A friend since 1989, Jake Brockman, mentioned in the Hook 'em Boys post a few days ago, was killed riding his beloved BSA on the Isle of Man yesterday evening. Keyboard player in the Liverpool band Echo and the Bunnymen, he went on to become a sound engineer for BBC Bristol, travelling the world recording polar bears groaning and bats screaming. Passionate about motorbikes, he was on the island for the Manx GP with two friends. Apparently a camper-van pulled out of a side turning of the Kirk Michael to Ballaugh road, straight into their path. He will be dearly missed. BP
(from L to R) BP, Damon, Jake. Liverpool 1999
Sal and Jake on Steve's baby Duke
No need for reflective tape on that Cheshire cat grin. Jake on the Menai strait Anglesea, Christmas 2006
photo by Fid, the last ever made. At Sulby, Isle of Man last Sunday. Jake on his 1939 M23, 'The Boy' Martin on his Velocette
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37 comments:
RIP
can't believe how quickly life can be over...and it happens over and over again...some idiot in a campervan who failed to see 3 guys on motorbikes and just pulled out in front of them.....do we wifes and husbands of bikers and cyclist really have to be afraid everytime our loved ones leave the lovenest on 2 wheels ?
he was such a nice and good man with a big generous smile.
i am going to bake a cake to celebrate his life....
BP's wife
Charming Man. Charmed Life, especially after he met and married his angel, Sally. Oh Sally.
Sharon
I didn't know Jake..but i know the pain of a friend lost in a bike accident...My thoughts are with you all.
To me Jake will always be the 5th Bunnyman ! Weird thing , it's 20 years since Pete de Freitas was killed on his bike. My Sympathies go to Jakes' family and friends .
Gary Lornie
Jake built a stretcher and carried me off a mountain in Ecuador in 2007, putting all his energy into the long, ghastly ordeal. I've hardly seen him since, as we both do too much travelling, other than to say thank you over a pint, but in that short time I saw his warmth, kindness, inner and outer strength. Jake, I wish I saw you more. Many people will find this very, very difficult. I'm so sorry.
Why does this happen to the best?
Jake was a star, legend, dude & best of all a mate.
We all will miss you so so much.
so sad to hear a second bunnyman gone and the same way as pete rip,god bless jake the fifth bunnyman rip
a pleasure and an honour to have known you, jake.
see you on the other side.
steve g.
Was a pleasure & an honour to have Jake as a friend, one of the best.
Shocked & blue.
Joe Mckechnie
Such heartbreaking news. My sincerest condolences to Jake's family and to all who knew and loved him.
--Chris
loved anything that jake did in the music world.especially with the bunnymen,love you forever jake. xxx jase.
RIP :(
There are no positives in this, but if my time comes prematurely, I hope that it's doing something I love. Leaving this world riding a motorcycle with mates on the Isle of Man is one of the better scenarios. All heartfelt wishes to Jake's family and friends.
Rest In Peace. Though he didn't know me I knew him, growing up in Liverpool with the Bunnymen soundtracking my life. Very, very sad news.
My condolences on the loss of Jake to all his family and friends. RIP.
I knew Jake in the Palace years and met him again when he was recording Coast in Ireland - and he was just the same, energetic, enthusiatic guy. To Sally and Jake's family and friends - my thoughts are with you, he will be sadly missed by all. Sue Clarke
There's probably many a distantly connected person like me lucky enough to spend a little time in Jake's company and with stories to relate as he was such a kind, likeable kind of chap. The first time I met James Drake-Brockman was at the Caesar's Palace in Aberdeen many years ago. I was working up there and he was playing a gig with Les Pattinson, Will Sergeant, Damon Reece and Noel Burke. It was a barnstormer of a show and I spoke with him after. He scrawled the phone number of their Liverpool warehouse on a packet of Silk Cut for me. I've hassled him many times since then about this and that but he always had time for my madly inane ideas. Got him and his wife Sally on the Bristol gezy for The Coral a year or so back and was glad to finally do something for him for a change. He was a very game and infectiously optimistic bloke. We once blagged a free trip up St John's Beacon in Liverpool on the pretext of finding new premises for a highly imaginary record label. We'd met up in town for a few drinks first and had a randomly off-the-wall idea to borrow the pub's game of Kerr-Plunk and take it up there with us. We spent an hour or so up there and it was my job was to keep the security guard talking on the lower deck while Jake and Damon hung precariously off the observation platform having their photos taken by our photographer Stephen Dodd. I remember Jake had a plan for us to all go back with climbing gear and get to the (very) top of the beacon! He was such a nice fella even to someone like me who was very much a sporadic blip on the peripherary of his life. I'll miss our occasional contacts. Must be so hard for his wife, family and close friends. Really sad to hear this. Thoughts with all. (Pete Burnand)
Dear All
Thank you for all the condolences, and touching personal anecdotes. I've been listening to the Bunnymen for three days solid, but it still hasn't sunk in yet. Poor Sal.
Ben
Fantastic guy who will be very missed.
