Jake Thackray
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John Philip "Jake" Thackray (22 February 1938 – 24 December 2002), was an English poet and singer-songwriter from Leeds, Yorkshire.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and influences
He was educated at a Roman Catholic college in Leeds and at Durham University, where he graduated in 1960 with a degree in Modern Languages. Thackray then spent four years in France teaching English, with a brief interlude of about six months when he taught in Algeria at the height of the war for independence in 1961–1962.
It was in France that the likes of Jacques Brel and his particular hero Georges Brassens (whose "Le gorille" he translated as "Brother Gorilla") made their deepest mark on him. This francophone story-telling tradition of the chansonnier informed his songs and singing style, though with a notably English use of language and phrasing, a style sometimes compared to Noel Coward. His playing was in a style somewhere between jazz and classical, and was widely admired by other guitarists including Ralph McTell and John Etheridge. Thackray's guitar itself was distinctive throughout his recording and television career: it was an 'acoustic' guitar, but strung with nylon strings rather than the customary steel strings. (Ordinarily, nylon strings are used on the classical guitar, which has a wider spacing between the strings than an 'acoustic' guitar.)
[edit] National fame
In 1964 Thackray returned to his native Yorkshire, teaching at a school near Leeds. Here he found that one way to get unruly pupils to take an interest in their studies was through his songs. This and performing in folk clubs led to appearances on local BBC programmes, followed by national television with regular slots on The Frost Report, The Braden Beat and That's Life! In nearly thirty years of performing he made over a thousand radio and TV appearances, ranging from a topical song in magazine programmes to broadcasts of live concerts on both radio and television. In addition he had his own show Jake's Scene which was produced by Tyne Tees Television and broadcast in its region and in some other ITV areas. His EMI catalogue produced seven albums between 1967 and 1991.
Although he gave up teaching for show business, he did not really like being what he called "a performing dick". He was uncomfortable with big audiences, and would settle for a pub or community hall in preference to the grandeur of the London Palladium (although he appeared there in a Royal Variety Performance).
[edit] Themes of his work
His work covers three main themes, class, sex and religion and the bizarre and amusing ways they intersect with each other. He was a devout Roman Catholic but this did not stop him puncturing the pomposity he found there or reflecting the smallest absurdities of religion through caricature. Some have criticised his attitude to women, in songs such as "On again! On again!", as misogynistic, but others have defended it as gentle social satire.
[edit] Retirement and death
Partly due to crippling nerves about his appearances but also due to his style of performing falling out of favour he gradually withdrew from performing in the 1980s. Eventually he gave up performing in the 1990s, largely due to health and financial problems (he was declared bankrupt two years before he died), but also due to disillusionment with the stage life: he is recorded as saying "I'd never liked the stage much and I was turning into a performing man, a real Archie Rice (the hack music hall comic in John Osborne's The Entertainer), so I cancelled gigs and pulled out." Although retired from performing he wrote a weekly column for the Yorkshire Post.
He retired to Monmouth, South Wales and became increasingly religious in his later years, limiting his musical activities to performing the Angelus at his local church. He died on 24 December 2002 at the age of 64. He was admired by, and influenced, many performers including Jasper Carrott, Mike Harding, Momus and Ralph McTell. He inspired many artists, who perform his work in clubs across the world.
[edit] Revival in interest
Following his death in 2002, there has been a steady rise in interest in his work, largely spearheaded by the Jake Thackray Project, who have organised a number of releases of Thackray material, culminating in a major retrospective of his work Jake in a Box, released in 2006. In addition, comedian and writer Victor Lewis Smith has produced a number of television and radio programmes about his life and work.
In 2005 a musical based on Thackray's songs premiered at Helmsley in North Yorkshire. Thackray was working on Sister Josephine kicks the habit prior to his death, but the task of completing it fell to Barnsley born poet Ian McMillan. The play had a successful tour of the North of England, and is now being rewritten by Alan Plater in preparation for a national tour in 2007.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Original albums
- Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray — EMI — 1967
- Jake's Progress — EMI Records — 1969
- Live Performance — EMI Records — 1971 (Reissued in 2006 as an expanded double CD)
- Bantam Cock — EMI Records — 1972
- On Again! On Again! — EMI Records — 1977
- Jake Thackray and Songs — Dingles Records — 1983
- Live at the Lobster Pot — JTP — 2005
- Live at the Lobster Pot volume 2 — JTP — 2005
- Jake Thackray - Live in Germany — JTP — 2005
[edit] Compilations
- Lah-Di-Dah — EMI Records — 1991
- The Jake Thackray Project — JTP — 2002 (Limited edition of 300)
- The Very Best of Jake Thackray — EMI Records — 2003
- The Jake Thackray Collection — HMV — 2003
- Jake in a Box (4 CD Box set) — EMI Records — 2006
