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Clog Dance was used by Mark Herman in the film Brassed Off and the sound track album has become the best selling brass band album of all time. It has also become a favourite among brass bands and is included in concert programmes all over the world.
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Biography

Born in 1950 with an early childhood spent in New York city, John went to a new facility at Leeds College of Music to study piano, percussion and composition. It was while here that Cow was formed by violinist Mik Kaminski, drummer John Hodgson, with John Marcangelo keyboards and percussion. This entailed a move to London but the group folded when Mik joined the Electric Light Orchestra.

John Marcangelo had previously met Laurie Baker (bass guitar), and together with John Tilbury (piano) they formed Peoples Liberation Music at the end of 1972. Cornelius Cardew joined soon after and this group mostly with Vicky Silva as singer and other additions played on many workers demonstrations and rallies as well as concerts on the university circuit. PLM played historical material but also produced a lot of new material often written collectively.

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Around 1977 John got back together with Mik Kaminiski in a group called Violinski and 2 Albums were produced No Cause for Alarm and Stop Cloning About. Several singles and tours of Europe and UK followed. John had written a track called Clog Dance, probably a reflection of his love of the North of England particularly Cumbria, where he now lives. The track was released as a single and became a hit in the UK and Europe.

John and his wife Cathy, a vocalist have been working together playing world wide for the last decade or so. John has had a long association with Mike De Albuquerque who together with his wife Jane recently organised a surprise 50th birthday party in Cumbria with much music.

John has continued to compose and is currently working on a set of variations on themes by the late Cornelius Cardew and an idea for a musical based around the 'Clogger' who inspired the original Clog Dance.

 

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