jeffrey
Alive & Well & Living In
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Re: Blodwyn Pig & Mick Abrahams
With their permission, here are the answers to a Q&A the Jethro Tull Fan Forum had with Mick Abrahams.
1. Mick, In your autobiography “What Is A Wommet” you included a rare photo of Jethro Tull from the early days - possibly one of the first photos of the band. Do you have any more lying around in drawers or packing cases that remain unseen?
Any juicy gossip about the recording sessions at Abbey Road for the Jethro Toe single “Sunshine Day”?
Are there any Blodwyn Pig recordings that remain unreleased in the archives?
What was it like recording with Ian Anderson again in 1996 during the sessions for your album “One”?
Cheers
Maddog, Cornwall.
I don’t have any other pics, other than that you’ve already seen.
No gossip about the "Sunshine Day" except that Derek Lawrence wanted us in and out quickly hence the B side already recorded with The John Evan Band
To my knowledge to date there are no unreleased treasures from BP knocking about anywhere.
Lastly , it was a lot of fun recording "One" with Ian. All the sessions were wonderful and the studio "tension" was positive all the time.
I am on the mend slowly but surely, still not playing but it'll come I’m sure
2. When you appeared on the 40th Anniversary "This Was" tour, were you able to appreciate the pleasure it brought to fans who hadn't been aware that you were part of the tour? (what I mean is that not all fans follow every single piece of Tull news on the internet, but saw that there was a show on and decided to go along for old times' sake,)
Are there any bands of today that you enjoy listening to?
Aqualung 55
Hi I still love listening to Little Feat & The Steeldrivers
3. Hello Mick great to hear your recovering well.
Memories of your favourite gigs - places and times?
If you hadn't picked up the guitar would you have had a go at the flute, if not, what other instrument?
Apart from musical prowess what personality traits makes a good band member?
According to record companies and the media there is a resurgence in sales of music from the past where the 50 plus record buyers are apparently unaffected by 40 years of musical changes and returning to the music they listened to in the past - any thoughts on the "Musical Memories" tours?
Finally Mick can you give us any clues on what you're working on now?
All the Best
Patti
Norn Ireland
Hi Patti,
Thanks for your kind thoughts I'm recovering very slowly but surely ! In answer to your questions. I play drums, keyboards and pedal steel badly but I’ve never fancied the flute or saxophone ! A good band member is one who contributes to the overall welfare and musical direction of the band.
I really don’t know much about record companies and don’t keep up with "trends" but that’s not to say I don’t listen to people ! As I am not currently able to play guitar properly I am concentrating on a book and getting fully recovered ! When that happens, Ill be able to make more decisions.
4. Greetings Minister Abrahams, delighted to hear of your strengthening, be it known we need u in this game for the long haul.
My being a son of Chicago, which I have to believe must serve as something of a musical mecca to yourself and many who came up with you, did your travels with Blodwyn Pig ever bring you here, and if so to any of its famed blues outposts, specifically the Checkerboard Lounge, (playground of Muddy and so many others) or Palm Tavern? Or even down to Maxwell St? I know Tull had yet to cross the pond in your time with them.
I believe I have heard elements of jazz music in the music of the Pig, having been a deep believer in the disparate forms of our national music (though most Americans would not know John Coltrane from John Brown) I wonder who if any of the purveyors of this form had an influence on you? Always found it a little curious that Ian, beyond Roland Kirk, cites Mose Allison as something of a favorite, totally valid, but also indicative that he likely was/is not too much a fan, as that guy, who is still going, would struggle to crack the top 100, if not 200, of those generally considered the most important jazz musicians?
What was your take on Jimi? Did you know him at all?
Tullist
Hi, Tullist ,
I have visited the windy city on a few occasions and loved it whether I will be able to gig again is another thing entirely! I think that all of that listening to Trane , Cannonball Adderley and countless others must have seeped thru some where. As for people like Mose Allison. They are timeless and perhaps not interested in the charts or such. I met Jimi on a couple of ocassions and he was really a nice guy and a great player. Unfortunately, his roady (at the time) was a shlock !!
5. Yo Mick
Glad to see you're on the mend.
Are there any musicians you wished you'd worked with, but didn't?
I know you left Tull 2 or 3 albums before Glen, but can you shed any light on why he left and Jeffrey joined?
And just a bit of news about your menieres disease.....my dad had a dose of that when he was 65. It left him partially deaf....he's now 95 and mega fit for his age.
Take care Mick.
Chris - The Garden Of England
Hi Chris, I seemed to have worked with all my favourite people. Don’t know why Glenn left and Jeffrey joined . I'm glad to hear (ha ha) that your pop is still fit at 95 I hope I last that long. Its a bloody nuisance having Meneires and , yes it has left me partially deaf but its the dizziness that gets me.
6. Hi Mick
You have always said that Alexis Korner was one of your musical heroes but who else has influenced you, especially with regard to your guitar style.
Your early Blodwyn Pig albums are a wonderful mix of blues and jazz with rock thrown in. Was it a conscious decision to blend these musical styles or did it evolve in the studio during the recording sessions.
Thanks Mick, get better soon.
Budapest
Yes, Alexis Korner was indeed one of my great influences but there are so many players that I love (read my book for my top 100 players) Thanks for your kind words about the Pig I guess it was a mixture of stuff that was in the head at the time and that’s how it all evolved. Cheers Mick
7. hi mick
i understand that you were a member of the toggery five and that you recorded with them
did you record with any other groups before your involvement with ian anderson and jethro tull?
Jeffrey
Hi Jeffrey, I recorded with the first band I was ever with "The Hustlers" just one song called Miss you Baby and also much later with Neil Christians Crusaders just before or the same time as the Toggery Five. Don’t ask what I recorded as I cant remember !!!
8. Greetings Mick,
First and foremost...hope this finds you feeling well and ever-improving. I'm afraid i know the answer to my question...any chance of you bucking up and visiting the West coast of the USA one of these days....Fat Chance, right? So how about a rephrase: Mick, do you have any idea of the response and appreciation and respect and adulation awaiting you if you were to plan and play an west coast set of gigs...say, SF, LA and a few other on the beaten track locales? Properly promoted, emphasizing your well-deserved place amongst the guitar afficianados hall of fame ( yep, your clapton/hendrix/beck/page neighborhood) and the years that have gone by since you graced a California concert hall...well...it would be a BIG DEAL. Tempted? I treasure my signed copy of your book and await volume II.
Bernie-San Francisco
Hi Bernie,
Lets get the first bit over with first and that is, getting completely well and fit again !!! Id like to think that I would visit the States again especially the west coast as I loved it when I was there. So far, nobody has offered the right kind of deal for me to go there as a one off but if you know anyone who has just won the lotto please let me negotiate a price with them !! Thanks for your kind thoughts .
The Jethro Tull Fan Forum - Home
With their permission, here are the answers to a Q&A the Jethro Tull Fan Forum had with Mick Abrahams.
1. Mick, In your autobiography “What Is A Wommet” you included a rare photo of Jethro Tull from the early days - possibly one of the first photos of the band. Do you have any more lying around in drawers or packing cases that remain unseen?
Any juicy gossip about the recording sessions at Abbey Road for the Jethro Toe single “Sunshine Day”?
Are there any Blodwyn Pig recordings that remain unreleased in the archives?
What was it like recording with Ian Anderson again in 1996 during the sessions for your album “One”?
Cheers
Maddog, Cornwall.
I don’t have any other pics, other than that you’ve already seen.
No gossip about the "Sunshine Day" except that Derek Lawrence wanted us in and out quickly hence the B side already recorded with The John Evan Band
To my knowledge to date there are no unreleased treasures from BP knocking about anywhere.
Lastly , it was a lot of fun recording "One" with Ian. All the sessions were wonderful and the studio "tension" was positive all the time.
I am on the mend slowly but surely, still not playing but it'll come I’m sure
2. When you appeared on the 40th Anniversary "This Was" tour, were you able to appreciate the pleasure it brought to fans who hadn't been aware that you were part of the tour? (what I mean is that not all fans follow every single piece of Tull news on the internet, but saw that there was a show on and decided to go along for old times' sake,)
Are there any bands of today that you enjoy listening to?
Aqualung 55
Hi I still love listening to Little Feat & The Steeldrivers
3. Hello Mick great to hear your recovering well.
Memories of your favourite gigs - places and times?
If you hadn't picked up the guitar would you have had a go at the flute, if not, what other instrument?
Apart from musical prowess what personality traits makes a good band member?
According to record companies and the media there is a resurgence in sales of music from the past where the 50 plus record buyers are apparently unaffected by 40 years of musical changes and returning to the music they listened to in the past - any thoughts on the "Musical Memories" tours?
Finally Mick can you give us any clues on what you're working on now?
All the Best
Patti
Norn Ireland
Hi Patti,
Thanks for your kind thoughts I'm recovering very slowly but surely ! In answer to your questions. I play drums, keyboards and pedal steel badly but I’ve never fancied the flute or saxophone ! A good band member is one who contributes to the overall welfare and musical direction of the band.
I really don’t know much about record companies and don’t keep up with "trends" but that’s not to say I don’t listen to people ! As I am not currently able to play guitar properly I am concentrating on a book and getting fully recovered ! When that happens, Ill be able to make more decisions.
4. Greetings Minister Abrahams, delighted to hear of your strengthening, be it known we need u in this game for the long haul.
My being a son of Chicago, which I have to believe must serve as something of a musical mecca to yourself and many who came up with you, did your travels with Blodwyn Pig ever bring you here, and if so to any of its famed blues outposts, specifically the Checkerboard Lounge, (playground of Muddy and so many others) or Palm Tavern? Or even down to Maxwell St? I know Tull had yet to cross the pond in your time with them.
I believe I have heard elements of jazz music in the music of the Pig, having been a deep believer in the disparate forms of our national music (though most Americans would not know John Coltrane from John Brown) I wonder who if any of the purveyors of this form had an influence on you? Always found it a little curious that Ian, beyond Roland Kirk, cites Mose Allison as something of a favorite, totally valid, but also indicative that he likely was/is not too much a fan, as that guy, who is still going, would struggle to crack the top 100, if not 200, of those generally considered the most important jazz musicians?
What was your take on Jimi? Did you know him at all?
Tullist
Hi, Tullist ,
I have visited the windy city on a few occasions and loved it whether I will be able to gig again is another thing entirely! I think that all of that listening to Trane , Cannonball Adderley and countless others must have seeped thru some where. As for people like Mose Allison. They are timeless and perhaps not interested in the charts or such. I met Jimi on a couple of ocassions and he was really a nice guy and a great player. Unfortunately, his roady (at the time) was a shlock !!
5. Yo Mick
Glad to see you're on the mend.
Are there any musicians you wished you'd worked with, but didn't?
I know you left Tull 2 or 3 albums before Glen, but can you shed any light on why he left and Jeffrey joined?
And just a bit of news about your menieres disease.....my dad had a dose of that when he was 65. It left him partially deaf....he's now 95 and mega fit for his age.
Take care Mick.
Chris - The Garden Of England
Hi Chris, I seemed to have worked with all my favourite people. Don’t know why Glenn left and Jeffrey joined . I'm glad to hear (ha ha) that your pop is still fit at 95 I hope I last that long. Its a bloody nuisance having Meneires and , yes it has left me partially deaf but its the dizziness that gets me.
6. Hi Mick
You have always said that Alexis Korner was one of your musical heroes but who else has influenced you, especially with regard to your guitar style.
Your early Blodwyn Pig albums are a wonderful mix of blues and jazz with rock thrown in. Was it a conscious decision to blend these musical styles or did it evolve in the studio during the recording sessions.
Thanks Mick, get better soon.
Budapest
Yes, Alexis Korner was indeed one of my great influences but there are so many players that I love (read my book for my top 100 players) Thanks for your kind words about the Pig I guess it was a mixture of stuff that was in the head at the time and that’s how it all evolved. Cheers Mick
7. hi mick
i understand that you were a member of the toggery five and that you recorded with them
did you record with any other groups before your involvement with ian anderson and jethro tull?
Jeffrey
Hi Jeffrey, I recorded with the first band I was ever with "The Hustlers" just one song called Miss you Baby and also much later with Neil Christians Crusaders just before or the same time as the Toggery Five. Don’t ask what I recorded as I cant remember !!!
8. Greetings Mick,
First and foremost...hope this finds you feeling well and ever-improving. I'm afraid i know the answer to my question...any chance of you bucking up and visiting the West coast of the USA one of these days....Fat Chance, right? So how about a rephrase: Mick, do you have any idea of the response and appreciation and respect and adulation awaiting you if you were to plan and play an west coast set of gigs...say, SF, LA and a few other on the beaten track locales? Properly promoted, emphasizing your well-deserved place amongst the guitar afficianados hall of fame ( yep, your clapton/hendrix/beck/page neighborhood) and the years that have gone by since you graced a California concert hall...well...it would be a BIG DEAL. Tempted? I treasure my signed copy of your book and await volume II.
Bernie-San Francisco
Hi Bernie,
Lets get the first bit over with first and that is, getting completely well and fit again !!! Id like to think that I would visit the States again especially the west coast as I loved it when I was there. So far, nobody has offered the right kind of deal for me to go there as a one off but if you know anyone who has just won the lotto please let me negotiate a price with them !! Thanks for your kind thoughts .
The Jethro Tull Fan Forum - Home
My favorites off of the album are:
