Martin Barre recalls how Jimmy Page almost ruined the ‘Aqualung’ solo

The guitarist Martin Barre was a member of Jethro Tull from 1968 to 2012 when the band came to an end. When the group was reactivated in 2017 he wasn’t invited by Ian Anderson to join the band again.

But he was certainly a special part of the band’s sound over the decades and of course, especially on their most famous album “Aqualung” released in 1971. In an interview with Guitarist, Barre recalled how Jimmy Page almost ruined the famous guitar solo of the track “Aqualung”.

Martin Barre recalls how Jimmy Page almost ruined the ‘Aqualung’ solo

“(The guitar) solo was all done on the fly. I think it was take two – and if I hadn’t got it in two then it would have been a flute solo. But that’s when Jimmy Page, who was recording with Led Zeppelin in the basement of Basing Street Studios, came up to say hello.”

“He was in the control room window, waving madly. I was in the middle of the solo, and I thought, ‘Sorry, but I can’t stop.’ And I didn’t. I just turned my back. Which was a bit rude. But that was the solo on ‘Aqualung.'”

“Aqualung” was part of the album of the same name released by Jethro Tull back in 1971, it was their fourth studio record. It is widely regarded as a concept album featuring a central theme of “the distinction between religion and God”.

Still is the band’s best-selling album with more than 7 million units worldwide. Besides the title track it also has classics like “Crossed-Eye Mary”, “Mother Goose”, “Locomotive Breath” and “Cheap Day Return”.

Barre continues to tour now as a solo artist, playing songs of his career with the band and also was a solo act. Since the early 90s he has released many studio albums, one of the most recent ones being “Roads Less Travelled” in 2018.