1 00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: This is gem Nation with Jonesy. 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 2: We know I love our next guest as a rocker 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 2: and holder of more number one albums than any other Australian. 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 2: But there's a lot more to Jimmy Barnes than just 5 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 2: rock and roll. Last year he launched a cookbook and 6 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,159 Speaker 2: now he can add Christmas album to the repertoire to 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 2: tell us all about Blue Christmas. Jimmy Barnes, Hello there 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 2: he is. 9 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: How are you guys? 10 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 3: Great? And you're not you're not in a surgical gown 11 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 3: because you've. 12 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: Just no, I'm not yet very soon. 13 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 3: I always get worried because I remember, I go back 14 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 3: to that time when you had your heart surgery all 15 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 3: those years ago, and when there's an announcement and pops 16 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 3: up on my phone Jimmy Barnes Major health News, I went, 17 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 3: oh geez, what's happened? So not underestimating what you're going 18 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 3: about to go through back and hip surgery is no 19 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 3: walk in the park. 20 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, you know, it's one of those things. 21 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 4: I had back surgery but eight years ago, and it 22 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 4: was you know, it was sort of patching things up, 23 00:00:54,960 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 4: and just over the last year, maybe eighteen months, league 24 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 4: got worse and worse. 25 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: The last few months, it's been unbearable about my trouble walking. 26 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 4: So I just figured, you know, it's gonna you know, 27 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 4: I'm not gonna, you know, do give one hundred percent 28 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 4: on stage. 29 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: And the last thing I like to do. 30 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 4: Is cancel shows or postponed shows even but but even 31 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 4: worse than that would be getting out and not being 32 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 4: able to give one hundred percent. 33 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: What I can do, You've. 34 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 2: Got to do it. I've had a hip replacement, and 35 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 2: you just have to do it. And it's never a 36 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: good time. You look at your daring and go now 37 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 2: it's not a good time. But there's never a time, never. 38 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: A good company, very good time. 39 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 4: And I figure, you know, like everybody, you could probably 40 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 4: say the same thing everybody says. 41 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: You know, you can get these things done, do the right. 42 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 4: If I take my time and do the right you know, 43 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 4: rehab and get back on my feet, you know I'll 44 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 4: be jumping around for another fifty years. 45 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. 46 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 3: And as I look at the Last Stand, like some 47 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 3: of that stuff in the Last Time, you. 48 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: Know, I mean, you think I wonder why I got back. 49 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 4: I remember the Last Stand that's not really in the movie, 50 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 4: but one of the one of the one of the 51 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 4: things I did on one of the shows was I 52 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 4: had sailed down from the roof and landed on the 53 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 4: mixing desk, you know, and the rope wasn't quite long enough, 54 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 4: so I was just an idiot. 55 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 3: You know. 56 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: It was a lot of safety in those days. 57 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 4: An episode, it's sort of half my own doing, and 58 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 4: you know, and just you know, you're getting older, you're 59 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 4: going to go look after yourself. 60 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 2: Absolutely. Well, let's talk about the new album Blue Christmas. 61 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 2: Why is it called Blue Christmas? Is it blues blues 62 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 2: versions of the songs of Christmas songs? 63 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 4: Not really, you know that there was there was, I 64 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 4: guess there's an element of that there. But but what 65 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 4: I what I figured was, you know, as you guys 66 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 4: well know here in Australia, we don't really have white 67 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 4: Christmas is not very often, although the way the weather's 68 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 4: going you never know, you could get at the year. 69 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 4: But you know, we you know, we we mostly we 70 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 4: were surrounded by blue skies and and a lot of 71 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 4: people spend it on the beach and surrounded by the sea. 72 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 4: So so I figured Blue Christmas was a really good title. 73 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 4: Plus I wanted to you know, I want to you know, 74 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 4: tip my hat to some of the great Christmas songs 75 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 4: that had been done, and Elvis's Blue Christmas is one 76 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 4: of the great, the great ones, a great carol that 77 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 4: really swings. 78 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: And so and we love the King. 79 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 4: So I wanted to I want to put that track 80 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 4: on the record, and I just thought it was a 81 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 4: fitting title for the album. 82 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: And when you talk about the Australian Christmas, the Christmases 83 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: of your upbringing wouldn't have been blue skies and smiles 84 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: and laughter. I'm imagining now it's more black and blue Christmas. 85 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: That's that's a really bad joke now. 86 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 4: It was, you know, like like a lot of families, 87 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 4: you know that the struggle, you know a lot of 88 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 4: families that live in below the public line, where who 89 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 4: are this is still going on to this day? 90 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: You know, Christmas as a joyous. 91 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 4: A time as it is, just brings a whole bunch 92 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 4: of other pressures that get put on the parents and 93 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:35,119 Speaker 4: on and on the kid. 94 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: I mean my family who were struggling then. I remember, 95 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: you know, looking through the window and. 96 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 4: Seeing my mom and dad, who you know, for six 97 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 4: months prior had been fighting each other together, you know, 98 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 4: trying to put Christmas presents together. 99 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: I'm looking at it through the window. 100 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 4: That's very sneaky as a kid and trying to put 101 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 4: Christmas presents together and seeing a bit of hope in 102 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 4: their eyes. And that was sort of one of the 103 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 4: best presents I could get, really, and so it brings 104 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 4: out the best of people. 105 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: And that's probably why I like Christmas so much and 106 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: want to make a Christmas. 107 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 3: Well, and you've got a billion grandkids now, so you 108 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 3: must go hang on a minute now, I'll go work. 109 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 3: How many you must be so good at assembling stuff. 110 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 4: You know what, I'm terrible, you know, I'm one of 111 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 4: those people like if you have had Ikea, you know, 112 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 4: I'd be putting it all together and I'd end up 113 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 4: with sort of forty five pieces and. 114 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: They won't get to book back. They must be sparce, 115 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: you know. I don't normally, you know, anything like that. 116 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 4: I read the first page and jump to the back page, 117 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 4: which is the story. 118 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: Of my life really when you think about it, true, 119 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: that's a metaphor for life. 120 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 4: But Jane is very, very organized and very methodical, and 121 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 4: she's a lot a lot handier than me. 122 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 3: Yeap, so you announced that. So a lot of your 123 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 3: shows have been postponed on presuming so, but you're still 124 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 3: doing Barnsy's backyard. Is that still happening? 125 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I might, I might be on a stool, 126 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 4: but i've been. I'm happy to him and see Christmas 127 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 4: carols and you know, listen Christmas cheer. It is going 128 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 4: to be like you know that, like you know that 129 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 4: you see an elf, you know it's a slagh. Getting 130 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 4: the flying Christmas cheer will make me sing. 131 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: Well, we're going to call the winner next and let 132 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 2: them know. 133 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll call the winner next and us we'll chat 134 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 3: you on Christmas Day as well. 135 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: See how you going. Yeah, yeah, I'm very happy to 136 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: be joining you guys. 137 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 3: Good. 138 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: We'll try and build some presents together. 139 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 3: And of course, Jimmy, Jimmy Barnes is blue Christmas. No 140 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: assembly required. It might contain some small parts. It's out now. Barnesy, 141 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 3: thank you 142 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 4: Really nice to talk to you guys, and you know, 143 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 4: as a pleasure, and Merry Christmas to you.