Joe Dolce’s iconic 1980s hit, Shaddap You Face, written in just half an hour, has remarkably stood the test of time. The song topped charts in nine countries and reached the top five in seven others, selling around six million copies internationally. Its popularity inspired 37 different artists to create versions in 15 languages, including a notable interest from Sir Elton John’s Rocket Records, which proposed that Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs record it in Spanish. Dolce successfully secured an injunction to protect his work.
Reflecting on his Italian heritage, Dolce has released a heartfelt cookbook titled Joe Dolce Cooks: My Most Loved Recipes, featuring cherished family recipes and inspired by his grandmother’s teachings on nose-to-tail cooking, which he embraced from a young age. He dedicates the book to his late daughter, Blaise, who encouraged him to publish his culinary creations.
Dolce reminisces fondly about his childhood, where meals included home-grown ingredients and self-harvested chickens. Now, he invites others to share in these memories and flavours. The cookbook is available for purchase on his website.