wow

Seeing that has forced me out of my youtube silence to make comment because that gave me such a warm, nostalgic feeling. Mr Cosgill's sounded so good, much better that I remember, but I was a bit of a purist then so I thought less rock would have been better. Great, weren't we ever that young.

Does anyone know the name of the presenter on this clip?

Correction: Paul James and Dave Shepherd joined Blowzabella in 1979 and 1982 respectively. They did not found it. I needed to get of my chest.

Whistle player Paul James and fiddler Dave Shepherd had very significant careers in music after Dr Cosgill. They founded the band Blowzabella in 1978 who recently played a 35th anniversary concert at Cecil Sharp House in Camden. Although also rooted in tradition, the music of Blowzabella is very different to Dr Cosgill so fans of the earlier band might tread with care. According to Wikipedia, Blowzabella are 'an English band who play bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies and an array of acoustic instruments to produce an inimitable, driving, drone-based sound influenced by British and European traditional dance music.' This sounds rather dry and academic but, live, they could be one of the most exciting bands in the known universe. For newbies, the trio of studio albums they made in the late 80s are the place to start. Vanilla and A Richer Dust are the most accessible while the Blowzabella Wall of Sound does what it says on the tin. Paul James also led a fine band called Scarp who shared personnel with Blowzabella but had more of a jazz influence. For more information, check out the article in the current issue of the magazine Froots.

Hi Greg, Re my Spence Broughton comment; a couple of years ago, the old Dr Cosgill members got together and re-formed as 'Fable of the Bees', you will find a couple of recent demo videos on KZbin. If you search for Fable of the Bees you will find them. I'd be interested in copies of the recordings you have if that's possible. Please drop me a message with your email address and let's see if we can arrange something :-) Cheers, Paul

I have, indeed, checked out the MySpace site and shared the link around on Facebook. Great memories! Thanks once again.

Thanks John. You're absolutely correct about the Wasp being replaced by the OB1 (a wonderful synth - sadly later sold). You might like to check our the MySpace site for more Dr Cosgill songs, (see text beneath the video)

How marvellous! I never thought that I would hear this band again. The last time I recall seeing them was at an open air show in King George's Park, Wandsworth, in 1981, I think. The Wasp had certainly been upgraded to an Oberheim OB1, if memory serves me correctly? It was certainly 'Dr Cosgill' by then. Upstairs at The Star and Garter in Putney also rings a bell or two. What a fantastic, nostalgic find. Thanks, Allodiman!

@uvanu You're welcome mate, pity there's not more proof available!

@acelites Cheers Dave, good old days eh?

absolutely stunning - see these on Magpie then on tour at Sheffield Uni and later at the Cambridge Folk Festival where I have a pic of them. I then spent the next 30+ years trying to convince folks they existed - so thanks for the long awaiten proof!

Any chance of getting a copy of this, soI can return it to Thames (who wiped it)? Or, alternatively, I can give you the relevant contact details of people who professionally transfer clips from obsolete and obsolescent video formats.

Wow, what a blast from the past. My then-to-be wife's sister's boyfriend was in the band and we saw them at the Green Man in Stratford (E15), it was a great gig. I recall rushing up to Goatbag Records' shop in Camden to buy their single when it was released. Thanks for uploading and having the foresight to record it in the first place. It's a shame they didn't make it big.

@thedolphinpost You're very welcome mate - your efforts were greatly appreciated! We'll keep in touch and hopefully arrange a gig in your locality sometime soon!

I am sporting such a massive smile - I was responsible for this group being on Magpie .... and I had no idea this clip was available Thank you so much for posting it

@geggly "Spence Broughton is no more..." Maybe not performed by Dr Cosgill, but soon to be out and about again under another name!

@JAYROX1969 As far as I am aware, this is not on any Magpie DVD. This excerpt was recorded onto VHS tape directly from the tv broadcast at the time.

Superb. Thanks for posting this. I remember watching it live when I was an earnest young sixth former. This is what I craved when all around me was John Travolta and Judas Priest.