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Jethro Tull are a British rock band formed in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
, England, in 1967. Initially playing
blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
and
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...
, the band soon incorporated elements of English folk,
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
, and
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...
, forging a signature
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
sound. The group’s bandleader, founder, primary composer, and only constant member is Ian Anderson, a multi-instrumentalist who mainly plays flute and acoustic guitar, and is also the lead vocalist. The group has featured a revolving door of musicians throughout the decades, including significant contributors such as electric guitarist Martin Barre (the longest serving member besides Anderson), keyboardists John Evan, Dee Palmer, Peter-John Vettese, and
Andrew Giddings Andrew Giddings (born 10 July 1963) is an English musician. He primarily plays keyboard instruments and is best known as a former member of British rock group Jethro Tull, for whom he was the longest serving keyboardist. Early life Giddings ...
, drummers Clive Bunker, Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow, and Doane Perry, and bassists Glenn Cornick,
Jeffrey Hammond Jeffrey Hammond (born 30 July 1946), often known by his former stage name Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is an artist and retired musician best known for being the bassist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1975. With Jethro Tull, Ha ...
,
John Glascock John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, Dave Pegg, and
Jonathan Noyce Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce (born 15 July 1971) is an English musician. He is primarily bass guitar player. Noyce is known for being a member of British rock group Jethro Tull for 12 years, and also for his collaborations with guitarist Gary Moo ...
. After achieving moderate recognition performing in the London club scene, the band released their debut album '' This Was'' in 1968. After a lineup change which saw original guitarist
Mick Abrahams Michael Timothy Abrahams (born 7 April 1943) is an English guitarist and band leader, best known for being the original guitarist for Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1968 and the frontman for Blodwyn Pig. Jethro Tull Abrahams was born in Luton, ...
replaced by Martin Barre, the band released the folk-tinged second album '' Stand Up'' (1969). ''Stand Up'' saw the band achieve their first commercial success, reaching No. 1 in the UK, followed by regular tours of the UK and the US. Their musical style shifted in the direction of progressive rock with the albums '' Aqualung'' (1971), ''
Thick as a Brick ''Thick as a Brick'' is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept al ...
'' (1972), and '' A Passion Play'' (1973), and shifted again to contemporary
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
with '' Songs from the Wood'' (1977), ''
Heavy Horses ''Heavy Horses'' is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978. The album is often considered the second in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongsi ...
'' (1978), and ''
Stormwatch Stormwatch may refer to: * ''Stormwatch'' (album), a 1979 album by Jethro Tull * Stormwatch (comics), a fictional superhero team in the Wildstorm and DC Universes * ''Storm Watch'', a 2002 American science fiction film See also * Storm warning ...
'' (1979). In the early 1980s the band underwent a major lineup change and shifted towards electronic rock, with the albums '' A'' (1980), '' The Broadsword and the Beast'' (1982), and '' Under Wraps'' (1984). The band won their sole
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for the 1987 album ''
Crest of a Knave ''Crest of a Knave'' is the sixteenth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1987. The album was recorded after a three-year hiatus caused by a throat infection of vocalist Ian Anderson, resulting in his changed singing styl ...
'', which saw them returning to a hard rock style. Jethro Tull have sold an estimated 60 million albums worldwide, with 11 gold and five platinum albums. They have been described by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' as "one of the most commercially successful and eccentric progressive rock bands." The last works as a group to contain new material prior to their hiatus were ''
J-Tull Dot Com ''J-Tull Dot Com'' is the 20th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull, released in 1999 on Papillon, the Chrysalis Group's late 1990s heritage record label. It was released four years after their 1995 album '' Roots to Branches'' and ...
'' (1999) and a Christmas album in 2003, though the band continued to tour until 2011. Both Anderson and Barre have continued to record and tour as solo artists, with Anderson saying in 2014 that Jethro Tull "came more or less to an end." The current group—now billed as "Ian Anderson and the Jethro Tull band"—includes musicians who were part of Jethro Tull during the last years of its initial run as well as newer musicians associated with Anderson's solo band, without Barre's involvement. Jethro Tull released ''
The Zealot Gene ''The Zealot Gene'' is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since '' The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' (2003), ...
'' in 2022 following a gap of 19 years, and are currently working on a 23rd album.


History


Origins

Ian Anderson,
Jeffrey Hammond Jeffrey Hammond (born 30 July 1946), often known by his former stage name Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is an artist and retired musician best known for being the bassist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1975. With Jethro Tull, Ha ...
and John Evan (originally Evans), who would become members of Jethro Tull, attended
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
together in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
. Anderson was born in
Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Acco ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and grew up in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
before moving to Blackpool in January 1960. Evans had become a fan of
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
after seeing them play " Love Me Do" on
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
's ''Scene at 6:30''. Though he was an accomplished pianist, he decided to take up the drums, as it was an instrument featured in the Beatles' line-up. Anderson had acquired a Spanish guitar and taught himself how to play it, and the pair decided to form a band. The pair recruited Hammond on bass, who brought along his collection of
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
records to listen to. The group initially played as a three piece at local clubs and venues, before Evans became influenced by Georgie Fame and the Animals and switched to organ, recruiting drummer Barrie Barlow and guitarist Mike Stephens from local band the Atlantics. By 1964 the band had recruited guitarist Chris Riley and developed into a six-piece
blue-eyed soul Blue-eyed soul (also called white soul) is rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music performed by white artists. The term was coined in the mid-1960s, to describe white artists whose sound was similar to that of the predominantly-black Motown and Stax ...
band called the John Evan Band (later the John Evan Smash). Evans had shortened his surname to "Evan" at the insistence of Hammond, who thought it sounded better and more unusual. The group recruited Johnny Taylor as a booking agent and played gigs further afield around northwest England, playing a mixture of blues and
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
covers. Hammond subsequently quit the band to go to art school. He was briefly replaced by Derek Ward, then by Glenn Cornick. Riley also quit and was replaced by Neil Smith. The group recorded three songs at Regent Sound Studios in Denmark Street, London in April 1967, and appeared at The Marquee club in June. In November 1967 the band moved from the north of England, subsequently basing themselves in
Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
, Bedfordshire, 43 miles from central London. They signed a management deal with Terry Ellis and Chris Wright, and replaced Smith with guitarist
Mick Abrahams Michael Timothy Abrahams (born 7 April 1943) is an English guitarist and band leader, best known for being the original guitarist for Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1968 and the frontman for Blodwyn Pig. Jethro Tull Abrahams was born in Luton, ...
. They quickly realised that supporting a 6-piece band was financially impractical and disbanded. Anderson, Abrahams, and Cornick decided to stay together, recruiting Abrahams's friend Clive Bunker on drums, and they became a
British blues British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s, and reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s. In Britain, it developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric gu ...
band. Cornick recalled that although Evan left, the band said he was welcome to rejoin at a later date. Anderson shared a ground-floor flat with Cornick in a large house at the top of Studley Road in Luton, and worked as a cleaner for the Luton Ritz Cinema to pay the rent. According to Cornick, "we were so poor that we would share one can of stew or soup between us each evening."


Early years (1967–1968)

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. A few of the names include Navy Blue, Ian Henderson's Bag o' Nails, and Candy Coloured Rain. Anderson recalled looking at a poster at a club and concluding that the band name he didn't recognise was his. Band names were often supplied by their booking agent's staff. One of whom, a history enthusiast, eventually christened them Jethro Tull, after the 18th-century agriculturist. The name stuck because they happened to be using it the first time a club manager liked their show enough to invite them to return. They recorded a session with producer Derek Lawrence, which resulted in the single "Sunshine Day". The B-side "Aeroplane" was an old John Evan Band track with the saxophones mixed out. It was released in February 1968 on
MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
, miscredited to "Jethro Toe". Anderson has since queried the misnomer as a possible attempt by the producer to avoid paying royalties to the band. The more common version, with the name spelled correctly, is actually a counterfeit made in New York. Anderson later met Hammond while in London and the two renewed their friendship, while Anderson moved into a
bedsit A bedsit, bedsitter, or bed-sitting room is a form of accommodation common in some parts of the United Kingdom which consists of a single room per occupant with all occupants typically sharing a bathroom. Bedsits are included in a legal category ...
in Chelsea with Evan. Hammond became the subject of several songs, beginning with their next single, "A Song for Jeffrey". Anderson possessed a large
overcoat An overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment, which usually extends below the knee. Overcoats are most commonly used in winter when warmth is more important. They are sometimes confused with or referred to as ...
, his father having given it to him with the words "You'd better take this. It's going to be a cold winter." This overcoat and, slightly later on, the flute, became part of his early stage image. It was around this time that Anderson purchased a flute after becoming frustrated with his inability to play guitar as well as Abrahams or
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
guitarist
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
, and because their managers thought he should remain a rhythm guitarist, with Abrahams becoming the front man.
I didn't want to be just another third-rate guitar player who sounded like a plethora of other third-rate guitar players. I wanted to do something that was a bit more idiosyncratic, hence the switch to another instrument. When Jethro Tull began, I think I'd been playing the flute for about two weeks. It was a quick learning curve ... literally every night I walked onstage was a flute lesson.Newsome, Jim. "Living in the Present". Interview with Ian Anderson, 23 April 2002
jimnewsom.com
/ref>
The group's first major break occurred at the
National Jazz and Blues Festival The National Jazz and Blues Festival was the precursor to the Reading Rock Festival and was the brainchild of Harold Pendleton, the founder of the prestigious Marquee Club in Soho. History Initially called The National Jazz Festival, it was a ...
at
Sunbury-on-Thames Sunbury-on-Thames (or commonly Sunbury) is a suburban town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, centred southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other ...
in August 1968, where the band drew a rapturous reception and positive reviews in the music press. The band have since claimed that the success at Sunbury was a result of their persistent touring, which had generated a grassroots following who had all assembled at the festival and encouraged the rest of the audience. Cornick recalled, "from that moment on, we were a big band". The group recorded their first album, '' This Was'', between June and August 1968, and it was released in October, reaching number 10. In addition to original material, the album included the traditional "Cat's Squirrel", which highlighted Abrahams's blues rock style, while the Rahsaan Roland Kirk-penned jazz piece "Serenade to a Cuckoo" gave Anderson a showcase for his growing talents on the flute. The overall sound of the group at this time was described in the ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...
'' by Anderson in 1968 as "a sort of progressive blues with a bit of jazz." Following the album's release, Abrahams left the band in December to form his own group,
Blodwyn Pig Blodwyn Pig was a British blues rock band, founded in 1968 by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams. Career Abrahams left Jethro Tull after their debut album, ''This Was'', was released, due to a falling-out with Tull vocalist Ian An ...
. There were a number of reasons given for his departure. Abrahams had heard that Ellis wanted Anderson to be the frontman and group leader, at his expense, and realised he was unlikely to have the majority share in songwriting. Other reasons given were that Abrahams was a blues purist while Anderson wanted to branch out into other forms of music, and that Abrahams was unwilling to travel internationally or play more than three nights a week. Abrahams himself described his reasons more succinctly: "I was fed up with all the nonsense, and I wanted to form a band like Blodwyn Pig." The group tried several replacements for Abrahams. The first was David O'List, who had recently left the Nice. After a week's rehearsal, O'List didn't show up and lost contact with the group. The next choice was Mick Taylor, who turned the group down because he felt his current gig with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers was a better deal. Following this, they approached Tony Iommi, guitarist for Earth (soon to be renamed
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...
). Iommi had impressed Tull when Earth opened for them at a show in Birmingham. He briefly joined Jethro Tull, however, feeling closer to his old band, he quit after a few weeks and returned to Birmingham to rejoin Earth. At Anderson's request, Iommi agreed to stand-in with Jethro Tull in '' The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus'' on 11 December 1968. The group performed "A Song for Jeffrey", but only Anderson's singing and flute were live; the rest was mimed to the studio track, which featured Abraham's guitar playing. The next choice was Martin Barre, who had seen the band perform at Sunbury, and had been tried out at the same audition as Iommi. Barre arranged a second audition with Anderson, who showed him some new songs that were in a different style from the blues they had been recording. Anderson was impressed by Barre's technique, and offered him the job as the new guitarist. Barre played his first gig with Jethro Tull on 30 December 1968 at the Winter Gardens, Penzance.


''Stand Up'' through ''Aqualung'' (1969–1971)

After Barre joined, the group did a few shows supporting
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
in Scandinavia, then set out on an extensive tour of the US, supporting
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
and Vanilla Fudge. Having attracted a substantial live following, Ellis and Wright asked Anderson, who had become the dominant songwriter, to write a hit single. The result was " Living in the Past", which reached No. 3 in May on the UK singles chart and No. 11 in the US, and resulted in an appearance on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
''. Although other so-called "serious" groups actively resisted issuing stand-alone singles at the time, Jethro Tull felt a hit single was a positive move for the group, if not their priority. The next album was '' Stand Up'', recorded during April–May and August 1969. It was released in September, and quickly reached No. 1 in the UK, the only album by the group to do so. Anderson had now established himself as the group's leader and songwriter, and wrote all of the material, aside from his jazzy rearrangement of J. S. Bach's " Bourrée in E minor BWV 996 (fifth movement)". The album cover unfolded to a photo insert of the band attached to the covers like a pop-up book. Immediately after releasing ''Stand Up'', the group set off on their first headlining tour in the US, including an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival. Barre recalled, "It was really the turning point for Jethro Tull—for everything that we were to become and everything we were to inspire in others." The band was invited to play in the
Woodstock Festival Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...
, but Anderson declined, being afraid that the band would be permanently associated with the
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
movement and moulded into one type of sound. On 29 January 1970 the band appeared on BBC's ''Top of the Pops'' again, performing "Witch's Promise". Evan rejoined the band in early 1970. He had stayed in London since the John Evan Band broke up, living with Anderson, and began studying music at the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
. The pair did not see much of each other because of Jethro Tull's increasing workload, and Evan was reluctant to rejoin because of his studies, which gave him access to a free studio. He played as a
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
on the next album, '' Benefit'' (1970), following which Anderson said they needed somebody to play the keyboard parts on tour. His tutor eventually persuaded him that it was a good idea, and Evan formally joined. The album reached No. 4 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, and allowed the group to sell out 20,000-seat arenas, establishing themselves as a premier live act. In August, the band played to one of their largest audiences at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival. The Isle of Wight appearance was followed by another US tour, during which Jethro Tull became only the second rock band after
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
to perform at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
in New York City. Cornick left the band at the tour's conclusion. He was keen to socialise on tour, while the other members became more reclusive and introverted. Cornick said he was fired by Anderson, while the band's official website said he was "invited to leave" by Ellis, but given full support and encouragement to form his own band. Cornick subsequently formed Wild Turkey, a band which he revived for Jethro Tull fan conventions decades later. He died in August 2014. Anderson invited
Jeffrey Hammond Jeffrey Hammond (born 30 July 1946), often known by his former stage name Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is an artist and retired musician best known for being the bassist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1975. With Jethro Tull, Ha ...
to replace Cornick, buying a new bass for this purpose. However, Hammond had not played an instrument since going to art school shortly after his time in the John Evan Band, and was chosen more for his social compatibility with the other band members than for his musical skills. This line-up recorded '' Aqualung'' in late 1970, releasing it in 1971. The album was split into two sides, subtitled Aqualung and My God, and featured Anderson's opinions about organised religion. Recording the album was problematic because of technical issues in the studio and Hammond's rusty musical skills. On "
Locomotive Breath "Locomotive Breath" is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, '' Aqualung''. Written as a comment on population growth, "Locomotive Breath" was meant to replicate the chugging rhythm of a train. In addition to ...
", Anderson recorded the backing track on his own, singing along to a
hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...
accompaniment, which the rest of the band recorded on top of later. Despite Anderson's concerns that it may have been "too radical" compared with the band's previous albums, ''Aqualung'' was the first Jethro Tull album to reach the top ten in the US, peaking at No. 7. It sold over one million copies, earning it a gold disc by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
in July 1971.


Progressive rock (1971–1976)

Because of the heavy touring schedule and his wish to spend more time with his family, drummer Bunker quit the group in May 1971, and was replaced by Barrie Barlow, whom Anderson rechristened "Barriemore". Barlow had first recorded with the band for the five-track EP ''Life Is a Long Song''. Except for Barre, the line-up of Jethro Tull now consisted entirely of former John Evan Band members from Blackpool. In July 1971, the band wished to avoid the increasingly strict UK tax laws in order to keep more of their income. They became tax exiles, and relocated to Switzerland. The move put strain on Anderson's marriage to his first wife, which lasted for another year before they divorced. Anderson had become annoyed with music critics calling ''Aqualung'' a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Some ...
, which he did not intend it to be. In 2005, Anderson later insisted, "I always said at the time, this is not a concept album. It's an album of varied songs...in which three or four are kind of the keynote pieces for the album, but it doesn't make it a concept album." In response to the many critics who called ''Aqualung'' a concept album, Anderson decided to "come up with something that really is the mother of all concept albums". He had become influenced by
Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over fou ...
's humour, and wrote a suite that combined complex musical ideas with a sense of humour to make fun of the band, its audience and its critics. The album, released in 1972, became ''
Thick as a Brick ''Thick as a Brick'' is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept al ...
'', which was co-credited to a fictional schoolboy, Gerald Bostock. It consisted of a single track running over 43 minutes, split over two sides, which was uncommon for rock albums. Although the finished album was a continuous piece of music, it was written and recorded in stages, with the whole band helping with the arrangements. ''Thick as a Brick'' was the first Tull album to reach number one on the (US) Billboard Pop Albums chart with the following year's '' A Passion Play'' being the only other to do so. 1972 also saw the release of '' Living in the Past'', a double- album compilation of remixed singles,
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
s and outtakes (including the entirety of the ''Life Is a Long Song'' EP, which closes the album), with the third side recorded live in 1970 at New York's
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...
on 4 November 1970. The album was successful, as it allowed new fans to catch up with early singles, particularly in the US where they had not been popular on initial release. ''
New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' called Jethro Tull one of "Britain's most important and successful 2nd generation progressive bands". In 1973, the band attempted to produce a double album at France's Château d'Hérouville studios, something
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
and
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
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". They returned to England, and Anderson did some rewriting before Jethro Tull quickly recorded and released ''A Passion Play'' (1973), another single-track concept album, with allegorical lyrics focusing on the afterlife. Like ''Thick as a Brick'', ''A Passion Play'' contained instrumentation rather uncommon in rock music. The album also featured an eccentric interlude, "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles", which was co-written (along with Anderson and Evan) and narrated by bassist Hammond. ''A Passion Play'' sold well but received generally poor reviews, including a particularly damning review of its live performance by
Chris Welch Chris Welch (born 12 November 1941) is an English music journalist, critic, and author who is best known for his work from the late 1960s as a reporter for ''Melody Maker'', ''Musicians Only'', and ''Kerrang!''. He is the author of over 40 mu ...
of ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
''. Anderson angrily shut himself away from all communication with the press in the wake of the negative critical response to ''A Passion Play''. Even as the band's popularity with critics began to wane around this time, their popularity with the public remained strong, as evidenced by high sales of their follow-up album, 1974's '' War Child''. Originally intended to be a companion piece for a film, it reached number two on the US
Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
and received some critical acclaim, and produced the radio mainstays "
Bungle in the Jungle "Bungle in the Jungle" is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull. It was released on their album '' War Child'' in 1974. A remnant from the band's abandoned " Chateau D'Isaster Tapes", "Bungle in the Jungle" features lyrics based on ...
" (#12 on the US singles chart) and "
Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day" is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull. It was released on their album '' War Child'' in 1974. Written as a comment on global cooling for the band's aborted " Chateau D'isaster" album, ...
". It also included a short acoustic song, "Only Solitaire", widely thought to be aimed at ''L.A. Times'' rock music critic
Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the '' Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the wo ...
, who had written a harsh review of the ''A Passion Play'' concerts at the
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center at 1855 Main Street in Santa Monica, California, owned by the City of Santa Monica. It was built in 1958 and designed by Welton Becket and as a concert venue, it has a seating cap ...
. However, Anderson said the song was written before Hilburn's review and was aimed at music critics in general. The ''War Child'' tour also featured a female
string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...
playing along with the group on the new material. In 1975, the band released ''
Minstrel in the Gallery ''Minstrel in the Gallery'' is the eighth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1975. The album sees the band going in a different direction from their previous work '' War Child'' (1974), returning to a blend of e ...
'', an album which resembled ''Aqualung'' (1971) in that it contrasted softer, acoustic-guitar-based pieces with lengthier, more bombastic works headlined by Barre's electric guitar. Written and recorded during Anderson's divorce from his first wife Jennie Franks, the album is characterised by a markedly more introspective tone than their previous album, and critics gave it mixed reviews. By this point Jethro Tull had been awarded six
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
gold records for sales of ''Stand Up'' (1969), ''Aqualung'' (1971), ''Thick as a Brick'' (1972), ''Living in the Past'' (1972), ''A Passion Play'' (1973), and ''Minstrel in the Gallery'' (1975). For the 1975 tour, Dee Palmer, who had long been the band's orchestra arranger, officially joined the band's stage show on keyboards and synthesisers. In February 1975 Jethro Tull sold out five nights at the 20,000-seat
Los Angeles Forum Kia Forum (formerly The Forum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located between West Manchester Boulevard, across Pincay Drive and Kareem Court, it is north of SoFi Stadium and t ...
, prompting ''Melody Maker'' to run the headline "Jethro – Now The World's Biggest Band?" After the tour, bassist Hammond quit the band to pursue painting.
John Glascock John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, who earlier was playing with
flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura a ...
-rock band
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the ...
, a support band on the previous Jethro Tull tour, became the band's new bassist. 1976's '' Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!'' was another concept album, this time about the life of an ageing rocker. (On the live version of the album's title track released two years later, Anderson denies that the song is about himself.) Glascock made his first appearance on this album, contributing harmony and second vocals in addition to the bass lines. Palmer continued to arrange, and she recorded as a guest on two songs. For the 1976 tour, Jethro Tull became one of the first bands to use giant projection screens for the larger stadium shows. Although ''Too Old...'' did not sell as well as the other 1970s albums, the 1976 compilation '' M.U. - The Best of Jethro Tull'', achieved Platinum Album in US and Gold record in UK. A television special was recorded showing the development of the album's concept in a live show with the band (fully dressed in the most rock-hard-tongue-in-cheek outfits), but the programme was never officially released.


Folk rock (1977–1979)

In the late 1970s, Jethro Tull released a trio of
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
albums, '' Songs from the Wood'' (1977), ''
Heavy Horses ''Heavy Horses'' is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978. The album is often considered the second in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongsi ...
'' (1978), and ''
Stormwatch Stormwatch may refer to: * ''Stormwatch'' (album), a 1979 album by Jethro Tull * Stormwatch (comics), a fictional superhero team in the Wildstorm and DC Universes * ''Storm Watch'', a 2002 American science fiction film See also * Storm warning ...
'' (1979). ''Songs from the Wood'' (1977) was the first Tull album to receive generally positive reviews since the release of ''Living in the Past'' (1972). The
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
/
Winter Solstice The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter ...
-themed song "Ring Out, Solstice Bells" was released as an EP in the winter of 1976, just prior to ''Songs From the Wood'', and became a moderate hit on the British charts. It went on to become a popular Christmas song in the UK and was rerecorded in 2003 for ''
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' is the 21st studio album released by Jethro Tull, on 30 September 2003. This was the band's last studio album for 19 years (until the release of ''The Zealot Gene'' in 2022), as well as the last album to fe ...
''. The band had long ties to folk rockers
Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...
(Tull were the backing band on Steeleye Span front woman Maddy Prior's 1978 solo album ''
Woman in the Wings ''Woman in the Wings '' is the debut solo studio album by English singer Maddy Prior, the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. The album was released in May 1978 by Chrysalis Records. It was produced by Ian Anderson, Dee Palmer and Robin Black. All ...
'' as a way of repaying her for contributing vocals on the ''Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!'' album) and with Fairport Convention (Fairport members Dave Pegg, Martin Allcock, Dave Mattacks, and Ric Sanders have all played with Tull at one point or another, as well as folk drummer
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
who became a Fairport member after playing with Tull). 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. By this time, Anderson had moved to a farm in the countryside, and his new bucolic lifestyle was clearly reflected in his songwriting, as in the title track of ''
Heavy Horses ''Heavy Horses'' is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978. The album is often considered the second in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongsi ...
'' (1978), a paean to draught horses. The band continued to tour, and released a live double album in 1978, titled '' Bursting Out'', which was recorded during the European leg of the ''Heavy Horses'' tour. During the US leg of this tour, John Glascock suffered health problems and was replaced by Anderson's friend and former Stealers Wheel bassist, Tony Williams. Their third folk influenced album, ''
Stormwatch Stormwatch may refer to: * ''Stormwatch'' (album), a 1979 album by Jethro Tull * Stormwatch (comics), a fictional superhero team in the Wildstorm and DC Universes * ''Storm Watch'', a 2002 American science fiction film See also * Storm warning ...
'', was released in 1979. During the making of the album, Glascock suffered major health issues related to open heart surgery from the previous year, so Anderson played bass on much of the album. After the release of ''Stormwatch'', due to Glascock's continued health issues, Fairport Convention bassist Dave Pegg was hired for the ensuing tour, during which Glascock died from heart complications at his home in England.


The "Big Split" and electronic rock (1980–1984)

Following the end of the ''Stormwatch'' tour in early 1980, Jethro Tull would undergo its largest line-up shuffle to date, resulting in Barlow, Evan, and Palmer leaving the band. Different stories have been given over the years for the various reasons behind the band's restructuring, including that Barlow was depressed and withdrawn after Glascock's death and that Evan and Palmer found their futures in the band to be murky with Anderson's announcement that he wanted to work on a solo album. In the 2008 Classic Artists documentary ''Jethro Tull: Their Fully Authorised Story'', Barlow claimed that he left the band on a mutual agreement with Anderson while Evan and Palmer both recalled being dismissed by a letter in the mail. Following their termination from Jethro Tull, Evan, and Palmer briefly collaborated in a classical-based pop/rock band called Tallis. Jethro Tull was left with Anderson (the only original member), Martin Barre, and Dave Pegg. Tull's first album of the 1980s was intended to be Ian Anderson's first solo album. Anderson retained Barre on electric guitar and Pegg on bass, while adding Mark Craney on drums, and special guest keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson (ex–
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
,
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...
,
Curved Air Curved Air are an English progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classical, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band is a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and ...
and U.K., the last of which had opened for several shows on Tull's ''Stormwatch'' tour). Highlighted by the prominent use of synthesisers, it contrasted sharply with the established "Tull sound". After pressure from Chrysalis Records, Anderson agreed to release it as a Jethro Tull album. 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. In keeping with the mood of innovation surrounding the album, Jethro Tull developed a music video titled '' Slipstream''. Four staged and separately filmed music videos are mixed with concert footage from the ''A'' tour. London's Hammersmith Odeon was used for exterior scenes, but the main concert footage was actually from an American performance, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena (as heard on the Magic Piper ROIO), filmed in November 1980. The video, released in 1981, was directed by David Mallet, who has directed numerous music videos, including the pioneering " Ashes to Ashes" video for
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. Jobson and Craney returned to their own work following the ''A'' tour and Jethro Tull entered a period of revolving drummers:
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
, who left after deciding he could not be the one to replace Barlow,
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
(as a fill-in for the recently departed Gerry Conway, played with the band at the first Prince's Trust concert in 1982), Paul Burgess (for the US leg of the Broadsword and the Beast tour, and who left to settle down with his family) and permanent drummer Doane Perry. 1981 was the first year in their 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. In 1982, Peter-John Vettese joined on keyboards, and the band returned to a somewhat folkier sound—albeit with synthesisers—for 1982's '' The Broadsword and the Beast''. 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 faux-medieval regalia. An Anderson solo album, which was in fact a collaborative Anderson-Vettese effort, appeared in 1983, in the form of the heavily electronic ''
Walk into Light ''Walk into Light'' is the debut solo album released by Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, released in 1983. (The album '' A'' was originally intended to be released as an Ian Anderson album, but instead was released as a Jethro Tull album.) ...
''. 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 and instead, as on ''Walk into Light'', a drum-machine was used. Although the band were reportedly proud of the sound (Barre even considering it one of his personal favourites), the album was not well received. However, the video for "Lap of Luxury" did manage to earn moderate rotation on the newly influential
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
music video channel. As a result of the throat problems Anderson developed singing the demanding ''Under Wraps'' material on tour, Jethro Tull took a three-year break. Vettese quit the band after the tour, angry at critics for the bad reviews of ''The Broadsword and the Beast'' (1982), ''Walk into Light'' (1983), and ''Under Wraps'' (1984). During this hiatus, Anderson continued to oversee the salmon farm he had founded in 1978, although the single "Coronach" was released in the UK in 1986 after it was used as the theme tune for a Channel 4 television program called "Blood of the British".


Anderson, Barre, Pegg, and Perry: the "hard rock" Tull (1987–1994)

Jethro Tull returned in 1987 with ''
Crest of a Knave ''Crest of a Knave'' is the sixteenth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1987. The album was recorded after a three-year hiatus caused by a throat infection of vocalist Ian Anderson, resulting in his changed singing styl ...
''. 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 used a drum machine, with Doane Perry and Gerry Conway sharing drum duties on the other tracks. Prior to the ''Crest of a Knave'' tour, keyboardist
Don Airey Donald Smith Airey (born 21 June 1948) is an English musician who has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, after the retirement of Jon Lord. He has had a long and productive career, playing with such acts as Gary Moore ...
(ex- Rainbow,
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
,
Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Sche ...
,
Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz fus ...
, Colosseum II) joined the band. The band won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental, beating the favorite
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
and their '' ...And Justice for All'' album. The award was particularly controversial as many did not consider Jethro Tull hard rock, much less heavy metal. On the advice of their manager, who told them they had no chance of winning, no one from the band attended the award ceremony. In response to the criticism they received over the award, their label, Chrysalis, took out an advertisement in a British music periodical with a picture of a flute lying amid a pile of iron and the line, "the flute is a heavy metal instrument", with the word "heavy" inserted into the sentence as though a later addition. In response to an interview question about the controversy, Ian Anderson quipped, "Well, we do sometimes play our mandolins very loudly." In 2007, the win was named one of the ten biggest upsets in Grammy history by ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'', and ranked #1 in EW's 2017 listing of Grammy upsets. In 1992, when Metallica finally won the Grammy in the category, Metallica drummer
Lars Ulrich Lars Ulrich (; ; born 26 December 1963) is a Danish musician best known as the drummer and co-founder of American heavy metal band Metallica. The son and grandson respectively of tennis players Torben and Einer Ulrich, he played tennis in his ...
joked, "First thing we're going to do is thank Jethro Tull for not putting out an album this year," a play on a Grammy comment by Paul Simon some years before thanking
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
for the same thing. The style of ''
Crest of a Knave ''Crest of a Knave'' is the sixteenth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1987. The album was recorded after a three-year hiatus caused by a throat infection of vocalist Ian Anderson, resulting in his changed singing styl ...
'' (1987) has been compared to that of
Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and per ...
, in part because Anderson no longer seemed to have the vocal range he once possessed and preferred to use the lower registers, while Martin Barre's guitar sound apparently drifted towards Mark Knopfler's style. 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 Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...
and the
Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...
, drawing historical parallels of the angst that women left behind by their warrior husbands might have felt: They toured this album with "The Not Quite the World, More the Here and There Tour". It was also the first time in the band's history that it had two electric guitar players on stage, when Anderson, albeit rarely, played rhythm guitar. 1988 was notable for the release of ''
20 Years of Jethro Tull ''20 Years of Jethro Tull'' is a 1988 boxed set which spans the first twenty years of Jethro Tull. It was issued as five LPs: ''Radio Archives'', ''Rare Tracks'', ''Flawed Gems'', ''Other Sides of Tull'', and ''The Essential Tull''. It was sim ...
'', a five-LP themed set (also released as a 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. 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. In 1989, the band released '' Rock Island'', which met with less commercial and critical success than ''Crest of a Knave'' (1987). 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 airplay 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 re-recorded for the 2003 ''
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' is the 21st studio album released by Jethro Tull, on 30 September 2003. This was the band's last studio album for 19 years (until the release of ''The Zealot Gene'' in 2022), as well as the last album to fe ...
'' release. 1991's ''
Catfish Rising ''Catfish Rising'' is the 18th studio album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1991. It is the first Tull album to feature keyboardist Andrew Giddings. The album continues the hard rock and blues sound of the previous two al ...
'' was a more solid album than ''Rock Island'' (1989). 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 '80s. 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.


''Roots to Branches'' and ''J-Tull.com'': the world music influences (1995–2000)

Following a further, semi-acoustic 1992 tour (which included Dave Mattacks but not Andy Giddings, and which was documented with '' A Little Light Music'', the band's second official live album), Anderson relearned how to play the flute (after his daughter, who took up flute classes at school, discovered that her father often used the wrong fingering) and began writing songs that heavily featured world music influences. However, the first Tull releases containing the "relearned" flute were the 1993 '' 25th Anniversary Box Set'' which, as well as the remixes of classic songs and unreleased live material, included a whole CD of old songs from the band's entire career recorded by the current line-up, and the 1993 '' Nightcap'' compilation album containing unreleased studio material (mainly from the scrapped pre-''A Passion Play'' album), with multiple flute parts re-recorded. During the recording of 1995's ''
Roots to Branches ''Roots to Branches'' is the 19th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull released in September 1995. It carries characteristics of Tull's classic 1970s progressive rock and folk rock roots alongside jazz and Arabic and Indian influences. ...
'' album, longstanding bass player Dave Pegg decided to leave the band, wishing to concentrate on Fairport Convention and not being keen on the world-music direction the band had chosen. Pegg subsequently only contributed to three of the album's songs and played his last concerts in the UK up to the end of September 1995. Doane Perry (returning as the band's full-time drummer) recruited his friend and widely respected session bass player Steve Bailey to fill the gap. Ian Anderson, in turn, relinquished control of the rhythm section arrangements on that record, leaving them completely to Bailey and Perry. Despite his studio contributions, however, Bailey did not join the band, and Pegg's formal replacement as Jethro Tull bassist was
Jonathan Noyce Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce (born 15 July 1971) is an English musician. He is primarily bass guitar player. Noyce is known for being a member of British rock group Jethro Tull for 12 years, and also for his collaborations with guitarist Gary Moo ...
. Jonathan Noyce commenced his Jethro Tull membership with the European leg in October 1995. ''Roots to Branches'' (1995) and 1999's ''
J-Tull Dot Com ''J-Tull Dot Com'' is the 20th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull, released in 1999 on Papillon, the Chrysalis Group's late 1990s heritage record label. It was released four years after their 1995 album '' Roots to Branches'' and ...
'' were less rock-based than ''Crest of a Knave'' (1987) or ''Catfish Rising'' (1991). Songs on these albums 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 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".


Live albums, world tours, and ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' (2001–2010)

In January 2002, the original lineup of the band (including Anderson, Abrahams, Cornick, and Bunker) reunited for a one-off pub performance in England that was filmed for inclusion in the ''Living with the Past'' DVD. It was the first and only time the original four members had played together since 1968, as well as the only time a former Tull lineup has ever reunited. 2003 saw the release of ''
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' is the 21st studio album released by Jethro Tull, on 30 September 2003. This was the band's last studio album for 19 years (until the release of ''The Zealot Gene'' in 2022), as well as the last album to fe ...
'', a collection of traditional Christmas songs together with old and new Christmas songs written by Jethro Tull. It would be the last studio album by the band for nearly 20 years. It became the band's biggest commercial success since the 1987 ''Crest of a Knave''. An Ian Anderson live double album and DVD was released in 2005 called '' Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull''. In addition, a DVD entitled '' Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' and a live album ''
Aqualung Live ''Aqualung'' is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 19 March 1971, by Chrysalis Records. It is widely regarded as a concept album featuring a central theme of "the distinction between religion and God", t ...
'' (recorded in 2004) were released in 2005. 2006 saw the release of a dual boxed set DVD ''Collector's Edition'', containing two DVDs—'' Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970'' and ''
Living with the Past ''Living with the Past'' is a live album by Jethro Tull. The first half (first LP of the 2019 vinyl reissue) contains material from the Hammersmith Apollo performance on 25 November 2001 and features songs from different eras of Tull's history ...
''. Bassist Jon Noyce left the band in March 2006. Keyboardist
Andrew Giddings Andrew Giddings (born 10 July 1963) is an English musician. He primarily plays keyboard instruments and is best known as a former member of British rock group Jethro Tull, for whom he was the longest serving keyboardist. Early life Giddings ...
quit the band in July 2006, citing constant touring allowing not enough time for family. They were replaced by David Goodier and John O'Hara. In the following year ''
The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull ''The Best of Acoustic'' (2007) is a greatest hits album by Jethro Tull. It includes some of the band's biggest acoustic hits from 1969 to 2007. Track listing #"Fat Man" - 2:51 #"Life is a Long Song" - 3:18 #"Cheap Day Return" - 1:22 #"Mothe ...
'', a 24-song set of Tull's and Ian Anderson's acoustic performances taken from various albums, was released. Included were a new live acoustic version of "One Brown Mouse" and a live performance of the traditional song (attributed to
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
), " Pastime with Good Company". In September 2007, Jethro Tull released CD/DVD ''
Live at Montreux 2003 ''Live at Montreux 2003'' is a 2007 live album and video from the English progressive rock band Yes. It is a live recording of the group's headlining concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 14 July 2003. The performance was filmed and is als ...
''. The concert was recorded on 4 July 2003 and featured, among others, "Fat Man", "With You There to Help Me" and "Hunting Girl", with the longest unchanged line-up: Anderson, Barre, Perry, Noyce and Giddings. In February 2010, the band were commemorated with a Heritage Award by PRS for Music. A plaque was erected on a Catholic church in
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
, where the band performed their first ever gig.


Anderson and Barre split & disbanding (2011–2017)

During interviews in November 2011, Martin Barre stated that there were no current plans for future Jethro Tull work. In 2012, Barre assembled and toured with a group, billed as Martin Barre's New Day; it included Jonathan Noyce and played mostly Tull material. In 2015, Barre stated "It's important that people realize there will never be a Jethro Tull again. There will be two solo bands: the Ian Anderson Band and the Martin Barre Band, and long may they exist, and long may they enjoy playing music. I'm not being pedantic. I always hate to hear, 'Oh, you've left Jethro Tull.' I haven't really. Ian wanted to finish Jethro Tull, wanted to stop the band completely." On 30 January 2012, Anderson announced via the Jethro Tull website that '' Thick as a Brick 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?'', a followup to ''
Thick as a Brick ''Thick as a Brick'' is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept al ...
'', would be released on 2 April 2012. It was recorded by Anderson and the ''Ian Anderson Touring Band''. This line-up also performed on the following tour. The band included two former Jethro Tull members, bassist David Goodier and keyboardist John O'Hara, plus guitarist Florian Opahle, drummer Scott Hammond, and additional vocalist
Ryan O'Donnell Ryan O'Donnell (born 20 November 1982 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England) grew up in Germany. After earning a degree in animation at the Surrey Art Institute he joined the metal band 2 Degree Field as a singer and guitarist. The band broke up w ...
. ''Thick as a Brick 2'' had its world premiere on 14 April 2012 at Perth Concert Hall, Scotland, kicking off an expected 18-month tour supporting both the original and new albums. In November 2013, Anderson announced via the Jethro Tull website that a new album ''
Homo Erraticus ''Homo Erraticus'' is the sixth studio album by British progressive rock musician Ian Anderson, who is also the frontman of Jethro Tull. Released on 14 April 2014, ''Homo Erraticus'' is a concept album, loosely connected to Jethro Tull's '' Th ...
'' ("The Wandering Man") would be released in April 2014. This was followed by tours in the UK and US, during which the album was played in its entirety. ''Homo Erraticus'' is a prog-rock concept album which, according to Anderson, "chronicles the weird imaginings of one Ernest T. Parritt, as recaptured by the now middle-aged Gerald Bostock after a trip to Mathew Bunter's Old Library Bookshop in Linwell village. Bostock and Bunter came across this dusty, unpublished manuscript, written by local amateur historian Ernest T. Parritt, (1873–1928), and entitled Homo Britanicus Erraticus." Like ''Thick as a Brick 2'', ''Homo Erraticus'' is billed as an Ian Anderson solo album. In an April 2014 interview, following the release of Anderson's solo album ''Homo Erraticus'', Anderson announced that from that point on, he would be releasing all his music under his own name. Anderson stated that Jethro Tull "kind of came more or less to an end during the last 10 years or so," and stated his preference "in my twilight years, to use my own name for the most part being composer of virtually all Tull songs and music since 1968." In the liner notes Anderson explains that he will continue to operate under his own name. 2015 saw Anderson tour with the 'Ian Anderson Touring Band' and the project ''Jethro Tull – The Rock Opera''; a lyrically modified Tull repertoire and new rock songs about the namesake of the band, Jethro Tull, together with elaborate video productions to the stage. The touring band included a female vocalist for the first time, Icelander Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir, who also plays the violin. The 2016 Tour visited Europe, Australia, and the US. In 2017, Anderson toured under the title "Jethro Tull by Ian Anderson".


Reformation, fiftieth anniversary tour, ''The Zealot Gene'', and upcoming 23rd album (2017–present)

In September 2017, Anderson announced plans for a tour to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of ''This Was'', and a new studio album in 2018. The band line-up included Anderson, Hammond, Opahle, O'Hara, and Goodier (all musicians of Anderson's solo band since 2012), with Barre absent from the lineup. On 2 January 2018, Ian Anderson published a New Year post on jethrotull.com, including a picture of Anderson with the caption "IA in the studio working on a new album for release March 2019. Shhhh; keep it a secret..." On 1 June 2018, Parlophone Records released a new (50-track) career collection celebrating the band's 50th anniversary featuring all 21 Tull albums, named '' 50 for 50''. In the notes of the ''50 for 50'' booklet it is said that the new album scheduled for 2019 will be a solo record by Ian Anderson and not a new album by Jethro Tull. In November 2019 "Ian Anderson and the Jethro Tull band" announced The Prog Years Tour with 11 dates across the UK in September and October 2020 but it was subsequently postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Guitar duties would be handled by new member Joe Parrish, with Opahle leaving the band at the end of 2019 to focus on production work and his family. In March 2021, Anderson announced the title of Jethro Tull's 22nd studio album, ''
The Zealot Gene ''The Zealot Gene'' is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since '' The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' (2003), ...
'', making it the band's first studio album since 2003's ''
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' is the 21st studio album released by Jethro Tull, on 30 September 2003. This was the band's last studio album for 19 years (until the release of ''The Zealot Gene'' in 2022), as well as the last album to fe ...
'', and the first one with all original, new material since 1999's ''
J-Tull Dot Com ''J-Tull Dot Com'' is the 20th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull, released in 1999 on Papillon, the Chrysalis Group's late 1990s heritage record label. It was released four years after their 1995 album '' Roots to Branches'' and ...
''. In April 2021, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the album, the official music video for "Aqualung" was premiered on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. The animated music video is directed by Iranian animator/director
Sam Chegini Sam Chegini ( fa, سام چگینی) is an Iranian music video director, filmmaker, animator, graphic designer, video editor, and puppeteer born in Tehran in 1992 in an artistic family. He has directed videos for Chris de Burgh, Gentle Gia ...
. Ian Anderson praised Chegini in a statement to ''Rolling Stone'', saying "At the suggestion of my pal, Jakko Jakszyk of King Crimson, I contacted a young Iranian videographer/director, Sam Chegini. He delivered a unique rendition of the 'Aqualung' song with abstract and documentary-type footage. A talented young man with a bright future in the music arts." On 13 July 2021, it was announced that Jethro Tull had signed with Inside Out Music for the release of their 22nd album ''The Zealot Gene'' in early 2022. On 5 November 2021, the band announced on their official website that the album would be released on 28 January 2022. On 17 November 2022, the band announced on their
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...
page that they had completed recording their 23rd studio album, which is expected to be released in spring 2023.


Legacy

Jethro Tull's influence on musicians includes
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harr ...
's Steve Harris and
Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stag ...
, W.A.S.P.'s
Blackie Lawless Steven Edward Duren (born September 4, 1956), better known by his stage name Blackie Lawless, is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist (formerly bassist) for heavy metal band W.A.S.P.B ...
,
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, g ...
's Eddie Vedder,
Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out o ...
's John Myung, Blind Guardian's
Marcus Siepen Marcus Siepen (born 8 September 1968) is a German guitarist, best known as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist of power metal band Blind Guardian. For the biggest percentage of Blind Guardian's songs, particularly in more recent years, he ...
, Joe Bonamassa, the Decemberists' Jenny Conlee, and folk doom metal band Blood Ceremony.
Rush's Geddy Lee said about Jethro Tull: "I was a massive Tull fan from very young ... and, I hope, that too reflects in Rush. I was mesmerised by Ian Anderson. His presentation was simply magical and he delivered it with such a sense of humour and great style ... We f Rushsaw it as a huge challenge to try and create something that can seem so dynamic onstage."
Gentle Giant's
Derek Shulman Derek Victor Shulman (born 11 February 1947) is a Scottish musician and singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record executive. From 1970 to 1980, he was lead vocalist for the band Gentle Giant. Career Born in the Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland, ...
put Jethro Tull as one of the greatest bands in progressive rock history. After touring with the band in 1972, Shulman praised the band as musicians and friends.
Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ...
is a fan of Jethro Tull, having named one of his sons Jethro in honour of the group. His group, Grinderman, also covered "Locomotive Breath" during soundchecks. At Cave's own request, Ian Anderson presented him with his Album of the Year trophy at the MOJO Awards in 2008.


Members


Current line-up

* Ian Anderson –
vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
,
flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedles ...
, acoustic and electric guitar, other instruments (1967–2012, 2017–present) * David Goodier – bass (2007–2012, 2017–present) * John O'Hara – keyboards,
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a ree ...
, vocals (2007–2012, 2017–present) * Scott Hammond – drums (2017–present) * Joe Parrish – electric and acoustic guitars, vocals (2020–present)


Previous musicians

*
Mick Abrahams Michael Timothy Abrahams (born 7 April 1943) is an English guitarist and band leader, best known for being the original guitarist for Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1968 and the frontman for Blodwyn Pig. Jethro Tull Abrahams was born in Luton, ...
 – guitar, vocals (1967–1968) * Clive Bunker – drums, percussion (1967–1971) * Glenn Cornick – bass guitar (1967–1970) (died 2014) * Tony Iommi – guitar (1968) * Martin Barre – electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin,
lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
, flute (1968–2012) * John Evan – keyboards (1970–1980) *
Jeffrey Hammond Jeffrey Hammond (born 30 July 1946), often known by his former stage name Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is an artist and retired musician best known for being the bassist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1975. With Jethro Tull, Ha ...
 – bass, vocals (1971–1975) *
Barriemore Barlow Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow (born 10 September 1949, Birmingham) is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980. Christened Barrie, 'Barriemore' was an affectation ...
 – drums, percussion (1971–1980) *
John Glascock John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
 – bass, harmony and backing vocals (1975–1979) (died 1979) * Dee Palmer – keyboards (1977–1980; also worked with the band as an
arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchest ...
between 1967 and 1976) * Dave Pegg – bass, mandolin, vocals (1979–1995) * Mark Craney – drums (1980–1981) (died 2005) *
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
 – drums, percussion (1981–1982; studio – 1987–1988) * Peter-John Vettese – keyboards,
vocoder A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''voice'' and ''encoder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation. The vocoder ...
(1982–1986; studio – 1989) * Doane Perry – drums, percussion, vocals (1984–2012) *
Maartin Allcock Maartin Allcock (born Martin Allcock; 5 January 1957 – 16 September 2018) was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer. Biography Born in Middleton, Lancashire (now Greater Manchester), England, Allcock studied music ...
 – keyboards, guitar, mandolin (1988–1991) (died 2018) *
Andrew Giddings Andrew Giddings (born 10 July 1963) is an English musician. He primarily plays keyboard instruments and is best known as a former member of British rock group Jethro Tull, for whom he was the longest serving keyboardist. Early life Giddings ...
 – keyboards, accordion, bass (1991–2007) *
Jonathan Noyce Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce (born 15 July 1971) is an English musician. He is primarily bass guitar player. Noyce is known for being a member of British rock group Jethro Tull for 12 years, and also for his collaborations with guitarist Gary Moo ...
 – bass, percussion (1995–2007) * Florian Opahle – electric and acoustic guitars (2017–2019)


Guest musicians

* David O'List – guitar (1968) * Tony Williams– bass (1978) * Eddie Jobson – keyboards,
violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
(1980–1981, 1985) *
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
 – drums (1982) * Paul Burgess – drums (1983) *
Don Airey Donald Smith Airey (born 21 June 1948) is an English musician who has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, after the retirement of Jon Lord. He has had a long and productive career, playing with such acts as Gary Moore ...
 – keyboards (1987) *
Matt Pegg Matthew "Matt" Pegg (born 27 March 1971) is an English musician and bass guitarist. Pegg is the son of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull bass guitar player Dave Pegg. He is an experienced bass guitarist in his own right and has been known to ...
 – bass (1991, 1994) * Scott Hunter – drums (1991) * Dave Mattacks – drums, keyboards (1992) * Mark Parnell – drums (1994) * Steve Bailey – bass (1995) * Lucia Micarelli – violin (2005–2006) * Anna Phoebe – violin (2006–2007, 2009) * Ann Marie Calhoun – violin (2006–2007) * James Duncan Anderson – drums (2007–2009) * Mark Mondesir – drums (2009)


Discography

Studio albums *'' This Was'' (1968) *'' Stand Up'' (1969) *'' Benefit'' (1970) *'' Aqualung'' (1971) *''
Thick as a Brick ''Thick as a Brick'' is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains a continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept al ...
'' (1972) *'' A Passion Play'' (1973) *'' War Child'' (1974) *''
Minstrel in the Gallery ''Minstrel in the Gallery'' is the eighth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1975. The album sees the band going in a different direction from their previous work '' War Child'' (1974), returning to a blend of e ...
'' (1975) *'' Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!'' (1976) *'' Songs from the Wood'' (1977) *''
Heavy Horses ''Heavy Horses'' is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978. The album is often considered the second in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongsi ...
'' (1978) *''
Stormwatch Stormwatch may refer to: * ''Stormwatch'' (album), a 1979 album by Jethro Tull * Stormwatch (comics), a fictional superhero team in the Wildstorm and DC Universes * ''Storm Watch'', a 2002 American science fiction film See also * Storm warning ...
'' (1979) *'' A'' (1980) *'' The Broadsword and the Beast'' (1982) *'' Under Wraps'' (1984) *''
Crest of a Knave ''Crest of a Knave'' is the sixteenth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in 1987. The album was recorded after a three-year hiatus caused by a throat infection of vocalist Ian Anderson, resulting in his changed singing styl ...
'' (1987) *'' Rock Island'' (1989) *''
Catfish Rising ''Catfish Rising'' is the 18th studio album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1991. It is the first Tull album to feature keyboardist Andrew Giddings. The album continues the hard rock and blues sound of the previous two al ...
'' (1991) *''
Roots to Branches ''Roots to Branches'' is the 19th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull released in September 1995. It carries characteristics of Tull's classic 1970s progressive rock and folk rock roots alongside jazz and Arabic and Indian influences. ...
'' (1995) *''
J-Tull Dot Com ''J-Tull Dot Com'' is the 20th studio album by the British band Jethro Tull, released in 1999 on Papillon, the Chrysalis Group's late 1990s heritage record label. It was released four years after their 1995 album '' Roots to Branches'' and ...
'' (1999) *''
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' is the 21st studio album released by Jethro Tull, on 30 September 2003. This was the band's last studio album for 19 years (until the release of ''The Zealot Gene'' in 2022), as well as the last album to fe ...
'' (2003) *''
The Zealot Gene ''The Zealot Gene'' is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since '' The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' (2003), ...
'' (2022)


References


Sources

* * * * * *


External links

*
Jethro Tull biography by Bruce Eder, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at AllMusic.com *
TullPress.com - over 300 full-text press articles and photos from 1968 to 2001
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jethro Tull Island Records artists Reprise Records artists Chrysalis Records artists Eagle Records artists EMI Records artists English progressive rock groups English blues rock musical groups English folk rock groups English hard rock musical groups Musical groups from Lancashire Fontana Records artists Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 1967 Musical groups disestablished in 2012 Musical groups reestablished in 2017 Philips Records artists Articles which contain graphical timelines 1967 establishments in England 2012 disestablishments in England 2017 establishments in England