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Post by maddogfagin on Aug 25, 2010 17:24:21 GMT
Well it's all go here at the Jethro Tull Forum. Former Tull keyboard player Andrew Giddings has kindly agreed to participate in a question & answer session with us. Time I reckon to ask him about the various Tull tours, the merry japes the lads got up to and ask him anything about the world, the universe and his new album.
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 25, 2010 22:29:35 GMT
How about a very general question...allowing you to rant or rave freeform on a non-Tull topic...How cool was it to work with Eric Burdon? I think he is one of the best singers ever and a sorely overlooked treasure from the first wave of British rock.
Bernie SF
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Post by steelmonkey on Aug 26, 2010 15:16:04 GMT
And now a more Tull related query...reflecting sincere curiosity...not trying to stir up negativity ....Was there 'ageism' in Tull...I mean, Martin and Ian have a good 15 years on you...one could even theorize that there is a full generation gap between post-war british babies and someone loading his diapers the day Kennedy was shot.....did you ever feel these differences in age and backgrounds had any social, musical or other effect on your realtionship with your Tull colleauges....I know that Maart A. sometimes felt like a bad-boy teen-ager in context of Tull...
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Post by nonrabbit on Aug 27, 2010 9:17:59 GMT
Hi Andrew  I'm listening to your music just now www.reverbnation.com/andrewgiddingsmusic love The Doyles...ok now for the nosy questions  1. As the longest serving keyboardist in Tull did you get a gold watch from the Headmaster when you left or indeed any parting gift of sorts? 2. As the longest serving keyboardist in Tull did the train take too long to slow down and did you just want off? ![]() i33.images obliterated by tinypic/2ze0bis.gif[/IMG] 3. Is there a Tull song that's special to you or one that just sticks in your head and if so why? 4. Lastly, I envy your ability/guts to fly in one of those scary machines - does flying inspire you and do you have any other hobbies/interests we might be suprised by? Thanks Andrew and all the best with future projects. nonrabbit Patti |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Aug 27, 2010 17:50:38 GMT
Greetings one and all! Here I go with attempting to answer some of your questions. Keep them coming and if I don't know the answer - I'll just make one up Cheers! AG |
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Post by maddogfagin on Aug 27, 2010 18:43:16 GMT
Welcome to the Forum AG. Good to have you here. I'm sure our members will have some very interesting questions for you and your memories of Tull days gone by and your current activities, music wise.
Graham, aka Maddog
Welcome
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Post by maddogfagin on Aug 28, 2010 19:58:28 GMT
Hi AG
1. What was the first record you ever bought and what music influenced you during your formative years ?
2. During your recording career with Tull, to your knowledge is there any music still left unissued in IA's "vault" ?
3. What was the recording process of "Divinities" ? How did your collaboration with IA work in the studio with regard to the composition and writing of the individual pieces of music.
Cheers
Maddog
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Post by cousinjack on Sept 3, 2010 14:02:41 GMT
not been on here in a while glad I didn't miss this. I'll be back with some questions to the best keyboard player in my books.
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Post by SilverHamer on Sept 6, 2010 17:32:39 GMT
I have a question for my piano-playing pilot friend...but before I delve into it I would just like to express that I am very happy to find that he has joined the forum! AG has always made himself accessible to me since about 2003 when we began yacking back and forth via email during the time that he was the Official Tull Webmeister. Ok, here's my question. Andrew, once upon a time you uploaded your music on myspace. One particular song I have really enjoyed is "Weightless", but you had posted an alternative version of the same song which featured vocals by Jon Anderson of Yes. I was a little curious to know if this version will show up on an album at some point? And I would further ask if this collaboration took place in your studio, or if it was a long-distance collaboration? Had Jon come to you with an idea to further develop the song, or had you approached him for his input? In any event, the end result was absolutely incredible and I miss being able to hear it on your myspace page since it no longer appears to be available otherwise.  Your Whirly-bird-flying friend, Larry Curtis Houston, TX |
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Post by cousinjack on Sept 7, 2010 5:35:31 GMT
Hi Andrew
With Tull was the creative juices allowed to flow and harmony prevail?
Did you gel with any particular band member more than another both musically and personally?
Do you prefer making music alone or do you miss the feedback?
Thanks
cousinjack
Mancunian
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 9, 2010 15:39:00 GMT
Dear A.,
There were some teeny sparks and eye-brow raising e-mails at the time of your departure from Tull...but now I'm hearing your new music and enthusiastic intro on 'Tull radio...which is great....care to comment on the current state of Tull-Giddings relations and the chance of seeing you onstage again or finding your name in liner notes?
Bernie SF
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Post by nonrabbit on Sept 11, 2010 22:20:50 GMT
Hi Andrew Whats your approach to writing music? Do you turn up at the keyboard regular as clockwork at 9am or does an idea jump into your head while pushing the trolley round Waitrose? Do you shop at Waitrose?  Patti |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 18:38:27 GMT
And now a more Tull related query...reflecting sincere curiosity...not trying to stir up negativity ....Was there 'ageism' in Tull...I mean, Martin and Ian have a good 15 years on you...one could even theorize that there is a full generation gap between post-war british babies and someone loading his diapers the day Kennedy was shot.....did you ever feel these differences in age and backgrounds had any social, musical or other effect on your realtionship with your Tull colleauges....I know that Maart A. sometimes felt like a bad-boy teen-ager in context of Tull... |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 18:43:54 GMT
Hello and sorry for the delay in replying.
I didn't really notice an age difference. I was too busy concentrating on how to do justice to the music, seeing as how I followed the likes of Evans, Jobson, Vitesse, and Co.
If anything, the older guys came down to my level or I aspired to get upto theirs.
Dave Pegg was my buddy on the road, and we all know he's ageless!
Cheers,
AG
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 18:45:13 GMT
How about a very general question...allowing you to rant or rave freeform on a non-Tull topic...How cool was it to work with Eric Burdon? I think he is one of the best singers ever and a sorely overlooked treasure from the first wave of British rock. Bernie SF |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 18:49:00 GMT
Hello and sorry for the delay in replying.
Eric was the MOST rock 'n' roll you could imagine! Somewhere I have a photo of him trying to get to sleep in my suitcase. He very often performed large parts of a concert on his back on stage, delivering a sermon-like prelude to any given song. I had lots of fun with dear old El.
Nowadays he's a reformed charater - something to do with wanting to stay alive I suspect!
Cheers,
AG
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 18:52:02 GMT
Hi Andrew I'm listening to your music just now www.reverbnation.com/andrewgiddingsmusic love The Doyles...ok now for the nosy questions 1. As the longest serving keyboardist in Tull did you get a gold watch from the Headmaster when you left or indeed any parting gift of sorts? 2. As the longest serving keyboardist in Tull did the train take too long to slow down and did you just want off? ![]() i33.images obliterated by tinypic/2ze0bis.gif [/IMG] 3. Is there a Tull song that's special to you or one that just sticks in your head and if so why? 4. Lastly, I envy your ability/guts to fly in one of those scary machines - does flying inspire you and do you have any other hobbies/interests we might be suprised by? Thanks Andrew and all the best with future projects. nonrabbit Patti[/quote] |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 19:01:37 GMT
Hello and sorry for the delay in replying.
Thanks for your kind words re The Doyles. So, in answer to your questions:
1. No gold watch, actually not much of anything except a hug which neither of us enjoyed much!
We didn't fall out though and I'm grateful of the exposure of Picture This on the Tull web site and Ian's reviews.
2. I felt that the train was trying to get up an incline that got steeper the further up it got. I could see it stopping and sliding backwards and I didn't want to fall under it.
3. Hmmm, tricky. I suppose the song that still brings back great memories is My God. On stage I had time for a few swigs of Becks bewteen the piano intro and the band all-in.
4. Flying is easy once you have passed the exams. I don't have much time for hobbies as such but I'm extremely sociable, I love Champagne and I've got an ant farm.
Best wishes,
AG
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 19:03:59 GMT
Hi AG 1. What was the first record you ever bought and what music influenced you during your formative years ? 2. During your recording career with Tull, to your knowledge is there any music still left unissued in IA's "vault" ? 3. What was the recording process of "Divinities" ? How did your collaboration with IA work in the studio with regard to the composition and writing of the individual pieces of music. Cheers Maddog |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 19:15:37 GMT
Hello,
Thanks for your questions -
The first record I ever bought was an album by Pinky & Perky! Ok, they were pig puppets that 'sang' standard songs, recorded slow and then speeded up to sound like chipmomks. By the way, that's just between us! As I developed some taste I listened to my older sister's records; Steve Hillage, Mike Oldfield, etc. Jarre really got me going and UK with Eddy Jobson convinced me to by a synthesizer and not a motorbike.
There are more than a few gems still to see the light of day in the vault. He's probably remixing them as we speak!
With Divinities, IA would play his ideas for flute melody and I would dream up an accompaniment. Once we had a structure he would leave me to build track-by-track and then put the flute on top.
Cheers,
AG
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 19:16:53 GMT
I have a question for my piano-playing pilot friend...but before I delve into it I would just like to express that I am very happy to find that he has joined the forum! AG has always made himself accessible to me since about 2003 when we began yacking back and forth via email during the time that he was the Official Tull Webmeister. Ok, here's my question. Andrew, once upon a time you uploaded your music on myspace. One particular song I have really enjoyed is "Weightless", but you had posted an alternative version of the same song which featured vocals by Jon Anderson of Yes. I was a little curious to know if this version will show up on an album at some point? And I would further ask if this collaboration took place in your studio, or if it was a long-distance collaboration? Had Jon come to you with an idea to further develop the song, or had you approached him for his input? In any event, the end result was absolutely incredible and I miss being able to hear it on your myspace page since it no longer appears to be available otherwise. Your Whirly-bird-flying friend, Larry Curtis Houston, TX |
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Post by pianoplayingpilot on Sept 18, 2010 19:22:16 GMT
Larry Curtis! As Ilive and breathe...
The Jon Anderson experience was an odd one. He liked my music and wanted to sing over it, which of course I was thrilled about. He sent some vocals that didn't really keep pace with 'Weightless' so I fed them into the master computer and made a song out of it. He then sent me a Non-Disclosure agreement which I ignored and immediately posted it onto the web :-)
I'm still not sure what he wanted to keep secret but it's unlikely the song will ever be formally released, at least, not on Jon's terms!
I'll stick it back up online.
Straight and level my friend! Fly safe.
AG
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Post by maddogfagin on Sept 19, 2010 13:21:55 GMT
There are more than a few gems still to see the light of day in the vault. He's probably remixing them as we speak! Cheers, AG Thanks for all the replies AG - I'm more than sure that there will be more questions from Forum members in the future. The thought of those "few gems" languishing in IA's vault is incredible - any idea on titles or what shape they're in, completion wise ? Cheers Rabid one. |
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Post by nonrabbit on Sept 19, 2010 17:13:01 GMT
Many thanks from me too AG
Good luck with the music the flying and the ant farm ;D
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Post by steelmonkey on Sept 20, 2010 17:13:46 GMT
A.G. Q & A in a class of it's own...first plus...not surprising from such a first class man and musician...thanks again and hope you have time to visit our earnest and sincere Tull fan site now and again when not fending off the attention of groupies drawn by the triple threat of rock stardom, pilot's license and bald man mystique.......I spent considerable time with Eric Burdon, pre-reformation in Hamburg and can report it is not just while singing that he spent considerable time on the floor........but sober or stoned...what a guy!
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Post by grassysound on Nov 24, 2010 19:28:09 GMT
Mr. Giddings:
I met you several times during your Tull tenure, and you were always affable and approachable. I'm curious as to what songs in the back catalogue you wished were played when you were in the band that you never had the chance to perform. Thanks!
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