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)
Love For $ale
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the heavy tread of the heavy feet
That belong to a lonesome cop
I open shop.
When the moon so long has been gazing down
On the wayward ways of this wayward town.
That her smile becomes a smirk,
I go to work.
Love for sale,
Appetising young love for sale.
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled,
Love that's only slightly soiled,
Love for sale.
Who will buy?
Who would like to sample my supply?
Who's prepared to pay the price,
For a trip to paradise?
Love for sale
Let the poets pipe of love
in their childish way,
I know every type of love
Better far than they.
If you want the thrill of love,
I've been through the mill of love;
Old love, new love
Every love but true love
Love for sale.
Appetizing young love for sale.
If you want to buy my wares.
Follow me and climb the stairs
Love for sale.
Love for sale.
The song Love For Sale by Jamie Cullum is a jazz standard filled with irony and commentary on the commodification of love. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of a town where the only sound is the heavy footsteps of a lonesome cop, and the moon watches over the town's wayward ways with a smirk. It is in this atmosphere that the singer, metaphorically, opens shop to sell love. The love he is selling is described as "fresh and still unspoiled" but also "only slightly soiled," conveying the idea that love has become just another commodity to be bought and sold. The singer asks who will buy his wares and who is prepared to pay the price for a trip to paradise, but we can infer that this paradise is temporary and fleeting.
The lyrics take a critical view of love, portraying it as something that can be purchased and consumed, with no regard for the emotional connection that should be the foundation of any relationship. The second verse is particularly biting, as the singer states that he knows "every type of love better far than they" in reference to the poets who pipe of love in their childish way. The singer claims to have been through the mill of love and experienced every love but true love, suggesting that the love he is selling is nothing more than a cheap imitation.
Line by Line Meaning
When the only sound in the empty street,
The singer describes a solitary street, void of any sound except for the distinct thump of a lone police officer.
Is the heavy tread of the heavy feet
The officer trudges heavily down the empty street with a uniformity that implies his loneliness.
That belong to a lonesome cop
With the heavy sound of the cop's footsteps as the only sound on the street, the singer implies that the officer is as lonely as the street is empty.
I open shop.
The artist is metaphorically opening 'shop', possibly with the intention of vending love.
When the moon so long has been gazing down
After the moon has been a constant witness to the wayward behavior in the town.
On the wayward ways of this wayward town.
In this town that is replete with errant behaviors and actions
That her smile becomes a smirk,
When the moon's smile reflects upon the town's waywardness, it becomes deranged and twisted, taking on a scornful appearance.
I go to work.
The artist sees this as a signal to commence with selling love.
Appetising young love for sale.
The artist is offering love for purchase, utilising the adjective 'appetizing' to imply the desirability of this love.
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled,
The artist is describing love which is untarnished and new.
Love that's only slightly soiled,
As an extended metaphor, the singer implies that love is a physical substance. Here, the offered love is only slightly 'soiled', meaning it's only barely sullied.
Love for sale.
The love being offered is up for sale.
Who will buy?
The singer poses the question of who will purchase the offered love.
Who would like to sample my supply?
The singer is asking if there are people interested in testing out the quality of their goods before making a purchase.
Who's prepared to pay the price,
The singer seeks individuals who are willing to pay the required amount in exchange for love.
For a trip to paradise?
There's a subtle implication that this love will transport the purchaser to a paradise-like state in their life.
Let the poets pipe of love
The artist instructs the poets to express their conceptions of love in their own simplified way.
in their childish way,
The singer goes on to imply that these conceptions are reductive and overly simplistic.
I know every type of love
The singer asserts their experience in regard to love in general.
Better far than they.
The artist claims their grasp of love far exceeds that of the poets.
If you want the thrill of love,
If the listener is looking for the excitement that comes with love.
I've been through the mill of love;
The artist has experienced love to the point of having been put through the metaphorical 'mill'.
Old love, new love
The singer then lists different variations of love.
Every love but true love
Except for that one truthful and genuine love, which the artist somehow hasn't yet experienced.
Love for sale.
The song ends the way it began, with an invitation to buy the singer's love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER, RODNEY HYLTON SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adam Lee
One of the most perfectly swung bass lines I've ever heard! I'm addicted to this song! Amazing musicianship from Jamie, as always!
Perry Weiner
@***** Rather literal-minded of you. It's a Cole Porter song from the 'thirties to be sung by a prostitute with much sarcasm. "...love that's only slightly soiled...old love, new love, every love but true love" Also, a good, cerebral take on the whole profession by one who plies it.
Adam Lee
@***** Pretty sure it's not Jamie's song haha - it's a jazz standard! :)
Adam Lee
@***** I'm right here haha!
Erratum
I can't get over this bass groove
Molnár Ferenc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDWgtB_MD24
Jesús Torres
When the live version is as good as the studio version, or even better, you know that the artist is GREAT!
Audrey Molliet
i really love what you lads are doing! Let you continue to have success and make another tour in Switzerland! Thank you for bringing me amazing music.
Ieva Lukina
Absolutely fantastic piano solo!
Zaria
amazing, as usuall. love your voice !! so talented.