'Giant Steps' Derek Shulman book review: Shulman's heartfelt and brutally honest autobiography puts music first.

You may remember Derek Shulman best as the distinctive voice of 60s psychedelic band Simon Dupree & the Big Sound. Or perhaps from Gentle Giant—the cult British 1970s prog outfit that combined the complexity of classical music with the muscle power of rock. His autobiography 'Giant Steps' follows his journey from an artist to an A&R man and label executive at Polygram, Atco, and Roadrunner, working with everyone from Black Sabbath and Dr. Dre to Men Without Hats, Slipknot and signing Bon Jovi.

Unlike many British prog heroes who came from more privileged backgrounds, Shulman came from more humble beginnings. The grandson of Jewish immigrants fleeing the Polish Pogroms, Shluman describes his early years as 'poor but rich'. For him, music was a way out, not an entitlement.

Shulman doesn’t airbrush the past or wallow in nostalgia. The past is never rose-tinted, but it does have heart. What makes this book such a satisfying read is Shulman’s honesty, and at times that honesty is brutal. The opening chapter, entitled 'Trauma' describes in graphic detail his father's death - an event that cast a lasting shadow over Shulman, but also formed his attitude to life and music (he was convinced he was going to die young, so he avoided the usual rock and roll excesses). He writes, "failure wasn't an option, and if it took working twice as hard as any of our peers, that was what we would do". What makes this autobiography stand out is that it's not about fame and fortune; it’s about family, integrity, and a lifelong belief in the power of music and staying true to your values.

'Giant Steps' charts successes and name-drops the rich and famous but never feels pretentious. He’s unsparing about the corporate side of the business—cocaine-fuelled office politics, accountants dictating how musicians made music and their cut-throat view that artists are only as valuable as their sales. Shulman clearly despised that mindset. Integrity and musicianship mattered more to him. His belief in the artists he worked with and genuinely wanting to get the best out of people shines through.

After Gentle Giant, Shulman reinvented himself. Moving into radio promotion and A&R at Polygram, he admits to suffering from imposter syndrome: “My inexperience clouded my confidence and I started to feel overwhelmed.” It’s a disarmingly honest moment—comforting for the rest of us mere mortals taking our own giant steps. Even though he ended up working in the corporate world, he was never a suit, he was always a musician first, a businessman second.

In the end, Giant Steps is more than a memoir. It’s a love letter to an era of music we’ll never see again, told by a man who lived it all but never lost sight of what really mattered. Music first, always.

Derek Shulman might not be a household name, but for anyone interested in music history and the inner workings of the music business, or if you just want a great read, 'Giant Steps' absolutely must be at the top of your to-be-read pile.