Later… with Jools Holland: 30 Years of Music and Mayhem

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion‘s appearance on Later…with Jools Holland is mentioned in the new book ‘Later… with Jools Holland: 30 Years of Music and Mayhem’ by Mark Cooper.

Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Later-Jools-Holland-Years-Mayhem/dp/0008424373/

“Jon strode out into the studio dressed in black leathers like the reincarnation of Jim Morrison, boasting the kind of sideburns that a werewolf might envy, determined to shake up the joint and impress fellow guests Patti Smith, Angélique Kidjo, Gomez and Tweet. Jools sat in on ‘Sweet ‘n’ Sour’, the penultimate song in the show and an invocation to the off-the-hook joys of rock ‘n’ roll, guitars distorting on overdrive. The Blues Explosion came screaming out of the blocks with Jools pounding away on the piano on the other side of the studio, giving it his very best Jerry Lee Lewis. A vertical array of metal trusses and a barrage of flashing lights surrounded Spencer while he prowled in the semi-darkness of his own demonic disco. Jools remains the English gentleman in a sensible sports jacket but he too is keen to get gone, twinkling away on his trebly solo while Jon spurs him along, ‘Aw, come on, Jools, get it!’ Jon isn’t the kind of showman who’s going to stay caged in his tidy corner, and before you know it, he’s taken his mike off the stand, yelled ‘Rock ‘n’ roll!’ and dropped to his knees before legging it across the floor to bellow in Jools’ ear. Suddenly he’s up on the piano itself. Jools’ camera gazes up at Jon as he towers towards the studio roof and then he drops to his knees again, his guitar slung round his back, yelling out ‘Rock ‘n’ roll!’ like a call to arms before leaping high off the piano to the floor and stumbling back to the band just as ‘Sweet ‘n’ Sour’ lurches to a halt. The audience roars their approval as Jon then sashays back over to Jools and raises his arm aloft like a prize fighter. He’s rocked the joint and Jools has played his part.”