Another song that was used in a TV series – written specially for it – was Jethro Tull’s Coronach, the theme tune for a Channel 4 series on British History called Blood of the British. I liked it so much I bought the single. As I recall Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow was the B-side.

Edited to add:- I just found my original embedding was of a video that had been taken down. I’ve swiched it for a new one which shows views of Scotland – starting with St Andrews Cathedral.

From their Christmas Album (2003) this is We Three Kings rearranged into 5/4 time and so (apparently also because there are five members of the band) retitled.

Well Tull at Christmas is almost a tradition here, now, isn’t it?

This only just scrapes in as a 60s track. It was released in late 1969 but made the charts in January 1970.

Bizarrely there seems to be an extract from Blue Peter at the beginning of this.

However, one of the reasons I’m putting it up is that it features the inventor of bling at the end of the video.

Yes. One James Savile esquire.

This partly breaks the rules I set myself for this category in that I’ve already featured Tull.

But it’s that time of year isn’t it?

It’s also by way of responding to Big Rab’s comment on my festive posting last year – Tull’s 1970s seasonal opus Ring Out Solstice Bells.

I like the adaptation of the Aqualung cover, with the tramp being dressed as Father Christmas, on the still for the video.

While browsing You Tube I came across this variorum version of Christmas Song which features only guitar, mandolin and Ian Anderson’s voice. No strings and no request to Santa at the end.

Merry Christmas one and all.

Another single I bought in Bexhill-on-Sea; this one a couple of years after The Happenings.

It was the first big hit for Jethro Tull, coolly if somewhat archaically named after the improver of the seed drill, fronted by a trampish looking guy who sported a codpiece and played the flute while standing on one leg.

Rock and roll?

Apparently the band quickly came to hate this song and didn’t play it on stage for what amounted to decades.

While looking for Ring Out Solstice Bells on You Tube I came across this.

Not having bought nor even listened to Stand Up beyond any singles it spawned, I had no idea this similarity existed.

Ian Anderson is very magnanimous about it all, isn’t he?

But then again, who owns E flat?

We Used To Know:-

It’s a few days late for the solstice but…

Oh. A very merry Christmas to everybody.