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Brigadier ( /brɪɡəˈdɪər/) is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general.

A brigadier typically commands a brigade consisting of three battalions (approximately 3,000 troops). Many countries use the rank brigadier general rather than brigadier, and prior to the 1920s, so did members of the Commonwealth.

Officer rank[link]

Countries in the British tradition[link]

In many countries, especially those formerly part of the British Empire, a brigadier is either the highest field rank or most junior general appointment, nominally commanding a brigade. It ranks above colonel and below major general.

The rank is used by the British Army, the Royal Marines, the Australian Army, the Indian Army, the Sri Lankan Army, the New Zealand Army, the Pakistan Army and several others. Although it is not always considered a general officer rank, it is always considered equivalent to the brigadier general and brigade general rank of other countries. In NATO forces, brigadier is OF-6 on the rank scale.

• Australian-Army-BRIG.gif

  Australia

• 

  India

• SL-Army-OF6 Brigadier General.PNG

  Sri Lanka

The title is derived from the equivalent British rank of brigadier-general, used until 1922 and still used in many countries. "Brigadier" was already in use as a generic term for a commander of a brigade irrespective of specific rank. Until the rank was dissolved in 1922, brigadier-generals wore a crossed sword and baton symbol on its own.

From 1922 to 1928 the British rank title used was that of colonel-commandant, with one crown and three 'pips', a rank which, although reflecting its modern role in the British Army as a senior colonel rather than a junior general, was not well received and was replaced with brigadier after six years. Colonel-commandant was only ever used for officers commanding brigades, depots or training establishments. Officers holding equivalent rank in administrative appointments were known as "colonels on the staff", also replaced by brigadier in 1928. Colonel-commandants and colonels on the staff wore the same rank badge later adopted by brigadiers.^[1]

Until shortly after World War II, brigadier was an appointment conferred on colonels (as commodore was an appointment conferred on naval captains) rather than a substantive rank.^[1]

In Commonwealth countries, and most Arabic-speaking countries (in which the rank is called amid), the rank insignia comprises a crown (or some other national symbol) with three stars,^[2] (sometimes called "pips"), which are often arranged in a triangle. A brigadier's uniform may also have red gorget patches. It is otherwise similar to that of a colonel (colonel's rank insignia have a crown/emblem with two stars/"pips".)

The Canadian Army used the rank of brigadier (following British tradition, with identical insignia) until the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968. The rank then became brigadier-general with the insignia of St. Edward's Crown surmounting a crossed sword and baton over one gold maple leaf.

Pre-revolutionary France[link]

Until 1788 a rank of brigadier des armées ("brigadier of the armies"), which could be described as a senior colonel or junior brigade commander, was used in the French Army. The normal brigade command rank was field marshal (maréchal de camp) (which elsewhere is a more senior rank). During the French Revolution the ranks of brigadier des armées and maréchal de camp were replaced by brigade general (général de brigade). In common with many countries, France now uses the officer rank of brigade general instead of a "brigadier" rank; this was the rank held by Charles de Gaulle.

Former Spanish empire[link]

The rank of a brigadier^[3] was established by Felipe V in 1702 as an intermediate rank between colonel and true generals. In some Iberoamerican republics (see below) the rank survived after independence. In Spain brigadiers came to be considered full generals in 1871, and in 1889 they were renamed general de brigada.

The name has survived as a cadet rank at the Spanish Naval Academy.

The historical rank is distinct from the current NCO rank of brigada, although sometimes translators confuse the two.

Latin America[link]

Many countries in South and Central America were formerly Spanish or Portuguese (Brazil) possessions. Brigadier (-general) is used in Latin America, in the normal sense of brigade commander rank (e.g. Colombia, Chile), although most Latin American nations instead use the rank of brigade general. In Mexico, brigadier general is the rank below brigade general (both ranks falling between colonel and divisional general).

However, both the Argentine and Brazilian Air Forces use a curious system of variations on brigadier for all (Argentina) or most (Brazil) general officers. The origin of this system is not entirely clear, but in the case of Argentina may be due to army air units being commanded by brigade generals before the establishment of the Air Force as an independent armed force.

