Jethro Tull

Jethro Tull are a British progressive rock group. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969, after he replaced original guitarist Mick Abrahams. (Read more at Wikipedia)

Links to Peel
Peel was a supporter of the 1968 incarnation of Jethro Tull and was a fan of Mick Abrahams' guitar playing. But once Abrahams left (replaced by Martin Barre), he lost interest in the band. This, apparently, caused a sort of altercation between Peel and Ian Anderson who led to Peel abandoning the band. Ian Anderson dedicated the 40th anniversary edition (released in 2010) to John Peel, stating that he was regretful that he never had the chance to made up with him.

After he left Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams' solo projects (Blodwyn Pig and Mick Abrahams' band) got Peel sessions.

Ian Anderson on John Peel
On the booklet of the 2 CD 40th Anniversary Edition of Jethro Tull's second album "Stand Up", Ian Anderson wrote these words about Peel:

"Venerated DJ of the BBC radio shows Top Gear and Night Ride, Peel championed the new artists of the late sixties. Captain Beefheart graced the airwaves in Europe courtesy of Peel's support and the playing of his early works. T Rex, Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin were all to find ewarly national attention through Peel's radio shows. 

''But John, who had a soft spot for original Tull guitarist, Mick Abrahams, was not to be so supportive of our next effort. He advies me, at a co-appearance in a Devon club in early '60, that he didn't like the new songs of Stand Up and thought it at mistake that we had apparently lost touch with our blues roots and Mick in particular.''

''artin and I were a little stung by this and so the mood was not good when we recorded the songs for Peel's live sessions show four moths later. John Peel, himself, didn't turn up, which made us feel somewhat unloved! Peel's producer John Walters reported some of this bad feeling to his master and thuss began a long and regrettable period of disassociation from one of the two or three people most supportive and influential in getting Tull's carreer started.''

''Sadly John died in 2004 and we never really had the chance to make up. So I dedicate this edition of Stand Up and its related bonus material to John's memory, with fondness and appreciation. He was truly one of our all-time best-love broadcasters in the UK and, without his generous support in those first few onths, Tull might never have made it to the next level"''

Sessions
Three sessions. Sessions #1 and #2 are fully available on "This Was 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition ". All of session #3 save for "Living in the Past" has been released on  the 2 CD 40th Anniversary Edition of "Stand Up". Material from the three sessions had also appeared before: "Song for Jeffrey" from session #1 also appeared on "20 Years Of Jethro Tull - The Definitive Collection" and "Aqualung (25th Anniversary Special Edition)". "20 Years Of Jethro Tull - The Definitive Collection" also released "Love Story" and "Stormy Monday Blues" from session #2 and "A New Day Yesterday", "Fat Man" and "Bourée" from session #3. The last two songs also appear on "Aqualung (25th Anniversary Special Edition)". "Living in the Past" is the only Peel session track that has not appeared anywhere so far, but it appears to be just a slightly different mix of the single version of the song.

1. Recording date: 1968-07-23. First broadcast: 04 August 1968 Repeated: 22 September 1968
 * So Much Trouble / My Sunday Feeling / Serenade to a Cuckoo / Cat's Squirrel (first broadcasted 22 September 1968) / A Song For Jeffrey

2. Recording date: 1968-11-05. First broadcast: 15 December 1968
 * Love Story / Stormy Monday / Beggar's Farm / Dharma For One

3. Recording date: 1969-06-16. First broadcast: 22 June 1969 Repeated: 25 September 1975  Details on the BBC website are incomplete. The information above has been corrected according to the available evidence.
 * Living in the Past / Bourée / A New Day Yesterday / Fat Man / Nothing is Easy





Live

 * 09 October 1978: Live broadcast. Officially released on "Live at Madison Square Garden 1978"
 * 1) Thick As A Brick
 * 2) No Lullaby
 * 3) Flute Solo
 * 4) Pibroch (instrumental)
 * 5) Songs From The Wood
 * 6) Quatrain / Aqualung
 * 7) Locomotive Breath / Dambusters March
 * 8) Conundrum (faded out during this - listed drum solo not played)

Other Shows Played
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and is incomplete. Please add more information if known.)


 * 03 November 1968: Dharma For One (LP - This Was) Island ILP 9805
 * 24 November 1968: Love Story (single) Island WIP 6048
 * 22 December 1968: A Christmas Song (b-side of single Love Story) Island WIP 6048
 * 25 February 1972: Thick As A Brick (LP – Thick As A Brick) Chrysalis CHR 1003


 * Top Of The Pops
 * 05 January 1984 (TOTP): The Witch’s Promise (clip from 29/01/70)