Jethro Tull originated in late 1967, the pioneers being: band leader Ian Anderson (b. Aug. 10, 1947, Edinburgh, Scotland), Mick Abrahams, Glenn Cornick and Clive Bunker from the town of Luton, Bedfordshire.
They began playing two shows a week, trying out different names, including Navy Blue and Bag of Blues,until the name- Jethro Tull was taken from the historical figure- Jethro Tull (1674-1741), born in Basildon in 1674, was a major pioneer in the modernization of agriculture. The son of a Berkshire farmer, he trained for a legal career, but financial problems compelled him to opt instead for farming.
In March 1968, they had built a following as a blues-based band. They opened for Pink Floyd on June 29, 1968, at the first free rock festival in London's Hyde Park, and in August they were the hit of the Sunbury Jazz & Blues Festival in Sunbury-on-Thames. The band gained wider recognition with the release of the album "This Was" which though keeping with their blues roots, showed a hint or two of their soon-to-be broader influences which were to become apparent in the post-Mick Abrahams times to follow.
Mick Abrahams being an enthusiast who idolized British blues godfather Alexis Korner, and he was pushing for a more traditional band configuration, which would've put him and his guitar out front. And such after personal and musical differences, original guitarist Mick Abrahams left, replaced by Martin Barre, and the band recorded the landmark album "Stand Up" at the beginning of 1969.
The album `Stand Up,' did well in Europe and the USA and reached number one in the UK album charts.
Tull, initially in the shadow of Led Zeppelin and others, then began the explosive ascent to the lofty heights of US stardom, culminating during the next three years in the cover stories of Time and Rolling Stone magazines, five nights at the Forum in Los Angeles and three nights at Madison Square Gardens, New York.
A few hit singles livened up the band's early career, amongst them, "Living in the Past", written during the first US tour early in 1969, to keep warm the reputation back home in the UK. However, it was the albums as a whole which provided the strength for the developing Jethro Tull, containing as they did, not one, but usually several classic rock radio-friendly tracks to keep the band's profile high between concert tours and new releases.
Early in 1970 the band began working on what would prove to be, for many fans, the group's finest album - `Aqualung,' which reached number seven in America and number four in England, and was accompanied by a hugely successful American tour.
Late in 1971, they began work on their next album, Thick as a Brick, which was structurally more ambitious than Aqualung, and being a concept album or to Ian, a parody of a concept album- the recording was one long song steeped in surreal imagery, social commentary, and Anderson's newly solidified image as a wildman-sage. Released in England during April of 1972, Thick as a Brick got as high as the number five spot, but advanced to number one in the USA.
Albums such as: `Aqualung,' `Thick as a Brick,' and `A passion Play,' confirmed the progressive rock tag which complemented other terms like "Art-rock", "Blues-rock", "Folk-rock", and "Hard-rock", depending on the critics' personal views of the often-complex musical thought trains of flautist and singer, Ian Anderson.
The band released in July of 1973- `A Passion Play.' Again, another extended song, running the length of the album, this time steeped in fantasy and religious imagery far denser than Aqualung; Critics were hostile toward Anderson and the group, attacking the album for its obscure lyrical references and excessive length. Despite these criticisms, the album reached number one in America and number 13 in England.
Tull became the first rock act since the Beatles to perform at Shea Stadium, New York.
The next Tull album, `Minstrel in the Gallery' was released in 1975, reaching number seven in the United States. The theme of the album was Elizabethan minstrelsy, within an electric rock and English folk context. The album had limited success. After releasing strong singles- Too Old to Rock 'n Roll and Ring Out Solstice Bells (rose to number 28), the band created `Songs From the Wood,' an eclectic album with strong folk influences and was critical and financial success.
With the punk movement in full gear, Tull's new album- `Heavy Horses,' (April 1978), was Anderson's most personal work in years, but didn't raise any new eyebrows. The album's message about the disappearance of England's huge shire horses as casualties of modernization, was lost in the era of the Sex Pistols. The band released a live album at the end of the year- a double-LP Live-Bursting Out, to moderate success, though a follow-up tour did well.
John Glascock died in 1979 from complications of heart surgery a month after the band released `Stormwatch.' Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention), replaced Glascock on bass. `Stormwatch,' was the first Tull album not to reach the Top 20 in America.
In 1980, Anderson started a solo album, but with the help of Barre and Eddie Jobson (King Crimson), and others, it was changed to a Jethro Tull release. Entitled- `A,' A, was eventually released as a Jethro Tull album in September of 1980. Jobson left soon after.
1982's ` The Broadsword and the Beast,' was a return to a heavier set while still not abandoning their folk roots. The synthesizer was more pronounced than on previous Tull albums.
`Under Wraps,' (released in 1984.) barely broke the top 80 in the USA and with Anderson has problems with his throat, the band went on hiatus.
After a rest 1987's `Crest of a Knave,' did surprisingly well reaching number 19 in England and number 32 in America support of a world tour. The band was player harder compositions ( tracks like "Steel Monkey), mixed with Tull standards. The album won Tull a won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.
For the band's 20th anniversary, Chrysalis issued 20 Years of Jethro Tull, a 65-song boxed-set collection covering the group's history up to that time.
With hope and returned success from garnishing a Grammy, the band In 1990 released `Rock Island,' another harder album, which reached number 18 in England, but failed to break the top 50 in the US. The next release- `Catfish Rising,' did poorer and `A Little Light Music,; an unplugged album couldn't reach the top 40 in the UK.
Though album sales were declining, the band always sold well on the road and packed concert halls worldwide.
In 1993, Chrysalis released a four-CD 25th Anniversary Box Set --
With two US number one albums and world-wide chart and sales success behind them, the band began to remove itself from the more commercially-driven side of recording and touring. Through the 70's, 80's, 90's and into the new millennium, their records and tours have proved throughout the world the enduring artistic credibility of a band continually able to reinvent itself.
In early 2002, Jethro Tull completed their first DVD of live concert and performance material. Also released is the new associated live CD. Both are entitled, "Living in the Past".
In 2003, Ian Anderson released his fourth solo album, `Rupi's Dance.' And the band even released a Christmas album.
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. Bassist Jon Noyce left the band in March 2006. Keyboardist Andrew 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 respectively. In the following year The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull, a 24-song set of Tull's and Ian Anderson's acoustic performances taken from various albums, was released. Included are a new live acoustic version of "One Brown Mouse" and a live performance of the traditional song (attributed to Henry VIII), "Pastime with Good Company".
In September 2007, Jethro Tull released CD/DVD Live at Montreux 2003. 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, where the band performed their first ever gig.
Anderson and Barre go solo and the end of Jethro Tull (2011–2012)
2011 marked the 40th Anniversary of Aqualung (1971). A new re-issue was released with new remix of the album (by Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson) and include a DVD and unreleased songs.
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, which included Jonathan Noyce that 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 play 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 January 30, 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, would be released on April 2, 2012. It was recorded by Anderson and the Ian Anderson Touring Band, who made the following tour together too. There are two former Jethro Tull members bassist David Goodier and keyboardist John O'Hara plus guitarist Florian Opahle, drummer Scott Hammond and as an additional vocalist Ryan O'Donnell.Thick as a Brick 2 had its world premiere on 14 April 2012 at Perth Concert Hall, Scotland, UK, 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 ("The Wandering Man") would be released in April 2014. This will be followed by tours in the UK and US, during which the album will be played in its entirety. Homo Erraticus will be 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 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.[92] The 2016 Tour visited Europe, Australia, and the USA.
In 2017, Anderson toured under the title "Jethro Tull by Ian Anderson".
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 includes Anderson, Hammond, Opahle, O'Hara, and Goodier (all musicians of Anderson's solo band since 2012), with Barre absent from the lineup.
On June 1, 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.
The band's popularity extended into parts of the world where rock music had not hitherto been encouraged and the Tull legend from Buenos Aires to Budapest took root, eventually to be rewarded by the many tours in places where other acts feared, or simply did not care, to tread.
With sales of around 60 million albums and more than 2500 concerts in 40 countries, the band continue to tour and record, typically performing 100 concerts to around 300,000 people each year.
Jethro Tull has been a long-term progressive music phenomena. Their music as well as fondness for their artistry transcends the factory cut-out music that MTV and the rest of musical industry spews out. Tull started out as an underground band and has returned full circle to embrace the progressive underground movement without folding into commercialistic dribble that ultimately destroys Genesis' reputation for creativity. Bravo guys...
some of this biography information was provided by Mr. Rodney Quill, and MTV biographies
Discography:
Studio albums
This Was (1968)
Stand Up (1969)
Benefit (1970)
Aqualung (1971)
Thick as a Brick (1972)
A Passion Play (1973)
War Child (1974)
Minstrel in the Gallery (1975)
Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976)
Songs from the Wood (1977)
Heavy Horses (1978)
Stormwatch (1979)
A (1980)
The Broadsword and the Beast (1982)
Under Wraps (1984)
Crest of a Knave (1987)
Rock Island (1989)
Catfish Rising (1991)
Roots to Branches (1995)
J-Tull Dot Com (1999)
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003)
