| Jethro Tull | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Blackpool & Luton, England |
| Genre(s) | Rock, hard rock, progressive rock, folk rock |
| Years active | 1968 – present |
| Label(s) | Chrysalis, Eagle, Roadrunner, EMI, Capitol, Island |
| Website | http://www.jethrotull.com |
| Members | |
| Ian Anderson Martin Barre Doane Perry David Goodier James Duncan John O'Hara | |
| Former members | |
| See: Jethro Tull lineups | |
Jethro Tull are a Grammy Award–winning British rock group that formed in 1967-1968. Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Luton ( is a large town in the east of England, 32 miles (51 kilometres north of London. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Chrysalis Records was a British Record label that was created in 1969 Eagle Records are a leading independent Record label. Also trading as " Eagle Rock Entertainment " Roadrunner Records (Roadrunner Music Group BV is a Record label that concentrates on heavy metal bands The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as Island Records is a Record label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica. Ian Scott Anderson, MBE (born 10 August 1947 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland) is a Scottish Singer Martin Lancelot Barre (born 17 November 1946, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is an English Doane Ethredge Perry (born June 16, 1954 in Mt Kisco, Westchester County, New York) (aka Doane Tull is an American Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967-1968 Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead Flute work of front man The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [1] Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead flute work of front man Ian Anderson. The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its Ian Scott Anderson, MBE (born 10 August 1947 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland) is a Scottish Singer Initially playing blues rock with an experimental flavour, they have, over the years, incorporated elements of classical, folk and 'ethnic' musics, jazz and art rock. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Art rock is a term describing a subgenre of Rock music that tends to have "experimental or avant-garde influences" and emphasizes "novel sonic texture
They have sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. When adding to this page please ensure that your claims are sourced [1]
Contents |
Ian Anderson's first band, started in 1963 in Blackpool, was known as The Blades. Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. By 1966, they had developed into a seven-piece white soul band called the John Evan Band (later the John Evan Smash), named for pianist/drummer John Evans, who dropped the final "s" from his name to make it sound less ordinary. Blue-eyed soul (also known as white soul) is a term used to describe R&B or Soul music performed by white artists John Evan (born John Spencer Evans 28 March 1948, Blackpool, Lancashire) played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 At this point, Barriemore Barlow was the band's drummer, as he would later be for Jethro Tull itself. Barriemore Barlow (born Barry Barlow, 10 September 1949, Birmingham) is best known as the Drummer and Percussionist for
The band moved to the London area in search of more bookings, basing themselves in nearby Luton. Luton ( is a large town in the east of England, 32 miles (51 kilometres north of London. They also traveled to Liverpool. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary However, money remained short and within days of the move most of the band quit and headed back north, leaving Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick to join forces with blues guitarist Mick Abrahams and his friend, drummer Clive Bunker, both from the Luton-based band McGregor's Engine. Glenn Cornick (born Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick 24 April 1947, in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria) was the bespectacled first Bass guitar Michael Timothy 'Mick' Abrahams (born 7 April 1943, in Luton, Bedfordshire, England) was the original guitarist for Jethro Clive Bunker (born Clive William Bunker 30 December 1946, Luton, Bedfordshire, England) was a Drummer for the British [2] At first, the new band had trouble getting repeat bookings and they took to changing their name frequently to continue playing the London club circuit. Band names were often supplied by their booking agents' staff, one of whom, a history enthusiast, eventually christened them Jethro Tull after the 18th-century agriculturist who invented the seed drill. Jethro Tull ( 30 March 1674 &ndash 21 February 1741) was an English agricultural pioneer during the period before A seed drill is a device for planting Seeds in the soil Before the introduction of the seed drill the common practice was to "broadcast" seeds by hand This name stuck simply by virtue of the fact that they were using it the first time a club manager (namely, John Gee of the Marquee Club, London) liked their show enough to invite them to return. The Marquee is a legendary music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and Skiffle They were signed to the blossoming Ellis-Wright agency, and became the third band managed by the soon-to-be Chrysalis empire.
After an unsuccessful single produced by Derek Lawrence (an Abrahams-penned song called "Sunshine Day" on which the group's name was misspelled "Jethro Toe", making it a collector's item), they released the bluesy album This Was in 1968. Derek Lawrence is a record producer famous for his work for Joe Meek 's Outlaws, Deep Purple, Machiavel and Wishbone Ash. This Was (1968 is the first Album by the rock band Jethro Tull. In addition to music written by Anderson and Abrahams the album included the traditional "Cat's Squirrel", which highlighted Abraham's blues-rock style. The Rahsaan Roland Kirk-penned jazz piece "Serenade to a Cuckoo" gave Anderson a showcase for his growing talents on the flute, an instrument which he started learning to play only half a year before the release of the album. Rahsaan Roland Kirk ( August 7, 1936 - December 5, 1977) was an American Jazz Multi-instrumentalist, playing The overall sound of the group at this time was described in the Record Mirror by Anderson in 1968 as "a sort of progressive blues with a bit of jazz". Record Mirror was a national tabloid consumer weekly pop music newspaper founded by Isadore Green in 1953 then priced 6d (2½p in decimal currency featuring news articles interviews [3]
Following this album, Abrahams left after a falling out with Anderson and formed his own band, Blodwyn Pig. Blodwyn Pig were a British Blues - rock group founded by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull There were a number of reasons for his departure: he was a blues purist, while Anderson wanted to branch out into other forms of music; Abrahams and Cornick did not get along; and Abrahams was unwilling to travel internationally or play more than three nights a week, while the others wanted to be successful by playing as often as possible and building an international fan base.
Earth/Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi took on guitar duties for a short time after the departure of Abrahams, appearing in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (in which the group mimed "A Song For Jeffrey") in December 1968, but was a one time only arrangement and returned to Earth/Black Sabbath after the performance. Black Sabbath are an Frank Anthony "Iommi (born February 19 1948, in Aston, Birmingham England) is an English Guitarist and Songwriter The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a film released in 1996 of a December 11, 1968 event put together by The Rolling Stones.
After auditions for a replacement guitarist, Anderson chose Martin Barre, a former member of Motivation, Penny Peeps, and Gethsemane, who was playing with Noel Redding's Fat Mattress at the time. Martin Lancelot Barre (born 17 November 1946, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is an English Motivation is the reason or reasons for engaging in a particular behavior especially Human behavior as studied in Philosophy, Conflict, Economics Gethsemane ( Greek ΓεσΘημανι Gesthēmani ' Hebrew: גת שמנים, from Aramaic גת שמנא Gat Šmānê, lit David "Noel" Redding ( December 25, 1945 &ndash May 11, 2003) was an English Rock and roll guitarist best Barre impressed Anderson with his persistence more than anything else: he was so nervous at his first audition that he could hardly play at all, and then showed up for a second audition without a cord to connect his guitar to an amplifier. Nevertheless, Barre would become Abrahams' permanent replacement on guitar and the second longest-standing member of the band after Anderson.
This new line-up released Stand Up in 1969, the group's only UK number-one album. Stand Up is the second album by Jethro Tull. Prior to this album the band's original Guitarist Mick Abrahams had left the band due to musical Written entirely by Anderson — with the exception of the jazzy rearrangement of J. S. Bach's Bourée (fifth movement from Suite for Lute in E minor BWV 996 (BC L166)) — it branched out further from the blues, clearly evidencing a new direction for the group, which would come to be categorised as progressive rock alongside such diverse groups as King Crimson, Genesis, The Nice and Yes. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" Bourrée in E minor is a popular lute piece the fifth movement from Suite in E minor for Lute, BWV 996 (BC L166 written by Johann Sebastian Bach Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved King Crimson is a Progressive rock band founded by guitarist Robert Fripp and drummer Michael Giles in 1969 Genesis are an English rock band formed in 1967 With approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide Genesis are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists The Nice were an English Progressive rock band from the 1960s known for their unique blend of rock, Jazz and classical music Yes are an English Progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. It was during sessions for this album that the band recorded their most well-known song, "Living in the Past", which originally ended up being issued as a stand-alone single. Living in the Past is the title of one of British progressive rock group Jethro Tull 's most well-known songs Anderson and Chrysalis Records manager Terry Ellis reportedly wrote it in 5/4 time with the intent of preventing its ascent to the pop charts. Chrysalis Records was a British Record label that was created in 1969 It turned out not to be the case, as the song reached number three in the UK chart, and though most other progressive groups actively resisted issuing singles at the time, Jethro Tull had further success with their other singles, "Sweet Dream" (1969) and "The Witch's Promise" (1970), and a five-track EP, Life Is a Long Song (1971), all of which made the top twenty. In 1970, they added keyboardist John Evan (initially as a guest musician) and released the album Benefit. A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. John Evan (born John Spencer Evans 28 March 1948, Blackpool, Lancashire) played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 Benefit is the third Album by Jethro Tull. It was released in April 1970
Bassist Cornick left following Benefit to raise a family, replaced by Jeffrey Hammond, a childhood friend of Anderson whose name appeared in the songs "A Song for Jeffrey", "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square", "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey, and Me", and who also is the writer and narrator of "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles", later featured in the album A Passion Play. Jeffrey Hammond (born July 30, 1946, in Blackpool, sometimes credited as Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond) was a Bass guitar player for the A Passion Play is a Concept album released by Jethro Tull. Apparently concerning the spiritual journey of one man in the Afterlife, it is similar Hammond was often credited on Jethro Tull albums as "Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond", but the extra "Hammond" was an inside joke regarding the fact that Hammond's mother's maiden name was also "Hammond", no relation to his father.
This line-up released Jethro Tull's best-known work, Aqualung in 1971. Aqualung is the fourth studio album by the rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1971. On this album, Anderson's writing voiced strong opinions about religion and society. Though consisting of distinct tracks, there is a common narrative thread leading some to label it as a concept album. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" The title character of Aqualung is a disreputable tramp, wandering the streets and "eyeing little girls with bad intent"; the focus of the song "Cross-Eyed Mary" is a young prostitute who operates from near a school. See also Vagrancy (biology for an alternative use of the term "My God" – written before Benefit and already a staple of the band's live act before Aqualung's release[4] – is a full-frontal assault on ecclesiastic excesses: "People what have you done/locked Him in His golden cage/Made Him bend to your religion/Him resurrected from the grave. . . " In contrast, the gentle acoustic "Wond'ring Aloud" is a love song. The title track and "Locomotive Breath" remain staples of U. "Locomotive Breath" is a song by the English Progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album Aqualung S. classic rock stations and, to this day, are rarely left out of Jethro Tull's live act.
Because of the heavy touring schedule and his wish to spend more time with his family, drummer Bunker quit the group after the Aqualung album, and was replaced by Barriemore Barlow in early 1971. Barriemore Barlow (born Barry Barlow, 10 September 1949, Birmingham) is best known as the Drummer and Percussionist for Barlow first recorded with the band for the EP Life Is a Long Song and made his first appearance on a Jethro Tull album with 1972's Thick as a Brick. Thick as a Brick (1972 is a Concept album by the British rock band Jethro Tull. This was conceived as a concept album consisting of a single track running 43:28 (an innovation previously unheard of in rock music[5]), split over the two sides of the LP, with a number of movements melded together and some repeating themes. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" The first movement with its distinctive acoustic guitar riff received some airplay on rock stations at the time (and occasionally turns up in modern classic-rock programming as a "deep" or "rare" cut). Thick as a Brick was the first true prog rock offering by the band, as well as the first Jethro Tull album to reach number one on the (U. Thick as a Brick (1972 is a Concept album by the British rock band Jethro Tull. Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved S. ) Billboard Pop Albums chart (the following year's A Passion Play being the only other). A Passion Play is a Concept album released by Jethro Tull. Apparently concerning the spiritual journey of one man in the Afterlife, it is similar This album's quintet – Anderson, Barre, Evan, Hammond, and Barlow – endured until the end of 1975.
1972 also saw the release of Living in the Past, a double-album compilation of remixed singles, B-sides and outtakes (including the entirety of the Life Is a Long Song EP, which closes the album), with a single side recorded live in 1970 at New York's Carnegie Hall. For other uses see Living in the Past (disambiguation. Living in the Past is a Double album quasi-greatest-hits collection by Jethro Fans regard the album as arguably the band's best compilation. The title song, recorded and released three years earlier, would gain even greater U. S. success because of this album.
In 1973, the band attempted to record a double album in tax exile at France's Château d'Hérouville studios (something the Rolling Stones and Elton John among others were doing at the time), but supposedly they were unhappy with the quality of the recording studio and abandoned the effort, subsequently mocking the studio as the "Chateau d'Isaster. Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer " (An 11-minute excerpt from these recordings was released on the 1988 20 Years of Jethro Tull boxed set, and the complete sessions were finally released on the 1993 compilation Nightcap, with the contemporarily overdubbed flute lines where the vocal parts were missing. Nightcap: The Unreleased Masters 1972-1991 (1993 is a Jethro Tull double CD album released on 22 November 1993 with older and previously unreleased ) Instead they returned to England and Anderson rewrote, quickly recorded, and released A Passion Play, another single-track concept album, and their second pure prog release, with very allegorical lyrics focusing on the afterlife. A Passion Play is a Concept album released by Jethro Tull. Apparently concerning the spiritual journey of one man in the Afterlife, it is similar Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved A Passion Play continued the diverse instrumentation introduced in Thick As a Brick, and added saxophones to the mix. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind A Passion Play sold well but received generally poor reviews, including a particularly damning review of its live performance by Chris Welch of Melody Maker. [6]
Around this time, the band's popularity with critics began to wane, but their popularity with the public remained strong. 1974's War Child, an album originally intended to be a companion piece for a film, reached number two on the Billboard charts and received some critical acclaim, and produced the radio mainstays "Bungle in the Jungle" and "Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of the New Day)". War Child is the seventh Studio album by Jethro Tull, released in October 1974 It also included a song, "Only Solitaire", allegedly aimed at L. A. Times rock music critic Robert Hilburn, who was one of Anderson's harsher critics.
