Cullum was born in Romford, East London. He was brought up in Hullavington, Wiltshire, and educated at the independent fee-paying Grittleton House School and the sixth form at Sheldon School. He then went on to study English Literature, and minored in Film Studies, at Reading University where he graduated with First Class Honours.
His mother, Yvonne, is a secretary of Anglo-Burmese origin, whose family settled in Wales after Burma's independence; his father, John Cullum, worked in finance. His paternal grandfather was a British Army officer, while his paternal grandmother was a Jewish refugee from Prussia who sang in Berlin nightclubs.
Cullum married British model Sophie Dahl at a country hotel in the New Forest National Park in England on 9 January 2010.
Cullum released his first album, Jamie Cullum Trio—Heard it All, in 1999, of which 500 copies were made. Due to their rarity, original copies have sold for as much as £600 on eBay. The success of Heard It All Before resulted in Cullum being invited to appear on Geoff Gascoyne's album Songs of the Summer.
After graduating from Reading University, Cullum released a best-selling album, Pointless Nostalgic, which stirred interest from Michael Parkinson[2] and Melvyn Bragg.
Just after Cullum made his first television appearance, on Parkinson in April 2003, he signed a £1m contract[3] for three albums with Universal, who beat Sony in a bidding war. Cullum's third album, Twentysomething, released in October 2003, went platinum and became the #1 selling studio album by a jazz artist in the United Kingdom. Cullum ended 2003 as the UK's biggest selling jazz artist of all time.[3]
Although primarily a jazz musician, he performs in a wide range of styles and is generally regarded as a "crossover" artist with his musical roots firmly based in jazz. Cullum draws his inspiration from many different musicians and listens to an eclectic mix of music from Miles Davis[4] to Tom Waits and many more. Cullum has belonged to several bands, ranging from banging drums in a hip hop group to playing guitar in rock bands such as Raw Sausage and The Mystery Machine, in his teenage youth. Cullum names his elder brother, Ben Cullum, as his biggest musical influence, and the two continue to collaborate extensively.
Cullum is well known not only for his abilities on the piano, but also for his unique entertainment style and charisma. One of the many things that features in Jamie's concerts is the "stompbox" (not to be confused with an effect pedal for guitars), made from a small wooden block. The stompbox is used to amplify a musician's tapping foot. Jamie found this in Australia and uses it to enhance upbeat and fast-paced songs such as Seven Nation Army originally by the White Stripes and "Gold Digger", originally by Kanye West. He is also often found using a looping machine. This plays a heavy part in Cullum's versions of Seven Nation Army and Teardrop by Massive Attack. Cullum is also often found beatboxing at most gigs.
As well as the White Stripes and Kanye West, Cullum has performed work by Massive Attack, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Radiohead, Gnarls Barkley, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Joy Division, Lady Gaga and many others. He has also performed with Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, Will.i.am and Burt Bacharach.
Cullum rarely works to a set list and on average his gigs last just over two hours. The gigs are largely improvised, rooted in jazz but not solely consisting of jazz music.
Cullum has played at many large music festivals, including Glastonbury Festival (in 2004 & 2009), Coachella 2005, 2006 South by Southwest, North Sea Jazz Festival, the Hollywood Bowl (performing with the Count Basie Orchestra) and the 2006 Playboy Jazz Festival. On the April 29th 2006 Cullum played his biggest ever crowd on Queensday in The Netherlands.
Discography:
1999 - Heard It All Before
2001 - Pointless Nostalgic
2003 - Twentysomething
2005 - Catching Tales
2009 - The Pursuit
2010 - Devil May Care
2013 - Momentum
2014 - Interlude
2018 - The song society playlist
2019 - Taller
2020 - The pianoman at christmas
2021 - The pianoman at christmas (The complete edition)
Frontin'
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you ain't looking at no other dudes cause you love me
(I'm sorry but, so sexy)
So you think about a chance
You find yourself trying to do my dance
Maybe cause you love me (Uh, you do it well)
So then we tried, ain't feeling this love now
Because you weren't used to how fast we touched (fast we touched)
And I was gon' tear ya ass up (tear ya ass up)
I know that I'm carrying on, never mind if I'm showing off
I was just frontin' (you know I want ya babe)
I'm ready to bet it all, unless you don't care at all
But you know I want ya (you should stop frontin' babe)
Trying to be the best girlfriend you could be
But still you sneak and look at me, and girl I love it
Then you give your other girl a shove
Tell her you gon' palm her ass like it was
And she's gon love it (whoa-oh whoa, yeah yeah)
So then we tried, ain't feeling this love now
Because you weren't used to how fast we touched (fast we touched)
Then we locked eyes, and I knew I was in there
And I was gon' tear ya ass up (tear ya ass up)
I know that I'm carrying on, never mind if I'm showing off
I was just frontin' (you know I want ya babe)
I'm ready to bet it all, unless you don't care at all
But you know I want ya (you should stop frontin' babe)
We got another one Pha-real
Dance, ooh ooh
I call you Pha-real cause you the truest, ha ha, Young!
