Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull in conversation with Bob Harris and Richard Thompson

Old Grey Whistle Test - 23rd February 2018

[@coolmacatrain9434]

Like so many of the greatest musicians and songwriters from the '60s & 70s, these two blokes are true intellectuals. That is something that is/has been gradually eroded from music this past 35 years...intelligence!

[@raven_of_zoso455]

Oh, absolutely! Or at least they dare to be themselves. Newer artists are too afraid to come of as smart or well educated (if they should happen to be so), therefore all their interviews comes off as shallow, and easily digestible fluff, just like their music which is aimed at the large brainless masses. Whilst the "good ol' guys" are not afraid to go into analyzing things or make references that would require a more well read observer to understand. It's also the way they speak, notice among the British artists, like Plant, Anderson, or even Richie Blackmore or Tony Iommi for that matter, (and so on) they have this poetic grace about them when they speak, whereas whenever I hear some newer artist talk (let say someone who's also British), it's more like a drunk hooligan trying to politely convince a cop he is sober.

[@photonotavailable7936]

My thought exactly!

[@oldskoolfool141]

@@raven_of_zoso455 Posh-Rock for posho's

[@raven_of_zoso455]

@@oldskoolfool141 well, I suffer from the condition, posh language, no money.

[@friotaiocht101]

Eroded is an understatement...

[@leftyzappa]

Ian Anderson is one of my very few heroes.

[@haroldfloyd5518]

I would so love to hear these two collaborate, something like a UK Wilburys. Add in Neil Finn and Peter Gabriel. The Traveling Glastonburys....

[@xkguy]

Have followed Ian for almost 50 years....just discovered Richard this month ...and he is amazing!!

[@wildrosecece]

Strange when gifts come our way there is a lot more out there

[@danielchristensen2133]

I've seen them all, from The Who to the Grateful Dead and no band was ever as exciting as Jethro Tull. Before Tull the radio's blasted nonsense and thank god Tull came along to give us something to celebrate. I'm grateful

[@BillMurrayismyuncle]

Wow I love this. I am also super mega grateful.

[@gothling1955]

Wow! Two guys I never thought I'd see sitting on a couch together. Amazing, though all too brief.

[@charliechurchill]

Both guys continue to play as wel as ever

[@gothling1955]

The absolute greatest scenario -- Thompson on guitar, Anderson on flute, playing an instrumental together. Wow! That would've been mind-blowing huh? Anyway, I was truly thrilled to see these two brilliant musicians meet at long last. Several years ago, I chanced to hear someone ask Ian what he thought of Richard's music, and he seemed to come off as a little vague about who he was, asking in reply: "Is he that British folkie / guitar guy?". However, to be fair (even considering Ian's longtime connection with the Fairport Convention universe through dear ol' Peggy), Ian has been a pretty busy fellow -- being musically prolific and touring quite relentlessly. Over time, I've occasionally wondered to myself: "I wonder what Ian thinks of other artists, like Richard Thompson or Dougie MacLean?" But he might not have had the time or awareness to seek out their work, so as to add them to his personal mp3 playlists. Regardless, over the years, Richard Thompson's amazing discography has co-existed in my life, right along side that of Tull / Anderson's musical output. They've both been essential to my own personal soundtrack. Once again, many thanks for sharing this extraordinary OGWT segment.

[@charliechurchill]

It's very gratifying to realise that a little clip like this, placed on a video sharing network can mean so much to so many people across the globe.

[@gregthornton4209]

Gothing5 - with all the contact with F.C., Ian never met Richard?? He used to steal his bass player all the time...

[@gothling1955]

Greg Thornton - Very true. Who would've thought, huh? So, you can imagine my surprise when Ian said what he did some years ago, appearing to only vaguely know who Thompson was. But then (and I say this as a Tull fan since 1969), at any given time, we probably ought to take whatever Ian might say with a grain of salt. With certain topics, he's always been especially shroud about the amount of truth which he's seen fit to share in interviews. Who knows why? Regardless, I don't mean to come off like a knit-picker, since this segment stands as quite a mind-blowing on-camera meeting, minimizing all other related concerns.

[@thenowchurch6419]

Like Ian Anderson said "Nothings Easy". I am so glad he was terrified and produced all that gorgeous music.

[@coreycox2345]

It seems like people must have felt that way doing many of the best things that have ever been done, thenowchurch.

[@12dreams]

If young guitarists who've never heard of Richard Thompson actually saw him play guitar, they'd take up the drums.

[@dannskopp8957]

Good One !!

[@massimogiuntini1]

Or keyboards

[@quovadis5429]

Actually, I'm more inclined to think a young guitarist might just calmly walk into the middle of a busy intersection, guitar-in-hand while chanting a passage from The Book of the Dead, then self-immolate. ...Having seen Richard Thompson play live several times (solo, w/ rhythm section and also w/ full band), I remain convinced that he was born with a complete extra set of retractable thumbs and fingers on both hands. I've also personally witnessed a fellow concert attendee turn into a pillar of salt as Thompson played an extended solo. Her boyfriend was inconsolable, screaming over and over, "I begged her to look away!! Avert your gaze!!," while a couple of hazmat-ready roadies made quick work of shrink-wrapping the high-sodium column where it stood, transferring it onto a tour-stamped dolly and wheeling it out the fire exit as Thompson continued on with "When The Spell Is Broken". Chilling.

[@chriscoughlin9289]

@Sir Eel Brilliant! On the other hand, it seems like all of the great, singular talents in RT's rareified league tell the same story - that of a 'style' being born as a result of being failed copyists of their own heroes. Just goes to show that none of us mere mortals can ever really inhabit the mind of that noodling, frustrated 13 year old that a genuinely humble seeker like Richard probably still considers himself to be.

[@xarglethegreat]

@@chriscoughlin9289 I am not sure Richard Thompson was a failed copyist, guitar heroes while certainly humble demonstrates a clear ability to effortlessly copy multiple styles kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXPKiZhpqdahaqs from django reinhardt Les paul, chuck berry etc

[@abw48]

We had Pirate Radio Stations in the UK in the late 1960s that would play whole Albums because the Radio Stations were not free like they were in the USA. Pirate Stations were old ships that sat three miles off the coast of England and beamed music to us for free, the first one was called Radio Caroline and then came others, the Dutch had one of their own also. Thanks to the three people in this video music went around that we may never have known about and now here we all are a bunch of old farts, lucky old farts may I add, and so it goes... Thanks guys...

[@jamesfitzgerald6636]

Andrew Blackadder ... pirate ships 64-67 and didn’t play whole albums

[@jimcorpening830]

A special thank you from all American TULL Fans like me. This is PRICELESS !!!

[@gregthornton4209]

Jim, how many times have you heard someone say "Jethro Tull, HE did that Aqualung song, right?" And you and I would just snicker and say "Yeah, that was him..." ! The US was never patient enough for the music of Jethro Tull, IMHO

[@jimcorpening830]

It must have been over 100 times but I consider it to be a good thing that they even remember the name. TULL is a name that transcends details about the members who perform it. Once you hear it LIVE it becomes a part of your DNA. I've been that way since 1973.

[@berniekellman405]

Hi Jim

[@jimcorpening830]

@@berniekellman405 Bernie ROCKS with TULL !!!

[@namcat53]

Jethro Tull, Alexandria Roller Rink 1971, Aqualung had just been released, Some new band called Yes opened!!!!!! An AMAZING show. Richard later in small cubs in the San Francisco Bay area early 80's on....stunning every time.

[@rogerludwig7619]

2 of the very best of British, from an era when music was’nt pigeonholed.

[@charliechurchill]

Absolutely. Giants off the music landscape. There is a Sea of Tranquility series going on this month looking at the 28 best albums released in 1971. Fascinating series

[@krisscanlon4051]

Interesting how Bob's voice is now rough and raspy and it was so whispering and soft in years gone. Two wonderful folky electric artists on this show.

[@GrowLLLTigeRRR]

My two favorite musicians in one room! I do wish they would collaborate on a project.

[@paulruggiero860]

That’s a great idea.

[@cellobus2961]

I've paid to see both of these guys and played with one of them. Silver Medal.

[@henkwesterik]

This is one great interview. RT my hero for ages. I do not undertand some of the comments here. If you don;t know who theye are and what they are doing for the last 50 year just Google them. For many people both are legendary musicians. Upto this days.

[@rockygraziano2339]

Henk Westerik , for those in America they should know RT. From Sons of Anarchy. Dads gonna kill me one of the great songs from that series.

[@notrumps2784]

Saw them in st.louis may b early 70.i played their music since they began....my loves❤.i remember ballerinas and IAN with his long coat and long hair.it was a dream....

[@mensamoo]

That specific programme was so exciting to watch. It was an excellent advert to bring it back. I'm sure that somewhere we still have real bands with real musicians...

[@BrianMillerConcerts]

Richard left Fairport in 1971. Dave Pegg joined Fairport in 1969. Dave Pegg joined Jethro Tull in 1979. A version of Fairport was the opening act for a Jethro Tull tour in 1987, but that did NOT include RT (who had left FC in 1971, remember).

[@garysteinert8040]

I saw that tour at Universal studios in LA. Pegg played with both bands. I think both bands did Skating Away together but it’s been awhile.

[@jublaim]

I love Bob Harris, and I'm Swedish.

[@briankorbelik2873]

I've had the p;easure of seeing Richard Thompson a number of times, solo and with a small band. Sad thing is most of my fellow shallow Americans have never heard of him. Ian is "cool beans" as well, having seen Tull many times as well. Two very unique artists.

[@tonymurphy528]

Really interesting interview, if a little short, thanks for posting Charlie.

[@quasidiem99]

Richard is a fantastic, and often overlooked, guitar player.

[@jonjones1553]

Legends!

[@truthweallknow]

They're both greats, them were the days When Rock - n - Roll was at its best. Thanks for all the good Music and memories

[@ChrisJohnson-pd4hh]

Neither of course were Rock and Roll! That was a 50s phenomena.

[@dixgun]

Great discussion. Neat that Ian mentioned Gary Numan specifically as part of British music.

[@raven_of_zoso455]

What could be so interesting that they had to cut short the Ian and Richard bit? If I was the host that show would go on for another 6 hours and there would not be anything else to pack into that show! Also, can you imagine if Bob was swapped out for Robert Plant or Jimmy Page, and this was a 3 hour uncut video of them just sitting back and talk about the golden days of yore that was the late 60s - early 70s... Fairport, Tull and Zeppelin are three of my all time favorite bands.

[@willrichardson519]

Brian Johnson, ACDC, has a good series, he's so enthusiastic and unselfishly gives plenty of space to his interviewees

[@chansfor]

Two of the finest.

[@charliechurchill]

No argument there🎸🎤

[@TTM9691]

I cannot believe my eyes. I always associate Tull with Fairport as much as I do Tull with Crimson or something proggy. Thanks so much for posting this.

[@craignickerson2890]

The Byrds played the Grand Olde Opry in 1968. They had just released 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'.

[@victorpearson1418]

Gram Parsons went rogue and broke protocol by going off the set list by playing Hickory Wind .Balls of steel .

[@neildesperandum6114]

Good interviewer, Bob Harris.

[@richardday3862]

Why couldn't they all have worn berets a la Richard Thompson? That would have taken the interview to another dimension!

[@martins.7060]

And cod pieces.😂

[@thenowchurch6419]

Nice point Richard about Bob Marley. He loved that rootsy folk type thing.

[@troygaspard6732]

2 giants

[@SmashedBottleMan]

Odd way to title this clip...Bob Harris is doing the interview. It should read: Bob Harris In Conversation with Ian Anderson and Richard Thompson

[@colinwright4139]

I am a Numanoid that discovered Tull in the dim and distant past. Nice to hear IA name check him.

[@abw48]

Way back in the days of old Bob Barris was known as Whispering Bob as he spoke so quietly and so we had to turn up the volume and when the music came on it would BLAST out of the speakers and I always wanted to ask him, Bob,if he did that purposely to fuck with our very stoned heads...

[@dionisioiacobelli6689]

Ian is very modest . Tull were first time headlining and selling out Madison Square Garden on the Aqualung tour back in 1971 .

[@linjicakonikon7666]

Two of the very best.

[@AnneLeighton]

Bob Harris is also a legend.

[@charliechurchill]

Absolutely. ... a real pioneer of great new music over so many years

[@frereanaktom99]

makes me cringe. slobbering over his heroes like a lovestruck teenager.

[@alanhopkin1219]

l am with you total wet

[@johnwolcot]

This is what Ian Anderson should do from now on. Just chat, as his voice is the same as it ever was when he talks. When he tries to sing is when the problems really start.

[@charliechurchill]

I don't honestly think Ian's voice has deteriorated this last 15 years. However its fair to say his singing is not as strong as it was in the old days. Hardly surprising.... who else on planet Universe has played the flute and sing in a rock band for 40 years😎

[@clancykobane9102]

bugger off

[@swinetrek]

His voice could have been fixed if he'd had the operation recommended. His live voice sucks. It's fine with studio touch ups.

[@charliechurchill]

My pleasure...would have been even better if Ian had have been asked to play. Looks like he came prepared with a flute ... you'll notice the carrying case in his hand as he left the set. Great interview nonetheless.

[@billbellart]

Intelligent informative conversation

[@mirrorblue100]

Interesting to me - I quit listening to Tull at the time I started listening to Richard Thompson, about 1978 or '79 - he seemed so much more "real." It would have been something to hear them play together.

[@martins.7060]

Same for me except the time line was 86-87.

[@gregthornton4209]

first live concert broadcast...did not know...

[@vamboroolz1612]

Greg Thornton first live transatlantic concert broadcast.

[@gsd4me00]

My god, three faces from the past......and still going strong.

[@charliechurchill]

Never too old to rock and roll amigo

[@virginiacole979]

Ian my hero too

[@j.s.1547]

Host: "We must move on..." Reality: "No, we must not..."

[@jublaim]

And it hasn't always been easy these guys having different views of things, but now when coming to age....

[@TreVader1378]

The difference between then and those guys to now and the crap that's out and about today, is they had talent with no bounds, and the crap today have auto tune and people writing their songs and pimping and preening them, if you look good you have a better chance to get "music" out than people with real talent.

[@charliechurchill]

I think we can count ourselves very fortunate to have seen and heard them in their respective heydays

[@willrichardson519]

Oh, there's good new music out there. 90% has always been crap, there's just a lot more music and media outlets out there.

[@angiecuteass]

Depends your influences, I discovered Tull at about 12yrs old, and fuck to the person who complains about his voice now he's over 70 ffs

[@theauthority1598]

The three great Wizards meet ...Gandalf Thompson the top of the tree (beard)

[@krisscanlon4051]

Hahaha oh my I laughed!

[@gregthornton4209]

I remember underground FM - cool dudes and sexy girls with low, deep, intensely COOL dialogue...

[@berniekellman405]

I hope these two guys don't travel together... if an accident got them both, my golden years would be bereft.... they are both still producing music and planning to tour when the world corrects.

[@robertbrown8362]

I remember seeing the Ozark Mountain Daredevils on OGWT

[@geraldmorgan2539]

Oh yeh the ozarks roll away the stone we gotta roll away the stone

[@mikecaldwell4442]

super group idea.....richard...pete townsend....pino palladino....mick fleetwood...name? six foot

[@charliechurchill]

Niiiiiice

[@mriguana9270]

I seen Tull in 1971 , Thick as a Brick tour. Anderson and the group were at top form , creating some mystical identity. It was like he came from an earlier time or dimension . Audiences had no ideas what shows would be like with no videos like today. The music review in the paper said something like "we can agree we seen someone not of this world". Really mesmerizing show with little theatrics. Nothing too pretentious. Remarkable because it was all music . Too bad Anderson took the direction he took a few years later.

[@charliechurchill]

I think we can ask look back on epic creative Jethro Tull shows. One thing for sure IA never let anything get in the way of JT's progression. Some might even say the best music was yet to come.

[@mriguana9270]

@@charliechurchill They emerged into some strange, deranged sound. He seemed out of touch and uninterested in what other people thought. I'm surprised the others stayed after aqualung.

[@Doviderus]

Tull created some of their best from 71 onwards - Minstrel, Passion Play,Songs from the Wood, Stormwatch.... And other minor works resulted to be still innovative and unique despite not understood by big and old audiences. Masters.

[@giovannizito5437]

Two musicians with a big brain

[@tomrisar5492]

Aging sucks, so does living on support.

[@AJ-tp9bk]

Is Bob Harris the one Benny Hill hilariously imitated?

[@TheLastOilMan]

Thomson ?

[@gregnewman2512]

I love Ian and Tull. But, Richard Thompson is something else entirely. RT is one of the more humble songwriter/guitarist of top tier calibre that ever existed. RT is on performance level with Dylan, Davies, Young, Morrison, Costello, etc... just not financially.

[@Lowden025]

Remember reading lan has some incurable pulminary illness.

[@daylefloyd6404]

Too much "Over Lording" from Tull. Sad but true.

[@bertiradisch7056]

Who the f... is Richard Thompson? 😅Ahhh, Fairport Convention. Know the name, heard them twice, first and last time.

[@clancykobane9102]

man i didn't recognize thompson. wow. makes ian look 30.

[@stevenaustin8274]

Clancy Coburn look about same age to me

[@winstonsmith3690]

@@stevenaustin8274 and me.

[@justgivemethetruth]

Uh ... who is who, and who are the non-Ian guys ? Who is the host, and who is the guy in the beret ?

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

justgivemeaclue - really? The guy in the beret is the great Richard Thompson - founder member of Fairport Convention in the late 1960's and one of the greatest guitarists (virtuosic on both electric and acoustic) and singer/song writers alive. Check out Vincent Black Lightning and Gethsemene, and if you like really mental guitar solos try Shoot out the Lights and Calvary Cross (go for the 14 minute version): enjoy!!!

[@justgivemethetruth]

> one of the greatest guitarists (virtuosic on both electric and acoustic) and singer/song writers alive. Amazing how many of those there are isn't it. What threw me is that he looks a lot like Martin Barre, or a relative of Martin's, and wearing that beret was an odd image. Thanks for the recommendations. I like Steeleye Span, which was a connection to Tull/Ian as a teenager they opened on the Passion Play tour and I found I really liked them.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

justgivemetruth - didn't the late Pete Zorn play with Steeleye Span? He was a band member of Richard Thompson's for many years and a great musician who played everything from guitar and bass to flute whistle and sax - not to mention the mandolin. You could do worse than beginning with a live concert of RT (with Zorn) here on KZbin "Live in Providence 2004" to give you a good intro to him. It has a good variety of stuff from his back catalogue and an excellent mandolin solo - if you like strange dissonant music - by Pete Zorn on "Shoot out the Lights". Favourites of mine from the show are Gethsemene and Walking on a Wire - hope you like it.

[@justgivemethetruth]

I am not sure. The first album I ever bought from Steeleye Span was "Now We Are Six", then I started counting backwards finding out that they have a very long and varied history. At the time I liked more the produced electric versions of the songs, so "Below The Salt", "Parcel of Rogues", "Rocket Cottage" and others were my favorites, but over time I also got a keen appreciation for the older acoustic versions of the band. Like Jethro Tull the band went through many changes, though they did not have a central "Ian" character that wrote all the songs or made all the decisions. According to Wikipedia Steeleye was an offshoot of Fairport ... Steeleye Span began in late 1969, when London-born bass player Ashley Hutchings departed Fairport Convention, the band he had co-founded in 1967. Fairport had been involved in a road accident in 1969 in which the drummer, Martin Lamble, was killed and other band members injured. I know Martin Carthy was also a key member, then the distinct female voice of Maddy Prior really added something. They and Fairport had a similar history and path. I got into a lot of English Folk stuff from John Renborn, Pentangle, and Bert Jansch. I don't know why Fairport only entered my interest around the mid 70's. They were electric like Steeleye ... maybe I did not have the money or time to follow both bands. But yes, In 2009 Zorn joined Steeleye Span on the spring section of the band's 40th anniversary tour, replacing Rick Kemp, who was absent for health reasons. That was pretty much after the end of history of this band, at least for me, way past anything I have heard or followed. And of course Dace Pegg played bass for Jethro Tull for a long time, but Ian had connections to Steeleye Span as well producing the album that I mentioned was the first one I bought, Now We Are Six, and Maddy Prior sang backing vocals on Too Old To Rock and Roll, Too Young To Die. And that is about everything I know about either band.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

justgivemethetruth - yes folk bands seem to have a lot of interconnections. I saw Ashley Hutchins a few years ago at Sidmouth singing songs and doing readings from Lark Rise to Candleford - I think his wife was with them too: his son Blair Dunlop is a good guitarist who sounds like Thompson at times. If you haven't already done so, you might want to check out an early TV appearance of Fairport on a French show called Baton Rouge (I think or similar?). Richard Thompson is about 17 and already showing his phenomenal guitar skills - Hamble is on drums - they sound very much like Jefferson Airplane at this time - oh and Ashley Hutchins is on electric bass and Julie Dible (sorry can't spell her name) is a vocalist/recorder player - very enjoyable set of three songs.

[@Rahoorkhuitable]

Bob Harris became so...anti - ASMR ???!!!

[@goodun6081]

If a prog rock band was indeed to play at the Ryman, the band members and roadies would probably murder the sound men at the Ryman. Anytime I see a concert, or even an awards show, on KZbin that took place at the Ryman, if it has any whiff of rock and roll about i t, the sound is invariably mediocre or even terrible; not merely a matter of the acoustics in the hall, rather it seems that whoever's mixing the microphones is asleep at the wheel, whether intentionally or not. at one award show, anyone who made an announcement or an introduction from the lectern or podium found that the microphone was not shock-mounted and would pick up the slightest touch or tap of the podium, so that constantly you heard "clunk clunk clunk clunk" when people put their hands on it and moved around just a little bit; it even picked up their footsteps! I watched a video the other day that was filmed there and you could hear everybody in the band okay except for Ry Cooder.....

[@MrJeremyWeeks]

Lose the beret please. Rock the baldness Richard!

[@GreenManalishiUSA]

Yes, both Richard and Roger McGuinn, two legends who are rarely seen without headgear. They should both take a tip from Peter Frampton or David Gilmour and let it shine. It's OK to be a bald guitar god, ha ha.

[@davidburne9477]

Rubbish. Part of his ‘look’ for as long as I can recall.

[@thedolphin5428]

Who says it's about baldness? Hats of all kinds have been worn by many different folks for many different reasons. Beside, he's been wearing that hat long before hair loss. Why do you assume that a man of such talent and beauty could be driven by such an inconsequential trait as vanity, you doofus.

[@MrJeremyWeeks]

@@thedolphin5428 Get a life mate, it’s only a joke😀

[@thedolphin5428]

@@MrJeremyWeeks I do have a perfectly good life! Sorry I missed your humour, but my points still stand. (Half-bald 65 year old man here who sometimes does wear a hat and sometimes doesn't. It's just not an issue.)

[@MegaJohnhammond]

remarkably ugly furniture.

[@frereanaktom99]

i saw tull twice and radical daring anderson made the same radical dangerous comments between songs. he was a showbiz maestro but lacked the steve marriott soul. gave up on him a long time ago. [and that dirty old man with a beret - shampoo?]

[@stevenaustin8274]

in response to another of your comments i called you a tosser i obviously over estimated you

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

s j f - have you been abused by a man in a beret? On what basis do you make the assumption that Richard Thompson is a 'dirty old man' or that he sleeps in his beret/ doesn't use shampoo? Your comments do not hurt one of the greatest song writers/guitarists/singers alive today - they merely reflect badly on you.

[@stevenaustin8274]

honeychurchgipsy6 think he’d like to be

[@stevenaustin8274]

honeychurchgipsy6 I think he’d like to have been!! definitely a beret fetish

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

Steven Austin - so true - so sad - lol!!!