In 1975, the band released Minstrel in the Gallery, an album which resembled Aqualung in that it contrasted softer, acoustic guitar-based pieces with lengthier, more bombastic works headlined by Barre's electric guitar. Minstrel in the Gallery (1975 is an Album by British band Jethro Tull. Written and recorded during Anderson's divorce from his first wife Jennie Franks, the album is characterised by introspective, cynical, and sometimes bitter lyrics. Jennie Franks is an English Photographer, Actress, and Playwright. Critics gave it mixed reviews, but the album came to be acknowledged as one of the band's best by longtime Jethro Tull fans, even as it generally fell under the radar to listeners familiar only with Aqualung. Following this album, bassist Hammond quit the band to pursue painting. John Glascock, who earlier was playing with flamenco-rock band Carmen, a support band on the previous Jethro Tull tour, was tabbed as the band's new bassist. John Glascock ( May 2, 1951 - November 17, 1979) was the Bass guitarist for the rock band Jethro Tull from December 1975 Flamenco is a Spanish term that refers both to a musical genre known for its intricate rapid passages and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork Carmen was a British-American band active from 1970&ndash1975
1976's Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! was another concept album, this time about the life of an aging rocker. Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll Too Young to Die! (1976 is a Concept album released by British band Jethro Tull. Anderson, stung by critical reviews (particularly of A Passion Play), responded with more sharply-barbed lyrics. The press seemed oblivious to the ploy, and instead asked if the title track was autobiographical — a charge Anderson hotly denied. Curiously, the sleeve for the album featured a comic strip with a lead character (Ray Lomas) that looked very similar to Anderson. [7][8]
The band closed the decade with a trio of folk rock albums, Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses, and Stormwatch. Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. Songs from the Wood (1977 is an Album by Jethro Tull and is officially considered the first of a trio of Folk rock albums ( Songs from Heavy Horses is an Album released by Jethro Tull on April 10, 1978. Stormwatch (1979 is an Album by the rock group Jethro Tull and is considered the last in the trilogy of Folk-rock albums by Jethro Tull Songs from the Wood was the first Tull album to receive unanimously positive reviews since the release of Benefit and Living in the Past.
The band had long had ties to folk rockers Steeleye Span. Steeleye Span is a British Electric folk band formed in 1969 and remaining active today Although not formally considered a part of the folk rock movement (which had actually begun nearly a decade earlier with the advent of Fairport Convention), there was clearly an exchange of musical ideas among Tull and the folk rockers. Also, by this time Anderson had moved to a farm in the countryside, and his new bucolic lifestyle was clearly reflected on these albums. A stellar example is the title track of Heavy Horses, a paean to draught horses. Heavy Horses is an Album released by Jethro Tull on April 10, 1978. A draft horse, draught horse or dray horse (from the Anglo-Saxon dragan meaning to draw or haul is a large Horse bred for hard heavy tasks
The band continued to tour, and released a live double album in 1978. Entitled Bursting Out it featured dynamic live performances from the lineup that many Jethro Tull fans consider comprising the golden era of the band. Bursting Out (1978 is Jethro Tull's firstexclusively Live album. It also features Anderson's often-ribald stage banter with the audience and band members. ("David's gone for a piss. Ah, he's back. Did you give it a good shake?") The vinyl LP contains three tracks not found on the initial U. S. single-disc CD edition: Martin Barre's guitar solo tracks "Quatrain" and "Conundrum" (which had an extended drum solo from drummer Barriemore Barlow) and a version of the 1969 UK single hit, "Sweet Dream". (These tracks were included on the original two-CD UK edition, and were restored in a globally released remastered two-CD edition released in 2004. ) During the U. S. tour, because of health problems, John Glascock was replaced by Anderson's friend and former Stealers Wheel bassist Tony Williams. Stealers Wheel was a Scottish folk / rock band formed in Paisley, Scotland in 1972 by former school friends Joe Egan and
In 1977, David Palmer (now known as Dee Palmer), who had long been the band's orchestra arranger, formally joined the band on keyboards. Dee Palmer (born David Palmer on 2 July 1937, in London) is a British Arranger and Keyboardist best known for Dee Palmer (born David Palmer on 2 July 1937, in London) is a British Arranger and Keyboardist best known for Their third folk influence album Stormwatch was released in 1979 this is considered the end of an era for the classic tull period as Glascock after having open heart surguey the previous year died in his home of heart complication's Barlow depressed and widthdrawn after Glascock's death quit the band. Palmer and Evan were fired by the record company before the A album. Jethro Tull was left with only Anderson and Barre as the only original members they both needed to work hard to survive in the 80's.
Tull's first album of the 1980s, A, was originally intended to be Ian Anderson's first solo album. A is an album by Jethro Tull. It was released on August 29, 1980 in the U Anderson retained Barre on electric guitar, and added Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention) on bass, Mark Craney on drums, and special guest keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson (ex-Roxy Music, UK, Frank Zappa). Dave Pegg (born David Pegg 2 November 1947 in Acocks Green, Birmingham, England) is a Bass guitarist multi-instrumentalist Mark Craney (born 26 August 1952, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA - died 26 November 2005 Edwin (Eddie Jobson (born 28 April 1955 in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, England) is an English Keyboardist and Violinist Roxy Music is an English Art rock group founded in the early 1970s by art school graduate Bryan Ferry ( vocals and keyboards) UK were a short-lived British Progressive rock supergroup active from 1977 through 1980 Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director Highlighted by the prominent use of synthesisers, it contrasted sharply with the established "Tull sound". After pressure from Chrysalis Records, Anderson decided to release it as a Jethro Tull album. Chrysalis Records was a British Record label that was created in 1969 Entitled A (taken from the labels on the master tapes for his scrapped solo album, marked simply "A for Anderson"), it was released in mid-1980. A is an album by Jethro Tull. It was released on August 29, 1980 in the U
In keeping with the mood of innovation surrounding the album, Jethro Tull made an early foray into the emerging genre of music video with Slipstream, a film which takes place at London's Hammersmith Odeon (which was used for exterior scenes). Slipstream ( 1981) is a video by Jethro Tull, recorded during the 1980 A tour The Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainments and concert venue located in Hammersmith, London, England. However, the main concert footage was actually from an American performance in Los Angeles, California, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena (as heard on the Magic Piper ROIO), featuring the A lineup, filmed in November of 1980. The video was directed by David Mallet, who has directed numerous music videos, including the pioneering "Ashes to Ashes" video for David Bowie. The electronic style of the album was even more pronounced in these live performances and was used to striking effect on some of the older songs, including "Locomotive Breath". The more familiar Jethro Tull sound was brought to the fore in an all-acoustic version of "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" featuring Pegg on mandolin. "Slipstream", long a rarity on VHS, was included as a bonus DVD with the 2004 remastered edition of the A album.
Jobson and Craney returned to their own work following the A tour and Jethro Tull entered a period of revolving drummers: Gerry Conway who left after deciding he coulden't be the one to replace Barlow, Phil Collins (who played with the band at the first Prince's Trust concert in 1982 as a fill-in drummer for the then recently departed Gerry Conway)and quickly returend to Genesis, Paul Burgess (for the U. Gerry Conway (born September 11 1947 in King's Lynn, Norfolk) is an English rock Drummer, best known for having performed with the Philip David Charles Collins, LVO (born 30 January 1951 Chiswick, London) is an English Singer-songwriter, Drummer The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded by the Prince of Wales to help young people Paul Burgess (born September 28, 1950 in Manchester) is an English rock drummer notable for his association with a wide range of British rock S. leg of the Broadsword and the Beast tour) who left to settle down with his family, and permanent drummer Doane Perry. Doane Ethredge Perry (born June 16, 1954 in Mt Kisco, Westchester County, New York) (aka Doane Tull is an American The year of 1981 was the first year in their album career that the band did not release an album; however some recording sessions took place (Anderson, Barre, Pegg, and Conway, with Anderson playing the keyboards). Some of these tracks were released on the Nightcap compilation in 1993. Nightcap: The Unreleased Masters 1972-1991 (1993 is a Jethro Tull double CD album released on 22 November 1993 with older and previously unreleased In 1982, Peter-John Vettese joined on keyboards, and the band returned to a somewhat folkier sound – albeit with synthesisers – for 1982's Broadsword and the Beast. Peter-John Vettese (born in Scotland) also known as Peter Vettese, is a British Keyboardist, Songwriter, Arranger and Record The Broadsword The ensuing concert tour for the album was well attended and the shows featured what was to be one of the group's last indulgences in full-dress theatricality: the stage was built to resemble a Viking longship and the band performed in traditional medieval regalia.
An Anderson solo album (which was in fact an Anderson-Vettese effort) appeared in 1983, in the form of the heavily electronic Walk into Light. Walk Into Light (1983 is the first solo Album released by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. Although the album featured electronic soundscapes and synthesiser voicings advanced for its time, as well as cerebral lyrics about the alienating effects of technology, the release failed to resonate with longtime fans or with new listeners. However, as with later solo efforts by Anderson and Barre, some of the Walk Into Light songs, such as "Fly By Night", "Made in England" and "Different Germany", later made their way into Jethro Tull live sets.
In 1984, Jethro Tull released Under Wraps, a heavily electronic album with no "live" drummer (instead, as on Walk into Light, a drum-machine was used). Under Wraps is an Album by the band Jethro Tull, released in 1984 Although the band was reportedly proud of the sound, the album was not well received, particularly in North America. However, the video for "Lap of Luxury" did manage to earn moderate rotation on the newly influential MTV music video channel. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. Also, the acoustic version of the title track, "Under Wraps 2", found some favour over the years and a live instrumental version of the song was included on the A Little Light Music concert CD of 1992. Some longtime Jethro Tull fans regard Under Wraps as one of the band's weaker efforts; however, Martin Barre considers it his favourite. As a result of the throat problems Anderson developed singing the demanding Under Wraps material on tour, Jethro Tull took a three-year break, during which Anderson continued to oversee his salmon farm he had founded in 1978. Vettese quit the band after the tour angry at the critics for bad reviews of BSOTB, Walk into light, and Under Wraps[9]
Jethro Tull returned strongly in 1987 with Crest of a Knave. Crest of a Knave is an Album by the British Progressive rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1987 With Vettese absent (Anderson contributed the synth programming) and the band relying more heavily on Barre's electric guitar than they had since the early 1970s, the album was a critical and commercial success. Shades of their earlier electronic excursions were still present, however, as three of the album's songs again utilised a drum machine. The band won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, beating the favourite Metallica and their ...And Justice For All album. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental was awarded at the 1989 ceremony for music released in the previous year Metallica is an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 in. The award was particularly controversial as many did not consider Jethro Tull hard rock, much less heavy metal. Under advisement from their manager, who told them they had no chance of winning, no one from the band attended the award ceremony. [10] In response to the criticism they received over the award, the band took out an advertisement in a British music periodical with a picture of a flute lying amid a pile of iron re-bars and the line, "THE FLUTE IS A HEAVY METAL INSTRUMENT. "[11] In 2007, the win was named one of the ten biggest upsets in Grammy history by Entertainment Weekly[12] (In 1992, when Metallica finally won the Grammy in the category, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich joked, "First thing we're going to do is thank Jethro Tull for not putting out an album this year. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc ")
The style of Crest has been compared to that of Dire Straits, in part because Anderson no longer seemed to have the vocal range he once possessed. Dire Straits was a British rock band, formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (guitar and vocals his brother David Knopfler (guitar Two songs in particular – "Farm on the Freeway" and "Steel Monkey" – got heavy radio airplay. The album also contained the popular live song "Budapest", which depicts a backstage scene with a shy local female stagehand. Although "Budapest" was the longest song on that album (at just over ten minutes), "Mountain Men" became more famous in Europe, depicting a scene from World War II in Africa. Ian Anderson referred to the battles of El Alamain and the Falkland Islands, drawing historic parallels of the angst that women left behind by their warrior husbands might have felt:
died in the trenches at El Alamain,
died in the Falklands on TV - from Mountain Men
1988 was notable for the release of 20 Years of Jethro Tull, a five-LP themed set (also released as an unthemed three-CD set, and as a truncated single CD version on 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights) consisting largely of rarities and outtakes from throughout the band's history, as well as a variety of live and remastered tracks. 20 Years of Jethro Tull is a (1988 Boxed set which spans the first twenty years of Jethro Tull. It also included a booklet outlining the band's history in detail. Now out of print, it has become a collector's item, although many (but not all) of the outtakes have been included as bonus tracks on remastered releases of the band's studio albums.
Multi-instrumentalist Martin (Maart) Allcock, who as a member of Fairport Convention, had guest played with Tull at the Cropredy festival the previous year, joined the band mainly as keyboard player, starting with the 20th Anniversary tour. Maartin Allcock (born 5 January 1957 in Middleton, Manchester England) is a multi-instrumentalist known mainly as a bass-player although he
In 1989, the band released Rock Island, which met with less commercial and critical success than Crest of a Knave. Rock Island is an Album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1989 The lead-off track, "Kissing Willie," featured bawdy double entendre lyrics and over-the-top heavy metal riffing that seemed to take a satiric view of the group's recent Grammy award win. The song's accompanying video found difficulty in receiving rotation because of its sexual imagery. Although Rock Island was something of a miss for the group, a couple of fan favourites did emerge from the album. "Big Riff and Mando" reflects life on the road for the relentlessly touring musicians, giving a wry account of the theft of Barre's prized mandolin by a starstruck fan. "Another Christmas Song", an upbeat number celebrating the humanitarian spirit of the holiday season, stood out against the brooding and sombre mood of many of the songs on the album and was well received at concerts. It was rerecorded for the 2003 Jethro Tull Christmas Album release.
1991's Catfish Rising was a more solid album than Rock Island. Catfish Rising is an Album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1991 Despite being labelled as a "return to playing the blues," the album actually is marked by the generous use of mandolin and acoustic guitar and much less use of keyboards than any Tull album of the Eighties. Notable tracks included "Rocks on the Road", which highlighted gritty acoustic guitar work and hard-bitten lyrics about urban life and "Still Loving You Tonight", a bluesy, low-key ballad.
Allcock, who had played on the Catfish Rising tour, although not the album itself, quit the band at the end of the year. to pursue solo work
After the 1992 tour, Anderson had re-learned how to play the flute, and begun writing songs that heavily featured world music influences. Dave Pegg also left the band to concentraite on Fairport Convention. He was replaced by Jonathan Noyce. 1995's Roots to Branches and 1999's J-Tull Dot Com are less rock-based than Crest of a Knave or Catfish Rising. Roots to Branches (1995 is the name of an album by the band Jethro Tull. J-Tull Dot Com (1999 is the name of an album by the band Jethro Tull. Crest of a Knave is an Album by the British Progressive rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1987 Catfish Rising is an Album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1991 These most recent original Jethro Tull efforts reflect the musical influences of decades of performing all around the globe. In songs such as "Out of the Noise" and "Hot Mango Flush", Anderson paints vivid pictures of third-world street scenes. These albums have reflected Anderson's coming to grips with being an old rocker, with songs such as the pensive "Another Harry's Bar", "Wicked Windows" (a meditation on reading glasses), and the gruff "Wounded, Old, and Treacherous".
In 1995, Anderson released his second solo album, Divinities: Twelve Dances with God, an instrumental work comprised of twelve flute-heavy pieces pursuing varied themes with an underlying motif. Divinities Twelve Dances with God (1995 is the 2nd solo Album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. The album was recorded with Jethro Tull keyboard player Andrew Giddings and orchestral musicians. Anderson released two further song-based solo albums, The Secret Language of Birds and Rupi's Dance in 2000 and 2003, respectively. The Secret Language of Birds (2000 is the 3rd solo Album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson. Rupi's Dance (2003 is a solo album by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson.
2003 saw the release of The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, a collection of traditional Christmas songs together with old and new Christmas songs written by Jethro Tull. The Jethro Tull Christmas Album is an album released by Jethro Tull on September 30, 2003 (see 2003 in music)
An Ian Anderson live double album and DVD was released in 2005 called Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull. Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull (2005 is an Album and DVD by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, featuring the In addition, a DVD entitled Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 and a live album Aqualung Live (recorded in 2004) were released in 2005. Nothing Is Easy Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 is a Live album by Jethro Tull, released on November 2, 2004 (see 2004 Aqualung Live (2005 is a Live album by Jethro Tull,a live performance of Aqualung before an audience of 40invited guests at
Ian Anderson performed a version of the song "The Thin Ice," on the 2005 Pink Floyd tribute album Back Against The Wall. Pink Floyd are Back Against The Wall is an Album released in 2005 by Billy Sherwood in collaboration with a number of Progressive rock artists
2006 saw the release of a dual boxed set DVD "Collectors Edition", containing two DVD's "Nothing Is Easy" and "Living With The Past". Included on "Nothing is Easy" is footage from the 1970 Isle of Wight festival, considered by many Tull fans to be a classic Jethro Tull performance. "Living With The Past" includes a documentary that features the band on tour, in Britain and America, in 2001. It also has footage of a reunion of Jethro Tull's first line up - Anderson, Abrahams, Cornick and Bunker - filmed playing in a pub. Bassit Jon Noyce left the band in March 2006 after having a falling out with Anderson similar to the Anderson-Abrahams thing. Giddings quit the band in July 2006 citing constant touring and less time for family. They were both replaced by Dave Goodier and John O'hara respectively
March 2007 saw the release of The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull, a 24-song set of Tull and Ian Anderson acoustic performances taken from various albums. The Best of Acoustic (2007 is a Greatest hits album by Jethro Tull. Included are a new live acoustic version of "One Brown Mouse" and a live performance of the traditional song (attributed to Henry VIII), "Pastime With Good Company. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of "
In September 2007, Jethro Tull released CD/DVD Live At Montreux 2003. The concert was recorded on the July 4, 2003 and featured, among others, "Fat Man", "With You There To Help Me" and "Hunting Girl".
In addition to another busy tour schedule in 2007, Jethro Tull are also in the studio recording some new material for a new CD which is expected to be released in the summer of 2008. If it is released it will be the band's first proper new album in eight years. Some of the new songs were performed live during the recent UK acoustic tour, and 2007 Fall tour.
As of the end of 2007, the website http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk has logged 2898 Jethro Tull concerts since 1968 (which averages about 74 concerts per year for 39 years).
