JemJams 22 #041

#41 [6 September to 6 October 2019]

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 #385 (posted on 15th September) and #386 (due on the 21st).

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#241 through JJ#246.

1. The Mike Eldred Trio – Jake’s Blues (first posted on 6 September 2019)
2. Icona Pop – I don’t care (first posted on 12 September 2019)
3. The Hexane – King Bee (first posted on 18 September 2019)
4. Dub War – Woman possessed (first posted on 24 September 2019)
5. James Brown – Sex Machine (first posted on 30 September 2019), and
6. Sweet Taste – Get your groove on (first posted on 6 October 2019)

JemJams #42 is due out on 2 October

JemJams 22 #3

#3 [8 December 2015 to 7 January 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 #344 (posted yesterday) and #345 (due on 18 January).

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#013 through JJ#018.

1. Attik Door – Bleed (8 December 2015)
2. Smoke Fairies – Three Kings (14 December 2015)
3. Nadine Shah – Fool (20 December 2015)
4. Fairtrade Floyd – In money we trust (26 December 2015)
5. Wolf Parade – Disco Sheets (1 January 2016), and
6. The Heavy – How you like me now (7 January 2016)

JemJams 22 #4 is due on Wednesday 19 January.

Classic 21 #090 – FUNK rock

Classic 21: March (Echo/Foxtrot) F #19

The Jemtunes 2021 series ‘Classic 21’ is taking you on a Classic Rock musical A-Z mystery tour throughout the year. March features artists, bands and themes covering the letters E and F – Echo/Foxtrot – and continues today with ‘F” – a shout out to ‘FUNK rock’.

Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stating that their music “spark[ed] the musical transition from fifties rock and roll to sixties funk.”

Funk rock’s earliest incarnation on record was heard in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s by acts such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience (later work / Band of Gypsys), Eric Burdon and War, Redbone, Rick Derringer, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Wild Cherry, Average White Band, Gary Wright, Trapeze, The Bar-Kays, Black Merda, Parliament-Funkadelic, Betty Davis and Mother’s Finest. During the 1980s and 1990s funk rock music experienced a surge in popularity, with bands such as Tom Tom Club, Pigbag, INXS, Talking Heads, Devo, the Fine Young Cannibals and Cameo dabbling in the sound. Groups including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Incubus, Mr. Bungle, Primus and Faith No More also notably combined funk rock with metal, punk, hip hop and experimental music, leading to the emergence of the genre known as funk metal or “punk-funk.

Leaps n Bands #77: The Gap Band – Oops up side your head (1979)

The Jemtunes ‘Leaps n Bands’ series is, throughout 2020, featuring a track by track expose of the albums that have spoken loudest to me over the years.

But Jemtunes 75-84, running between 28 May and 15 June, features 10 singles instead. Mainly because, when many of us now of a certain age first started buying records, the format of choice was the humble 45. And there was a lot of influence there.

“I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)”, (re-titled “Oops Up Side Your Head” on the single as well as being known more popularly as “Oops Upside Your Head”), is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band. Released off their fourth studio album, The Gap Band II.

Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk (Starters for Ten #308) 8.10.31

Starters for Ten 2019 – #308: Top Ten 2015 tunes: 191104

Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk (2015)

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 31st – my top ten 2015 tunes – here’s Uptown Funk featuring Bruno Mars and taken from Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Special’ album.

Jimi Hendrix – Freedom (Starters for Ten #186) 6.10.19

Starters for Ten 2019 – #186: Top Ten Jimi Hendrix numbers: 190705

Freedom (1971)

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 19th, running between 30 June and 9 July and featuring my top ten Jimi Hendrix numbers – here’s Freedom, a funk-rock song by Jimi Hendrix that is often seen as one of the most fully realised pieces he wrote and recorded in the months before his death.

The song is one of the post-Band of Gypsys developed numbers that Hendrix regularly performed in concert. In 1971, it was used as the opening track on The Cry of Love, and, in the US, was also released as one of two posthumous Hendrix singles to appear on the Hot 100, where it reached number 59.

“Freedom” is now one of the more popular songs in the Hendrix collection and is included on several compilations. In 1997, it was used to lead off ‘First Rays of the New Rising Sun’, the most comprehensive attempt to present Hendrix’s planned fourth studio album.

Tom Browne – Fungi Mama (Starters for Ten #150) 10/10 (15)

Starters for Ten 2019 – #150: Top Ten Boogie tracks: 190530

Tom Browne – Fungi Mama (1981)

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.

Concluding the 15th – featuring my top ten boogie tracks – here’s Fungi Mama from Tom Browne’s 1981 album ‘Yours Truly’.

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

Grace Jones – Nipple to the bottle (Starters for Ten #146) 6/10 (15)

Starters for Ten 2019 – #146: Top Ten Boogie tracks: 190526

Grace Jones – Nipple to the bottle (1982)

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 15th – featuring my top ten boogie tracks, and running between 21 and 30 May – here’s Nipple to the Bottle from Grace Jones’ “Living my Life” realised in 1982

Earth Wind & Fire – Boogie Wonderland (Starters for Ten #145) 5/10 (15)

Starters for Ten 2019 – #145: Top Ten Boogie tracks: 190525

Earth Wind & Fire – Boogie Wonderland (1979)

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 15th – featuring my top ten boogie tracks, and running between 21 and 30 May – here’s Boogie Wonderland released by Earth, Wind & Fire in 1979.

The picture above is the promo for the Love Supreme Festival they headlined in July 2018 and to which we had the privilege of attending.

War – Low Rider (Starters for Ten #144) 4/10 (15)

Starters for Ten 2019 – #144: Top Ten Boogie tracks: 190524

War – Low Rider (1975)

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 15th – featuring my top ten boogie tracks, and running between 21 and 30 May – here’s Low Rider from War, released in 1975 and featuring on their ‘Up in Some’ album.