Read Elton John Excerpt From Derek Shulman's 'Giant Steps' Memoir

For most of the Seventies, Gentle Giant were one of the U.K.’s cult favorite prog-rock bands. They enjoyed moderate success on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking in popularity around 1975 with the album Free Hand , which made it up to Number 40 in the U.K. and Number 48 in the U.S. It was just enough success to build a loyal following for themselves and put them in proximity with the era’s mainstream rock hit makers.

In frontman Derek Shulman’s new memoir, Giant Steps: My Improbable Journey From Stage Lights to Executive Heights , cowritten with Jon Wiederhorn, he reflects on his own legacy, which included encounters with Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull early on. He also recounts his transition to working behind the scenes at various record labels where he worked with Bon Jovi, Slipk