Welcome to the VintageRock.com Podcast. Here, you can listen to audio interviews (new and archival), commentary, music news, reviews, commentary, and more.
For our first episode, we are featuring a portion of an interview we did earlier in 2025 with Derek Shulman, who was the lead singer of the 1970s progressive rock band Gentle Giant.
During this 25-minute segment, we talk about the recent reissue of the group’s 1976 live album, Playing The Fool. Derek also speaks to the dynamics of the group, why they stopped at the end of the 70s, why they’ll never reunite, and what’s next as far as more Gentle Giant remixes and reissues. Lastly, he touched on his memoir he’s releasing in the fall.
Gentle Giant is not a casualty of rock and roll. They are a classic example of a group who broke the barriers and stereotypes associated with prog rock and instead create something uniquely their own. For every Nektar, every Eloy, every Camel, there are a dozen more trying to be like them. No one could emulate Gentle Giant because of the mad skills it requires.
Here’s a band of multi-instrumentalists who could swap musical chairs as often as Nascar drivers change gears.
If the meek inherit the earth, Gentle Giant inherit the soul. And maybe the time signature.
Click below to listen. And thanks for tuning in…
