Pure Vintage Media Interview With Derek Shulman "Giant Steps" Book Release 8/28/25

Giant Steps
My Improbable Journey from Stage Light to Executive Heights

Derek Shulman
with Jon Wiederhorn
Foreward by Tony Visconti

In Giant Steps, Derek Shulman chronicles a remarkable life and career surrounded by music and creativity in many forms. It begins with a young Derek confidently telling his schoolteacher he would grow up to become a star, and unfolds into a fast-paced and eye-opening journey through decades of pop culture, creative risk-taking, and personal reinvention.

Shulman first found fame as a teenager in the 1960s pop and r&b group Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, then pushed rock music to the outer edges in the 1970s as frontman of progressive rock pioneers Gentle Giant.

In the 1980s, he made a bold pivot into the record business, taking on senior roles at labels like Polygram, ATCO, and Roadrunner Records. There, he signed and developed artists including Bon Jovi, Dream Theater, Slipknot, Pantera, and Men Without Hats, while also helping to revitalize the careers of AC/DC, Bad Company, and others.

Along the way Gentle Giant would become a defining influence on hip-hop, sampled by many of the genre’s leading lights including J. Dilla, De La Soul, Run The Jewels, Travis Scott and dozens more. The band was later championed by Questlove, drummer of The Roots and acclaimed filmmaker, who named them one of his favorite rock acts of all time.

Clean-living and focused in an industry often defined by chaos and excess, Shulman offers a rare perspective on the evolution of music and culture from the 1960s to today. Giant Steps is essential reading for fans of prog, rock, hip-hop, and anyone curious about the inner workings of the music industry.

Out October 7th, 2025

Book Details:
Publisher: Jawbone Press

Language: English

Print Length: 304pp

Dimensions: 5.91x0.79x8.46 inches