During the early 1970s Jethro Tull went from a progressive blues band to one of the largest concert draws in the world. In concert, the band was known for theatricality and long medleys with brief instrumental interludes. While early Jethro Tull shows featured a manic Anderson with bushy hair and beard dressed in tattered overcoats and ragged clothes, as the band became bigger he moved towards varied costumes. This culminated with the War Child tour's oversized codpiece and colourful costume. A codpiece (from Middle English cod, " Scrotum " is a flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's Trousers to provide
Other band-members joined in the dress-up and developed stage personae. Bassist Glenn Cornick always appeared in vest and headband, while his successor Jeffrey Hammond eventually adopted a black-and-white diagonally-striped suit (and similarly striped bass guitar, electric guitar, and string bass). Glenn Cornick (born Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick 24 April 1947, in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria) was the bespectacled first Bass guitar Jeffrey Hammond (born July 30, 1946, in Blackpool, sometimes credited as Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond) was a Bass guitar player for the It was a 'zebra look', and at one point a two-manned zebra came out excreting ping pong balls into the audience while both performers moved forcefully around their stage areas. John Evan dressed in an all-white suit with a neck-scarf of scarlet with white polka-dots; described as a "sad clown" type with extremely oversized shoes, he joined in the theatrics by galumphing back and forth between Hammond Organ and grand piano (placed on opposite sides of the stage in the Thick as a Brick tour) or by such sight-gags as pulling out a flask and pretending to drink from it during a rest in the music. John Evan (born John Spencer Evans 28 March 1948, Blackpool, Lancashire) played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 Barriemore Barlow's stage attire was a crimson tank-top and matching runner's shorts with rugby footgear, and his solos were marked by smoke-machines and enormous drumsticks. Barriemore Barlow (born Barry Barlow, 10 September 1949, Birmingham) is best known as the Drummer and Percussionist for Martin Barre was the island of calm amongst the madmen, with Anderson (and sometimes Evan) crowding him and making faces during his solos. Martin Lancelot Barre (born 17 November 1946, in Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is an English
The band's stage theatrics peaked during the Thick As A Brick tour, a performance distinguished by stage hands wearing the tan trench-coat/madras cap ensemble from the album art, extras in rabbit suits running across stage and an extended interlude during which Barre and Barlow entered a beach-tent onstage and swapped pants.
A Passion Play was planned to have a full-length film to go with the stage theatrics. However, from this effort, it seems that only a few excerpts have survived to be re-released on recent commemorative videos of the band, including the interlude "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles. "
A similar multi-media effort had been planned for Too Old To Rock and Roll. . . but was not completed. Thereafter, the emphasis on theatrics was reduced but never eliminated. In 1982's Broadsword and the Beast concerts, the entire stage was transformed into a Viking ship. Anderson often dressed as a country squire on tours in the late 1970s, with the rest of the band adopting the style during their folk phase. The A tour featured the same white jumpsuit uniforms worn by the band on the album cover. Certain routines from the 1970s have recently become ensconced in concerts, such as having a song interrupted by a phone call for an audience member (which Anderson now takes on a cell) and the climactic conclusion of shows including bombastic instrumentals and the giant balloons which Anderson would carry over his head and toss into the crowd.
In 1992, Jethro Tull embarked on a tour titled A Little Light Music, with most of the show focusing on acoustic songs, many of which they had not played live for years, if at all. A Little Light Music (1992 is a Jethro Tull Live album. All songs were recorded during the A Little Light Music European concert A live CD was recorded on this tour and released under the same title later in that year. This was well received by fans because of its different takes on many past compositions, as well as a rendition of the folk song "John Barleycorn". As documented by these live performances, Ian's voice had clearly improved since his vocal cord injury in the mid-Eighties. After the CD release, the tour continued as a show of two halves, the Light and Dark Tour.
1993 was marked as the 25th Anniversary of Jethro Tull by the release of various new products, as well as an extensive Anniversary Tour, which started in May 1993 and lasting nearly a year. In keeping with the anniversary theme, this tour again revived a number of older songs.
The 25th Anniversary Box was a four-CD set including new and vintage live recordings, remixed and remastered songs from earlier albums, and re-recordings of old songs by the 90s band. A two-CD Anniversary Collection compilation was also released, containing original tracks remastered, and a video collection included new interviews, promo videos and archive material. The remixed single, Living in the (Slightly more Recent) Past, reached #32 in the UK singles chart. A planned second boxed set of outtakes and rare tracks was scaled down to two discs and released towards the end of the year under the title Nightcap. Nightcap: The Unreleased Masters 1972-1991 (1993 is a Jethro Tull double CD album released on 22 November 1993 with older and previously unreleased
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