Jamie was lucky enough to be featured on Marlow FM for the ‘Good Morning Marlow show’ on the 4th August 2026.
He was interviewed by Pat Capp and Chris Zaremba. Listen to the interview, and follow the transcript, below.
Radio Interview: Jamie Goddard of The Zoots on Marlow FM
Pat with Jamie Goddard
Pat:
And that was my next guest’s band, The Zoots. My guest today is Jamie Goddard.
Welcome to Marlow FM, Jamie.
Jamie:
How are you doing, Pat? It’s great to be here. Really good.
Pat:
It’s lovely to have you here.
Jamie is going to play some of The Zoots’ music for us today. Unfortunately, I have to leave in about ten minutes, but Chris Zaremba has very kindly agreed to take over. He’ll be just as good as me — if not better — at chatting to Jamie. Probably better, because he trained me!
Jamie, for anyone who doesn’t know The Zoots, tell us a little bit about the band and its background.
Jamie:
Well, if they don’t know who The Zoots are, I don’t know where they’ve been!
I’m joking.
We formed in 2009 when I was living in Littlewick Green, which is literally about five miles from here.
I’d been playing in bands before that, but we were asked to put together a tour featuring 60s music. We essentially started out as a 60s tribute band, and we still perform that music now. That was how The Zoots really began.
Pat:
But why did you get into music in the first place? We have to go back into your family, because your dad is a very good musician, isn’t he? Well, according to my husband Clive, anyway!
Jamie:
Yes, he is very good.
There was a drum kit in the loft at home, and I was fascinated by it. We were surrounded by music because Mum and Dad had lots of records, and I really enjoyed listening to them.
I’ve always been interested in music and singing. I sang at school and in choirs, and I was always fascinated by what Dad had done and by his friends who were still working in the music business.
Some of them had nice cars and very good-looking girlfriends too, so when you’re a child and you see that, you think, “Maybe I should get into this. I don’t want to be a lawyer after all!”
Pat:
At least you’re honest!
You played guitar from quite a young age, didn’t you?
Jamie:
I actually started on drums.
Pat:
Oh, drums!
Jamie:
Yes. It wasn’t really until I was about 21 and started doing music professionally that I became mainly a guitarist and singer.
I’d always been able to sing and was singing all the time, but from about 21 I started doing it full-time.
I’d already done hundreds of gigs by then because I started playing when I was about 12.
Pat:
Good Lord!
Jamie:
I started very young. I’m not sure people could do that in quite the same way today because there aren’t as many venues to play.
I used to play pubs all around Marlow and Maidenhead, but many of them don’t have live music anymore.
Pat:
Well, I’m going to pass you over to Chris now.
Chris, thank you so much for coming in.
Before I go, what should we hear? Barbara Ann, Build Me Up Buttercup or — actually, no — I want to hear Wonderful World. That seems very appropriate for where I’m going.
[The Zoots – “Wonderful World” plays]
Chris with Jamie Goddard
Chris:
Thank you. That was my guest this morning, Jamie Goddard, performing with the other members of The Zoots.
Jamie, good morning. It’s nice to speak to you.
Jamie:
Good morning, Chris. Thanks very much for having me. It’s brilliant to be here.
Chris:
Is this your first time at Marlow FM, or have you been here before?
Jamie:
I’ve been here a few times, actually. I think this is my fourth visit.
Chris:
Fourth time — excellent.
Jamie:
Yes, and I’ve been in the previous studio as well.
Chris:
The old Longridge studio.
It’s the first time I’ve met you, though, so it’s lovely to see you.
I’m here as an emergency stand-in because Pat has had to leave to speak at the funeral of a dear friend of Marlow FM and a dear friend of mine, Mary Flavell.
That’s why Pat has had to dash off and I’m here in her place.
So, Jamie, tell me about The Zoots.
Jamie:
We started in 2009 and formed in Littlewick Green, around the Maidenhead area.
I started the band with a school friend of mine, Kevin Joyce. We’d been at Desborough School together, and there were a couple of other local guys involved as well.
Since then, I think we’ve toured nearly 50 countries.
Chris:
Wow!
Jamie:
I’ve started saying fewer shows than we’ve actually done because otherwise it makes us sound too old!
We’ve definitely done more than 1,000 shows. It might be closer to 2,000.
It’s been great to keep the band going for about 16 years now, although I’ve been playing in bands since I was at school.
Chris:
And this is what you do for a living? It isn’t a side hustle?
Jamie:
I don’t know what else I could do now!
No, I’ve been doing this for a long time.
How The Zoots Have Evolved
Chris:
Over those 16 years, has the band’s line-up changed much?
Jamie:
Yes, it has.
Touring around the world isn’t for everybody, so the band has evolved. As we’ve become more successful, I’ve gradually brought in different musicians.
We also added a female performer, which gives us more variety when we’re doing theatre shows.
