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It’s interesting (and frustrating) to note that despite the wonderful CDs released recently, three of Jake’s finest songs are still unavailable: One of Them, The Remembrance and Jake’s masterly The Bull.
It was a great evening, all told. It was great fun to have a go at and hear the unreleased songs and get that totally fresh audience response to them: when last (if ever) were Famous People, Family Grave and My Pipe played?
A wonderful unexpected bonus for me was getting the chance to perform accompanied by Hugh on double bass. The audience took some time to warm up (the front few rows were full of Thackray fans, judging by how many were mouthing the words), but once it got into its stride there was no stopping it: one lady was so enthusiastic about Tony’s performance that she removed the shirt from his back!
Paul
Post edited by: Paul, at: 2006/05/08 21:15
Further thoughts re. the Kirkstall Road Girl…
When I first heard the song the the Project website I did not like it particularly and was inclined to dismiss it. However, having heard the two versions on Jake in a Box I have warmed to it for these reasons:
1. music: I like Jake’s guitar playing and the intimate style of the demo on disk 4 and the skiffle version is comically overdone, to my mind.
2. lyrics: there are one or two particularly good lines, e.g. ‘no more grind by the old canal, no more of your backyard bacchanals’.
There are, of course, other songs full of cleverness which are not terribly successful in terms of their overall effect(e.g. Dog)- am I arguing against myself here?
As for Ian’s unease with the overall message, I understand his sense of discomfort, although I am inclined to think that this is mostly tied in with Jake having written a weak, throwaway ending; and in this respect I think that we are in similar territory with Vicar’s Missus and Roly Poly Girl.
I returned from holiday to the treasure trove of 6 CDs of material. I concur with a great deal of what has been said by Ian B and Malcy already. Alongside the stunning Famous People (real Brassens territory in sentiment, I reckon), I loved hearing:
1. guitar-only versions of so many songs, especially Jumble Sale, stripped bare and in a state which really lets me appreciate it
2. Jake explaining that he didn’t really know Remember Bethlehem and Joseph because he had written them for children to sing
3. Kirkstall Road girl: a song which is of its time, but certainly one which stands on its own two feet. I love the Jake-only demo, and the skiffle version is so OTT it makes me laugh every time I hear it.Some of the other unreleased songs have clever moments (e.g. Vicar’s Missus), others seem rather weak in comparison with what Jake released (Slowly Our Eyes: much better as Isobel Makes Love…). I do like Thomas Haverley, and the arrangement is fine, although I think it needs to be a shade gentler.
The expanded live album is great and the 16 new tracks stand happily and proudly alongside the 14 originally released: in my book Jake is always best heard with the atmosphere of an audience to accompany him.
No sign of Tonton Georges, alas (wasn’t that in the EMI vault?), but, all in all, EMI has done us proud, as the review in The Guardian suggests.
How long before the And Songs live album makes it out into the shops, I wonder?
I concur with Phil’s remarks. On the whole I do not like repetition in Jake’s songs and there is admirably little of it, a sign of the real care he took over his writing (notice the occasional clumsy repetitions in previously unreleased songs, such as Family Grave). However, I believe ‘she, she’ is an effective narrative / colloquial touch.
The excellent liner notes written by Victor Lewis-Smith for Jake in a Box give the address in Leeds where Jake spent a portion of his childhood.
Paul
Oddly enough, I have heard an interview in which Jake was asked about his listening habits and said that he loved Steely Dan.
I think that some of Jake’s guitar work, particularly on earlier songs such as The Hole and The Cactus, does appear to be relatively simple: certainly the chord patterns are, which makes these earlier songs easier to play than later songs. There seems to me to be a clear progression (unsurprisingly) in the complexity of his guitar work as his career progressed. So I, for one, am not particularly surprised at the reviewer’s comment.
Personally I find it easier to play barre chords with nylon strings. The wider fretboard makes life harder, but I find that the strings are easier to depress than steel.
Jake definitely played a nylon-strung guitar. For what it’s worth, I’ve tried both steel and nylon and have settled on nylon because (for me, at any rate) it’s softer on the fingers, makes the chords easier and the softer sound suits the songs (IMHO). Other performers, however, beg to differ and go for steel strings every time, with some very effective results. At Knutsford three of us played nylon and four played steel. You pays your money and you takes your choice…
Alistair
Yes, you are not the only one to have a go at writing Jake-type songs, and I agree with you: it is very hard, and the attempt does make one realise just how talented Jake was. There are four songs that I know of which have been posted in the off-topic threads section.
Paul
How much is the BBC likely to want for the Jake Thackray and Songs programmes? Are we talking hundreds, several thousands or more? I have no feel for these things at all, but it would be interesting to know.
Hi there!
Unfortunately your gig on 18th February coincides with a Jake evening we’re putting together in Knutsford, Cheshire, but there are certainly some Project members in the Devon area. Hope it goes well!
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
Thanks must go to Ian and Phil for all the hard work and time that went into creating a superbly organised and highly enjoyable weekend of events. The combination of open mike evening, French lunch and traditional Jakefest night was excellent. It was super to see so many familar faces again, to welcome Paddy Finnegan as a performer and welcome back Mike Chiswell after too long an absence from performance – top notch contributions from both. The Topica Ladies did us proud once again, although I haven’t quite come to terms with the vision of ‘Big Bad Terrence’ (Grant) in a nun’s outfit.
The Von Trapp family (explanation in the programme) greatly enjoyed the company of one and all. Should Salzburg be the venue for a future Jakefest? Hmm…
ATB
Paul Von Trapp (a.k.a. Thompson)
