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)
Lookin good
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can win the admiration, of the common population
You can be a star, as long as you're lookin' good
If you have made the main connection, you can win the next election,
Don't care who you are, just leave them mesmerized,
Give their eyes a picture to play with
And you will be so surprised, at just how much you can get away with
Let that be your main credential, you'll get treatment preferential
It's a rule, you're essentially higher-class,
Remember you can't look back
As long as you're lookin' good
You can tell the world to shove it, show 'em crap and make 'em love it
Oh! you can run their life, as long as you're lookin' good
They'll believe you'll walk on water,
Even trust you with their daughter, or sometimes even their wife,
Don't have to know a thing, just look like you're a sensation,
Don't need to dance or sing to get that standing ovation
As long as you're lookin' good
You can show up late for dinner, play the saint, or play the sinner
A lank, a crank, a rank beginner, or just look fab,
Remember you can't look back, as long as you're lookin' good
Long as you're soundin' good
Long as you're lookin' good
The song "Lookin" by Jamie Cullum is a satirical take on society's obsession with appearances and the belief that looking good is the key to success. The lyrics suggest that in today's world, it doesn't matter what you do or how skilled you are as long as you look good. The song touches upon various aspects of life where looks are considered more important than substance. It highlights how people are more inclined to trust and admire someone who looks good as opposed to someone who may possess actual talent.
One of the verses in the song suggests that politicians can win elections solely based on their appearance. The lyrics say that if you have made the right connections and look good, you can win the next election. The song also suggests that people who look good can get away with a lot more than those who do not. The line "And you will be so surprised, at just how much you can get away with, As long as you're lookin' good" suggests that good looks can be leveraged to manipulate and deceive others.
The song further suggests that looking good is not just limited to physical appearance but also other aspects of life. For instance, one line says, "You can show up late for dinner, play the saint or play the sinner" as long as you look good. The lyrics poke fun at the superficial nature of society and highlight how people are more concerned with appearances rather than substance.
Line by Line Meaning
As long as you're lookin' good
If you maintain a pleasing appearance, you can win the favor of the masses and become famous or even successful in politics.
You can win the admiration, of the common population
People are easily swayed by physical appearances, and you can win their approval and admiration by looking good.
You can be a star, as long as you're lookin' good
Your physical appearance is often more important than your talent or skills when it comes to achieving fame and celebrity status.
If you have made the main connection, you can win the next election,
Having a good appearance is often more important than your qualifications, experience, or policies when it comes to winning elections.
Don't care who you are, just leave them mesmerized,
As long as you make a powerful visual impact, it doesn't matter who you are, people will be mesmerized and attracted to you.
Give their eyes a picture to play with
Humans are visual creatures, and a captivating physical appearance can easily capture and hold people's attention.
And you will be so surprised, at just how much you can get away with
Having a good appearance can help you get away with more, even if you lack other important qualities or skills.
Let that be your main credential, you'll get treatment preferential
Having a good appearance can be your main credential, and it can help you get preferential treatment in many areas of life.
It's a rule, you're essentially higher-class,
Society tends to respect and value people with good appearances, and they are often seen as belonging to a higher social class.
Remember you can't look back
Once you have a reputation based on your appearance, it's hard to change it, so you must maintain it at all times.
You can tell the world to shove it, show 'em crap and make 'em love it
With a good appearance, you can make people love and accept things that are not necessarily of high quality or value.
Oh! you can run their life, as long as you're lookin' good
In many cases, people are willing to let others with good appearances run their lives or influence their decisions.
They'll believe you'll walk on water,
People often place a lot of trust and faith in individuals who have a good appearance, even if they lack other important qualities or skills.
Even trust you with their daughter, or sometimes even their wife,
Having a good appearance can make people trust you with their loved ones, even if they don't know you well or you don't have a good track record.
Don't have to know a thing, just look like you're a sensation,
You don't necessarily need any talent, knowledge, or skills to be successful as long as your appearance makes you look like a sensation.
Don't need to dance or sing to get that standing ovation
People will often give you praise and admiration even if you don't have any real talents or skills, as long as your appearance makes you seem impressive.
You can show up late for dinner, play the saint, or play the sinner
Your appearance can help you get away with many things, including being tardy or behaving in ways that are not expected or acceptable.
A lank, a crank, a rank beginner, or just look fab,
Your appearance can make up for many shortcomings or limitations, and it can help you achieve success or popularity even if you are not particularly talented or skilled.
Long as you're soundin' good
While having a good appearance is important, having good skills or talents can also help you achieve success and recognition.
Long as you're lookin' good
Your physical appearance is often a key factor in how you are perceived and treated by others, and it can help you achieve success in many areas of life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CHERYL PARKER, JOACIM BO PERSSON, MARYANNE VERONICA MORGAN, NICLAS AAKE MOLINDER, PAR OLOF ANKARBERG, SARA ELIZABETH ANN EKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind