I woke up this morning with Eddie Floyd's "634-5789" soul song going around my head. Better than a hangover, that's for sure. Last night he and a few others performed on Later with Jools Holland for the annual Hootenanny New Year's Eve show on the BBC.

Rather than go out, which is what we were planning to do, Dave and I stayed in for New Year's. A very kind and generous friend had given us tickets to go out to see a few bands play at the Carling Academy Oxford and we ungraciously didn't show up. Very naughty indeed. Hopefully he's still talking to us.

So, we settled for a couple bottles of bubbly and the TV instead. Later with Jools was pretty good. Of course, the show isn't filmed live, which is a bit of a let down, but it's still fun to watch.

After Jools Holland arrived to the Land of the Hootenanny via Dr. Who's Tardis (sounds crazy, I know) "Boogie Woogie Queen" Ruby Turner opened the show with "Jumpin' at the Jubilee" along with Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Soul legend Eddie Floyd followed with "634-5789". I used to sing that song in a band called Soul Wagon...crikey...about 15 years ago. The band was only together a couple of months, but that's another story.

Other guest performers on the show included Kaiser Chiefs, Lulu, Madness, Duffy, Kate Nash, Kylie Minogue, Seasick Steve, Mika and Paul McCartney. Jools also spoke to a few guests in the audience like Lenny Henry, Dawn French, David Tennant, Formula One's Bernie Ecclestone, Gabby Logan and more.

Duffy performed a superb cover of the Cat Stevens song, "The First Cut Is The Deepest". I've mentioned on several occasions, here on Band Weblogs, how much I like Duffy and that she's the cat's meow. Jools and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra accompanied Duffy, for her classy rendition of "The First Cut Is The Deepest", which could easily be released as a single. Duffy's been on Later with Jools two times now - sometimes she reminds me of Lulu, who Jools will often perform with, so it's apropos that he would seem to be enamored with her.

Speaking of Lulu, she sounded great, as always, singing "Where Have All The Good Guys Gone". It would have been good to see her sing more songs, though.

Kylie Minogue was the star of the night. For her first number, Jools reminded viewers of Kylie's recent stint on Dr. Who before she vamped it up with "Come On Strong". She spent the song being sultry, sitting on the piano and singing, whilst Jools played along with the band.

The other "big star of the night" was Paul McCartney. Who would have thought that one day Sir Paul McCartney and Kylie Minogue would be introduced together for a duet? That they were, and they sang Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight". Later, Kylie performed "2 Hearts" from her album 'X', with Dr. Who's David Tennant dancing along in the audience. She also sang a jazzed up lounge version of her hit song "I Could Be So Lucky" with Jools Holland on piano.

The Duffy and Eddie Floyd "Bring It On Home To Me" duet was a treat and Mika performed "Grace Kelly", playing the piano - as I had first heard him play the song for his debut on Later with Jools Holland about a year ago. This time he played along with the Jools Rhythm and Blues Orchestra. It's too bad the song gets so overplayed on the radio, because I really liked it the first time I heard it. Especially the stripped down piano version.

There were many more performances throughout the night and if you missed the Hootenanny on the BBC, luckily the Later with Jools Holland website has added video footage of the complete show.

For some reason, Ruby Turner doesn't have a section on the Hootenanny page. Hopefully they'll add one soon. In the meantime, you can go to Ruby Turner Official Website for more information about her.

Watch Hootenanny videos from Later with Jools Holland

Later with Jools Holland BBC Website

By: Jenny May - Band Weblogs

Jools Holland shows what friends are for as he releases his twelfth studio album in as many years on 15 October, 2007 on Rhino. Entitled 'Best Of Friends' this album is a personal collection of some of Jools Holland's best loved and most memorable tracks from his collaborations over his last six albums.

Featuring world class artists from across the musical spectrum, 'Best Of Friends' sees Jools join forces with legends and luminaries of the music industry, including giants such as Bono ("If You Wear That Velvet Dress"), Sting ("Seventh Son"), Tom Jones ("Think"), Chrissie Hynde ("Out Of This World") and a cover of "I Put a Spell on You" with Mica Paris and David Gilmour, whose distinctive guitar style gives the song an entirely different tangent.

The album also features a brand new remix of the track "Horse To The Water" with vocals provided by the great George Harrison. Co-written with his son Dhani this is one of the last songs George ever wrote. Jools described the experience by saying: "George Harrison is one of the true giants of popular music. This was probably the orchestra's greatest honour of all, to back George on a brand new song that he had written".

Contemporary collaborations featured on the album include Norah Jones ("In The Dark"), The Stereophonics ("First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"), India Arie singing of her home state with "Georgia On My Mind" and KT Tunstall, who lends her rich vocals to "Darkness on the Face of the Earth."

In addition to previously released material, the album contains two brand new recordings with soul songstress Ruby Turner ("To Love A Child") and the ever delightful Lulu on "Where Have All The Good Guys Gone?", both of whom will appear with Jools on the forthcoming Autumn tour.

Other highlights of the album include tracks such as "Snowflake Boogie" with the late Edwin Starr, "Oranges And Lemons Again" with Madness lead singer Suggs, and "Mabel" with soul and country music pioneer Solomon Burke and guest appearance by guitar maestro Eric Clapton.

The CD also comes with a bonus DVD that contains real gems for established and new fans alike with footage taken from the recording sessions across the Jools & Friends albums. This includes an exceptional, previously unreleased, 49-minute long documentary, which features an extensive interview with Jools, cut with exclusive footage documenting the creation of songs on "Best Of...Friends", with stars from the album such as Sting, Bono, KT Tunstall, Solomon Burke, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Lulu and Edwin Starr, not to mention people like Shane MacGowan, Ronnie Wood, Sugababes and Robert Plant also making an appearance. The bonus DVD also contains a selection of music videos and an interview with former Squeeze drummer and long time Jools collaborator, Gilson Lavis.

This spectacular collection of Jools' best loved collaborations will follow his first ever autobiography which is released through Penguin Books on 4th October. 'Bare Faced Lies And Boogie Woogie Boasts' is a marvellously witty memoir by Britain's most popular pianist and bandleader.

Jools Holland has had a fascinating life. From playing on bombsites as a boy in south-east London, to skiving off school and then rocketing to international success with Squeeze, the first twenty years of his life were eventful, chaotic and colourful.

From playing pubs in the East End docks as a teenage greaser, presenting The Tube and Later With Jools Holland, to leading his rhythm & blues orchestra and selling millions of records this century, it is his passion for music that has made Jools Holland into a doyen of the music scene and it is passion which suffuses the pages of this fascinating and delightful autobiography.

Watch video footage from Jools Holland's new CD/DVD:

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Coinciding with the release of 'Best Of Friends' Jools will embark on a 32-date UK tour. Kicking off on the 26th October, Jools Holland, performing with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, will tour the UK with special guest Lulu and will play two dates at London's Royal Albert Hall. See below for full list of dates.

Jools Holland - 'Best Of Friends' Tracklisting:

CD 1

1) Tuxedo Junction
2) Where Have All The Good Guys Gone? with Lulu
3) Out Of This World with Chrissie Hynde
4) Snowflake Boogie (2007 remix) with Edwin Starr
5) In The Dark with Norah Jones
6) Horse To The Water (2007 remix) with George Harrison
7) To Love A Child with Ruby Turner
Enjoy Yourself with Prince Buster
9) First Time Ever I Saw Your Face with Stereophonics
10) Seventh Son with Sting
11) Just To Be Home With You with Shane MacGowan
12) Darkness On The Face Of The Earth with KT Tunstall
13) The Return Of The Blues Cowboy with Joe Strummer
14) I Put A Spell On You with Mica Paris & David Gilmour
15) Rock Me with The Blind Boys Of Alabama
16) Georgia On My Mind with India Arie
17) Think with Tom Jones
18) Valentine Moon with Sam Brown
19) Oranges And Lemons Again with Suggs
20) Mabel with Solomon Burke & Eric Clapton
21) If You Wear That Velvet Dress with Bono

CD2 - Bonus DVD

1) Best Of Friends - The Story
2) Gilson Lavis - Interview
3) I'm In The Mood For Love - with Jamiroquai (video)
4) Oranges And Lemons Again - with Suggs (video)
5) It'll Be Me - with Tom Jones (video)

Jools Holland Autumn Tour Dates 2007:

Dates could change! Go to Jools Holland's Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

October

Friday 26 Norwich UEA
Saturday 27 Bradford St Georges Hall
Sunday 28 Ipswich Regent Theatre

November

Thursday 1 Nottingham Royal Centre
Friday 2 Nottingham Royal Centre
Saturday 3 Cambridge Corn Exchange
Sunday 4 Oxford New Theatre
Thursday 8 Brentwood Centre
Saturday 10 Harrogate International Centre
Sunday 11 Harrogate International Centre
Thursday 15 Leicester De Montfort Hall
Friday 16 Leicester De Montfort Hall
Saturday 17 Manchester Apollo
Wednesday 21 Reading Hexagon
Thursday 22 Bristol Colston Hall
Friday 23 Cheltenham Centaur
Saturday 24 Portsmouth Guildhall
Wednesday 28 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Thursday 29 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Friday 30 London Royal Albert Hall

December

Saturday 1 London Royal Albert Hall
Wednesday 5 Sheffield City Hall
Thursday 6 Sheffield City Hall
Friday 7 Glasgow SECC
Saturday 8 Glasgow SECC
Friday 14 Plymouth Pavilions
Saturday 15 Bournemouth Bic
Sunday 16 Birmingham NIA
Wednesday 19 Newcastle City Hall
Thursday 20 Newcastle City Hall
Friday 21 Cardiff CIA
Saturday 22 Brighton Centre

Jools Holland 'Best Of Friends' (CD + DVD) at amazon.co.uk

Jools Holland Official Website