Ian Anderson's comments on Rock and Roll Circus -

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Jethro Tull Singer Calls Rolling Stones Circus Gig 'Boring'

While 'The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus' brought together some of the greatest musicians in rock history, the concept was just a bit silly, according Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson.

"It was a strange atmosphere because it was Mick Jagger's baby," Anderson tells Spinner. "He and the director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, they had this vision of what they were going to do. They didn't seem to communicate it to the rest of the Rolling Stones, let alone anybody else. We all arrived there, and it was all a bit embarrassing and self-conscious."

The concept was intriguing -- a 1968 TV special that featured the day's top performers playing music in a big-top atmosphere, complete with circus performers and silly costumes. Invited to perform were the Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal and a super group known as the Dirty Mac, which consisted of John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell. While the musicians all gathered at once, long delays took the steam out of what should have been a momentous occasion.

"They wanted everybody there all the time because they wanted to make it look like an atmosphere where everybody was together and having a lot of fun and blah, blah, blah," Anderson says. "In fact, it was just deadly boring and a bit silly."

Tull, still a relatively new band, performed the show's first number, 'Song For Jeffrey.' While the Stones performed six songs, most people who saw the show -- including the Stones -- felt that they were badly outperformed by the Who, so the show was shelved until 1996, when it was finally released on video with a soundtrack on CD.
While some have suggested the show proved that the Who were better live performers, Anderson said the Stones had simply played themselves out.

"I was there, and they were pretty good when they were rehearsing," he says. "But they just did too much, and I think Mick Jagger sang himself out. When it came to the crunch, the Who just came in and did a few songs, did what they normally do and -- crash, bang -- the Stones, who had been rehearsing and working at it for ages, felt perhaps a little overshadowed by the energy of the Who."

Interesting perspective...Pete Townshend, who was there until the end, came to different conclusions as you can see in his interview on the DVD. I always thought Tull was an odd choice for this show.

Never understood the Quote:

felt that they were badly outperformed by the Who

Talking about silly costumes if one is wearing them it was our friend Ian.

B.t.w. I love his performance on R&RC

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71Tele
I always thought Tull was an odd choice for this show.

Tull was picked to open the show only because Led Zeppelin couldn't make it. I thought Tull was a cool choice, though. If the term "Alternative Rock" had existed in 1968, Tull would have been the band it would have been applied to.

Ha Ha, Jethro Tull is one of the most boring band I know of.

The Stones usually picked the hot new band of the time and Tull were up and coming and getting plenty of good press in 68 much like King Crimson in 69 when they joined The Stones on the bill at Hyde Park. In hindsight they seem like bizarre choices.

... so did Anderson make these comments apropos of anything, or is he just being crabby,
or is this a contact-music-style rehash of something he said 14 years or so ago?

Re: Zeppelin. More accurate to say Page refused, if I recall.

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Zack
Re: Zeppelin. More accurate to say Page refused, if I recall.

Why did Page refused? Do you know that? I'm curious about that one.

According to the "Led Zeppelin Concert File" (Dave Lewis & Simon Palett - Omnibus Press):

"Led Zeppelin were also in line to appear in The Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus Tv spectacular to be filmed at Intertel Studios, Wembley in December. After listening to an audition tape Mick Jagger felt their sound had too much emphasis on guitar and selected another up-and-coming group, Jethro Tull instead."

He needs to shut, er, go play his flute.

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bigtyke66
According to the "Led Zeppelin Concert File" (Dave Lewis & Simon Palett - Omnibus Press):

"Led Zeppelin were also in line to appear in The Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus Tv spectacular to be filmed at Intertel Studios, Wembley in December. After listening to an audition tape Mick Jagger felt their sound had too much emphasis on guitar and selected another up-and-coming group, Jethro Tull instead."

Interpret as "They will blow the place apart and make us look bad"

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tatters

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bigtyke66
According to the "Led Zeppelin Concert File" (Dave Lewis & Simon Palett - Omnibus Press):

"Led Zeppelin were also in line to appear in The Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus Tv spectacular to be filmed at Intertel Studios, Wembley in December. After listening to an audition tape Mick Jagger felt their sound had too much emphasis on guitar and selected another up-and-coming group, Jethro Tull instead."

Interpret as "They will blow the place apart and make us look bad"

Exactly - although Led Zep, The Who and The Stones would have been THE line-up of all time. If it had happened the film would probably have never been released though. Too much for Mick's ego to bear.

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Roll73

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tatters

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bigtyke66
According to the "Led Zeppelin Concert File" (Dave Lewis & Simon Palett - Omnibus Press):

"Led Zeppelin were also in line to appear in The Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus Tv spectacular to be filmed at Intertel Studios, Wembley in December. After listening to an audition tape Mick Jagger felt their sound had too much emphasis on guitar and selected another up-and-coming group, Jethro Tull instead."