In the Argentine Air Force these ranks are (most senior first):

• Brigadier-general (the highest rank, equivalent to the army's lieutenant-general and the navy's admiral)
• Brigadier-mayor ("brigadier-major" equivalent to the army's divisional general and the navy's vice-admiral)
• Brigadier (equivalent to the army's brigade general and the navy's rear-admiral)

In the Brazilian Air Force these ranks are (most senior first):

• Tenente-brigadeiro ("lieutenant-brigadier") is equivalent to almirante-de-esquadra (squadron admiral) and general de exército (general of army).
• Major-brigadeiro ("major-brigadier") is equivalent to vice-almirante (vice admiral) and general de divisão (general of division)
• Brigadeiro ("brigadier") is equivalent to contra-almirante (rear admiral) and general de brigada (general of brigade)

Above these is the highest Brazilian Air force rank of marshal of the air, used only in wartime.

Non-commissioned rank[link]

Brigadier also existed as a non-commissioned cavalry rank.^{[citation needed]} Thus, a brigadier in the Napoleonic cavalry was equivalent to a corporal in the British cavalry. This usage derives from the use of "brigade" to denote a squad or team of cavalrymen, similar to the occasional English civilian usage "work brigade".

France[link]

In France, and some countries whose forces were structured based on the method used in France, some branches of the army and the gendarmerie use brigadier for a rank equivalent to caporal (corporal), and brigadier-chef for a rank equivalent to caporal-chef. Brigadier is used by arms of the army which are by tradition considered "mounted" arms such as logistics or cavalry units. A similar usage exists elsewhere.

In the French gendamerie, the brigadier ranks are used as in the army, i.e. as junior enlisted ranks (gradés), while the French police use brigadier ranks as their sub-officer (sous-officier) ranks. Since all professional police and gendarmes have sub-officer status in France, the gendarmerie brigadier ranks are rarely used, since they are used only by auxiliaries. On the other hand the police brigadier ranks, used differently to indicate professional ranks, are common.

In the French gendarmerie and in "mounted" arms of the French army the brigadier ranks are:

• Brigadier (brigadier) (OR-3)
• Brigadier-chef (chief brigadier) (OR-4)

In the French National Police, the sub-officer variations are used for non-commissioned officers are:

• Sous-brigadier (OR-6, equal to gendarmerie maréchal-des-logis-chef)
• Brigadier (OR-8, equal to gendarmerie adjudant)
• Brigadier-chef (OR-9, equal to gendarmerie adjudant-chef)
• Brigadier-major (OR-9, equal to gendarmerie major)

Spain[link]

In Spain, a brigada has a NATO rank code of OR-8 (and is thus a senior NCO). The Spanish rank brigada is not to be confused with the Spanish brigadier (-general) used for officers in Latin America (and historically in Spain).

Italy[link]

In the Italian Carabiniers and Guardia di Finanza, the ranks of vice-brigadier (vice brigadiere), brigadier (brigadiere), and chief brigadier (brigadiere capo) correspond roughly to the army ranks based on sergeant. The rank of brigade general (generale di brigata) is used throughout the armed forces as the most junior general rank, and corresponds to the British rank title of brigadier.

See also[link]

• List of comparative military ranks

References[link]

Alpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy at Solidays Festival, (Longchamp Racecourse), France, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Seydou Koné
Born	(1953-01-01) January 1, 1953 (age 59) Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire
Genres	Reggae
Occupations	Singer/Songwriter
Years active	1981–present
Website	AlphaBlondy.info alphablondyjahgloryfoundation.org

Alpha Blondy (born January 1, 1953)^[1] is a reggae singer and international recording artist. Alpha Blondy was born Seydou Koné in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire. He sings mainly in his native language of Dioula, in French and in English, and sometimes in Arabic or Hebrew. His lyrics convey serious political attitudes and a sense of humor.

Early years[link]

Childhood[link]

First son of a family of 9 children, Seydou Kone was raised by his grandmother, growing up in what he described as "among elders", which later was to have a big impact on his career. In 1962, Alpha Blondy went to join his father in Odienné, where he spent ten years, attending the Sainte Elisabeth high school, and getting involved in the Ivory Coast students movement. Here he formed a band. But, this hobby affected his schooling and Alpha Blondy was expelled due to poor attendance. His parents then sent him to study English in Monrovia in the neighboring country of Liberia in 1973. He spent thirteen months there and then moved to the United States of America to improve his English.^[2]

First stay in the USA[link]

In 1973 Seydou moved to New York (also briefly Texas), where he studied English at Hunter College in New York, and later in the Columbia University American Language Program. He majored in English because he wanted to become an English teacher. He had to work part-time, and sometimes at night, and became ill. In New York he met Rastafarians for the first time, and was also able to see concerts by Jamaican artists such as Burning Spear. At this time he was recording Christian music but never stopped writing his own songs. Eventually he got into various scrapes in New York and returned to the Ivory Coast, where he got into even more trouble until he met up with one of his childhood friends, Fulgence Kassi, who had become a noted television producer. This was the beginning of his real career as a singer, and he began to use the name "Alpha Blondy".^[3]

Musical career[link]

After various TV shows for Kassi, Blondy recorded his first solo album in 1982, entitled Jah Glory. This album was to have enormous success and would become later a symbol of resistance because of the song "Brigadier Sabari", where Alpha criticized the harassment by the police. Some of this was based on personal experience, as Alpha himself had seen police violence. Alpha Blondy became a big star in Abidjan with his own African twist of Reggae music, becoming in the eyes of his fans "the Bob Marley of Africa". Alpha Blondy is spiritual, political and positive just like Marley himself, and even recorded a cover of Bob Marley's song "War". And he doesn't stop progressing; in order to reach more people with his message, he chose to sing in many languages: English, French, Baoule, and his own native language – Dioula. Later he also brought new instrumentation to his brand of reggae such as the violin and cello.

Soon the fame of Alpha Blondy spread to Europe. Following the success of an EP entitled “Rasta Poué” he went to Paris in 1984 to make his second album, Cocody Rock, with the label Pathe Marconi. The "Bob Marley of Africa" traveled to the island of Jamaica and recorded the title track of this album with Marley’s backing group, The Wailers.

Back home in 1985, Alpha went into the studio to record Apartheid is Nazism. This album was more politically committed than ever. It is a call for the end of Apartheid and the freedom for all. In 1986 Blondy recorded “Jerusalem” at the legendary Tuff Gong studios in Jamaica, again with The Wailers featuring Bob Marley's legendary Bass Aston "Family Man" Barrett. Blondy tried to promote unity between the religion of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. He drew his arguments and inspiration from his own diverse knowledge of the Bible, the Quran and the Torah. That same year, Blondy sang in Hebrew during a concert in Morocco. At this point he was touring continuously. His new album Revolution had a lighter, gentler sound; this was the album with cellos in the instrumentation, and the line-up included veteran Ivory Coast singer Aicha Kone. The album also included "Jah Houphouët parle", a long speech by the Ivory Coast president with only the most minimal beat behind it.

Blondy spent the years 1987–1989 giving concerts and recording SOS Guerre Tribale in Abidjan. This was promoted by Blondy himself as he was distancing himself from Pathe Marconi at this stage. This was not to be a real success but this wasn't going to stop Blondy and in 1991 he returned to Europe for a concert tour and to record his famous album Masada with the help of musical legends such as Bocana Maiga and UK reggae producer Dennis Bovell. The album, with its hit single "Rendez Vous" was a huge success, and later, Blondy was to receive his first Gold Disc in Paris.

At the beginning of 1993, worn out from a world tour, Blondy succumbed to depression and was taken into an institution for psychiatric help. But as his health recovered he recorded the album Dieu ("God"), on which he appears more spiritual and religious, on tracks such as "Heal Me", about his illness and recovery.

Blondy's psychiatric treatment continued but, on December 10, 1994, Blondy was back with the festival in memory of the late President Houphouet, and later he made his European comeback at a storming concert at Le Zenith in Paris. In 1996, Blondy released a hits compilation and went back into the studio to record the album Grand Bassam Zion, singing in six languages: Malinke, Arabic, French, English, Ashanti and Wolof.

After two more years in Paris, Blondy returned to his homeland in 1998, with a new album, The Prophet. Convinced his label was too much focused on the international market, he decided to create his own label. Since then Alpha has recorded albums and singles, such as "Yitzhak Rabin", in memory of the Israeli prime minister who was assassinated in 1995 (this was accompanied by yet another grueling tour of Europe), the single "Journaliste en Danger" from his 2000 album Elohim.^[4]

Alpha Blondy celebrated 20 years as a recording artist, with the release of his CD MERCI, in 2002 featuring Ophelie Winter and Saian Supa Crew, which earned him a 2003 Grammy Awards Nomination for "Best Reggae Album". However due to the political situation in his home country of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), he was unable to personally attend the prestigious award ceremony in New York City. In an unprecedented move, the Grammy Awards permitted him to send a representative in his place of honor. ^[5] In 2005 Akwaba was released. His latest CD is entitled "Jah Victory" and was released July 2007. It features Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare as well as Tyrone Downie formerly of Bob Marley and the Wailers. "Victory" is in honor of the peace agreement that was reached and implemented in his country in March 2007. ^[6]

One of his most popular and successful songs was Sébé Allah Y'é.

