In this episode of the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast, I sit down with Derek Shulman—founding vocalist/saxophonist of Gentle Giant, and later a hugely influential A&R/label executive who helped shape careers for artists as diverse as Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Dream Theater, Pantera, Slipknot, and more.
We talk about his remarkable memoir Giant Steps, a candid, moving, and often jaw-dropping account that reads like a film: from the early pop success of Simon Dupree & The Big Sound to the boundary-pushing heights of Gentle Giant, and then to “the other side of the desk,” steering some of rock’s biggest stories.
Grief, Grit, and a Musician’s Compass
The conversation begins with a devastating formative moment—Derek losing his father at 16. His dad was a gifted jazz musician, and the shock of that loss left what Derek calls “inoperable mental shrapnel,” shaping his anxieties and sharpening a lifelong determination. That same moment also gifted the Shulman brothers a powerful musical DNA and a moral compass that guided every decision that followed.
From Kites to Giants
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound: The Top of the Pops breakthrough with “Kites” arrives after hard-won road work and a surreal phone call mid-ferry crossing: “You’ve got a hit — Top 20 and rising.”
Elton John Before Elton John: A pre-stardom Reg Dwight deps on keys, evangelises Spirit and Zappa, and even auditions for the post-Simon Dupree project—Derek and Ray admire him but know they’re heading somewhere more experimental.
Forming Gentle Giant: With Kerry Minnear (Royal Academy-trained; composition and percussion), the band spins influences—classical rigor, bebop, soul/R&B, electric blues—into something strikingly new. “We didn’t have a ‘vision’ of Gentle Giant; we needed musicians who would push each other. Out dripped Gentle Giant.”
Studio Alchemy, Stage Adventure
Tony Visconti becomes mentor and co-conspirator; the band learns at the desk and produces Three Friends themselves.
Live, never literal: Tours are adventures where arrangements morph—not longer solos, but different architectures. “We wanted the audience to leave with smiles, not thinking they’d just seen an LSO recital.”
Octopus to In A Glass House: With brother Phil Shulman leaving, the band recalibrates into a fierce five-piece.
Derek shares a breaking news-level tease: he’s in the studio remixing In A Glass House using top-tier AI source separation. “I’m hearing things like it’s the first time — I don’t know how we did it.”
Business, Without the ‘Business’ Clichés
Derek’s pivot to executive life is singular: no drugs, no drink, no sleaze, just relentless artist focus. The industry tries to lure him with the usual traps; he declines and climbs anyway—on results.
Pantera: “Within three songs I knew. They had it.” He backs the live show; the rooms explode from 500 to 5,000 on word of mouth.
Bon Jovi: When Jon declares “I want to be bigger than Elvis,” Derek hears the same grammar-school certainty he once had. He introduces Desmond Child; the rest is history.
Rap & Gentle Giant: Hip-hop’s underground hears the polyrhythmic logic. Questlove tells Derek GG have “a ghetto pass,” and Travis Scott opens arena shows with “Proclamation.” The band’s reputation is bigger now than ever—without becoming their own tribute act.
On Legacy, Love, and Loyalty
Gentle Giant never sold out, never chased the obvious route, and—remarkably—its members kept faith with the music and with their partners. “We dedicated ourselves to the band and to our spouses,” says Derek. That integrity threads through Giant Steps and through this conversation: art, family, and purpose.
Giant Steps is one of the most compelling music autobiographies I’ve read—deeply human, sharply observed, and full of industry moments that could anchor an entire docuseries. From Top of the Pops and Tony Visconti to Monsters of Rock Moscow and the rebirth of legacy bands, it’s a panoramic view of how music actually happens—and how it survives.
This was one of my favourite interviews. Derek’s honesty about grief, creativity, leadership, and ethics is inspiring—and his news about the In A Glass House remix will have Gentle Giant fans buzzing. Massive thanks to Derek for his time and his candour.
Music is the healer and the doctor. Keep spinning those discs.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
