Unique Publications - Independent Publishing in Glastonbury, UK
  • Home
  • About
  • Publications
  • News/Blog
  • River Brue Rehabilitation Board
  • Glastonbury Archive Material
  • Other Glastonbury Authors
  • Articles and Stories
  • Antonio Bivar
  • Local Resources
  • Unique Publications History
  • Contact
  • View Shopping Cart

John Cartwright and Jaki Whitren

22/12/2016

23 Comments

 
Picture
John Cartwright and Jaki Whitren, musicians who died within a fortnight of each other during November, were celebrated last night at a special community gathering at the Red Brick Building. John and Jaki had met in the early 1970s, and for much of their lives had split their time between Glastonbury and Clu du Pont in France. This winter solstice event included tributes from musicians, poets, photographers and film makers – and from the community at large, for they had meant so much to many over the years.

​A film recording of a concert from 1988, held in the Universal Hall at Findhorn, was particularly poignant – from the days when they were at the height of their creative power. Jaki's remarkable singing voice was particularly show-cased: https://vimeo.com/41411221

Perhaps most extraordinary, though, was a short film – made five years ago by Sue Palmer of Biggerhouse Productions – of John drumming at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol. The exhibition at the time – by Angus Fairhurst – had included a drum kit, which visitors had been invited by the artist to play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5bGmlIGqPs. John is remembered as a pianist and keyboard player; he rarely played the drum kit, certainly not in public. Nevertheless, he was better than most. As so many people had reiterated during the evening, John and Jaki were very special people.

They were, as well as everything else, remarkably humble and self-effacing. As one local commentator remarked back in the 1980s, they 'spent years studiously avoiding the kind of success that their faithful admirers believe is rightfully theirs.' Glastonbury has for years had a vibrant music scene, and quietly, 'all this stood on the shoulders of one particular giant, John Cartwright. In the eighties he took lots of musos over a big hump, got them working together in different combos and got the performance thing really going. John made the musical momentum really ‘quorate', and what happened in the nineties might not have happened without the co-operative element catalysed by John in the eighties.' 
Picture
23 Comments
John Abbott link
7/2/2017 03:57:11 pm

Very sad to hear - still great to listen to Jaki's classic 1973 singer songwriter album Raw But Tender

Reply
Mark Stocker
30/5/2017 03:25:38 am

If there ever was a song and singer that were TOO good for the common herd it would have been 'Give her the day' and Jaki Whitren.

Reply
Jack Rainbow
29/1/2019 08:21:24 am

I klived next door but one to Jaki in Southampton in the early 70s. I just this minute saw that she died in 2016. That jhas really shook me up. Please, what did she die of?

Reply
Bruce Garrard link
30/1/2019 03:39:20 am

Hi Jack

Jacki died of cancer, after being ill for a long time. A couple of weeks before she finally went, John died suddenly of a heart attack.

Bruce

Theo
1/7/2019 11:32:35 am

His name is Eddie Stevens.
Also we called him Edmund Stevens and still lives in Southampton

He plays in a local band and when we where young and he lived in the Netherlands in Helmond-next to Eindhoven we always listen to the new lp’s he brought when he visited the uk.
But he went back to the uk his roots where father UK mother dutch who was a aunt of me of course.
We still have contact!

Met vriendelijke groet,

Theo van Melis

Ellen Mackellar
30/5/2017 03:45:58 pm

My big brother introduced me to Jaki Whitren when I was nineteen back in 1970 all he said was " check out this voice" Superb sad there wasn't more to listen to but understand her reasons for avoiding the fame circus.
A true musician

Reply
Stephen Clarke link
24/8/2017 01:18:25 am

You might all be interested in this film I made of Jaki recording 'Rock 'n Roll Gypsies' from her album 'Isis Unveiled' in 2006

Reply
Theo
29/6/2019 05:46:47 am

Where is this film to be seen at?
I’m a big fan of her Voice due the fact My nephew tipped me. He lived two Doors next to her in Southampton!

Reply
Jack Rainbow
1/7/2019 09:06:56 am

I must have known your nephew. What was his name?

Jack Rainbow
1/7/2019 11:29:46 pm

Hi Theo, many thanks for giving me information and Eddie Stevens' name. I remember Eddie. He played a Hendrix lick I could never figure out, although I probably could now. He always wore a cap. He appeared to live on tinned Irish Stew and rice. He shared a flat with a guy who was into Crosby Stills Nash and Young whose name I forget. I was 19. Now I'm 68. I had a different name then, Duncan, but I became Jack Rainbow. Can you please give my email address to Eddie, he can decide if he would like to talk to me or not.

Sean Kaye-Smith
29/8/2017 02:19:26 am

20th June 1973, Birmingham Town Hall: Jaki Whitren supporting The Mahavishnu Orchestra, promoting her 'Raw But Tender' album. Quite a night. She had appeared on a TV programme a few day/weeks (?) earlier billed - quite rightly - as a significant new talent. Very sorry to hear of her passing.

Reply
Michael, Belfast
3/9/2017 12:28:19 pm

I was in email contact with Jaki in 2006 at the time of Isis Unveiled. She was influenced by Astral Weeks and I let her know I listed to Isis when walking along Cyprus Avenue, close to where I lived. Can't believe she is gone far too soon. She never got the recognition she deserved.

Reply
Robert David white
10/11/2017 12:24:10 pm

Is there another celebration of Jon and Jaki,s life again this year , as in the same vein as last years celebration x thancks

Reply
Tony Franks link
10/11/2017 02:44:36 pm

First heard "Give her the day" as a Tony Blackburn record of the week on his breakfast show on radio one.
Immediately bought Raw but Tender and it has been a prized album ever since.

Reply
Marianne Muggeridge link
26/12/2017 04:12:37 pm

Just recently heard of Jaki and John through the tribute cd brought back to N Z by Myfanwy. Have played and played the cd and find it uplifting, remarkable and unerringly positive. I absolutely love the whole thing and want to hear more. To begin with it is Jaki's voice but slowly John comes through in everything. Thank you Glastonbury.

Reply
Dom
22/6/2018 03:02:39 pm

Mes merveilleux amis dont je découvre le départ. Je me souviens de votre musicalité tout autant que de votre rare gentillesse quand vous m'accueilliez pendant tout un concert ou une tournéee en me faisant une adorable place pour mêler votre musique de mes harmonicas. Vous allez me manquer terriblement. God bless you!

Reply
Jeff Hills
5/9/2018 03:22:58 am

So sorry just heard the sad news, new Jacki and her family in the mid 60`s . They will both be missed

Reply
Janette Tigwell
7/1/2019 12:06:08 pm

Jaki was a complete inspiration to me x

Reply
Terry Clay
15/11/2019 04:52:36 am

Thanks for this post Bruce - I met them (and heard them) in Southampton in the seventies and knew they had been in Glastonbury but never met them again.

Reply
L mc gee link
8/12/2019 06:12:23 pm

My brother collected record song books in the 70s in Glasgow I saw this song in it called, give her the day, I thought the words were beautiful but never heard it sung, I only checked you tube last year and heard Jaki Whitren singing it and she was absolutely brilliant , couldn’t believe it when I heard she passed, such a shame, lord give her the the day.

Reply
James Harrison link
6/5/2020 01:54:37 pm

Arriving in Glastonbury in the 80s I am still coming to terms with the wonderful talent of Jacki and John.
I cried when I heard they had passed away.

Reply
marie-christine Eydeli
15/5/2020 12:19:31 pm

J'ai rencontré Jaki puis John avec Jaki à Clos du pont en France dans les années 80.j'avais 25ans.nous avons partage avec des amis communs de superbes moments musicaux. Nous étions tous subjugues par la voix de Jaki, son humanité ,sa modestie ,son talent et de même pour John. Jaki à fait naître chez moi le désir de me réaliser en tant que chanteuse. Aujourd'hui j'ai 65ans ,je chante dans un groupe du blues et de soul, je voulais la retrouver pour lui dire que la graine avait germe. J'ai cherche sur internet le 20 novembre 2016, exactement! en demandant d'etre informee avec un "stop alerte" et ne sachant pas où la trouver je refais une recherche en 2020 et decouvre qu'il est trop tard! Jaki, i love you, merci, tu es dans mon coeur et dans mon chant pour toujours,

Reply
Philip de Carlo
21/9/2020 06:40:40 am

I only discovered today of their passing when I was trying to find them to reconnect via social media. I had the pleasure of playing with them both for a brief time when we were rehearsing in New City, NY in the late 1970's with singer Jess Roden. We all lived at the same house where the rehearsal took place (there was a studio in a loft on the second floor). I feel deeply saddened by their passing. RIP Jaki and John.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.