Interpret as "They will blow the place apart and make us look bad"

Exactly - although Led Zep, The Who and The Stones would have been THE line-up of all time. If it had happened the film would probably have never been released though. Too much for Mick's ego to bear.

The lineup of all time was The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who, at the 1966 NME concert.

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tatters

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Roll73

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tatters

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bigtyke66
According to the "Led Zeppelin Concert File" (Dave Lewis & Simon Palett - Omnibus Press):

"Led Zeppelin were also in line to appear in The Rolling Stones Rock'n'Roll Circus Tv spectacular to be filmed at Intertel Studios, Wembley in December. After listening to an audition tape Mick Jagger felt their sound had too much emphasis on guitar and selected another up-and-coming group, Jethro Tull instead."

Interpret as "They will blow the place apart and make us look bad"

Exactly - although Led Zep, The Who and The Stones would have been THE line-up of all time. If it had happened the film would probably have never been released though. Too much for Mick's ego to bear.

The lineup of all time was The Beatles, The Stones, and The Who, at the 1966 NME concert.

ok - fair enough

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Roll73
If it had happened the film would probably have never been released though. Too much for Mick's ego to bear.

That's what I was thinking too. Zeppelin would have totally blown the circus tent far, far away.

I never knew Zeppelin was considered for that show. That would have been awesome.

Well, Ian mimed to a backing track, you know.

Good thing Zeppelin wasn't there, Page may have stolen the entire Stones 70's catalog to come

Whatever...judge for yourself.

The RNR Circus may the only time Tony Iommi played live with Tull.

Of course Ian Anderson would have found that party boring, he wasn't much of a partier. I would imagine he would have at least been a bit humbled to be among such rock royalty but I've always found his comments on other rock artists of that time to be somewhat pretentious.

peace

Jethro Tull did not perform anything. The whole band mimed, and they were the only band to do so.

Too bad they didn't get a mime for Yoko's vocals.

The music jam is pretty damn rockin' if ya can get past Yoko's contribution. I'm pretty sure the applause at the end is because the tune is over.





peace

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Naturalust
Too bad they didn't get a mime for Yoko's vocals.

The music jam is pretty damn rockin' if ya can get past Yoko's contribution. I'm pretty sure the applause at the end is because the tune is over.





peace

Yoko's contribution always makes me chuckle!

What a drag it is gettin' old

I do believe our own dear Mick Jagger was the session guitarist on one of Yoko's albums (forget which one).





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-01-24 07:58 by 71Tele.

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71Tele
I do believe our own dear Mick Jagger was the session guitarist on one of Yoko's albums (forget which one).

APPROXIMATELY INFINITE UNIVERSE

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Glam Descendant

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71Tele
I do believe our own dear Mick Jagger was the session guitarist on one of Yoko's albums (forget which one).

APPROXIMATELY INFINITE UNIVERSE

Thank you, Glam. Happen to know which tracks he played on?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-01-24 08:46 by 71Tele.

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71Tele

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Glam Descendant

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71Tele
I do believe our own dear Mick Jagger was the session guitarist on one of Yoko's albums (forget which one).

APPROXIMATELY INFINITE UNIVERSE

Thank you, Glam. Happen to know which tracks he played on?

"Is Winter Here To Stay?"

I've seen Beatles books that say it was "Winter Song" but Nico Zentgraf's site specifies:

"Note: Not to be mixed up with Winter Song"


(me : ) "Is Winter Here To Stay?" makes more sense, as it's a kinda jam song.

I am very, very, approximately infinitely reluctant to post this but here goes:

[soundcloud.com]



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2015-01-24 09:40 by Glam Descendant.

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Glam Descendant

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71Tele

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Glam Descendant

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71Tele
I do believe our own dear Mick Jagger was the session guitarist on one of Yoko's albums (forget which one).

APPROXIMATELY INFINITE UNIVERSE

Thank you, Glam. Happen to know which tracks he played on?

"Is Winter Here To Stay?"

I've seen Beatles books that say it was "Winter Song" but Nico Zentgraf's site specifies:

"Note: Not to be mixed up with Winter Song"


(me : ) "Is Winter Here To Stay?" makes more sense, as it's a kinda jam song.

I am very, very, approximately infinitely reluctant to post this but here goes:

[soundcloud.com]

I had never heard it. I like it suprisingly (one listen only, not many more will follow). Mick plays a good bluesguitar.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-01-24 17:28 by RipThisBone.