One Jemtunes 24 #2

February 12, 2024 by Jem Croucher

OneJemTunes 24 continues a monthly foray into my world of music. There’s everything here including downloads, music purchased (all media types – but predominantly vinyl these days), gigs I’ve been to, birthdays and passings and much more; all music related.

OneJemTunes 24 #2 is mostly about January 2024 (although there’s a bit of looking into and forward to this month as well).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

January passings: sadly too many to mention here. But most notable for me were Tony Clarkin (November 24 1946 – January 7), songwriter, producer and guitarist with Birmingham based Magnum for over 50 years; and David Soul (August 28 1943 – January 4), singer/songwriter and ‘Hutch’ from the 1970s cop show ‘Starsky & Hutch’.

February birthdays: Harry Styles (One Direction) [1st/30]; Shakira (singer/songwriter) [2nd/47]; Spike (The Quireboys) [4th/58]; Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) [9th/64]; Steve Hackett (Genesis) [12th/74]; Ali Campbell (UB40) [15th/64]; John Travolta [18th/69]; Seal [19th/60]; Paul Jones (Manfred Mann) [24th/81]

January downloads and other additions added to my JemTunes music collection:

Larkin Poe – An Acoustic Companion (2023); standout track ‘Strike Gold’
Dolly Parton – Rockstar (2023) – Vinyl (quadruple album); standout track ‘What’s Up’ (track 1, side 4)
Skinny Knowledge – Twenty Twos (2023); standout track ‘A song about lunch’
The Blue Lena – Darkwood (2023); standout track ‘Sanctify’
Flight of the Conchords (2008) – Vinyl; standout track ‘Bowie’
Joni Mitchell – Hits (1972); standout track ‘Big Yellow Taxi’

Dougless 24 is the title I’ve given to my occasional playlist compilations. Each will feature 24 tracks from my latest downloaded albums and tracks throughout 2024. ‘Dougless’ derives from the name I’ve given to my cancer (“Doug”) cos clearly – the aim to is be be dougless! Here’s the track listing for Dougless 24 #1:

Skinny Knowledge – Disobey
Extreme – Rise
Lions in the Street – You’re gonna lose
Stray – Living the dream
Collective Soul – She gathers rain
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Bad Intentions
Alabama 3 – California got you stoned
Smoke Fairies – Carried in sound
Larkin Poe – Strike Gold
Ruth Copeland – Gimme Shelter
Tesla – Rock Bottom
The Blue Lena – Sanctify
Collective Soul – Where the river flows
Extreme – #Rebel
Brothers Osborne – Might as well be me
Mothers Boy – Set a fire
Skinny Knowledge – A song about lunch
Metallica – Sleepwalk my life away
Sleeplever – Shot in the dark
The Blue Lena – Wrong side of midnight
Grant Hava – Time of dying
Tom Hambridge – Wear you out
Vintage Trouble – You already know
Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon (live)

Cover photo pic credit – Sally Croucher. My reflection captured as I pop a disc on my new turntable.

One Jemtunes 24 #1

January 2, 2024 by Jem Croucher

OneJemTunes 24 continues a monthly foray into my world of music. It follows on from ‘One JemTunes 23’ but, as I was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer in November, and face an uncertain future, I vowed (at the end of last year) to continue these monthly diatribes for as long as I’m able. There’s everything here including downloads, gigs I’ve been to, birthdays and passings and much more; all music related.

OneJemTunes 24 #1 is mostly about December 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking into and forward to this month as well).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

December passings: sadly too many to mention here. But most notable for me was Denny Laine on the 5th aged 79. Denny co-founded two major rock bands: the Moody Blues and Wings. He played guitar in the Moody Blues from 1964 to 1966, and sang their hit cover version of “Go Now”. While the Moody Blues were on tour with The Beatles in 1965, Laine befriended Paul McCartney, who later asked him to join his band Wings. He was a constant member of Wings for their entire run from 1971 to 1981, playing guitar, bass, keyboards, singing backing and lead vocals, and co-writing songs with McCartney including the 1977 hit “Mull of Kintyre”.

January birthdays: Country Joe MacDonald [1st/82], Chick Churchill (Ten Years After keyboardist) [2nd/78], John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin bassist) [3rd/77], Michael Stipe (REM vocalist) [4th/63], Marilyn Manson [5th/54], R Kelly [8th/56], Crystal Gayle [9th/71], Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin guitarist) [9th/79], Michael Schenker (Guitarist with UFO and The Scorpions) [10th/68], Rod Stewart [10th/78], Steve Perry (lead singer with Journey) [22nd/74], Justin Timberlake [31st/42].

December downloads and other additions added to my JemTunes music collection:

Smoke Fairies – Carried in Sound (2023) – standout track ‘There was a hope’
Smoke Fairies – Through low light and trees (2010) [CD] – standout track ‘Summer Fades’
Collective Soul (1995) – standout track ‘Bleed’
Extreme – Six (2023) – standout track ‘Rise’
Brothers Osborne (2023) – standout track ‘Nobody’s Nobody’

The December highlight, music wise for me was on Christmas day night. Turning the active DJ monitors which my daughter Gracey had brought along to the Brighton Air B&B we’d rented for the festive period up to very high volume, we selected and played tune after tune, mostly sets from ‘The Boiler Room’ (sic. cover pic). My children (all in their thirties) danced and boogied; me, currently movement limited, nodded and boogied. But it was all fabulous and a real tonic and mood buster. Music does that – it always has and I absolutely know that it always will. As the late Bob Marley once said ‘The beauty of music is that, when it hits you, you feel no pain’.

One Jemtunes 23 #12

December 15, 2023 by Jem Croucher

12 of 12 in a monthly diatribe from a 64-year old hippy

OneJemTunes 23 has been a monthly foray into my world of music. Published monthly throughout 2023, there’s everything here including downloads, gigs I’ve been to, JemJams listings, birthdays and passings and much more.

And as 2023 was the year I could finally sing the line ‘…when I’m 64…’ and be there, the music world is my proverbial oyster (not that it’s not always been of course – because it has). And still is. Music is one of my passions and as writing is another – it’s a no-brainer to combine the two.

OneJemTunes 23 #12 is the last posting of the year. Content is mostly about November 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking into and forward to December as well, and also to the immediate future in 2024).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

November passings: (3rd) Pete Garner [Stone Roses bassist. 61]. (20th) Mars Williams [Psychedelic Furs saxophonist. 68]. (26th) Geordie Walker [Killing Joke guitarist. 64.] (30th) Shane MacGowan [Pogues singer. 65].

December birthdays: Gilbert O’Sullivan [1st/77], Britney Spears [2nd/42], Ozzy Osbourne [3rd/77], Jay Z [4th/54], Ben Watt (singer – Everything but the girl) [6th/61], Dominic Howard (Muse drummer) [7th/46], Corey Taylor (Slipknot) [8th/50], Donny Osmond [9th/66], Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue bassist) [11th/65], Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) [16th/73], Chris Robinson (Black Crowes singer) [20th/56], and Andy Summers (Police guitarist) [31st/80].

November downloads and other additions added to my JemTunes music collection:

Dolly Parton – Rockstar (2023) [Standout track ‘Freebird’ with Lynyrd Skynyrd and featuring the late Ronnie Van Zandt on vocals]
The Cadillac Three – The years go fast (2023) [Standout track – ‘The Worst’]
Stray – About Time (2023) [Standout track – ‘Raise your hands’]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Dirt on my diamonds Vol. 1 (2023) [Standout track – ‘Best of times’]
Alabama 3 – Cold War Classics Vol.2 (2023) [Standout track – ‘Thankyou’]
Aevestaden – Solen var dattre dar (2023) [Standout track – ‘Draper’]

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – was something I’d done since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. There were myriad themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. But, when I heard at the beginning of November that I had stage 4 terminal cancer, the daily tens morphed (for a little while) into a daily playlist and is now simply an occasional ‘JemTunes’ tune of the day. Some of the playlist tunes I posted will become part of the ‘Life Playlist’ I’ve started building. When that’s done – it’ll feature here.

JemJams was about posting a new jam every 6 days. JemJams had its roots in something called ‘This is my jam.com’; a website/blogsite to which contributors worldwide added a track of their choosing once every 6 days. No words – no dialogue – no comments. Just the music. ‘This is my jam’ went offline in September 2015. But – as it was such a good idea and something which meant a lot to me, JemJams carried on the task (albeit from just one person). But, when the news broke of my terminal cancer, I decided to retire ‘JemJams’ too at the end of November. Mainly because I don’t know how often (or even how long) I’ll be able to continue posting.

The last gig I was able to attend was Robert Plant at Brighton’s Dome on 2nd November (see pic above). Superlative on absolutely every level, it will long remain a treasured memory. Particularly as he included in the set list songs from yesteryear as well as much more recent material. So there were some Led Zeppelin humdingers in there including a stunning version of ‘Gallows Pole’.

So – what of the JemTunes future then? Well one thing’s for certain – I’m going to fight the cancer. So these monthly JemJunes postings will continue into 2024. Music remains a constant for me – and always will. Right to the end, whenever that might be.

One JemTunes 23 #11

November 4, 2023 by Jem Croucher

11 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64-year old hippy

OneJemTunes is a monthly foray into my world of music. Published monthly throughout 2023, there’s everything here including downloads, gigs I’ve been to, JemJams listings, birthdays and passings and much more.

And as 2023 is the year I could finally sing the line ‘…when I’m 64…’ and be there, the music world is my proverbial oyster (not that it’s not always been of course – because it has). And still is. Music is one of my passions and as writing is another – it’s a no-brainer to combine the two.

OneJemTunes 23 #11 is mostly about October 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking into and forward to November as well).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

On 11th October we lost American singer/songwriter and founder member of the Isley Brothers, Rudolph Isley, aged 84.

Eleven birthdays for the 11th month of the year already gone or coming up are – Rick Allen (Def Leppard drummer) [1st/60], K D Lang (singer/songwriter) [2nd/62], Adam Ant [3rd/69], Chris Difford (Squeeze) [4th/69], Brian Adams [5th/63], Art Gunfunkel [5th/81], Joni Mitchell [7th/79], Bonnie Riatt (blues guitarist) [8th/73], Roy Wood (Electric Light Orchestra) [8th/76], Neil Young [12th/77], and Leo Lyons (Ten Years After bassist) [30th/79]

October downloads and other additions added to my JemTunes music collection:

James & the Cold Gun [eponymous] (2023) – standout track ‘Chewing Glass’
Roger Waters – Dark Side of the Moon Redux (2023) – standout track ‘Money’
The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds (2023) – standout track ‘Sweet sounds of heaven’ (ft. Lady Gaga & Stevie Wonder)

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1317. Quite simply it’s a list of 10 songs (or other music-related things) on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During October 2023, those were…

NME Number 1 singles of the 1970s [1st to 17th]
NME Number 1 singles of the 1980s [18th to 30th]
10 songs about retirement (31st) – the day of my retirement

JemJams (one of my FaceBook pages) is about posting a new jam every 6 days. JemJams has its roots in something called ‘This is my jam.com’; a website/blogsite to which contributors worldwide added a track of their choosing once every 6 days. No words – no dialogue – no comments. Just the music. ‘This is my jam’ went offline in September 2015. But – as it was such a good idea and something which means a lot to me, JemJams has carried on the task (albeit from just one person) ever since. Here are JemJams 449 to 453.

449: Ghost Hounds – Make it shake (posted on 5/10)
450: Skindred – Gimme dat boom (posted on 11/10)
451: Ally Venable – Don’t lose me (posted on 17/10)
452: Royal Blood – Pull me through (posted on 23/10), and
453: Michael Katon – Watermelon & Black Coffee (posted on 29/10)

October gigs. Two. Both at Brighton’s ‘Chalk’. Both booked six months or so back. Both long since sold out.

The first was ‘Tigercub‘ supported by ‘James & the Cold Gun’ on the 20th. Tigercub are a three-piece rock band from Brighton, UK. The band are Jamie Stephen Hall (vocals and lead guitar), James Allix (drums) and Jimi Wheelwright (bass). They were formed in 2011 by Hall and Allie who both studied at Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM). They’ve released three EPs, the Hands EP (2013), Repressed Semantics (2015) and Evolve or Die (2017), and three full-length albums, Abstract Figures in the Dark (2016), As Blue as Indigo (2021) and The Perfume Of Decay (2023).

The second was ‘Skindred‘ supported by ‘St Agnes’ and ‘Blackgold’ on the 27th. This was the ‘Smile’ tour in support of the of 2023 album of the same name. Skindred formed in Newport in 1998 and have won several awards including “Best Live Band” at the 2011 UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the “Devotion Award” at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards

Upcoming gigs. Already been to one in November; Robert Plant on the 1st. Coming up CMAT (at Brighton’s Chalk) on the 15th and Kris Drever (at Brighton’s Komedia) on the 22nd. More on all three in One JemTunes 23 #12 due out at the beginning of December.

One JemTunes 23 #10

October 4, 2023 by Jem Croucher

10 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64 year-old hippy

OneJemTunes 23 #10 is mostly about September 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking into and forward to October as well).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

On 1st September we lost American singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett aged 72, principally associated with the ‘tropical rock’ genre. He was all about ‘island escapism’ – a life-long passion, epitomised in this quote:

“It’s pure escapism is all it is…I’m not the first one to do it, nor shall I probably be the last. But I think it’s really a part of the human condition that you’ve got to have some fun. You’ve got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out. I try to make it at least 50/50 fun to work and so far it’s worked out.”

Ten birthdays for the 10th month of the year already gone or coming up are – Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash bassist) [1st/76], Phil Oakey (Human League) [2nd/68], Sting (Police) [2nd/72], Bob Geldof (The Boomtown Rats) [5th/71], Thom Yorke (Radiohead) [7th/54], Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet) [10th/61], Billy Cox (Bassist with the Jimi Hendrix Experience) [18th/81], Ric Lee (Ten Years After drummer) [20th/77], Simon le Bon (Duran Duran) [27th/64], and Johnny Marr (The Smiths) [31st/59].

September downloads and other additions added to my JemTunes music collection:

Albany Down – Born in the Ashes (2023) [standout track – Let your love shine]
Royal Blood – Back to the water below (2023) [standout track – Triggers]
The Bites – Squeeze (2023) [standout track – Do me a favour]
You’ve got everything now [Mojo cover CD] (standout track – The Wedding Present: My favourite dress)
Pretenders – Relentless (2023) [standout track – Losing my sense of taste]
Public Service Broadcasting – This new noise (2023) [standout track – An unusual man]
The Record Company – 4th album (2023) [standout track – I found heaven (in my darkest days))
Paul Rodgers – Midnight Rose (2023) [standout track – Melting]
Blackstone Cherry – Screaming at the sky (2023) [standout track – Not afraid]

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1286. Quite simply it’s a list of 10 songs (or other music-related things) on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During September 2023, those were…

100 rock albums that defined the 1980s (1-6/9)
20 Instrumentals (7 & 8)
20 very long album tracks (9 & 10)
NME No.1 singles of the 1960s (11-29/9)
10 getting marrieds songs (30th)

444: Queens of the Stone Age – Straitjacket fitting (posted on 5/9)
445: Pontus Snibb – Love Letter (posted on 11/9)
446: The Dust Coda – Free all the dancers (posted on 17/9)
447: The Black Keys – Burn the damn thing down (posted on 23/9), and
448: Greta van Fleet – Farewell for now (posted on 29/9)

Upcoming gigs. Been a bit of a hiatus there for a while – but I’m making up big-time in October and November. Coming in October are Tigercub (cover pic) on the 20th and Skindred on the 27th (both at Brighton’s ‘Chalk’). Reviews of both in One JemTunes #11, due out around 6th November.

One JemTunes 23 #9

September 8, 2023 by Jem Croucher

9 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64-year old hippy

OneJemTunes 23 #9 is mostly about August 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking into and forward to September as well).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

On 24th August we lost Bernie Marsden aged 72 (sic. cover pic). An English rock and blues guitarist, he is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with singer David Coverdale many of the group’s hit songs, including “Fool for your loving”, “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”, “She’s A Woman”, “Lovehunter”, “Trouble”, “Child of Babylon”, “Rough and Ready”, and the multi-million selling chart-topper “Here I go again”

Nine birthdays for the 9th month of the year already gone or coming up are – Gloria Estafan (singer) [1st/66], Bruce Foxton (Jam bassist) [1st/68], Barry Gibb (The Bee Gees) [1st/77], Steve Jones (Sex Pistols guitarist) [3rd/68], Beyonce Knowles (singer/songwriter) [4th/42], Martin Chamber (Pretenders drummer) [4th/72], Roger Waters (Pink Floyd bassist) [6th/80], Joe Perry (Aerosmith guitarist) [10th/72] and Jarvis Cocker (Pulp singer) [10th/59].

August downloads and other additions added to the JemTunes collection:

Collective Soul – Afterwords (2008) Standout track – Persuasion of you
Skindred – Smile (2023) Standout track – Gimme that boom [There’ll be a review of the Brighton leg of their 2023 ‘Smile’ tour in One JemTunes #11 as we’ll be at the Chalk gig on 27th October]
Dave Fields – Force of Will (2020) Standout track – Best I can
Beaux Gris Gris & the Apocalypse – Live in the UK (2023) Standout track – What’s my name
Ally Venable – Pearl Gone (2023) Standout track – Don’t lose me
Michel Katon – Hard On (the Boogie) (2012) Standout track – Watermelon and black coffee
Laurence Jones – Bad luck and the blues (2023) Standout track – Woman

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1260. Quite simply it’s a list of 10 songs (or other music-related things) on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During August 2023, those were…

Classic Albums (1950s to 2020s) [b/f from July] (1st to 11th)
Weekend songs (12th)
Songs with ‘Charlie’ in the title (13th) [for my brother Charlie’s birthday]
Top 10 most weeks in the top 20 UK singles charts (14th)
Top 10 longest UK top 20 span (15th)
Top 10 most top 20 UK singles charts entries (16th)
Top 10 acts of the 1990s (17th)
Top 10 singles (by sales) of the 1990s (18th)
Top 10 European Acts with most weeks in the 1990s UK charts (19th)
20 Guitarists (20th & 21st)
20 Drummers (22nd & 23rd)
20 Bassists (24th & 25th)
20 Pink Floyd albums (26th & 27th)
100 rock albums that defined the 1980s (28th to 31st) [c/f to September]

439: Tigerclub – Until I forget [posted on 6th August]
440: Rival Sons – Nobody wants to die [posted in 12th August]
441: Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton – Down in the mud [posted on 18th August]
442: Buckcherry – Good time [posted on 24th August] and
443: Gov’t Mule – Peace I need [posted on 30th August]

’23 Tunes’ is the thematic I’ve given to the periodic playlists I’m putting together this year. Here’s the track-by-track lowdown for No.5…

Knocking on the door – The Bites
Watermelon & Black Coffee – Michael Katon
Bad luck and the blues – Laurence Jones
Custard Pie – Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes
Dirty Angel – Ghost Hounds
Jack Ham Her – Dave Fields
Gimme that boom – Skindred
New Vibration – Collective Soul
Two wrongs – Ally Venable
Let me out – Brian May
I love my baby – Dave Fields
Oh Well – (into…)
Nobody’s fault but mine – (both by…) Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes
LOVE (Smile please) – Skindred
Pull me through – Royal Blood
Don’t lose me – Ally Venable
Check out the blues – Michael Katon
Persuasion of you – Collective Soul
Make it shake – Ghost Hounds
Mama – Skindred
Best I can – Dave Fields
Bluesbreaker 23 – Brian May & friends
What’s my name – Beaux Gris Gris & the Apocalypse

One JemTunes #10 is due out sometime around 2nd October.

One JemTunes 23 #8

August 5, 2023 by Jem Croucher

8 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64-year old hippy

OneJemTunes 23 #8 is mostly about July 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking forward to August as well).

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

On 28th July we lost Sinéad O’Connor aged just 56. An Irish singer, songwriter and political activist, her debut studio album, ‘The Lion and the Cobra’, was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her follow-up 1990 album, ‘I do not want what I haven’t got’, was her biggest success though, selling more than seven million copies worldwide. Its lead single, “Nothing Compares 2 U”, (written by Prince) was named the year’s top world single.

Eight birthdays for the 8th month of the year coming up are – Angry Anderson (lead singer with Rose Tattoo) [today 5th (76)], Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls) [6th/50], Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) [7th/64], The Edge (U2) [8th/61], Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) [10th/75], Sandi Thom [11th/41], Maddy Prior (Steelye Span) [14th/75], and Van Morrison [31st/77].

July downloads and other additions:

Blondie – singles collection (1977-1982) [2009] Standout track – Atomic
The Dust Coda – Loco Paradise [2023] Standout track – Free all the dancers
The Black Keys – Drop Out Boogie [2023] Standout track – Burn the damn thing down
Fluke – Six wheels on my wagon [1993] Standout track – Slid
Punk Nuggets – MoJo cover CD [2023] Standout track – The Birdmen: ‘New Race’
Greta Van Fleet – Starcatcher [2023] Standout track – The falling sky
The Black Crowes & Jimmy Page – Live at the Greek [2000] Standout track – Custard Pie
Brian May – Starfleet Sessions (deluxe) [1983/2023] Standout track – Bluesbreaker
T.Rex (Classic Albums box set) CD [2016]: ‘My People were fair and had sky in their hair, but now they’re content to wear stars on their brows’ [1968], ‘Prophets, Seers and Sages: the angels of the ages’ [1968], ‘Unicorn’ [1969], ‘A beard of stars’ [1970], and ‘Electric Warrior’ [1971] Standout track – ‘Get it on’ (from ‘Electric Warrior’)
Ghosthounds – First Last Time [2023] Standout track – Make it shake

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1226. Quite simply it’s a list of 10 songs (or other music-related things) on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During July 2023, those were…

Top 70 singles in w/c 26th June 1982 (1st & 2nd) [b/f from June]
Top 50 singles in w/c 3rd July 1977 (3rd to 6th & 8th)
Marriage (7th)
July (9th to 12th)
Thursday (13th)
Friday (14th)
Saturday (15th)
Sunday (16th)
NME No.1’s – 1953 – 1959 (17th to 23rd)
Classic singles (1950s to 1990s) (24th to 28th]
Classic albums (1950s to 2020s) (29th to 31st) [c/f to August]

433: Tigerclub – Beauty [posted on 1st July]
434: Patti Smith – Because the night [posted on 7th July]
435: Skindred – Machine [posted on 13th July]
436: Pop Evil – Wrong Direction [posted on 19th July]
437: Ana Popovic – Doin this [posted on 25th July), and
438: Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown – Sho been worse [posted on 31st July]

’23 Tunes’ is the thematic I’ve given to the periodic playlists I’m putting together this year. Here’s the track-by-track lowdown for No.4…

The Dust Coda – Free all the dancers
Jason Charles Miller – You’re about to
Buckcherry – Good Time
Pontus Snibb – Tag along
Jason Charles Miller – Better late than never
Gov’t Mule – Shake out way out
Blondie – Heroes
Queens of the Stone Age – Straight Jacket Fitting
Jason Charles Miller – I’m no good
Gov’t Mule – Peace I need
The Black Keys – Didn’t I love you
Jason Charles Miller – Reckless
Blondie – Atomic
The Black Keys – Burn the damn thing down
Greta van Fleet – The falling sky
Pontus Snibb – Love Letter
Jason Charles Miller – Still doing time
Pontus Snibb – Chasing down a dream
Blondie – Rapture
Greta van Fleet – The Indigo Streak
The Dust Coda – Road to hell
The Black Keys – Baby I’m coming home
Greta van Fleet – Farewell for now

One JemTunes #9 is due out sometime around 4th September

One JemTunes 23 #7

July 1, 2023 by Jem Croucher

7 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64 year old hippy

And as 2023 is the year I can finally sing the line ‘…when I’m 64…’ and be there, the music world is my proverbial oyster (not that it’s not always been of course – because it has). And still is.

OneJemTunes 23 #7 is mostly about June 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking forward to July as well).

I didn’t get to Glastonbury (again). One year though – before I’m too decrepit to manage. Maybe 2024 because my daughters and peers seem quite adept at securing tickets. They went of course (and we ‘dogsat’) and watched snips sent by WhatsApp and on TV. However, we did watch the whole of the Blondie set. Which (in my opinion) was this year’s crowning glory. Debbie Harry’s got 14 years on me but is still absolutely rock n roll. If I can still do half of that at 78…well – nuff said! (Although I very much doubt that I’ll get anywhere near the pyramid stage like she did)!

428: The Heavy – Stone Cold Killer (posted on 1st June)
429: The Answer – Bloodbrother (posted on 7th June)
430: The Inspector Cluzo – Rockophobia (posted on 13th June)
431: Underworld – and the colour red (posted on 19th June), and
432: Demob Happy – Loosen it (posted on 25th June)

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1191. Quite simply it’s a list of 10 songs on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During June 2023, those were…

June songs (1st & 2nd)
Ed songs (3rd
Top 10 UK singles on 4th June 1971
50 songs about US states (5th to 9th)
Top 10 UK singles on 10th June 1972
Songs about countries (11th to 17th)
Jeremy songs (18th)
Top 50 singles in w/c 19th June 1974 (19th, 20th & 22nd to 24th)
Summer Solstice (21st)
Sunday songs (25th) and
Top 70 singles in w/c 26th June 1982 (26th to 30th) [c/f to July]

June downloads and other additions:

Tigerclub – The perfume of decay (2023) [standout track – ‘Until I forget’]
Rival Sons – Darkfighter (2023) [standout track – ‘Nobody wants to die’]
Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton – Deathwish Blues [standout track – ‘Down in the mud’]
Buckcherry – Volume 10 (2023) [Standout track – ‘Good time’]
Django Django – Off Planet (2023). This is a signed copy of the double album on white vinyl with artwork by my son – Ed Croucher
Gov’t Mule – Peace like a river (2023) [standout track – ‘Shake our way out’]
Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman (2023) [standout track – ‘Straight jacket fitting’]
Jason Charles Miller – Cards on the table (2023) [standout track – ‘Reckless’]
Jason Charles Miller – Uncountry (2011) [standout track – ‘Still doin time’]
Pontus Snibb – Loud Feathers (2012) [standout track – ‘Chasing down a dream’]

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

Those we lost in June included Tony McPhee, the Groundhogs guitarist who passed on 6th June aged 79

Seven birthdays in the 7th month of the year (July) – Missy Elliot (1st and 52), Debbie Harry (1st and 78), Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac guitarist) (4th and 74), Mike Shrieve (Santana drummer) (6th and 73), Ringo Starr (7th and 82), Arlo Guthrie (10th and 75), Kate Bush (30th and 64)

One Jemtunes #8 is due out around 7th August

One Jemtunes 23 #6

June 5, 2023 by Jem Croucher

6 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64 year old hippy

And as 2023 is the year I can finally sing the line ‘…when I’m 64…’ and be there, the music world is my proverbial oyster (not that it’s not always been of course – because it has).

OneJemTunes 23 #6 is mostly about May 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking forward to June as well).

Read on…

423: Indigo Girls – Shit kicking (posted on 2nd May)
424: Neverland Branch Davidians – Fatback (posted on 8 May)
425: The Cold Stares – Nothing but the blues (posted on 14 May)
426: Connor Selby – Emily (posted on 20 May) and
427: Hillbilly Vegas – Shake it like a hillbilly (posted on 26 May)

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since around the start of the 2019 pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1165. Quite simply it’s a list of 10 songs on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During May 2023, those were…

Top 10 UK singles this week in 1977 through 1979 (1st to 3rd May)
10 songs about Star Wars (4th May)
Top 10 UK singles the week in 1980 (5th May)
10 singles from January 1970 to November 1979 (6th to 15th May)
10 songs about Sally (16th May)
Top 10 albums this day from 1990 to 2020 (in decades) (17th to 20th May)
10 Brighton songs (21st May)
Songs about London (22nd to 26th May)
Saturday songs (27th May)
Hot songs (28th & 29th May)
Shakespeare inspired songs (30th and 31st May)

May downloads and other additions:

Pop Evil – Skeletons (2023) [standout track – Wrong Direction]
Mallory Knox (eponymous) (2015) on CD [standout track – Fine Lines]
Queens of the Stone Age – Fra Vulgaris (2007) on CD [standout track – Sick sick sick]
Underworld – a collection 2 (2016) [standout track Dirty Epic]
Ana Popovic – Power (2023) [standout track -Doin this]
Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown – Dirty Work (2023) [standout track – Sho been worse]
Snayx – Weaponised youth Part I (2023) [standout track – Work]
Demob Happy – Divine Machines (2023) [standout track -Super Fluid]
Street Sermons – Daddy Longlegs (2023) [standout track – Street Sermon]

And the best of of the lot – an ultra-limited single-sided heavy vinyl copy of Underworld’s ‘And the colour red’ on red vinyl. Mine is 49/1000. Very special pressie from my son Ed. (See cover pic)

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

Those we lost in May included the ubiquitous Tina Turner (aged 83 on the 24th) and Andy Rourke – bassist for The Smiths (aged 59 on the 19th).

Six birthdays in the sixth month of the year (June) – Ronnie Wood (1st and 76), Suzi Quatro (3rd and 73), Steve Vai (6th and 62), George Ezra (7th and 29), Paul McCartney (18th and 80) and Andy Scott – Sweet guitarist (30th and 73)

Gigs in May 23 – not a gig per se – but a celebration of songwriters as a part of The Ivors week on 16th May. Live at the London Palladium, ‘The Other songs’ featured songwriters both talking about and performing some of the songs which they’d written for others over the years. We got tickets as one of our daughters works for The Ivors and helped set up the Palladium show.

One Jemtunes #7 is due around 3rd July

One Jemtunes 23 #5

May 1, 2023 by Jem Croucher

5 of 12 in a monthly music diatribe from a 64-year old hippy

And as 2023 is the year I can finally sing the line ‘…when I’m 64…’ and be there, the music world is my proverbial oyster (not that it’s not always been of course – because it has).

OneJemTunes 23 #5 is mostly about April 2023 (although there’s a bit of looking forward to May as well).

Read on…

418: Black Star Riders – Hustle (posted on 2nd April)
419: Crosby Stills & Nash – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (posted on 8th April)
420: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Faith Healer (posted on 14th April)
421: Those Damn Crows – I am (posted on 20th April), and
422: Doomsday Outlaws – In too deep (posted on 26th April)

Jem’s daily music lists of 10 – is something I’ve been doing since the start of the pandemic and the first UK lockdown. So grateful those dark days are behind us now – but I took a liking to the idea, so haven’t yet stopped. I’m currently on list No. 1130. Quite simply it’s a daily list of 10 songs on different themes published daily on my main FaceBook page. During April 2023, those were…

Songs about April (1st & 2nd)
Ten standout tracks from album downloads 2022/23 (3rd to 12th)
Cloud songs (13th to 15th)
Spring songs (16th to 19th)
Flower songs (20th to 23rd)
Top 10 singles this day in 1970 to 1976 (24th to 30th)

April downloads and other additions:

Elles Bailey – Shining in the half-light (2023) [standout track – ‘Sunshine City (live)’]
Underworld – and the colour red (2023) [track only]
Demob Happy – Holy Doom (2018) [standout track – ‘Loosen it’]
Tiger Club – As blue as indigo (2021) [standout track – Beauty’]
Unthank Smith – Nowhere and Everywhere (2023) [standout track – ‘Robert Kay’]
The Nude Party – Rides On (2023) [standout track – ‘Tell em”]
Arielle – 73 (2023) [standout track – ”73′]
Skindred – Big Tings (2018) [standout track – ‘Machine’]
Gyasi – Androgyne (2019) [standout track – ‘Young Love’]
Gyasi – Baby Blue EP (2023) [standout track ‘Sugar Mama’]

Comings and goings – a regular feature throughout the year. On the one hand sadly recording those we’ve lost, but on the other – looking forward to birthdays of those we still have.

Those we lost in April included Seymour Stein – co-founder of Sire Records (2nd aged 80), Paul Cattermole – S Club 7 singer (6th aged 46) and Ian Bairnson – The Alan Parsons Project (7th aged 69).

Birthdays in May 2023: Judy Collins – singer (1st and 84), Rita Coolidge – singer (1st and 78), Ray Parker Jnr – singer (1st and 69), Bernard Butler – Suede guitarist (1st and 54), Englebert Humperdinck – singer (2nd and 86), Lou Gramm – Foreigner vocalist (2nd and 72), Frankie Valli – The Four Seasons (3rd and 88), Mary Hopkin – singer (3rd and 72), Bruce Hall – REO Speedwagon bassist (3rd and 69), Zal Cleminson – Sensational Alex Harvey Band guitarist (4th and 73), Teddie Chinery – The Beverley Sisters (5th and 95), Bob Seger – singer (5th and 77), Bernie Marsden – Whitesnake guitarist (7th and 71), Dave Rowntree – Blur drummer (8th and 58), Dave Gahan – Depeche Mode (8th and 60), Donovan – singer (10th and 76), Eric Burdon – The Animals (11th and 81), Steve Winwood – Spencer Davis Group, Traffic & Blind faith (12th and 74), Stevie Wonder (13th and 72), David Byrne – Talking Heads (14th and 70), Brian Eno – Roxy Music (15th and 74), Robert Fripp – King Crimson guitarist (16th and 76), Trent Reznor – Nine Inch Nails (17th and 57), Rick Wakeman – Yes keyboardist (18th and 73), Pete Townshend – The Who (19th and 77), Cher (20th and 76), Morrissey – The Smiths (22nd and 64), Bob Dylan (24th and 81), Paul Weller – The Jam (25th and 65), John Fogerty – Creedence Clearwater Revival (28th and 77), Francis Rossi – Status Quo (29th and 77) and Tom Morello – Rage against the machine guitarist (30th and 58)

Gigs in April 23 – ‘Unthank/Smith’ at Brighton’s Komedia on the 5th. A collaboration between Rachel Unthank (from the Unthanks) and Paul Smith (from Maximo Park), this was an evening of exploration into songs from their mutual homeland – the north east of England.

Featuring many songs from the recently released but five-years ago recorded ‘Nowhere and Everywhere’ album, many sung unaccompanied save for the drone of Rachel Unthank’s harmonium, this was an evening of musical loveliness. Thought-provoking, insightful and melodious, we were taken deeply into the history via songs and words telling stories from the north east from both yesteryear and more recent times. The haunting ‘Robert Kay’ stole the show for me – a sad tale of a young soldier killed in the first world war on a Palm Sunday ten days before be was due to come home. Yet this was not a mournful gig but an uplifting one. Another one etched in the memory.