It was an honour to have you in my life.
Rest in peace.
so sad to lose you without one last cup of tea, one last life affirming chat, or one last infectious chuckle, jake. you'll be so badly missed by so many people. love to everyone who's lives you touched.
I can't believe you're gone, you will be sadly missed by all. I will never forget all the help you gave me and lisa with training Mase in our garden while you were busy building your garage last year. Yourself and sally really made us feel welcome to the street and i thank you for that. Our thoughts are with Sally and the family and all his close friends.
Wayne,Lisa,Mase and Coco
It was lovely to meet you last night Ben and the tributes to Jake are very moving. If Sue Clarke reads this - Sue - it would be great to be in touch with you again - you can find us on facebook or people123 me (annie mcgann) and you'll see I'm not hard to find. The series that Jake worked on with Stephen Fry starts tonight on the BBC. There will be some mention of him. Sending all Jake's friends lots of love and I'll hug Sally for you. X Annie
so sorry to hear of the death of yet another member of the great liverpool scene of the early 80's.
Jake, you will be truly missed,
' The sun is setting to the west, throttle back and press, '
from Tim and Lesley in Avebury ,Wilts
I didn't know Jake but I booked The Hook'Em Boys to play the city farm benefit gig in August. I was on holiday and couldn't make the gig but was thrilled at the feedback and how well it all seemed to have gone. So terribly sorry to hear of his loss. He sounds like such a fantastic bloke. Sympathy and love to his wife and loved ones from myself and all at the City Farm.x
so very sad - a dear friend for a long time - love and sympathy to his nearest and dearest esp damon, stan, the band, annie mcgann and easty , love karen f and family
I didn't know you well Jake, but I still miss you, the world was a better place with you in it. I will always remember your big smile and your love of bikes, you were always taking one apart or putting it together whenever I saw you on Waverley.
I reckon everyone who ever met you will miss you, your warmth, kindness and generosity. If I can live half the life you did, I will be happy. The people of Liverpool owe you more than they will ever realise. Rest in peace Jake, it was an honour to have met you.
I'll never forget many experiences I had with Jake. He pushed peoples skills and was always encouraging, made stuff happen, always with a warm smile and cup of tea! I'll never forget the camping trip where a group of us, Jake being the ringleader, swung for hours on a tree swing over a stream in Wales until darkness. Very fond memories, a very great loss. My condolences to the family.
RIP Jake, glad we got chance to reconnect over the past few months. Your presence on the planet is missed and thanks for your infectious positive outlook on life. Never forgotten.
I've just realised that I was privileged to be a friend of Jakes for half of my life, from boys to men yet we remained eternally boys. I sometimes felt that despite all Jakes generosity and efforts in trying to hold things together during lesser times past he was never truly appreciated yet he never once displayed a morcel of disdain! eternally affable, upbeat and humourous he truly found his due reward in meeting Sally and later to marry. Moving to Bristol his old home and amongst his dearest of friends and family, to cap it all his work with the BBC with its adventure and travel a dream for many, finally with due reward and appreciation, ahh we'll dearly miss that mutter and sideways glance....as Jim in US said, the quintessential Gentleman Rascal.....the tales a many, the "Never Again" voyage, driving through blizzards to chip ice from the deck before sailing into a storm, the crew revolting as we bailed out in Holy head....the patience waiting an eternity for parts to build the Tricati, never once showing dismay or despair! his stiff upper lip and wonderful support for all through the tragic loss of Pete and later Tim, his dear friends and flatmates... the list goes on....he was a really great guy...why is it that the good ones go young....
ahh meant to say from boys to MEN and also miss his mutter and sideways glance.....i'm crap trying to be clever
oooh a bit of a crisis with technology seemed like it went off via works server in sweden which had to be google translated to english and back to swedish and back again....words got all tangled up like men boys mutter nut and all very odd, I think Brockman o Brock was avin a larf on us....very flustered.....he'd have larfed.....
I only met Jake 6 mths ago while working with him on a Stephen Fry film in Borneo, the land of his birth. He was a great guy, full of warmth, wit and imagination. I miss him, and the long friendship we were never to have. Heartfelt sympathies to Sally and all his friends. I drink a toast to you Jake... Cheers
(Simon ff)
words are never enough...loved and missed by everyone....a truly beautiful gentleman xxx
its been along time since we last spoke but Jake was often fondly remembered and asked about. a real nice guy, always had time for people. condolences to teh family.
Only just heard about Jake's passing.....how very sad...53's no age to die for a man with such joy of living....he touched a lot of us with them spacey, ethereal keyboard sounds....a bloody fine player to listen to on headphones!
Bless your soul, Jake.
May 23 2011. Will Sergeant just told me of Jake's death.
I haven't seen Jake for over 20 years since moving to the states, I used to ride with Jake, Les and Pete all those years ago.
I still ride and I assume Les still rides but what a terrible waste through somebody's carelessness.
He was a great guy, I'll always remember his enthusiasm.
I'm fair saddened.
My love goes to your family and friends mate.
Martyn.
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