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.
jem tunes 