One thing leads to another...Tull's "Rainbow Blues"*

I've been listening to "M.U. - The Best Of Jethro Tull" tonight. I haven't listened to this in years - so when I heard the "Rainbow Blues" track, I decided to look through all of my Tull CDs to see which original album it came from. As it turns out, it came from the extended cut remaster of "Warchild". I could have sworn I had heard this song long before I purchased that CD, but I couldn't find it anywhere else (I didn't look in the box sets). The next logical thing was to Google the song. Then, almost before I knew what was happening, I was purchasing Blackmore's Night's "Ghost Of A Rose", which contains a killer cover of this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVnADsN25w

Not that this is unique, but have any of you had a similar experience that opened up new musical (or other) doors for you?

 

I thought this was gonna be a Fixx thread..

:thumbsdn:

 

Sorry, that phrase existed long before The Fixx did

 

Short answer, yes, many times. I love following trails and seeing where they lead me. to name specific examples would take some perusing through my aging memory banks, but rest assured you are not alone.

And yes, it's a great song. Thanks for letting me know about the cover.

 

Not sure if this is a good example, but during my teenage art-rock phase, I became interested in Stravinsky and Bartok solely because I had read somewhere that those bands had had an influence on King Crimson. At the time I had very little interest in classical music, so it was kind of weird that the Rite of Spring -- not exactly easy listening -- was one of my entryways into classical.

Just in case you haven't already figured this out, the first release of "Rainbow Blues" was on the M.U. LP, in 1975 -- it hadn't appeared elsewhere until then. As you saw, it was subsequently added to the War Child remaster, as the song had been recorded during the sessions for that album.

 

I still want to know what the rain was made of since it wasn't water.

 

of course. my comment was meant to point out it helps to include the topic in the thread title, especially other Tull fans.

(and I was hoping it was a Fixx thread btw, wasn't JUST being snarky)

 

Acid

 

Just for the record, it was a completely unreleased track when MU came out, which is why many Tull diehards coughhed up for it (plus, there's a very different mix of "Aqualung"). They did this again with "Glory Row" on Repeat.

 

"Rainbow Blues" first made it's appearance on that "M.U. Best Of" album back in the day. Back then it was a big deal to get an "unreleased" track on a best of compilation. This was way before boxed sets and cds, of couse.

Tull repeated this gesture when the second hits lp, "Repeat - The Best Of JT Vol. 2" came out by putting another unreleased track, "Glory Row" on it.
Must have helped sales the first time around, so why not?

Edit : I see while I was typing and researching my post someone beat me to it - I should've known!

 

Ah, M.U. - another album that I wish could get the AF treatment. Sure there are more complete comps and the mixes are not always the originals, but I fell in love with this set and its flow decades ago.

 

Yeah, I was hoping the same thing! Here's one I started on them in '11; it died off before the album-by-album review had finished (although I just realized that someone prompted me to revive it in December and I never did)

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=249664&highlight=

 

I love "Rainbow Blues". It was played a lot by a Buffalo NY radio station in the 1970's.

Really far out there; maybe Ian Anderson was referring to Tull's earlier band name Candy Coloured Rain. (some "Rain" songs might be in the EMI vaults)

Through northern lights on back streets
I told the coachman, "Just drive me on,
It's the same old destination
but a different world to sing upon.''
So he threw back his head and he counted.
I jumped out about five to nine.

And I waved at the stage door-keeper
said, "Mister, get me to the stage on time.''
Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water
and the snow didn't have a place in the sun
so I slipped behind a rainbow
and waited till the show had done.

I packed my ammunition.
Inside the crowd was shouting, "Encore'',

But I had a most funny feeling
it wasn't me they were shouting for.
So when the tall dark lady smiled at me
I said, "Oh, baby let us go for a ride.''
And we came upon two drinks or four
and popped them oh so neatly inside.

Oh, but the rain wasn't made of water
and the snow didn't have a place in the sun
so we slipped behind a rainbow
and lay there until we had done.

Let me pack you deep in my suitcase.
Oh, there's sure to be room for two
or you can drive me to the airplane
but don't let me catch those rainbow blues.

 

One of my favorite Tull songs.

 

That's the quad mix.