Another memorable experience came through his involvement with English folk-rock outfit Steeleye Span. Anderson is credited as producer of Now We Are Six but suggests he mixed their album and helped arrange a session featuring David Bowie on saxophone.
“Bowie turned up with a small entourage, did a run-through, nailed it in a take, and left in 20 minutes. Completely professional,” he recalls.
Years later, Anderson thanked Bowie for his work when they met in a German television studio. The memory still lingers. “He did it for nothing. No fee, no royalty. That generosity stayed with me,” Anderson says. “From that point on, I adopted the same principle. If someone asked me to play on their record, I’d do it for free. It's nice to be asked."
He also admired Bowie for something deeper: authenticity. “He didn’t fake being American,” Anderson says. “Why not be Ian Dury, Alex Harvey or David Bowie? They sang in their own voices.”
Anderson has tried to do the same. “Why pretend to be from Alabama when you’re not?” he asks. “The Beatles sang in their own voices. If they covered Little Richard, they leaned into it. Otherwise, they were themselves.”
The Tull frontman does recall a wave from Lennon when they were both on Top of the Pops in February 1970. Tull performed The Witch’s Promise while Lennon sang Instant Karma. Of Lennon, Anderson adds. “I was never a huge Beatles fan, but John was the one I liked most. He had originality and attitude. Paul was more polite, more of a crooner. John had a nasally twang to his voice and came up with great elements of the songs, which we were encouraged to believe they wrote together.”
“Some memories are good, some are sad,” he says. “Brian Jones was a really benign and modest guy, but he wasn’t in good shape."
It would be Jones’s final performance with the Stones before his death in July 1969. "He had been ostracised from the other members of the band as he was a bit doolally and not able to play.”
Anderson recalls Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts as friendly, Keith Richards as distant, and Mick Jagger as aloof and fiercely driven, while adding he has "huge respect" for the band.
“He [Jagger] didn’t want to come off second best to The Who,” says Anderson. “He pushed himself hard but ended up blowing his voice during rehearsals.”
Jethro Tull will end a brief 10-day break from the road on Tuesday (Oct. 27) with a year-ending string of almost 20 shows. They've also continued adding stops for 2027.
This massive tour in support of 2025's Curious Ruminant actually began last February and now continues into September of next year. As a result, co-founding frontman Ian Anderson says the group won't be producing a follow-up LP any time soon.
10/27 – Groningen, Netherlands @ MartiniPlaza
10/28 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ De Vereeniging
10/30 – Hoorn, Netherlands @ Schouwburg Het Park
10/31 – Rotterdam, Netherlands @ De Doelen
11/5 – Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
11/6 – Magdeburg, Germany @ GETEC Arena Magdeburg
11/8 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Kongresshaus
11/14 – Istanbul, Turkey @ Zorlu PSM
11/20 – Bregenz, Austria @ Festspielhaus Bregenz
11/22 – Linz, Austria @ Brucknerhaus
11/23 – Vienna, Austria @ Wiener Konzerthaus
11/27 – Poznan, Poland @ Sala Ziemi Poznan CongressCenter
11/28 – Warszawa, Poland @ Arena Ursynow
11/30 – Zabrze, Poland @ Dom Muzyki i Tanca
12/3 – Chelmsford, UK @ Chelmsford Cathedral
12/4 – Ely, UK @ Ely Cathedral
12/18 – Bonn, Germany @ Beethovenhalle
Read More: Jethro Tull Adds More 2027 Curious Ruminant Tour Dates | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jethro-tull-2027-tour/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
