many artists, including some of the biggest names in music history. Artists such as Sting, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Magazine, and Bono, all whilst hosting an array of the most incredible talent all over the world on his prestigious shows”.
Watching live performances and having a show that brims and overflows with passion is so important. It would be a shame if T.V. stations ignored the need for even more shows like this. There is such an opportunity. I have included a few videos in this feature. A selection of performances on Later…with Jools Holland, it is a phenomenal achievement to make it to thirty! It goes to show that there is a willing and dedicated audience. People discover new music and artists through Later…with Jools Holland. On 8th October, 1992, this brand-new music show came onto the BBC. Not knowing how it would fare and how long it would last, it has gone on to become one of the BBC’s most popular series! Thirty years on and it is still going strong. As we look ahead to its thirtieth anniversary, we give thanks to Jools Holland the amazing crew and team behind it. Such a wonderful and must-watch music T.V. show, I hope that it carries on…
FOR many more years.