The drummer we have at the moment, Charlie Gregory, is only 22. He would have been about six or seven when we first started The Zoots!
Chris:
So he definitely couldn’t have been there at the beginning!
Jamie:
Exactly!
We’ve brought in some younger musicians because it keeps the show energetic and interesting.
Most of the time, we’re performing songs from the 60s that were originally played by musicians who were in their twenties themselves. We’re trying to recreate some of that youthful energy.
Recreating the Original Sound
Chris:
We’ve already heard a couple of tracks. We heard Wonderful World, and Pat also wanted to hear Build Me Up Buttercup.
[The Zoots – “Build Me Up Buttercup” plays]
Chris:
Jamie, from the tracks I’ve heard so far, you sound remarkably like the original artists.
Is that intentional? Do you try to recreate the original as closely as possible, or do you prefer to add your own flavour?
Jamie:
Thanks for saying that, Chris.
When I originally made those recordings, I don’t think I was consciously trying to do that.
But now, particularly with our theatre shows, I do sometimes try to mimic the original singers.
Because I’ve been singing for such a long time, I’m finding it easier to work out how to position my throat or mouth differently to make my voice sound more like a particular singer.
One I really enjoy attempting is James Brown, although it takes a lot of concentration!
Chris:
He certainly has a very distinctive voice.
Jamie:
Definitely.
It’s something I’m doing more now. Once you’ve performed a particular song enough times, you can concentrate more on getting into the character of the original singer.
When I made some of those earlier recordings, though, I think I was simply singing the songs naturally.
It takes time to get to the point where you know a song well enough to really inhabit it.
More Than 300 Songs
Jamie:
We also perform at a lot of private parties and hotels around here, including places like Danesfield House.
For private events, we perform music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and even the 2000s, depending on what people want.
There are naturally some songs you know better than others, and those are the ones where you can really get into the character.
Chris:
What tends to be most popular at a party?
I suppose it depends on the age of the person having the party. Someone my age might want more 60s music, while somebody in their thirties might want music from the 2000s.
Jamie:
You really have to look at the audience and see what works.
With our theatre show, I’ve spent years tweaking the set so that we play songs that mean something to people and are also entertaining.
At a private party, though, I have a huge list of songs available and I’ll take the set in whatever direction seems to be working best.
We played a party recently where the audience was really responding to the 60s and 70s material, so there were lots of other songs on my list that I simply didn’t go near.
Chris:
How many songs do you think you could perform without rehearsing them first?
Jamie:
Personally, probably more than 300.
Actually, it might be closer to 400.
It depends on who I’m playing with, because some members haven’t been in the band as long and won’t necessarily know all those songs.
It takes a long time to be able to play that many songs convincingly well.
Chris:
So I could probably name a 60s song and there’s a good chance you could sing it and know the chords?
Jamie:
Probably!
There might be small details I’d need reminding of, but because I’ve toured so much, there are hundreds of songs ingrained in my memory.
If you’ve performed a song 50 nights in a row, you tend to remember it!
Putting the Audience First
Chris:
Is there a particular artist whose songs you most enjoy performing?
Do you prefer The Beatles to Oasis, for example?
Jamie:
That’s a really good question.
The main thing I care about is what the audience wants. I don’t really choose songs simply because I personally like them.
I’ve always focused on what I think is going to work best for the audience.
We’re predominantly a guitar-based band, so obviously the songs need to work within that format, but my main concern is what works with the crowd and what makes the show entertaining.
We swap instruments during the show and take turns singing too.
For example, when we play Norden Farm, there are sections where we’ll swap around and I won’t sing every song. That gives the audience different voices and personalities throughout the evening.
Harriet also performs songs associated with some of the great female artists of the era, as well as numbers such as The Loco-Motion.
It’s all about keeping the show entertaining.
Personally, I like bands such as The Who, but I put my own tastes to one side.
Maybe that’s partly why I’ve had such a long career. I meet musicians who say, “I don’t like that song.”
But ultimately, it doesn’t really matter whether the musician likes it. We’re there to entertain the audience.
Obviously it helps if you enjoy the song, but the audience is the most important thing. Without an audience, none of us gets paid!
Promoting The Zoots
Chris:
How does the band get itself known these days?
Is it mainly word of mouth — somebody saying, “I saw this great band called The Zoots; you should see them” — or do you have a promotion company working with you?
Jamie:
I have someone who helps me with PR and gets me radio interviews and things like that.
Although I’ve known Pat for most of my life!
Chris:
Let me guess — like half the people around Berkshire, was she your swimming teacher?
Jamie:
Yes!
But I also went to school with her children, and she and Clive were friends with a lot of people we knew, so I’ve known them for a very long time.
It’s really special that I still see them occasionally now.
In terms of promoting The Zoots, I book most of the gigs myself. I’m essentially the promoter as well.
I book venues such as Norden Farm, and another example is The Mill at Sonning, which is a brilliant venue that we now play quite regularly.
Chris:
That’s handy for Littlewick Green too.
Jamie:
Yes, but it took me about 12 years to get a gig there!
That shows you how long these things can take.
I started the band only a couple of miles down the road, and now we play there regularly.
It’s similar with Norden Farm. Venues want to see that you’ve built an established reputation, and that takes years.
Luckily, we seem to have a good reputation now.
There aren’t as many bands doing exactly what we do, and we seem to be gradually moving up within the 60s and 70s theatre scene.
When people look us up now, they can see that we’ve been doing this for a long time. We haven’t just appeared from nowhere.
Why 60s Music Still Works
Chris:
Do you still find there’s a strong interest in 60s and 70s music?
Jamie:
Absolutely.
I honestly thought that by now our 80s show would have become the predominant thing we do, but our 60s show still probably accounts for about 85 per cent of our performances.
Chris:
Wow.
Jamie:
There’s still enormous interest in 60s music.
People who remember the era bring their children and grandchildren, so it becomes a family-friendly concert.
The grandchildren might initially say, “I don’t know any 60s music.”
But actually, they do. They just don’t realise those songs are from the 60s.
We deliberately perform songs that people are likely to recognise.
There might occasionally be a small section that’s more educational, but 99 per cent of the time we’re performing songs where most of the audience knows the words.
Chris:
Do you encourage people to sing along?
Jamie:
Absolutely.
Interestingly, I recently went to a Motown show in the West End and there was a notice saying, “No singing.”
At first I thought that was a bit harsh!
Then somebody behind me started singing very loudly and I began to understand it — you think, “I’ve paid to hear them, not you!”
But at our shows, we encourage people to join in.
Ultimately, I think you have to let people do what they’re comfortable doing.
As I said, the audience has always been the most important thing to me. I’m constantly thinking about which songs will work best and what will entertain them.
Creating the Set List
Chris:
How far in advance do you decide what you’re going to play?
If you’ve got a series of shows coming up in September, for example, will you perform exactly the same set each night?
Jamie:
We probably will change things.
We have videos that accompany the show, which makes changing the set a little more complicated, but I’m always trying to improve it.
I’m constantly thinking, “That section worked,” or, “That could be a bit shorter.”
We’re also trying to fit in as many songs as possible.
Theatres generally want a fairly strict first half of around 55 minutes because they need an interval where people can get a drink.
The second half can sometimes be slightly longer.
The 60s is such an incredible era for music that you could probably do a six-hour show.
Well, I could, anyway!
Chris:
I believe you!
Jamie:
The challenge is deciding what to leave out.
Someone might come up afterwards and say, “You didn’t play this song,” and that will stay in my mind. I’ll start wondering whether there’s a way to include it next time.
But every song needs a reason to be in the show.
Maybe it’s a great sing-along, an impressive instrumental, some Shadows-style choreography, or perhaps we have a particular video that accompanies it.
Everything needs to contribute something.
“Barbara Ann”
Chris:
I think it’s time for some more music.
How about Barbara Ann?
Jamie:
Yes. It was originally recorded by a band called The Regents in the early 60s, before The Beach Boys recorded their famous version.
The original Beach Boys recording has that wonderful party atmosphere, and this is our version.
Chris:
Excellent. Let’s hear Barbara Ann by The Zoots.
[The Zoots – “Barbara Ann” plays]
Touring Across the UK and Abroad
Jamie:
We moved to Wiltshire about 12 or 13 years ago, so the band is now predominantly based around that area.
I’ve still got family living around here, so we tend to cover both the South East and South West. It wasn’t necessarily a deliberate decision — it’s just how things have developed.
But we play all over the country.
We’re playing Burnham-on-Sea, down in Dorset, Romsey in Hampshire, and we also perform at The Radlett Centre in Hertfordshire.
We really do travel everywhere.
We also perform on cruise ships, and we’ve got three cruises with Saga this year.
Chris:
I’m guessing a Saga cruise is a perfect place for the 60s show?
Jamie:
Absolutely. It’s a perfect audience for us.
But as I said earlier, our audience is getting younger too.
Our drummer is 22, for example, and he attracts a younger audience.
People also recognise that the show is very family-friendly, so they bring their children, grandchildren and sometimes even their great-grandchildren.
I really love seeing that.
Chris:
It appeals to multiple generations.
Even teenagers know those 60s songs. They might not realise they know them, but they’ve heard them so many times.
Jamie:
Exactly.
My nephew is five, and one of his favourite songs when he was younger was Barbara Ann. He absolutely loved it.
It’s such an easy song to join in with that you almost don’t need to be able to speak!
I’ve performed it overseas — in the Netherlands, Belgium and elsewhere around the world — and it works everywhere.
That’s one of the great things about a song like Barbara Ann: you don’t really need to know the English language to be able to join in.