On July 19, 2009, Alpha Blondy performed at New York's Central Park before a crowd of many native Africans, Jamaicans, and Americans.

June 13, 2010, a large crowd was allowed into a Blondy concert in the Ivory Coast to celebrate the peace and unity of the country, and at least 20 people were injured, two of whom died.^[7]

June 27, 2010, Alpha Blondy was the closing act at Parkpop, The Hague, Netherlands. He replaced Snoop Dogg and Beenie Man.

Blondy has also been an important influence on other African reggae artists such as Ismaël Isaac.^[8]

Faith[link]

Alpha Blondy was born to a Muslim mother and a Christian father, and was brought up by a grandmother who taught him to love everyone. Blondy's respect for all religions and the spirituality he derives from them can be heard on the tracks “God is One” or “Jerusalem” where he sang for unity between all religions in 1986.

Humanitarian[link]

Alpha Blondy (Seydou Kone) was named United Nations Ambassador of Peace for Côte d'Ivoire in 2005. He made great efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to his country's political and physical division which was a result of an attempted Coup in 2001. As of March 2007 a peace agreement was signed and implemented, due to the hard work of many people including Alpha Blondy. Alpha now reaches out further with the newly created not-for-profit, non-government, non-political, charitable foundation, Alpha Blondy Jah Glory Foundation, which works towards ending social injustice and generational poverty by giving people the tools that they need to help themselves. He strongly believes in helping the poor (Jah Glory), and also that children should not be hurt. The Foundation strives to create and implement grassroots programs at the village level, such as the Women’s Self-Sufficiency Micro Loan Program, to teach women who are caring for multiple orphans how to start and manage their own business, to better provide for their families, as well as other sustainable projects, such as the Tafari-Genesis Retreat Camp for Children (Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso). It especially hopes to bring joy and hope to children who have been affected by civil wars, former child soldiers, and those who suffer from chronic life-threatening illnesses, such as sickle-cell anemia, malaria, asthma, etc.

Talking about Alpha Blondy, people think usually of music and indeed since 1980 he has written at least 17 albums and 194 titles. This itself indicates the great value he represents for his fans. Alpha is no longer an Ivorian star but an International Mega Star because of his fight for peace and unity all around the world. One example was his single “Who Are You” with Ophelie Winter against antipersonnel mines. He has also participated at many humanitarian and charity concerts, such as the concert in Senegal in March 2006 for the eradication of Malaria in Africa (where he appeared along with many other celebrities). He has done much, much more of this type of work in the Ivory Coast itself, especially at his annual free concert at Bassam beach called “festa”.

Best known songs[link]

His first success was Brigadier Sabari. Some representative songs are :

• Sebe Allah Y'e
• Jah Glory – in which he sings against poverty
• Apartheid is Nazism
• Brigadier Sabari – satirical lyrics about police brutality.
• Cocody Rock – has become an Alpha Blondy anthem, which everyone knows and sings
• Guerre Civile – about civil war
• Jerusalem – a call for peace. The lyrics begins with a Hebrew prayer in Hebrew
• Journalistes en danger – about the assassination of Norbert Zongo
• Politiqui – about civilian / military government alternance
• Yitzhak Rabin – written in 1995, following the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and dedicated to him.
• Sweet Fanta Diallo
• Téré
• Blesser
• Rasta Poué

Discography[link]

1980s[link]

1990s[link]

2000s[link]

2010s[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alpha Blondy

• Official website
• Sahel University, (2006). Alpha Blondy’s Actions.
• Alpha Blondy Grammy Awards nomination
• PCCI Center, (2006). Alpha Blondy’s Engagements.
• Alpha Blondy Music

John Philip "Jake" Thackray (27 February 1938 – 24 December 2002), was an English singer-songwriter, poet and journalist. Best known in the late 1960s and early 1970s for his topical comedy songs performed on British television, his work ranged from satirical to bawdy to sentimental to pastoral, with a strong emphasis on storytelling, making him difficult to pigeonhole.^[1][2][3][4]

