A Song for Jeffrey

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"A Song for Jeffrey"
Single by Jethro Tull
from the album This Was
B-side"One for John Gee"
Released13 September 1968 UK[1]
Recorded27 July 1968
StudioSound Techniques Studio, London, UK[2]
Genre
Length3:22
LabelIsland 6043
Songwriter(s)Ian Anderson
Producer(s)Ian Anderson
Jethro Tull singles chronology
"Sunshine Day"
(1968) 		"A Song for Jeffrey"
(1968) 		"Love Story"
(1968)

"A Song for Jeffrey" is a song recorded by the English rock band Jethro Tull, released as their second single in the UK,[5] and as the B-side to "Love Story" in the US.[6] The "Jeffrey" of the title is Ian Anderson's friend and future Jethro Tull bassist Jeffrey Hammond, who was "a slightly wayward lad who wasn’t quite sure where he was headed in life".[7]

The song starts off with a bass riff by Glenn Cornick before Ian Anderson's flute comes in. It then becomes a psychedelic blues tune, with guitarist Mick Abrahams playing slide guitar.[8] Despite being similar in style to "My Sunday Feeling" and "Beggar's Farm", the instrumental section shows a greater influence of jazz rather than blues.[9]

The song was largely praised by music critics.

New Musical Express wrote that it was "good enough to have made the Chart".[5]

The song was performed on the Rolling Stones Rock 'n' Roll Circus in December 1968, although only Ian Anderson's vocals and flute were amplified for the live performance; the rest of the band mimed their parts, but the sound was pre-recorded. This was the only Tull performance with guitarist Tony Iommi during his two-week tenure with the band, and it has been suggested that he had not had time to learn his part and thus relied on Abrahams' recording.[citation needed] This version was officially released on the companion album to the film in 1996.[12] A version of the song was recorded for play on BBC radio.[9]

"A Song for Jeffrey" was ranked the 25th best Jethro Tull song by Rock – Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Jethro Tull Discography". 45cat.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. ^ "This Was". discogs. 1968. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  3. ISBN 978-1-84243-825-1
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-87930-653-3
    .
  5. ^
    New Musical Express
    . TullPress.com. January 11, 1969. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  6. ISBN 1-84195-017-3
    .
  7. ^ Tom Pinnock (3 May 2019). "Jethro Tull on The Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus and 'A Song For Jeffrey': "It has a directness!"". Uncut. Kelsey Media.
  8. ^ Furgess, Dave. "Jethro Tull – A Song For Jeffrey/One For John Gee". Head Heritage. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  9. ^
    ISBN 0786411015
    .
  10. ^ Eder, Bruce. "This Was – Jethro Tull review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  11. ^ Starostin, George. "This Was". Only Solitaire. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  12. ^ Fanelli, Damian (August 10, 2017). "Remember When Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Was in Jethro Tull?". Guitar World. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  13. ISBN 978-3868526462
    .


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