The Witch's Promise
"The Witch's Promise" | ||||
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Single by Jethro Tull | ||||
B-side | "Teacher" | |||
Released | 16 January 1970[1] | |||
Recorded | 19 December 1969[2] | |||
Studio | Morgan Studios, London[3] | |||
Genre |
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Length | 3:48 | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ian Anderson | |||
Producer(s) | Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis | |||
Jethro Tull singles chronology | ||||
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"The Witch's Promise" is a single by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in January 1970,[1] on the Chrysalis label.[6] It reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart,[7] and was promoted by an appearance on the British chart show Top of the Pops.[8] The B-side was "Teacher", an alternate version of which later appeared on the US release of the album Benefit.[9] In the U.S., the single was released on the Reprise label.[10]
Background
The song was recorded at Morgan Studios, London, on 19 December 1969.[2][3] It was intended to be a follow-up to the group's two previous singles, "Living in the Past" and "Sweet Dream", which had been top ten hits.[11] Musically, it developed from the style heard on the group's previous album, Stand Up, discarding the blues influences that the band had started with, and steered towards folk.[12]
Record World said that "Jethro Tull sounds strangely like a medieval Scottish troubador" and that "Ian Anderson's flute and vocal both excellent."[13]
The single was the first recording to feature keyboardist John Evan, who would be an important member of Jethro Tull throughout the 1970s. He was sharing a flat with frontman Ian Anderson at the time, and agreed to perform as a session musician. He played Hammond organ on "Teacher" and both piano and Mellotron on "The Witch's Promise."[14] This led to an offer to join the band full-time.[15] The track is one of the few recorded by Jethro Tull to feature the Mellotron, a tape replay keyboard that could emulate a string section,[16] and the only single released by the band to feature the instrument.[17]
"The Witch's Promise" was intended to be the last standalone single from the group, that was not taken from an LP. Anderson said the group would issue singles from future albums in order to gain radio play, but he was not particularly interested in promoting them.[12]
The song appeared in a remixed version on both the UK and US version of the compilation album Living in the Past (1972).[3]
Personnel
- Ian Anderson – vocals, flute
- Martin Barre – guitar
- Glenn Cornick – bass
- Clive Bunker – drums
Additional personnel
Covers
English rock band All About Eve covered the song on a 10" vinyl release of their 1989 single "December".[18]
Mostly Autumn side-project Odin Dragonfly covered the song as "Witches Promise" on their 2007 debut, Offerings.
References
Citations
- ^ a b "Record Mirror" (PDF).
- ^ a b Rabey 2013, p. 64.
- ^ a b c "JETHRO TULL LIVING IN THE PAST - Original 1972 double album liner notes". albumlinernotes. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "In Defense of Jethro Tull: Revisiting Ian Anderson's Greatest Songs". AllMusic.
- ^ Stanley, Bob (2023). "Nowhere". Bee Gees: Children of the World. London: Nine Eight Books. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-7887-0541-7.
- ^ Rees 1998, p. 193.
- ^ "Jethro Tull". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ Rabey 2013, p. 66.
- ^ Rabey 2013, pp. 64, 68.
- ^ "Jethro Tull – The Witch's Promise". Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 2002. ISBN 978-0-857-12595-8.
- ^ a b Rees 1998, p. 35.
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Record World. April 4, 1970. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- ^ Russo, Greg (2016). Flying Colours The Jethro Tull Reference Manual. Russo. p. 59. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ Rabey 2013, pp. 64–65.
- ^ a b Smolko 2013, p. 9.
- ^ Thompson, Andy (1999–2018). "Jethro Tull". Planet Mellotron. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
- ^ All About Eve – December (Media notes). Mercury. 1989. EVENB 11 876 439-9.
Sources
- Rabey, Brian (2013). A Passion Play: The Story Of Ian Anderson & Jethro Tull. Soundcheck Books. ISBN 978-0-957-14424-8.
- Rees, David (1998). Minstrels In The Gallery – A History of Jethro Tull. FireFly. ISBN 0-946719-22-5.
- Smolko, Tim (2013). Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play: Inside Two Long Songs. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-01038-4.
External links
- "The Witch's Promise" at 45cat.com
- v
- t
- e
- Ian Anderson
- David Goodier
- John O'Hara
- Scott Hammond
- Joe Parrish
- Mick Abrahams
- Clive Bunker
- Glenn Cornick
- Tony Iommi
- Martin Barre
- John Evan
- Jeffrey Hammond
- Barriemore Barlow
- John Glascock
- Dee Palmer
- Dave Pegg
- Mark Craney
- Eddie Jobson
- Gerry Conway
- Peter-John Vettese
- Paul Burgess
- Doane Perry
- Don Airey
- Maartin Allcock
- Andrew Giddings
- Dave Mattacks
- Jonathan Noyce
- Florian Opahle
- This Was
- Stand Up
- Benefit
- Aqualung
- Thick as a Brick
- A Passion Play
- War Child
- Minstrel in the Gallery
- Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!
- Songs from the Wood
- Heavy Horses
- Stormwatch
- A
- The Broadsword and the Beast
- Under Wraps
- Crest of a Knave
- Rock Island
- Catfish Rising
- Roots to Branches
- J-Tull Dot Com
- The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
- The Zealot Gene
- RökFlöte
- Bursting Out
- Live at Hammersmith '84
- A Little Light Music
- Jethro Tull in Concert
- Living with the Past
- Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
- Aqualung Live
- Live at Montreux 2003
- Live at Madison Square Garden 1978
- Live at Carnegie Hall 1970
- Living in the Past
- M.U. – The Best of Jethro Tull
- Repeat – The Best of Jethro Tull – Vol II
- Original Masters
- 20 Years of Jethro Tull: Highlights
- Nightcap
- The Best of Jethro Tull – The Anniversary Collection
- Through the Years
- The Very Best Of
- The Best of Acoustic Jethro Tull
- The Essential
- 50 for 50
- Slipstream
- 20 Years of Jethro Tull
- 25th Anniversary Video
- Living with the Past
- A New Day Yesterday
- Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
- Live at Montreux 2003
- Jack in the Green
- Live at Madison Square Garden 1978
- Live at AVO Session Basel
- Around the World Live
- "Sunshine Day"
- "A Song for Jeffrey"
- "Love Story"
- "Living in the Past"
- "Bourée"
- "Sweet Dream"
- "The Witch's Promise"
- "Teacher"
- "Aqualung"
- "Cross-Eyed Mary"
- "Mother Goose"
- "Hymn 43"
- "Locomotive Breath"
- "Life Is a Long Song"
- "Bungle in the Jungle"
- "Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day"
- "Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die"
- "The Whistler"
- "Songs from the Wood"
- "Heavy Horses"
- "Dun Ringill"
- Discography
- Members
- A Billion Hands Concert
- The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
- A Classic Case
- Thick as a Brick 2
- Jethro Tull – The String Quartets
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