Jake Thackray sang in a lugubrious baritone voice,^[5] accompanying himself on a nylon-strung guitar in a style that was part classical, part jazz.^[6] His witty lyrics and clipped delivery, combined with his strong Yorkshire accent and the northern setting of many of his songs, led to him being described as the "North Country Noël Coward", a comparison Thackray resisted, although he acknowledged his lyrics were in the English tradition of Coward and Flanders and Swann "who are wordy, funny writers". However, his tunes derived from the French chansonnier tradition: he claimed Georges Brassens as his greatest inspiration,^[7] and he was also influenced by Jacques Brel and Charles Trenet.^[8] He also admired Randy Newman.^[7] He was admired by, and influenced, many performers including Jarvis Cocker,^[9] Mike Harding,^[10] Momus,^[11] Ralph McTell,^[12] Morrissey,^[13] Alex Turner,^[14] Jasper Carrott^[15] and Nick Drake.^{[citation needed]}

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

John Philip Thackray was born in Leeds,^[5] the son of Ernest Thackray, a policeman, and Ivy May Thackray, née Armitage.^[16] He was educated at the Jesuit-run St. Michael's College in Leeds^[5] and a Jesuit boarding school in Dolgellau, north-west Wales, and considered joining the priesthood,^[6] but instead chose to study Modern Languages at Durham University.^[5] After graduation he spent four years teaching English, mainly in France – in Lille, Brittany and the Pyrenees – but also including six months in Algeria at the height of the war for independence in 1961–1962. During his time in France he had some of his poetry published,^[17] and discovered the chansonnier tradition and in particular the work of Georges Brassens. "I missed out on rock and all my influences were French," he would later say.^[7]

Musical career[link]

In 1964 Thackray returned to his native Yorkshire, teaching at Intake School in Bramley, Leeds. Teaching himself to play the guitar,^[4] 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 radio programmes, which brought him to the attention of producer Norman Newell. Thackray recorded 30 songs with Newell, eleven of which were released as his debut album, The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray, in 1967. Its title track exhorted his friends to mark his death with a party, and then forget him. The album also included "Lah-Di-Dah", in which a prospective bridegroom assures his bride he loves her so much he'll try to be nice to her dreadful family.^[17]

This in turn led to a BBC television slot, composing a weekly topical song for Bernard Braden's consumer magazine programme Braden's Week.^[18] He was not immediately popular – his first appearance in late 1968 provoked letters demanding his dismissal – but he eventually won over the audience.^[19] After Braden's Week was cancelled in 1972, Thackray took up the same role on its successor show, That's Life!. In nearly thirty years of performing he would make over a thousand radio and TV appearances, including slots on The David Frost Show and Frost Over America,^[20] and his own show, Jake's Scene, on ITV.^[21]

In 1968 he married Sheila Marian Clarke-Irons, a 21-year-old student.^[16] His second album, Jake's Progress, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios while the Beatles put the finishing touches to their Abbey Road album next door.^[22] Released in 1969, it abandoned the orchestral arrangements of its predecessor for a small acoustic band. It included the song "The Blacksmith and the Toffee Maker", which Thackray adapted from a story in Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie.^[23] He began recording a new album in 1970, but these recordings were scrapped.^[24] In 1971 he released Live Performance, a live recording of 14 songs from his 1970 performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (an expanded, 29-song double CD of the same performance would be released in 2006).

A third studio album, Bantam Cock, followed in 1972. Its title track became a folk standard and was covered by folk singer Fred Wedlock,^[5] folk group The Corries and comedian Jasper Carrott among others. Other songs included "Isabel Makes Love upon National Monuments", "Sister Josephine", and "Brother Gorilla", an English adaptation of Georges Brassens' "Le gorille".^[25] In 1973 he opened for Brassens when he performed at the inauguration of the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, which he would describe as the high spot of his career.^[26]

After Bantam Cock Thackray's television appearances continued, but his recording career stalled. A compilation album, The Very Best of Jake Thackray, was released in 1975. His final studio album, On Again! On Again!, appeared in 1977. Its title track, a long-winded tirade about women who talk too much, would see Thackray accused of misogyny,^[1] but the album also included "The Hair of the Widow of Bridlington", a song of female self-determination in the face of social disapproval. It also featured two more Brassens adaptations, "Isabella" (based on Brassens' "Marinette") and "Over to Isobel" (based on "Je rejoindrai ma belle"). The same year he published a book of lyrics, Jake's Progress, illustrated by Bill Tidy.^[23]

From the late 1970s he had made most of his living on the live circuit, touring in Europe, North America and the Far East,^[5] but in 1982 he returned to television with Jake Thackray and Songs, a six-part series on BBC2 featuring Thackray and guests, including Richard and Linda Thompson and Ralph McTell, performing in a variety of venues.^[27] An album of the same name, recorded live at the Stables Theatre, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, as part of the recordings for the TV show, followed in 1983.^[28] Thackray's last release during his life was a compilation, Lah-Di-Dah, released in 1991.^[29]

Although he gave up teaching for show business, Thackray did not really like being what he called "a performing dick".^[23] 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).^[7] He became disillusioned with 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"^[5] – and he was plagued by a self-doubt and a breakdown in confidence that Ralph McTell describes as "catastrophic".^[12] His style of work was also falling out of fashion: his literate, witty lyrics and tales of rural Yorkshire had little resonance in the punk and Thatcher years, folk audiences had lost interest in contemporary song, and in the days of alternative comedy his bawdy humour was deemed sexist and outdated.^[1][16] He ultimately gave up performing in the early 1990s, and turned to journalism – for four years he wrote a weekly column for the Yorkshire Post.^[30]

Retirement and death[link]

In the 1990s Thackray withdrew to his home in Monmouth, South Wales^[5] – where he had settled with his family in the late 1960s^[31] – beset by health and financial problems: he had developed a serious drink problem,^[2][3] and was declared bankrupt in 2000.^[5] He had always been an observant Roman Catholic,^[30] and became increasingly religious in his later years, limiting his musical activities to performing the Angelus at his local church.^[32] He died of heart failure^[16] on 24 December 2002 at the age of 64, leaving his widow, Sheila, from whom he was separated, and three sons, Bill, Sam and Tom.^[20]

Revival in interest[link]

In May 2002 a group of fans formed the Jake Thackray Project with the intention of making more of Thackray's work available to the public. With Thackray's cooperation, the project team, led by record producer David Harris, received permission from EMI to produce a double CD of 42 songs not on any then-available release, limited to 200 copies, which was released in November 2002 with cover art by Bill Tidy. After Thackray's death the following month EMI consented to a further edition of 100 copies.^[33][34] This revival of interest led to the release of two mass market CDs the following year: The Very Best of Jake Thackray on EMI,^[35] and The Jake Thackray Collection on HMV.^[36] The Jake Thackray Project went on to release a series of remastered live recordings. A musical written by Barnsley-born poet Ian McMillan based on Thackray's songs and their characters, Sister Josephine Kicks the Habit, premiered in 2005 and toured the north of England. A rewrite by Alan Plater was due to tour the UK in 2007, but is on hold following the death of executive producer Ian Watson.^[37]

2006 saw a major retrospective. EMI released an expanded, 29-song double CD edition of Live Performance,^[38] and Jake in a Box, a 4-CD box set containing Thackray's four studio albums and six singles in their entirety, plus 25 unused tracks recorded in the Last Will and Testament sessions in 1967, eleven songs recorded for the abandoned album in 1970, and a handful of other rarities.^[39] Comedian and writer Victor Lewis-Smith produced a television documentary, Jake on the Box, for the BBC.^[40]

In an interview on the BBC's Culture Show (broadcast 8 August 2009), Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys cited Thackray as an influence, and in another 2009 interview with XM Radio Turner cited Thackray when specifically discussing their song entitled "Cornerstone." Similarly the Courteeners' songwriter Liam Fray cites Thackray as influence on the group's MySpace page.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray — EMI — 1967
• Jake's Progress — EMI Records — 1969
• Bantam Cock — EMI Records — 1972
• On Again! On Again! — EMI Records — 1977

Live albums[link]

• Live Performance — EMI Records — 1971; reissued 1976; reissued in 2006 as an expanded double CD
• Jake Thackray and Songs — Dingles Records — 1983
• Live at the Lobster Pot — 2005
• Live at the Lobster Pot volume 2 — 2005
• Jake Thackray - Live in Germany — JTP - 2005

Compilations[link]

• The Very Best of Jake Thackray — EMI Records — 1975 re-released 2003
• Lah-Di-Dah — EMI Records — 1991
• The Jake Thackray Project — JTP — 2002 (Limited edition of 300)
• The Jake Thackray Collection — HMV — 2003
• Jake in a Box (4 CD Box set) — EMI Records — 2006

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jake Thackray at the Internet Movie Database
• Jake Thackray on Allmusic
• The Jake Thackray Project
• Sister Josephine kicks the habit musical
• Momus tribute to Jake Thackray
• Jake Thackray Books of Condolences