Whoa-oh, oh oh
Uh, yeah
Dance, ooh ooh
Yeah, lemme talk to em
Whoa-oh, oh oh
I'm a keep it real
Every time your name was brought up
I would act all nonchalant in front of an audience
Like if you was just another shorty I put the naughty on
But uh, truth be told you do me for a loop, this Hov
I'm too old to be frontin' when I'm feeling Denzel
And you acting like you ain't appealing but you are
Stunting like you ain't my only girl but you are (I was just frontin')
I'm ready to stop when you are
I know that I'm carrying on, never mind if I'm showing off
I was just frontin' (you know I want ya babe)
I'm ready to bet it all, unless you don't care at all
But you know I want ya (you should stop frontin' babe)
Dance, ooh ooh
Whoa-oh, oh oh
Dance, ooh ooh
Whoa-oh, oh oh
The song "Frontin'" by Jamie Cullum is about a man who knows that he is the only guy his lover is interested in. He acknowledges that he might come across as arrogant or conceited, but it's the truth that his lover is only looking at him because she loves him. He then goes onto say that he knows she wants him because she tries to copy his dance moves and looks at him when she thinks no one is watching. He admits that they tried to be lovers before but it didn't work out because she wasn't used to the fast-paced chemistry they had. However, despite their past, they both know they want each other and should stop frontin' or pretending that they don't care.
The song is about confidence and being confident in one's relationship. It's also about not being afraid to show off and be proud of what you've got. Cullum sings about the importance of being honest with oneself about how they feel, regardless of what others may say or think. The lyrics ooze an innate sensuality, with the mention of a lover trying to copy dance moves and sneakily looking at the singer. The use of the phrase "tear ya ass up" adds to the sexual tension and suggests that things could get wild between the two.
· The song was initially recorded by producer Pharrell Williams featuring rapper Jay-Z. Jamie Cullum did a jazz interpretation of the song, which became a hit as well.
· The song was released in 2003 and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.
· The song was covered by the Jonas Brothers on their 2008 album "A Little Bit Longer."
· It was used as the theme song for the reality TV series "Meet the Barkers."
· "Frontin'" won two awards at the 2004 Ivor Novello Awards: Best Song and Best Selling UK Single.
· The song was listed at number 50 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s."
· It was also featured in the soundtrack of the 2005 film "The Perfect Man."
· "Frontin'" was certified silver in the UK and gold in the US.
· The song employs jazz elements, with Cullum's soulful vocals and piano playing adding to the overall vibe.
· The lyrics of the song are sometimes interpreted to be about being fake or fronting in a relationship, while others see it as being about being proud of the relationship and showing off to others.
Chords: The chords are Cm, Ab, and Fm throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wanna sound full of myself or rude
I don't want to come across narcissistic or impolite
But you ain't looking at no other dudes cause you love me
You're not interested in any other guys because you're enamored with me
(I'm sorry but, so sexy)
(I apologize, but I find myself incredibly attractive)
So you think about a chance
You contemplate the opportunity to be with me
You find yourself trying to do my dance
You attempt to emulate my movements
Maybe cause you love me (Uh, you do it well)
Perhaps it's because you're so enamored with me, and you perform the dance quite skillfully
So then we tried, ain't feeling this love now
We experimented with a relationship, but the intensity dwindled as time passed
Because you weren't used to how fast we touched (fast we touched)
The speed at which we became physical was overwhelming to you
Then we locked eyes, and I knew I was in there
We made eye contact, and I knew I had you captivated
And I was gon' tear ya ass up (tear ya ass up)
I was going to passionately and enthusiastically engage in sexual activity with you
I know that I'm carrying on, never mind if I'm showing off
I'm aware that I'm acting in an exaggerated manner, even if it looks like I'm trying to impress you
I was just frontin' (you know I want ya babe)
I was pretending or acting as if I wasn't interested in you, even though you know that I am
I'm ready to bet it all, unless you don't care at all
I'm willing to gamble everything, unless you're indifferent about me altogether
But you know I want ya (you should stop frontin' babe)
But you understand that I desire you, and you should stop pretending otherwise
Trying to be the best girlfriend you could be
You're attempting to be the finest girlfriend you can be
But still you sneak and look at me, and girl I love it
However, you still sneak glances at me, and I find it endearing
Then you give your other girl a shove
You give your female acquaintances a nudge to indicate that you're taken
Tell her you gon' palm her ass like it was
You joke with your friends that you'll grab their rear end as if you were romantically involved
And she's gon love it (whoa-oh whoa, yeah yeah)
And they would find it amusing or flattering
I call you Pha-real cause you the truest
I nickname you 'Pha-real' because you're authentic
I'm a keep it real
I'm going to be straightforward with you
Every time your name was brought up
Whenever someone mentioned your name
I would act all nonchalant in front of an audience
I would pretend to be carefree in front of others
Like if you was just another shorty I put the naughty on
As if you were just another girl I had a casual sexual encounter with
But uh, truth be told you do me for a loop, this Hov
But the truth is, you've caught me off guard and have thrown me for a loop
I'm too old to be frontin' when I'm feeling Denzel
I'm too mature to pretend I'm not interested when I feel as confident as Denzel Washington
And you acting like you ain't appealing but you are
You behave as if you're not attractive, but you are
Stunting like you ain't my only girl but you are
Pretending as if you're not my sole romantic interest, but you actually are
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams, Shawn Carter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind