Jake Thackray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jake Thackray
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Philip Thackray |
| Born | 27 February 1938 Kirkstall, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 24 December 2002 (aged 64) Monmouth, Wales |
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| Years active | 1967–1991 |
| Labels | EMI |
John Philip "Jake" Thackray (born 27 February 1938 – died 24 December 2002) was an English singer, songwriter, and poet. He was also known for his humor and journalism.
Jake Thackray became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was known for his funny songs that often talked about current events. He performed these songs on British television. His music was hard to put into one category. It could be funny and critical, but also gentle and about nature. He was a great storyteller through his songs.
Thackray sang with a deep, serious voice. He played a nylon-string guitar in a style that mixed classical and jazz music. His songs had clever words and he sang them clearly. He also had a strong Yorkshire accent. Many of his songs were set in the north of England. People sometimes called him the "North Country Noël Coward" because of his witty lyrics. However, Jake Thackray said his music was more like the French chansonnier style. He was greatly inspired by the French singer Georges Brassens. Other singers like Jarvis Cocker and Alex Turner have said they admire his work.
Contents
Early Life and Inspirations
John Philip Thackray was born in Leeds, England. His father was a policeman. Jake went to Catholic schools in Leeds and Wales. He even thought about becoming a priest. Instead, he decided to study English Literature at Durham University.
After college, he spent three years teaching English abroad. He lived mostly in France, but also spent time in Algeria. While in France, he discovered the chansonnier tradition of music. He was especially inspired by Georges Brassens. Jake later said, "I missed out on rock and all my influences were French."
Starting His Musical Journey
In 1963, Thackray returned to Yorkshire. He started teaching at a school in Leeds. He taught himself to play the guitar. He found that his songs helped his students get interested in their lessons. He also started performing in local folk clubs.
Soon, he appeared on local BBC radio shows. This led to him being noticed by a music producer. In 1967, Jake released his first album, The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray. Many of the songs on this album had orchestral music added to them. This was done to make the album popular with more than just folk music fans.
Television Fame
After his first album, Jake Thackray got a chance to appear on BBC television. He wrote a new song each week for a show called Braden's Week. At first, some viewers didn't like him. But he soon became very popular.
When Braden's Week ended in 1972, Jake joined its new version, That's Life!. Over nearly 30 years, he appeared on radio and TV over a thousand times. He even had his own show called Jake's Scene on ITV.
In 1968, he married Sheila Marian Clarke-Irons. His second album, Jake's Progress, was recorded in 1969. It was made at Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles were also working. This album used a smaller acoustic band instead of an orchestra. It included a song called "The Blacksmith and the Toffee Maker," which Jake based on a story by Laurie Lee.
In 1971, he released Live Performance. This album was recorded live at a concert in London. A third studio album, Bantam ..., came out in 1972. In 1973, he performed before Georges Brassens at a theater opening in Wales. Jake said this was a highlight of his career.
Later Career and Challenges
After his third album, Jake Thackray continued to appear on television. However, he didn't release new music as often. His last studio album, On Again! On Again!, came out in 1977. One song on this album, "On Again! On Again!", was a funny song about women who talk a lot. Some people thought it was unfair to women. But the album also had "The Hair of the Widow of Bridlington," a song about a woman making her own choices.
From the late 1970s, Jake mostly performed live. He toured in Europe, North America, and Asia. In 1981, he returned to TV with Jake Thackray and Songs. This was a six-part series on BBC2 where he performed with guest musicians. An album with the same name was also released.
Jake Thackray didn't really like performing for huge crowds. He preferred smaller places like pubs and community halls. He started to feel tired of performing. He struggled with self-doubt and lost confidence. Also, his style of music became less popular. His clever songs about rural Yorkshire didn't fit in with the new music styles of the time. He stopped performing in the early 1990s. Then, he became a journalist and wrote a weekly column for the Yorkshire Post newspaper for four years.
Retirement and Passing
In the 1990s, Jake Thackray moved back to his home in Monmouth, Wales. He had lived there with his family since the late 1960s. He was a religious person and became more involved with his local church in his later years.
Jake Thackray passed away from heart failure on 24 December 2002. He was 64 years old. He left behind his wife, Sheila, and three sons.
Renewed Interest in His Work
After Jake Thackray's death, many fans wanted to make his music more available. In 2002, a group of fans started the Jake Thackray Project. They released a special double CD with 42 of his songs. This led to more of his music being released to the public.
In 2006, a big collection of his work came out. This included a 4-CD box set called Jake in a Box. It had all his studio albums and many rare songs. A TV show about him, called Jake on the Box, was also made by the BBC.
His music continues to be enjoyed by many people. A musical based on his songs was created in 2005. In 2014, a DVD of his TV series Jake Thackray and Songs was released. His work has also been featured in TV shows, showing how much he is still admired.
Discography
Singles
- "Remember Bethlehem (The Intake School Carol)" — Columbia/EMI — 1967
- "Lah-Di-Dah" / "The Black Swan" — Columbia/EMI — 1968
- "Tra La La" / "Le Cygne Noir" — Columbia/EMI — 1969
- "Country Boy" (Promo) — Columbia/EMI — 1972
- "On Again! On Again" — EMI — 1977
Studio Albums
- The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray — Columbia/EMI — 1967
- Jake's Progress — Columbia/EMI — 1969
- Bantam ... — Columbia/EMI — 1972
- On Again! On Again! — EMI — 1977
Live Albums
- Live Performance — Columbia/EMI — 1971; reissued 1976; reissued in 2006 as an expanded double CD
- Jake Thackray and Songs — Dingle’s Records — 1981; re-released on streaming platforms in 2022 by The Jake Thackray Project, by arrangement with the BBC. A CD release is expected in 2023.
- Live in Germany — The Jake Thackray Project – 2005
- Live at the Lobster Pot Volume 1 — Lobster Pot — 2005
- Live at the Lobster Pot Volume 2 — Lobster Pot — 2005
Compilations
- The Very Best of Jake Thackray — EMI — 1975
- Lah-Di-Dah — EMI — 1991
- The Jake Thackray Project — The Jake Thackray Project – 2002 (initially limited to 200 copies, with another 100 released the following year)
- The Very Best of Jake Thackray — EMI — 2003
- The Jake Thackray Collection — HMV/EMI — 2003
- Jake in a Box (4-CD Box set) — EMI — 2006
DVDs
- Live at the Unicorn — The Jake Thackray Project — 2009
- Jake Thackray and Songs — The Jake Thackray Project — 2014, by arrangement with BBC Music
- Sister Josephine Kicks the Habit - The Jake Thackray Musical — 2005
- Jake Thackray at the BBC – A double-DVD set, including all Thackray's other BBC performances. Released by The Jake Thackray Project in December 2022, by arrangement with BBC Music
Books
- Jake’s Progress — a book written by Thackray containing the lyrics to most of his songs along with anecdotes and spoken routines from his concerts. Released by Star Books in 1977.
- Beware of the Bull - The Enigmatic Genius of Jake Thackray — a biography written by Paul Thompson and John Watterson, with the cooperation of the Thackray family, and published by Scratching Shed Publishing in August 2022.
Images for kids
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Jake Thackray's portrait
