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Robert Norman Davis OBE, otherwise known as Jasper Carrott and Philip Martin, otherwise known as Phil Cool are two British comedians. I have had the privilege of seeing both of these incredible comedians live.. and both on the same night. The experience nearly killed me!
Jasper
I first heard Jasper Carrott in 1975… much like the rest of the UK when his single “Funky Moped” hit the heady heights of the UK Top 40 pop charts (it peaked at No.5). The first time I actually saw him was on Top of the Pops on 28th August 1975, performing Funky Moped. I liked it, I liked him.
In 1975 I was a mere stripling of 14, who had never so much as heard a Brummy accent, let alone heard anyone singing in it, so it was a revelation of many things. Novelty songs, Brummy accents. The only novelty songs I’d ever heard by that time were the Bernard Cribbins classics “Hole in the Road” and “Right Said Fred”, both of which are definitely nothing like Jasper Carrott’s “Magic Roundabout”, or indeed “Funky Moped”.
I took my 50p pocket money to town that Saturday and bought the single (translation: the 7″ vinyl for £0.50 GBP). The first of a few Jasper Carrott purchases that were to land my way.
Television
I watched the greater majority of Jasper’s stand up TV shows. Starting with “An Audience with Jasper Carrott” (which turned into the “An Audience With…” series – running to this day) all the way through to The Detectives in 1997. Series like “Canned Carrott” and “Carrott Confidential” were must-see items, much discussed and repeated when the VCR (video cassette recorders) eventually appeared.
Before the VCR appeared however, we had cassette tapes.
The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott
“The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott” was my second Jasper Carrott purchase and was a recording of his 1979 stand up show live from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It was broadcast on ITV on Saturday 18th February 1979 (at 9:15pm) and was one hour in duration (approx. 50 minutes without adverts). I had never laughed so much in my life (to that point, anyway).
At the time, the VCR pretty much didn’t exist in the domestic environment, so once the programme was over, the content was lost to the ether. Or so I thought. Browsing through the music cassettes in WHSmith (as one did on a Saturday morning in 1979), I spotted the cassette of “The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott” nestling in the shelves. I snapped that up (can’t remember how much it was) and played it almost to destruction!
I still have the cassette tape. It’s in its original tape case and in its original box, however the cover has been replaced by me sometime ago. It’s yellow.
I played that tape so much and so often that I pretty much knew the entire schtick word for word. I could recite (and we did!) entire routines, like the mole, or the nutter on the bus perfectly: much to most people’s annoyance.
I still use choice lines from it to this day.
I need to play it again soon, on cassette, of course.
I went through a period in the early 1980's of replacing pre-recorded cassette tape inserts with a lined index card with just the name of the tape written on the spine with a typewriter. I can't remember the exact reasoning behind it - perhaps it was to satisfy some sort of OCD where I wanted all of the cassette covers to match. I don't know, but thankfully, I don't have many like this. Unfortunately, the Jasper Carrott tape was one of the "victims of my stupidity".
Phil
Ten years after first spotting Jasper Carrott, Phil Cool appeared on my radar with his own TV series called “Cool It” in 1985. It was the first time I’d ever seen anyone contort their faces as much as he did, to do impressions that weren’t people! I don’t remember much of the act, other than the alien bit and the Rolf Harris bit (more of that later), but I do remember the series being just as funny as Jasper.
Challenge Anneka
A small sidestep to Challenge Anneka (all will become clear presently). She fronted a programme on the UK’s Channel 4 called “Challenge Anneka”. She was presented with a challenge of some description and she had to fulfil it (or not, presumably). At the time a popular series.
Series 3 Episode 4 of Challenge Anneka (broadcast on 5th October 1991) was an Episode called “Gloucester Theatre”. The challenge was to renovate an old Edwardian theatre in Gloucester called “The New Olympus Theatre”, for the local Gloucester Operatic and Dramatic Society. The theatre had fallen into disrepair and hadn’t been used as a theatre for years, the challenge was to refurbish it so it could be used as a theatre once more.
This they did. And it looked nice… on the telly.
Carrott and Cool Tour 1992
Unfortunately, I’m unable to find much information about the tour that Jasper Carrott and Phil Cool did throughout 1992, other than they did one! I can’t find any venue lists or set lists… but I do know for sure where they were at some point. At which point, I sadly can’t remember, but they absolutely and definitely went to the New Olympus Theatre in Gloucester during 1992. As the comedian Max Boyce used to say: I know, ‘cos I was there. I had a balcony seat, right at the front.
I remember little about it sadly. I do remember three things very vividly, the rest of the detail has been lost in the mists of time.
- As previously mentioned, the New Olympus Theatre was the subject of a Challenge Anneka programme in 1991. She engaged local builders, painters and renovators to restore the theatre to its Edwardian splendour. As I went in and climbed the stairs to the balcony, I remember thinking “bloody hell, this place is a shithole!”. The paint was peeling, bits of plaster had fallen off the mouldings. It wasn’t very clean. Not good, Anneka, not good.
- Although I can’t remember Jasper or Phil’s sets in detail, I remember laughing a good deal right from the outset, with very little relief! It was constant hilarity from start to finish, the highlight of which was the impression of Rolf Harris that Phil Cool did. I laughed so much I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t breathe, my chest and sides hurt, my eyes were burning with the tears of mirth.
- It took me days to come down from that night. I hurt of two or three days afterwards, and would set myself off again, just by thinking about something Jasper or Phil had said that night.
Despite not remembering very much about it, I do remember it being one of the very best nights of my life. So thank you Jasper and Phil for that.
Still a fan.
Phil retired from performing when he got to 65 in 2013. There is plenty of Phil Cool material still around however, on DVD and on YouTube, including that Rolf Harris routine that nearly did me in!
Jasper – after testing the waters of retirement once or twice – is still performing at aged 80. He has no plans to retire, citing Ken Dodd’s longevity. Which for me, is excellent news!
Now I’m off to listen (for what must be the millionth time) to The Unrecorded Jasper Carrott. On cassette, of course.
