Pianist and bandleader Jools Holland has finally secured a number one record (Picture: PA)
British music legend Jools Holland has managed to cinch his first number one album – thanks to his collaboration with Sir Rod Stewart.
Their album together, Swing Fever, has topped the UK chart it was announced on Friday.
Incredibly, despite his career stretching almost 50 years, the 66-year-old pianist and bandleader had yet to manage this feat.
Former Squeeze member Holland is best known to British TV audiences for fronting BBC Two show Later… With Jools Holland, on which he brings together artists for live performances.
Every December 31, he also pulls out all the stops for the special Jools’ Annual Hootenanny, ringing in the New Year with a Hogmanay party atmosphere and guests that this year included Sugababes, Raye, Joss Stone and, of course, fellow British icon Sir Rod Stewart.
Their chart-topping record together is comprised of covers from the big band era, featuring tracks including Lullaby Of Broadway, Good Rockin’ Tonight and Pennies From Heaven.
He collaborated with Sir Rod Stewart on Swing Fever, an album of big band covers (Picture: Official Charts Company/PA Wire)
Speaking to the Official Charts Company after the record was confirmed at number one in the album chart, Sir Rod, 79, said: ‘Are we happy about this, Jools? Totally unexpected.’
Holland added: ‘I’m so happy, (this has) never happened to me before. So I’m delighted, thank you so much.’
Speaking to BBC News later, Holland said that reaching number one ‘means more to me than anything I’ve ever had’.
He also joked that the last big band record to reach number one ‘was probably in 1946’.
Holland shared that he was struggling to believe it had happened after a career spanning nearly 50 years (Picture: Alastair Fyfe/The Prince’s Trust/PA Wire)
The music icon was previously a founding member of new wave band Squeeze (Picture: Fin Costello/Redferns)
‘I shall be celebrating tonight. I will be overdoing it. I can’t believe it. It can’t be happening to me,’ he revealed.
The closest the music star and broadcaster had previously got was in 1982 when his former band Squeeze – for whom he was a founding member in 1974 and played with until 1980 – got to number three with a compilation album including hits like Cool for Cats and Up the Junction.
Sir Rod, who is the former frontman of rock band Faces, last had a number one album more than four years ago with You’re in My Heart, which featured some of his classic vocal tracks accompanied by new arrangements from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
He now has 11 chart-topping albums to his name, which means he draws level with David Bowie, Taylor Swift and U2, according to the Official Charts Company.
Sir Rod and Holland have been promoting their album on TV shows including Dancing On Ice, Loose Women, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
This marks Sir Rod’s 11th number one album in the UK (Picture: PA)
Sir Rod has described Swing Fever as ‘a celebration of the joy and spirit of swing music’.
As Holland told the BBC when explaining the importance of their achievement: ‘As my life has gone on, particularly playing a lot of swing music, it’s not the mainstream music. So for me, the idea that you would have a huge hit with this had gone years ago.
‘That’s why this does mean more to me.’
Elsewhere in the album chart, Millennials by Scottish indie outfit The Snuts debuted at number two, while Stick Season by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan remained at number three.
Holland’s Later With Jools Holland live studio show has attracted many stars over the years, including Robbie Williams and Craig David (pictured) (Picture: Getty)
In fourth spot is The Weeknd’s 2021 album The Highlights, while Thanks For Hating by rapper Potter Payper has debuted at number five.
For the second week in a row, Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em tops the UK singles chart.
In second spot is Lose Control by Teddy Swims, with Beautiful Things by Benson Boone at number three.
Stick Season by Kahan is at number four, while End Of Beginning by indie outfit Djo has moved up six places to number five.
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