Where Are They Now

[Hugh Williams]

I was watching the “….& Songs” dvd the other night (“Not AGAIN , surely ?”, I hear you cry. ” Yes . And don’t call me Shirley !”).
Anyway, my mind somehow went off at something of a tangent and I began to wonder where the various audience members are now. It’s probably safe to assume that some of them are , sadly, no longer with us. However, some of them are sufficiently young enough to be hale and hearty. I wonder if they know that they’re featured on dvd nowadays. Are any of them privy to this site ? Do they still love Jake, like we do ? ( To be fair, there’s one guy I spot who doesn’t look too sure why he’s there but he is the exception : most seem to be having a good time !)
I’m not expecting anything to come of this posting but I just thought I’d put it out there, as it were.
See what you think……

[Malcy]

Hi, Hugh, and all.

Kicking this off with an easy one, I noticed a while ago that Dave and Al Sealey, better known to the folk world as Cosmotheka, are clearly visible in several audience shots at one of the venues. Cosmotheka were a duo of brothers who specialised in performing music hall era songs, by the likes of Alec Hurley, Sir George Robey, Harry Champion, Stanley Holloway, Gus Elen, Harry Fragson et al : two-part harmony singing and some high tariff acoustic guitar chord playing by Dave. Possibly because they were brothers, they were astoundingly and almost legendarily tight performers, the Thin Lizzy, if you like, of the folk world : extremely well rehearsed playing and singing, almost telepathic timing between them, and constantly varied patter and ad-libbing. Here is a link to start you surfing through Cosmotheka on YouTube :

Try planning out how to rehearse and perform “The Other Department, Please” and you’ll see what I mean. :o)

Al Sealey sadly died in the 90s, but Dave is still playing.

[Hugh Williams]

Thanks for that , Malcy.
I remember the erstwhile Radio 2 Folk Show presenter, Jim Lloyd, used to play songs by Cosmotheka many years ago. They were always rather good , I thought. Sadly I never got to see them perform and I certainly wouldn’t have recognized them in Jake’s audience but thanks to your posting their picture I can certainly bring them to mind now. Good man.
I shall check out the You Tube clip NOW.
Thanks again.

[Hugh Williams]

That was an entertaining SIX minutes.
I recommend everyone checks it out.
I feel a whole new interest coming on……
:laugh:

[Paul]

Tremendous stuff!

[RayT]

I thought I’d Spotted Dave Sealey when I watched the DVD. Cosmotheka were one of the legendary acts on the folk circuit back in the 80s and went at it with an unbelievable intensity. I last remember running into Dave and Al at a festival in Guernsey over 30 years ago and the enduring memory of them is of floating in the English Chanel singing “And the Sharks They Sang Melodious”!

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