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)
Next Year Baby
Jamie Cullum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things are gonna change
Gonna drink less beer
And start all over again
Gonna read more books
Gonna keep up with the news
Gonna learn how to cook
Gonna pay my bills on time
File my mail away, everyday
Only drink the finest wine
And call my gran every Sunday
Well resolutions
Well baby they come and go
Will I do any of these things?
The answer's probably no
But if there's one thing, I must do
Despite my greatest fears
I'm gonna say to you
How I've felt all of these years
Next year
Next year
I'm gonna tell you how I feel
I'm gonna tell you how I feel
Well, resolutions
Baby they come and go
Will I do any of these things?
The answer's probably no
But if there's one thing, I must do
Despite my greatest fears
I'm gonna say to you
How I've felt all of these years
Next year
Next year
Next year
The lyrics to Jamie Cullum's song Next Year Baby reflect the idea of making resolutions for the new year and the desire to make positive changes. The singer mentions a variety of things he wants to change, such as drinking less beer, reading more books, learning how to cook, and being better with money. He also wants to be more responsible with mundane tasks like paying bills and filing his mail, but also wants to improve his relationships by calling his grandmother every Sunday and expressing his emotions more honestly to someone he cares about.
However, despite his well-intentioned plans, the singer acknowledges the likelihood of failing to follow through on them. He admits that resolutions can come and go, and the answer to whether he will actually achieve his goals is "probably no." Nevertheless, the one thing he must do, despite his fears, is to confess his true feelings to someone. The repetition of "next year" at the end of the song suggests that he aims to make these changes in the coming year.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of optimism and hope for self-improvement, with an honest recognition of the difficult journey toward achieving those goals. The theme of expressing one's emotions and being authentic is also emphasized, suggesting that the ultimate goal of self-improvement is not just personal growth, but also deeper connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Next year
In the upcoming year
Things are gonna change
There will be some transformations
Gonna drink less beer
I will reduce my beer consumption
And start all over again
I will begin anew
Gonna read more books
I will make time for more reading
Gonna keep up with the news
I will stay updated with current affairs
Gonna learn how to cook
I will pick up some culinary skills
And spend less money on shoes
I will cut down on shoe expenses
Gonna pay my bills on time
I will make timely bill payments
File my mail away, everyday
I will sort and store my mails daily
Only drink the finest wine
I will only consume high-quality wine
And call my gran every Sunday
I will make it a point to speak with my grandmother every Sunday
Well resolutions
Making resolutions
Well baby they come and go
They are often fleeting
Will I do any of these things?
Am I capable of keeping these resolutions?
The answer's probably no
The chances of keeping them long-term are slim
But if there's one thing, I must do
Regardless, there is one commitment I need to make
Despite my greatest fears
Even though I am afraid
I'm gonna say to you
I will express to you
How I've felt all of these years
The emotions I have been holding back for years
I'm gonna tell you how I feel
I will reveal my true feelings to you
Next year
In the upcoming year
Next year
In the upcoming year
Next year
In the upcoming year
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMIE CULLUM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind