One Jemtunes 24 #1

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’.

JemJams 22 #44

[44] 23 December 2019 to 22 January 2020

Throughout 2022, Jemtunes is revisiting JemJams – a social media post featuring a new ‘jam’ once every 6 days, something I’ve been doing since September 2015 when ‘Thisismyjam.com’ (from whom the inspiration derived) was mothballed.

Since then, JemJams on FaceBook has posted a new jam faithfully every six days, and continues to do so now. As of today, it’s between jams #389 (posted on 10th October) and #390 (due on the 16th).

JemJams 22 charts every posted jam from the beginning and, every 6 days throughout the year, is posting details of six tracks from #001 through #342. Today it’s JJ#259 through JJ#264.

1. Plan B – In the bleak midwinter (posted on 23 December 2019)
2. Underworld – STAR (posted on 29 December 2019)
3. Stereophonics – I just wanted the goods (posted on 4 January 2020)
4. Life of Agony – Scars (posted on 10 January 2020)
5. Imperial Jade – Dance (posted on 16 January 2020), and
6. The Record Company – I’m getting better (posted on 22 January 2020)

JemJams 22 #45 is due out on 20th October

JemJams 22 #26

#26 [15 March to 14 April 2018]

Throughout 2022, Jemtunes is revisiting JemJams – a social media post featuring a new ‘jam’ once every 6 days, something I’ve been doing since September 2015 when ‘Thisismyjam.com’ (from whom the inspiration derived) was mothballed.

Since then, JemJams on FaceBook has posted a new jam faithfully every six days, and continues to do so now. As of today, it’s between jams #369 (posted on 11th June) and #370 (due on the 17th).

JemJams 22 charts every posted jam from the beginning and, every 6 days throughout the year, is posting details of six tracks from #001 through #342. Today it’s JJ#151 through JJ#156.

1. The Bug – Fall (first posted on 15 March 2018)
2. Matty T Wall – Voodoo Chile (first posted on 21 March 2018)
3. Dogbreath – Fit in (first posted on 27 March 2018)
4. Life of Agony – Last Cigarette (first posted on 2 April 2018)
5. Rod Stewart – Stone Cold Sober (first posted on 8 April 2018) [Cover pic refers; Stone Cold Sober was the B-side of the ‘Sailing’ single from 1975)
6. Henry’s Funeral Shoe – Overflow (first posted on 14 April 2018)

JemJams 22 #27 is due out on 20th June

JemJams 22 #6

#6 [25 March to 24 April 2016]

Throughout 2022, Jemtunes is revisiting JemJams – a simple post on social media featuring a new ‘jam’ once every 6 days, something I’ve been doing since September 2015 when ‘Thisismyjam.com’ (from whom the inspiration derived) was mothballed.

Since then, JemJams on FaceBook has posted a new jam faithfully every six days, and continues to do so now. As of today, it’s between jams #347 (posted yesterday) and #348 (due on 5 February).

JemJams 22 charts every posted jam from the beginning and, every 6 days throughout the year, is posting details of six tracks from #001 through #342. Today it’s JJ#031 through JJ#036.

1. David Gogo – Jet Set (posted 25 March 2016)
2. King Mud – Smoked all my Bud (posted 31 March 2016)
3. The Guess Who – American Woman (posted 6 April 2016)
4. Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite – I’m in I’m out and I’m gone (posted 12 April 2016)
5. Serinette – Roadshow (posted 18 April 2016)
6. Underworld – Spikee (published 24 April 2016)

JemJams 22 #7 is due on Sunday 6 February

Classic 21 #013: Alabama 3

Classic 21: January (Alpha/Bravo) A #12

The Jemtunes 2021 series ‘Classic 21’ is taking you on a Classic Rock musical A-Z mystery tour throughout the year. January features artists, bands and themes covering the first two letters – Alpha/Bravo.

Alabama 3 formed when Jake Black (27 April 1960 – 21 May 2019) met Rob Spragg at a rave in Peckham and they decided that a fusion of country music with acid house was a musical possibility. Other members of the band were added later. Nick Reynolds is the son of one of the Great Train Robbers. Rob Spragg was at university with Piers Marsh, the harmonica player and synthesiser programmer for the band, while Orlando Harrison, the group’s keyboardist, used to live with Jake Black.

Starting their act under the alias the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine, the group eventually switched names to Alabama 3 and after having been dismissed by the mainstream media as a novelty act, signed with One Little Indian Records in 1997 for the release of its debut album, Exile on Coldharbour Lane. Their second album, La Peste, featured bassist John “Segs” Jennings of the Ruts under the stage name Frank Zappatista.

In August 2007, the group toured under the name of Alabama 3: Acoustic and Unplugged, with Harpo Strangelove and Devlin Love, to promote its new album M.O.R. (released 10 September 2007). Bassist John “Segs” Jennings left the band, saying he was “busy elsewhere and [he doesn’t] have the time”. M.O.R. included a cover of Jerry Reed’s 1970s hit “Amos Moses” and features The Proclaimers on the track “Sweet Joy” plus piano parts on the country stomp version of the Gil Scott Heron song “The Klan”, written by Heron and Brian Jackson. In September and October 2007, the band toured the UK in support of M.O.R. with Irish band Republic of Loose supporting.

Having recorded and toured with the band in the early days, Aurora Dawn rejoined the band in 2009. Between late 2010 and early 2011, programmer, harmonicist and founding member Piers Marsh left the band.

Jake Black, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, had Addison’s disease, and died on 21 May 2019, several days after falling ill during a show at Highest Point Festival in Lancashire. He was 59.

The song “Woke Up This Morning” (from the band’s debut album) was used for the opening credits of the TV series The Sopranos.

Underworld – Another Silent Way (Starters for ten #365) 5.5.37

Starters for Ten 2019 – #365: Top Five tracks from my top 5 albums of 2019: 191231

Underworld – Another Silent Way (2019)

Throughout 2019 Jem of Jemtunes has taken you through 36 top tens. But, to bring the year and the series to a close, here’s one final top five. You’ve had tunes for a whole gamut of reasons including genre, mood, time of year or simply time itself. Sometimes there has been words but mostly it’s simply been the music, because music always speaks for itself.

Concluding the 37th and the ‘Starters for Ten’ series, here’s Another Silent Way – the opening track from Underworld’s Drift Series 1 album, released on 1 November.

This live version is from London’s Wembley Arena where we caught them on 7 December. Probably one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to.

The 2019 ‘Starters for Ten’ series features:
[1] Jan 1-10: Top Ten Blues Rock Stonkers
[2] Jan 10-20: Top Ten Led Zeppelin Tracks
[3] Jan 21-30: Top Ten Spinetinglers
[4] Jan 31-Feb 9: Top Ten Underworld Tracks
[5] Feb 10-19: Top Ten Acoustic Tracks
[6] Feb 20-Mar 1: Top Ten Queen Tracks
[7] Mar 2-11: Top Ten Live Tracks
[8] Mar 12-21: Top Ten Classical pieces
[9] Mar 22-31: Top Ten Soul tracks
[10] April 1-10: Top Ten Classic Rock tracks
[11] April 11-20: Top Ten ‘Ten Years After’ numbers
[12] April 12-30: Top Ten ‘Talking Heads’ tracks
[13] May 1-10: Top Ten Punk Anthems
[14] May 11-20: Top Ten Rock numbers
[15] May 21-30: Top Ten Boogie tracks
[16] May 31-June 9: Top Ten Lurve songs
[17] June 10-19: Top Ten Driving Tracks
[18] June 20-29: Top Ten Britpop/invasion tracks
[19] June 30-July 9: Top Ten Jimi Hendrix numbers
[20] July 10-19: Top Ten 2018 tunes
[21] July 20-29: Top Ten Sunday Morning tracks
[22] July 30-August 8: Top Ten Fleetwood Mac tracks
[23] August 9-18: Top Ten 2017 tunes
[24] August 19-28: Top Ten Saturday night numbers
[25] August 29-September 7: Top Ten ZZ Top tracks
[26] September 8-17: Top Ten 2016 tunes
[27] September 18-27: Top Ten 1960’s numbers
[28] September 28-October 7: Top Ten 1970’s numbers
[29] October 8-17: Top Ten drumming tracks
[30] October 18-27: Top Ten 1980’s numbers
[31] October 28-November 6: Top Ten 2015 tunes
[32] November 7-16: Top Ten last 20 years (part I)
[33] November 17-26: Top Ten David Bowie numbers
[34] November 27-December 6: Top Ten Blues numbers
[35] December 7-16: Top Ten last 20 years (part II)
[36] December 17-26: Top Ten Festive tracks
[37] December 27-31: Top Five tracks from my Top 5 albums of 2019

Keep reading for ‘Leaps n Bands’ – a new Jemtunes series starting tomorrow

Daft Punk – Get Lucky (Starters for Ten #345) 5.10.35

Starters for Ten 2019 – #345: Top Ten Last 20 years (part II): 191211

Daft Punk – Get Lucky (2013)

Throughout 2019 Jem of Jemtunes is taking you through 36 top tens and one top five. Tunes for a whole gamut of reasons including genre, mood, time of year or simply time itself. Sometimes there’s be words but mostly it’ll simply be the music. Because music always speaks for itself.

Continuing the 35th – part II of my top ten last 20 years numbers – here’s Get Lucky, the lead single from “Random Access Memories”, the fourth studio album by French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 17 May 2013 by Daft Life and Columbia Records.

Following the minimal production of their previous studio album, Human After All (2005), Daft Punk recruited session musicians to perform live instrumentation and limited the use of electronic instruments to drum machines, a custom-built modular synthesizer, and vintage vocoders. The album features collaborations with Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Chilly Gonzales, Nile Rodgers, Paul Williams, Nathan East, and Pharrell Williams. As a result, the album topped the charts in over twenty-five countries.

Underworld – Born Slippy Nuxx (Starters for Ten #286) 6.10.29

Starters for Ten 2019 – #286: Top Ten Drumming tracks: 191013

Underworld – Born Slippy Nuxx (1996)

Throughout 2019 Jem of Jemtunes is taking you through 36 top tens and one top five. Tunes for a whole gamut of reasons including genre, mood, time of year or simply time itself. Sometimes there’s be words but mostly it’ll simply be the music. Because music always speaks for itself.

Continuing my 29th top ten – featuring my top ten drumming tracks – here’s Born Slippy Nuxx released by Underworld in 1996 and featuring the programming wizardry of Rick Smith.

We’ve the privilege of catching Underworld live again in December at London’s Wembley Arena. I’m fully expecting Born Slippy Nuxx to be part of (if not all) of the encore, bringing the house down as it did so successfully when we saw them last time in Brighton in 2015.

Alabama 3 – Forever in blues (Starters for Ten #254) 4.10.26

Starters for Ten 2019 – #254: Top Ten 2016 tunes: 190911

Alabama 3 – Forever in Blues (2016)

Throughout 2019 Jem of Jemtunes is taking you through 36 top tens and one top five. Tunes for a whole gamut of reasons including genre, mood, time of year or simply time itself. Sometimes there’s be words but mostly it’ll simply be the music. Because music always speaks for itself.

Continuing the 26th – running between 8 and 17 September and featuring my top ten 2016 tunes – here’s Foever in Blues from the 13th Alabama 3 album ‘Blues’, released in October 2016.

Underworld & Iggy Pop – Get your shirt (Starters for Ten #196) 6.10.20

Starters for Ten 2019 – #196: Top Ten 2018 tunes: 190715

Underworld & Iggy Pop – Get your shirt (2018)

Throughout 2019 Jem of Jemtunes is taking you through 36 top tens and one top five. Tunes for a whole gamut of reasons including genre, mood, time of year or simply time itself. Sometimes there’s be words but mostly it’ll simply be the music. Because music always speaks for itself.

Continuing the 20th, running between 10 and 19 July and featuring my top ten tunes from 2018, here’s Get your shirt from the collaboration between Underworld and Iggy Pop, released on 27 July – ‘Tea Time Dub Encounters’.