Live Performance recordings

[Lowly Swale]

With three CDs of live Jake performances released this year I wondered if there is any chance of one of my favourite taped performances becoming available on CD anytime. The last time I saw Jake live (summer 95 – Bradford) he was selling a tape marked simply “Jake Thackray Live”. It bore the warning “This is a live recording of variable sound quality” and after 10 years playing and being chewed by my tape player a couple of times it’s a bit fluffy. It was a Saturday night at the Red Lion, the week after Remembrance Sunday from his intro to Remembrance. He mentions forthcoming events being Malcolm Stent and the Christmas Party. He also lets slip that he’s an aging geezer at 46 and getting a bit crusty. Those are about all the clues I have about when & where it was. This particular tape box is marked with the contact, Speaking Volumes, The Old Infants School, Cleobury Mortimer, Nr Kidderminster, Worcs, DY14 8JU, tel 0299 271008 mobile 0831588780. Anybody else got it?
It was quite an evening, Jake Thackray and Alan Williams 17 songs and some good long stories. As follows,
Side A,
First apologies to front row, throat job, not a proper singing voice etc,
1 Blacksmith & Toffemaker,
2 Worried Brown Eyes,
3 Jolly Captain,
4 Sister Josephine,
Nine minute intro about his artistically dressed friend who inspired a song with his quote “ Do you know Jake, if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s intolerant people”
5 One of Them,
6 Lodger,
One minute intro about Scarborough
7 Widow of Brid,
Interval, few words about requested songs.
8 Bantam Cock
9 Lah Di Dah
10 Kiss – actually runs out of tape near the end
Side B,
Few words about his friends and family doubting this song,
11 Remembrance,
12 The Bull (missing a verse about comrades and saviour),
13 It was only a Gypsy,
Fifteen minutes of Reggie stories,
14 Leopold Allcox,
15 On Again On Again,
Encore explained,
16 To do with You,
Another to finish you off,
17 Joseph.
Does anybody know where the original recording was made and if it still exists?

[Paul]

A number of other members of this forum have copies of this Red Lion recording, I believe. The sound quality is variable (very quiet to begin with). It can be cleaned up a bit with widely available audio to CD software (e.g. Audiomagix Deluxe, available for £30 from PC World). Don’t know anything about where it was recorded, but there is some great stuff on it.

Paul

This is indeed one of the best live recordings in circulation – sadly only on tape, not CD. It is wrongly labelled as having been recorded on 21 January 1995: internal evidence makes it quite clear it was actually recorded in November 1985. And Alan Williams’s name is misspelt. Contact me direct on ScarTam@aol.com for more information.

[Ian Burdon]

I have the Red Lion on cd – I assume someone has at some point done a home transfer.

Ian

[philreckless]

Unfortunately I understand that permission to use the recording for a saleable CD has not been granted by the recording owner. If you already have a copy, you are very lucky!

[Author]

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