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Post by steelmonkey on Jul 9, 2010 23:04:59 GMT
Though it is common knowledge that Jeffrey HH was, by a long shot, not a natural musician nor a particularly accomplished Bass Guitar player...it is impossible to ignore the fact that his tenure as a band member: Aqualung thru Minstrel, coincides precisely with Tull's peak in creativity, popularity and singularity as a band. Who knows what subtle but profound role his precense played in Ian's songwriting and general courage/ambition as a composer and performer?
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tullist
Master Craftsman
Posts: 478
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Post by tullist on Jul 10, 2010 5:06:54 GMT
So good to see u jabbering away on a variety of topics Bernie. Was lucky enough to see Glen w Wild Turkey on the fall leg of the Brick tour, remember how watching him how obvious it seemed that this guy had been in Tull. Hard to put a finger on it, and as much as I truly love all the Tull bass players only Glen and Jeffrey had that it factor. Peggy was a godsend and certainly fit well, just not quite in the same sense. Jeffrey please. Did u see that guy in the flesh. What other band could he possibly have been in, with the outside exception of Captain Beefheart. Even the videos and boots don't really capture it. What he played, musician or not, I mean to say he played exactly right and with real passion, real belief, in a delicious way, he was scary, not put on scary, the real thing, sort of...awful, genuinely odd, I believe undoubtebly spurring on Ian in an alter ego sort of way, and apparently John Evan as well, such an irreplacable stage image John had, so very different from the person I see in interviews. Dam him for getting bored with it.
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 10, 2010 8:03:04 GMT
My own "take" on JHH is that he is and always has been, a mentor to IA.
His stage presence was integral to Tull during his playing days - witness his theatrics with the stuffed dog, stripped suit and bass guitar etc, and while he was not a natural musician he learnt the bass parts well enough to be able to perform them to great effect on stage and on record.
I would guess that without JHH, Jethro Tull would be a vastly different beast to what it became and as such he is, imo, the unsung hero and legend behind the band.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jul 10, 2010 16:19:03 GMT
I never saw Glenn Cornick live but i'm convinced that he too was a strong element in who Tull were at the start...contributing his rock and roll vibe to a band a bit short of that kind of authentic free-spirited wildness....They really were a band until the changes between Stormwatch and A...no matter how much being the front man and songwriter pushed Ian into the arms of the media and fans, i think the friendships and relationships rooted in school days and early transit van circuit made them a real band...from A on, Jethro Tull has been a manifestation of Ian and Martin's talent and consistent working relationship and everyone else, no matter the tenure or musical input, have been glorified sidemen at best........not saying that's a bad thing....just saying that Tull are not likely to have a Monkee's style sit-com about their wacky lives as bandmates/family anytime soon.
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Post by steelmonkey on Dec 23, 2010 16:20:17 GMT
wade through the self-promotion and misguided competitive vibe of the Jethro Tull Board and read the Q and A with Jeffrey H.H....what a great person, true artist, bright and honest guy and general, eternal building block of Jethro Tull..it's so worth reading his memories, current philosophies and general outlook on life, art and his years in the spotlight...It speaks volumes about JHH that the usual 'what's ian like' questions are not even considered in conversation with this unique individual.
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Post by maddogfagin on Dec 23, 2010 19:12:14 GMT
wade through the self-promotion and misguided competitive vibe of the Jethro Tull Board and read the Q and A with Jeffrey H.H....what a great person, true artist, bright and honest guy and general, eternal building block of Jethro Tull..it's so worth reading his memories, current philosophies and general outlook on life, art and his years in the spotlight...It speaks volumes about JHH that the usual 'what's ian like' questions are not even considered in conversation with this unique individual. He's certainly all of what you say Steel - an honest sort of bloke. Feel free to re-post the i/v here as the board have always seen fit to do the same and, apart from a couple of people, we're all Tull family under the skin and I'm sure they won't mind.
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Post by steelmonkey on Dec 23, 2010 21:01:32 GMT
From Jeffrey in answer to members questions from the Jethro Tull Board. "May I say that it’s very touching to know that firstly you all remember that I was part of the band and secondly to those of you who have done so, I would like to thank you for having shown an interest in my “artistic life”. I have tried to answer your questions in chronological order though sadly sometimes that might also mean with what one might call chronic logic." To Pat Kent. "My life as an artist only really began circa 1980. It was then that I began to try to teach myself something about painting. Although I had been to Art School I felt that I had learned little there technically but I had at least understood that it might be possible to express myself with paint, subject to me coming to grips with paint and brushes and how to combine the two together in a way that would ensure that more paint would end up on the canvas than on me. Most of all I recognised a powerful desire within myself to do this but also an understanding that I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I suppose since then I have learned like others that the cliché “99% perspiration, 1% inspiration” is not far from the mark. I do though sweat quite readily. Artistic influences have been a journey from complete ignorance, through narrow-mindedness to a more eclectic view which eventually allowed me to accept quite some time ago that often what one dislikes can be as influential as what one likes. I’m not deliberately obfuscating, for a list of favourite/influential artists may be as long as my arm and not in any case include so many other important influences such as film directors, the theatre, writers, composers, notwithstanding bigger issues such as love and humour and not forgetting everything one sees whilst one is awake and possibly also asleep. Like so many artists and not being particularly articulate myself, I find words often are an obstruction to the art of looking so I’ve avoided making artistic statements always hoping that my paintings could stand on their own two feet. (Or at the very least easels). I paint with oils on double primed fine Belgian linen. I do enjoy pencil drawing, pen and ink and watercolour though most of my time is spent on bringing to life a subject in a more substantive way i.e. in oils. In musical terms more increasingly as symphonies and concertos than songs and etudes. I might be perceived as not prolific and a slow worker. There is a meditative/contemplative aspect to the work process, plenty of time for tea and the occasional bun. I spend less time now looking at others work, being so much involved with my own, though I am not unaware of contemporary art. This is not being critical, quite the reverse, but I wonder whether art gallery space might be best placed to exhibit what used to be called the “fine arts” (sculpture and painting) and perhaps newer more appropriate exhibition buildings could be afforded to display more recent interesting developments. Maybe they could be called Not Fine Art Galleries. I haven’t exhibited, other than when I made an exhibition of myself whilst I was in the band. The very nature of the subject matter of my work now doesn’t allow me to work outside though I would always choose to paint from life wherever possible. I have only ever sold one picture; to a generous fellow student at Art school, who I think felt sorry for my impoverished state. She gave me £5 for a very small still life which in the nicest possible way I hope doesn’t exist any more. You ask about Thick As A Brick and in particular about the poet and painter. At Grammar School where we met and were doing A level art, Ian displayed much more skill than I did. I have written poetry at various times in my life but I suspect Ian might be a more interesting painter than I a poet and would also be able to give you a more accurate and indeed more poetic reply. Your final remark is about mud sharks in Seattle. Possibly you are referring to the infamous Edgewater Inn in Seattle where guests were encouraged to fish directly from their bedroom windows. Octopuses and mud sharks were easy catches. I haven’t seen the film Sleepless in Seattle but the title alone may give some kind of clue to the sorry antics that went on there and anyway I understand that others were far more extrovert in their behaviour than we were. Sorry to disappoint". To Daniel in Santiago, Chile. "Hello Daniel, 1. I think it was as much a shock to me as it was to everyone else when I decided to leave the Band. It was a spontaneous mini-volcanic eruption which exploded inside me and which on a personal relationship level I didn’t handle very well. However as with real such eruptions it gave rise to very fertile ground for a succession of more able bass players to replace me and of course musically, the band benefitted enormously. 2. I was indeed fortunate to be a part of that very successful time. Perhaps because the band was mostly involved with albums and performing concerts that “videos” weren’t a concern. I don’t think the technology was terribly good then but Patrick Gordon, a tour manager, spent many happy hours maybe circa 1973/4 with a camcorder at concerts but I’ve no idea what happened to the footage. Also don’t forget that we weren’t the Osmonds and close ups of our undoubtedly very attractive faces wouldn’t necessarily have been a strong selling point. Yes there is that Paris tape which I’ve only seen a very small part of". To the anonymous person [jstger6969] who asks: "1. Which album did I enjoy making the most? Well possibly along with Passion Play arguably the least quintessentially Jethro Tull album, Thick As A Brick. “Making” being the operative word which would therefore include rehearsing, recording, involvement in the album cover design and taking the music into the performing arena. 2. Is there any J.T. music that you listen to today? My favourite music is mostly from before I joined the band though not exclusively. I was a fan and fortunate to see them at close quarters in the very early days at places like the Marquee which of course holds fond memories for me". "To Lucas from Brazil. Hello Lucas it’s great that you enjoy the music. You ask whether I have ever regretted leaving the band. It is fashionable to say “non je ne regrette rien”. But I had to try to find myself and follow/make my destiny, something I think most people try to do, more often than not starting at a much earlier age. (And which in any case is presumably a continuing process)-you mentioned something about the music cleaning your soul so I think you know what I mean. After leaving it was sad not to see as much of those close friends that I had grown up with in Blackpool and whose lives had been so entwined for most of the previous 5 years. In choosing a “solitary” lifestyle as a painter I certainly missed the camaraderie that we had shared. I’m sure that I had withdrawal symptoms not having the excitement of performing in front of large appreciative audiences. However I substituted that vicariously, by being backstage when the band were on tour and playing in Bristol, my local big city. Then back to the future, the hermit into his cave". "To “Bobbo” Miller. Hello “Bobbo”. Firstly congratulations. What a great name you have. I’m really pleased that you managed to see concerts of which I too hold many happy memories. I think I’ve covered some of your and others concerns about lack of video footage, though none of that can change the situation. Perhaps those times are better held as memories for those lucky enough to be present. Film after all can struggle to capture the atmosphere and feeling generated in a live concert, particularly the shared sense of occasion between audience and performer, this being one of the most rewarding parts of my life with the band. Is that now what’s called being “interactive”? Your question about my “expertise” as a bass player when I joined the band is perhaps a contradiction in terms. Though I had been in the band at school etc. my musical knowledge was very limited certainly compared to the others. I then spent 4 or 5 years at Art school when I didn’t touch a musical instrument. When I fell into the deep end upon re-joining the band I felt, if you’ll forgive the slightly mixed metaphor, like a fish out of water. I’m not sure how to get from fish to zebras which you ask about, other than by virtue of amphibious evolution (please see Darwin and Dawkins). It’s true to say that black and white stripes have been in fashion from time to time, presumably there are Black Stripes as well as White Stripes. And could that truly be called interracial?" "To a “trusty Spanish fan” [Janu]. Hello my trusty nameless Spanish friend. As I agreed in answer to a previous question, it is unfortunate that virtually nothing exists on film from the early seventies. As you said they were for me amazing times. Although there is little in the way of film there has been much written about that time and I suspect that anything I wrote here would be a repetition of that and certainly not as humorous. Possibly one of the more memorable and understandably least mentioned evenings (post concert) was on the first TAABrick tour in northern Germany. Ian and I retired to the hotel room of an unnamed third band member and proceeded (mostly myself) to act the goat largely for their benefit over the course of a couple of hours. The details are unimportant and in any case inevitably hazy. Save to say that it became so silly that the band member who shall remain nameless was so consumed with laughter that he was unable quite literally to contain himself". "To another unnamed friend [2 Fingers] who asks: 1. About the story behind “Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square”. Of course Ian would be better qualified to answer that. This may well have nothing to do with it but at the time as an Art student I used to visit the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square in the early evening after college had finished. En route I would divert to Leicester Square where I would frequent a cafe that did a reasonably cheap but good home-made steak pie and chips. This would be something I could afford perhaps once a week. But I also enjoyed that area around Leicester Square, which in those days was quite seedy. After all that seediness was very much home from home for me. 2. About my decision to leave the band. Well I think I’ve spoken about that earlier. A small seed had been planted at Art school that germinated, has grown and flowered though not always with sweetly scented blossom but perhaps with interesting colour. 3. About whether I invented the ”Claghorn”. Once again this has probably already been definitively written about, though the word suggests that I could have been responsible for naming it. In rural County Durham where I spent numerous happy childhood holidays on a relatives’ farm, clags and clarts were colloquialisms for sticky mud that might have come into close contact with cow dung, a valuable farming bi-product from the other end of the smiling cow and its’ horns (clag-horn). Admittedly all this might sound as if it had been lifted from the U.K. T.V. panel game show of the 60’s/70’s..... Call My Bluff. True or False?" "To my anonymous fellow artist friend [Kram] who asks about my painting life. Since recognising that painting was the path that I had to follow I haven’t gone further than occasionally looking down other avenues. There are from time to time what some people fete as Renaissance Men as there are what others refer to as “jacks of all trades”. I certainly don’t belong to the former and at least aspire to not being one of the latter. I’m still an apprentice in a trade that has such a rich tradition, though I have been fortunate in being able to plough my own furrow and use my own seed drill. Without I hope sounding too pompous what I am trying to cultivate is for everyone’s nourishment, so yes I also hope that my work will eventually reach the wider world. And yes Ian does possess a small painting of mine. It’s good to know that you were there in the early 70’s and came back for more. You say that I appeared to be a “speed freak”. I have slowed down recently and walking in the beautiful countryside of the North of England is as energetic as I allow myself to be. From an early age the great outdoors was one of my biggest fixes. As a young child that would be the back-alleys of central Blackpool, the beach and sea (I survived both) and the countryside of Lancashire, Cumbria and Durham, later around my home in rural Gloucestershire and now back again in The North. Fresh air is quite a stimulant, if you are fortunate enough to be able to find enough of it". "Finally I think in answer to Pat Kent once again. Early musical influences were probably hymns Ancient and Modern – those strong melodies, the seemingly meaningless lyrics. My father singing at the top of his voice as he drove his first car around the Fells. This invariably meant frequent repeat performances of the Doris Day hit “Secret Love”, though would also include a sprinkling of other songs from musicals of the day. A little later my father acquired a Grundig reel to reel tape recorder along with 3 or 4 pre-recorded tapes, my favourite being the Brahms Violin Concerto which I played until it was worn out and consequently I could probably at that time have hummed it backwards if asked. Strangely no-one did. For some time I had the ludicrous and therefore necessarily secret ambition to be either a violinist or conductor. Later after a thorough acquaintance with the pop music of the day I took an interest in blues music as well as a flirtation with jazz and some of the lighter and more accessible classical catalogue. This Was then. You ask about “This Was” and the band breaking into the “big time” in London. I was fortunate to be around when some of this was taking place. In a way I probably thought – “well about time too”, meaning that they finally had received their long-deserved recognition but also that Ian was at last writing exciting music of his own that was breaking new ground. You ask about the transition from Aqualung to TAABrick and what you term theatrical “prog-rock”. To me at the time it seemed like a “natural progress” rather than a “prog-rock”. The theatrics were very much home-made fun rather than any kind of overblown or contrived stylist orientated baloney that became popular around then and later. I think I have already covered your question about leaving the band. Finally your enquiry about the striped bass guitar. When I left the band I not only left physlcally myself but left behind all my equipment, amplifiers etc., which included my striped Fender. A couple of years later in a low moment I happened to catch ten minutes of a T.V. programme called Top Of The Pops. The bass player in a band I don’t know the name of was playing (or should I say miming with) my striped Fender clearly distinguishable by the nature of the home-madeness of the stripes. Sorry to disappoint". "Well you may not find much logic in these ramblings but I do hope that I have gone some way to answering your questions, though answers usually mean more questions – no I don’t think I really mean that. Kind regards to you all and thanks for the memories," Jeffrey (Hammond)-(Hammond). Read more: thejethrotullboard.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questions&action=display&thread=1382&page=2#ixzz18yFqSqU7
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Post by steelmonkey on Dec 23, 2010 21:11:50 GMT
So there we have the BIG NEWS...a manager named Patrick Gordon was toting a camcorder thru the glory tours....he should be easy enough to locate online, don't you think, I mean, patrick gordon isn't a common name, is it?
FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO ME !!!!!!
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Post by TM on Dec 24, 2010 3:33:39 GMT
wade through the self-promotion and misguided competitive vibe of the Jethro Tull Board and read the Q and A with Jeffrey H.H....what a great person, true artist, bright and honest guy and general, eternal building block of Jethro Tull..it's so worth reading his memories, current philosophies and general outlook on life, art and his years in the spotlight...It speaks volumes about JHH that the usual 'what's ian like' questions are not even considered in conversation with this unique individual. Ah steel, You could of at least kissed me first. Merry Christmas.
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Post by maddogfagin on Dec 24, 2010 9:09:17 GMT
wade through the self-promotion and misguided competitive vibe of the Jethro Tull Board and read the Q and A with Jeffrey H.H....what a great person, true artist, bright and honest guy and general, eternal building block of Jethro Tull..it's so worth reading his memories, current philosophies and general outlook on life, art and his years in the spotlight...It speaks volumes about JHH that the usual 'what's ian like' questions are not even considered in conversation with this unique individual. Ah steel, You could of at least kissed me first. Merry Christmas. No tongues I hope. Glad to see you here TM - Christmas greetings to you and yours etc.
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Post by steelmonkey on Dec 24, 2010 17:15:29 GMT
Jewish foreplay isn't kissing...it's begging...and you slept thru it...Mery Xmas and a very Tull new year....you must have been a very good boy of late...seems Ian is reluctant to schedule any USA dates not within reasonable distance from your home......Well...humph...I wouldn't have wanted to see ian at the city winery...no, not at all..so there...
PS emperor's new clothes: we all read both boards !
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Post by nonrabbit on Jul 30, 2012 9:32:28 GMT
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Post by maddogfagin on Jul 30, 2012 12:16:28 GMT
Happy birthday JH-H.
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Post by steelmonkey on Jul 30, 2012 18:21:42 GMT
Happy Birthday to Jeffrey and eternal gratitude for his role in the band and , this is my guess, fostering Ian's ability to embrace and express the 'outsider's' viewpoint. Jefferey was a high school archetype...the odd outsider who ran with the role, not from it....an element we find in almost all rock and roll biographies...rock and roll saved those of us who were not athletic studs or cheerleader beauties or silver spoon fed heirs...punk continued this embrace of outsiders...Long live rock !
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Post by maddogfagin on Oct 27, 2017 8:04:43 GMT
www.fylde.gov.uk/news/2017/oct/world-s-stage-paintings-jeffrey-hammond/All The World's A Stage: Paintings By Jeffrey HammondWhere: Fylde Gallery, Lytham When: Friday 3rd November to Sunday 3rd December 2017 From performing on stage himself, Jeffrey Hammond now sees the world as a stage full of characters for his vivid, colourful artworks. Jeffrey was a founded member of the rock band Jethro Tull, but left the band in the mid-1970s to pursue a quieter life which included developing his considerable talent as an artist. Despite spending decades perfecting his skills, it is only now that Jeffrey feels ready to show his paintings in his very first solo art exhibition which opens on Friday 2nd November. Jeffrey was born in Blackpool and studied at Blackpool Grammar School where he met Ian Anderson, eventually leading to the formation of Jethro Tull. In the meantime, Jeffrey studied art at Blackpool Technical College and then at Central St Martin’s College in London, but put his paint-brush aside for five years as he toured the world as the band’s bass player. In recent years, Jeffrey has relocated to the Fylde coast and works from an art studio in his home. His oil paintings are full of detail and incident, capturing the minutiae of everyday life, and set in well-known landmarks. They freeze a moment in time, leaving the viewer to figure out the stories behind each character. Jeffrey often puts himself in the picture, mixed in among the crowds. To summarise what visitors can expect from his very first exhibition, Jeffrey has chosen these well-known lines from Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women (merely) players; They have their exits and entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 28, 2017 17:20:14 GMT
I hope we can get more info and images from the exhibiiton. I'll try figure out which one of you is closest to Lytham/Fylde Coast and assign field trip ASAP.
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Post by steelmonkey on Oct 28, 2017 17:26:12 GMT
It's you Bunkerfan, man...unless Ash is a bit closer or someone else pipes up...the place is just south of Blackpool so I know The dog and Rabbit are further away .Wait...can we make Elsmiegirl go and report ?
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Post by bassackwards on Oct 28, 2017 18:08:16 GMT
I hope we can get more info and images from the exhibiiton. I'll try figure out which one of you is closest to Lytham/Fylde Coast and assign field trip ASAP. Perhaps if there's a catalog or an invitation someone could get the gallery to give up 50 or so for the old fans of Jeffrey
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Post by JTull 007 on Nov 2, 2017 0:24:53 GMT
Jethro Tull guitarist Jeffrey Hammond 17 October 2017 LINK Lancashire rock star Jeffrey Hammond is back home and about to reveal his hidden talent for art. But first, he spoke exclusively to Barbara Waite
Jeffrey with his picture of the front at Looe in Cornwall
For a man who has played the world’s biggest venues as bass guitarist with 1970s prog rock giants Jethro Tull, Jeffrey Hammond is a surprisingly private man. In his second career as an artist he has studiously avoided the limelight and only close friends and relatives have ever seen his paintings – until now.
Lancashire Life was given an exclusive interview and the chance to see his works ahead of his first ever exhibition, to be held on the Fylde this month. It fulfills a promise to his late partner Tess who wanted him to share his distinctive paintings with a wider audience.
It is another important milestone in Jeffrey’s life. Born is Blackpool, he has come back to Lancashire where he grew up in a boarding house run by his parents in the shadow of the famous Tower.
He lived the rock star life from 1971-1975 and it all started with a chance encounter at Blackpool Grammar School.
A fellow student, Ian Anderson, who had never spoken to him before said: ‘You look like a musician? What do you play?’ It was the start of a friendship that survives to this day.
Pleasure Beach Ramp is titled Shellfish Jeans: Evolution in Revolution
The Lowry Centre is titled The bridge across communities
Ian and another student John Evans wanted to form a group and invited Jeffrey to go with them to see Johnny Breeze and the Atlantics at their local youth club. Watching as the bass player was being mobbed by girls, Jeffrey agreed to be the be group’s bass guitarist despite having no musical training. So it was music, not art, that became the consuming passion during his last years at school.
The group – then known as The Blades – practised in the front room of at John’s mother’s home. ‘We made a horrible racket but in time we progressed from the youth club to doing gigs at workingmen’s clubs in Fleetwood and throughout the Fylde eventually going further afield to Nottingham, Newcastle and Manchester,’ said Jeffrey.
With the repetition of the repertoire the early excitement waned for Jeffrey and he re-took Art A level and joined an art foundation course at Blackpool Tech while his friends kept playing and moved to London.
His tutor suggested he do a painting course, so to apply for college he had to produce a work as part of his portfolio. His picture of a midwife holding a newly-born baby was, in his words, ‘not good’ and, even after it was improved a bit by his tutor, it was still rejected. That meant he could stay in Blackpool. ‘I was thrilled to bits that I would be able stay.' This view of Bowness is actually titled Queuing for relaxation
From an early age, Jeffrey knew he wanted to express himself but had no real idea how to go about it. Luck was on his side and he took up a place at Central St Martins College in London when one of the students dropped out.
Still feeling unsure about the move, he was persuaded by his tutor to go but ‘felt like a fish out of water’ for almost all of the three-year course. ‘The other 19 student already felt themselves to be artists, but I had no sense of direction and learned mostly from a fellow student who is still a good friend to this day.
‘It was not an auspicious start to a career, but during the last six months I felt I was getting somewhere – had found the “something” I was looking for. But what to do next?’
Fate intervened again. After failing an interview to get on a Royal Academy course and with Ian and John’s band – now called Jethro Tull - started taking off, they asked him to house-sit and do some decorating – painting of a different kind – while they toured in America.
On their return he was told: ‘You’re joining the band.’ So within a couple of months he found himself working on the hit album Aqualung and touring Scandinavia. ‘I thought I might last a month, but they were all good musicians and helped me through.’
Adopting the name Hammond-Hammond as a joke – adding in his mother’s surname before she married – he started wearing a black and white striped suit and played a matching guitar – his trademark look and a feature of staged performances of the album, Thick as a Brick.
‘It was fabulously exciting touring the world and I enjoyed it for five years, but inside I knew I wanted to paint – to learn to paint.And that’s what I have been doing all these years. Learning.
‘That stage of my life ended abruptly. I just blurted it out at a business meeting that I was leaving with no previous intention of saying it. It wasn’t the best way to handle it, but the band accepted my decision and moved on.’
By this time Jeffrey had married Mahmaz, an Iranian princess distantly related to the Shah of Persia, and the best friend of Ian Anderson’s wife. Together they set up home in Gloucestershire in a beautiful house with land which Jeffrey developed over the happy years they spent there.
He started painting, though his first attempt at a watercolour of the local view was abandoned. Initially, 90 per cent of his time was spent on the 11 acres of gardens but gradually art took the lion’s share of his time.
The couple travelled extensively, to Iran, Europe and America all documented in Jeffrey’s detailed paintings to give a narrative to their trips.
‘It took me a long while to get used to the slower pace of life after the hectic days of the band. Getting close to nature helped, but I wanted to centre myself and I knew I had to begin the long struggle to learn to paint something meaningful.
‘I started with still life where you have absolute control over everything. I was in the very fortunate position of not having to sell my works so I could develop my ideas exactly how I wanted to. I was very privileged.
‘I had to work hard to achieve the painting style I now have. I didn’t have natural talent and I wanted – still want – each painting to be a challenge, to seize a special moment, to tell a story.
Mahmaz, who came to this country to study at boarding school, was interested in the arts, but more theatre and literature and from their base they were ideally place to visit the RSC in Stratford, theatre in Malvern and Bristol, and Welsh National Opera in Cardiff.
Her untimely death and their son’s decision to move to London forced Jeffrey into another big decision. The house they’d both loved was too big for one – it was time to uproot and start again. ‘It was a huge wrench to leave, but I knew I had to do it.’
He had missed living by the seaside, so travelled from Bognor Regis around the coast right up to Anglesey to try and find a home that felt right, but without success. That is until he returned to the Fylde coast he had loved as a boy, setting up home near to his mother.
Painting in his studio, Jeffrey uses photographs of subjects he has taken which suggest a storyline to him. ‘The photographs are essentially an aide-memoire being unable to paint on the spot for the months it takes me to complete each painting.
‘At a certain point the real painting takes over and I no longer look at the photographs, as the picture is well on the way to becoming an autonomous entity and happily has a life of its own.
‘Each picture I paint demands a fresh approach. It is a matter of instinct and feeling to try to achieve what I want, technical aspects being subservient to that. I don’t take myself too seriously, but I do take painting seriously and hope some of the intended humour is seen.’ A good example of that is the fact he often paints himself in the crowd. Look closely and you might spot him.
‘To use a musical analogy I have been trying to write symphonies or operas rather than three-minute songs; a desire to have the space and time to give to a full narrative,’ he added.
While the painting has been an ever-present in his life there have been reminders of the rock stars days. Seven years ago group leader Ian Anderson travelled to Blackpool to unveil a plaque presented by the Performing Rights Society for Music, commemorating the debut gig of his first band The Blades.
Jeffrey, joined by early fans, attended the ceremony as the plaque was unveiled at Holy Family Church Hall, Links Road, North Shore – life coming full circle.
It was a poignant evening for Jeffrey who had found happiness with a new partner Tess, and his assured paintings show an impressive mastery that he would have hardly imagined during those early music days.
She pressed Jeffrey to organise a public showing of his work as she felt people should see his paintings, but unfortunately she died before the exhibition was organised.
It is her legacy that a small selection of his work is now going on show at the Fylde Gallery in Lytham Booths from November 3 for four weeks. He’s called it ‘All the world’s a stage’ a quote from Shakespeare’s As You Like It. He is certainly a man who has played many parts in his time.
Tull factfile
Ian Anderson, flautist and songwriter, lives in the south of England and is still recording and touring under his own name.
John Evan (correct), keyboards, had his own construction company after he left the band and now lives in Australia.
Barrie Barlow, drummer, worked with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page after the band broke up and is still involved in music.
Jeffrey played on Aqualung (1971), Thick as a Brick and Living in the Past (1972), A Passion Play (1973), War Child (1974), Minstrel in the Gallery (1975)
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Post by futureshock on Nov 2, 2017 1:39:52 GMT
Really impressive paintings! They pull me in to inspect everything going on; they're a world in action. I can almost hear the crowd chatter in those scenes.
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Post by maddogfagin on Nov 2, 2017 8:22:00 GMT
Knowing Looe quite well, this is a great painting of the seaside down here in Cornwall. I can just smell the fish 'n' chips www.looe.org/
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Post by nonrabbit on Nov 2, 2017 8:55:27 GMT
Love this!
I've always said that growing up in Blackpool in the 50's and 60's with the glamour,the bright colours and atmosphere must have had a huge influence for creative types.
I'm in North Yorkshire this weekend too but sadly not enough time to head East.
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Post by maddogfagin on Nov 2, 2017 9:56:46 GMT
Once my brain cells had finally clicked into place this morning, I remembered that one of JHH's paintings had been used in the Classic Artists: Jethro Tull dvd booklet.
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Post by maddogfagin on Nov 11, 2017 8:33:28 GMT
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Post by JTull 007 on Nov 15, 2017 3:13:08 GMT
Martin Barre: Fantastic to see my great friend Jeffrey Hammond at his art exhibition in Lytham UK! TULL Friends FOREVER !!! Jeffrey and Martin
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Post by jethrotull on Nov 15, 2017 6:18:42 GMT
I treasure the memories of seeing Jeffrey and Martin together onstage 45 years ago. The first time I saw them was on the Aqualung tour when the two dove out into explosions of light in My God, Jeffrey clad in his Ho Chi Minh suit and huge pink sunglasses. For TAAB Jeffrey sported tails and bow tie and Martin wore his silly suit. For me, that was the real Jethro Tull at the peak of their creativity, zaniness and stage presence, they rocked the house like no other band I've seen. In the photo above, all these years later they both look happy and delighted to see each other. Thanks for posting it!
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Post by steelmonkey on Nov 15, 2017 18:20:01 GMT
I agree...those were the days...to be lucky enough to be in the first few rows, in between the stage extensions that served MB and JHH during locomotive breath and other high points. So so good to see them together, looking healthy and happy.
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Post by maddogfagin on Dec 4, 2017 14:47:47 GMT
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Post by steelmonkey on Dec 4, 2017 17:55:55 GMT
In the dockside painting, way above, it seems pretty clear that the artist himself is reading a paper on the bench in front of the tourist office. But in this one, is that the artist, leaning on a 'Free Tibet' signpost? And is that a direct message from him about his political stance on China/Tibet ?
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Post by maddogfagin on Dec 5, 2017 8:04:25 GMT
In the dockside painting, way above, it seems pretty clear that the artist himself is reading a paper on the bench in front of the tourist office. But in this one, is that the artist, leaning on a 'Free Tibet' signpost? And is that a direct message from him about his political stance on China/Tibet ?According to the "blurb", the caption to JHH's painting is "The Rise And Fall Of Empires" so it could be.
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