An exchange with some old friends in which they remembered meeting Jake Thackray and seeing him perform produced a series of snippets re. The Man Himself, as follows
M.
“He did Sister Josephine and The Bantam Cock and had us in tears of laughter. He enjoyed a pint or two..”
Me.
“I think he used to be on the telly reasonably regularly and I liked his wit and his delivery – if that’s the right way to put it! That laconic, lugubrious way of presenting sharp observations.
The other, similar kind of person I liked was Leon Rosselson – not forgetting John Cooper-Clarke!
And as a comedian – Dave Allen.
Mike remembers, when he was young, going to see Jake Thackray and says he was ‘enthralled’ by him and remembers him doing something about a criminal hiding in a convent, where he ‘shaved more than the other nuns did’. I can hear him saying that!”
M.
Here’s a link to Sister Josephine….
K.
“Yes I remember that one too! Also the one about the troublesome wife threatening to haunt the husband “he buried her face downwards she’d a long way to go”
Me.
“There’s a monument in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. It’s in the form of a low arch, and the story is that the wife said she’d dance on the husband’s grave, so he gave instructions for his monument to be built in a way which would prevent her from doing so!”
I.
“His major influence was George Brassens, who is also brilliant – guitar style instantly recognisable and some fantastic songs!”
Marko then sent me a link to another song by Jake Thackray, commenting that he’d be in trouble if he sang it today!
And my response was.
Eye-Candy
Listening to Jake Thackray
Singing about eye-candy
And asking myself
‘Where’s the harm?’
It wouldn’t do now
In these times of high-brow
Dislike of plain speaking
Tho’ it’s what we’re still thinking!
BB May ‘25
I thought I’d spread the word to those who aren’t familiar with Jake Thackray or the other people of subtlety and wit who have been mentioned here!
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