Jeffrey Hammond
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Hammond sometimes credited as Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, is a former bass guitar
player for the progressive rock
band Jethro Tull
.
Hammond adopted the name "Hammond-Hammond" as a joke, since both his father's name and mother's maiden name were the same. He also joked in interviews that his mother defiantly chose to keep her maiden name, just like Eleanor Roosevelt
.
, England
, he met band leader Ian Anderson
in school when he was 17 years old, eventually joining a band with Anderson and future Jethro Tull members John Evan
and Barriemore Barlow
. After leaving Grammar School, he opted to study painting
rather than continue with music
, but he was convinced to join Jethro Tull in January 1971. During the time of Tull's dramatic stage costumes, Jeffrey started wearing a black and white striped suit and played a matching bass guitar, this became his trademark and a feature of Tull's Thick as a Brick
stage performance.
Hammond burned the suit in December 1975 on his departure from the band. He played on the following albums:
He then left the band to continue his career in art. According to Ian Anderson's sleevenotes for the 2002 reissue of Tull's Minstrel in the Gallery
, Hammond "returned to his first love, painting, and put down his bass guitar, never to play again."
Hammond's replacement as bass player was John Glascock
, a professional musician. Hammond had required considerable practice and rehearsal to play Jethro Tull's music. Despite his being a friend of Ian Anderson
this lack of acumen led to some friction and tended to drag out the rehearsal process.
Before joining the band as a performer, Hammond appears to have spent much time with them in the background. Ian Anderson
wrote songs about his friend's idiosyncrasies, of which the best known are "A Song for Jeffrey" (off This Was), "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square
" (off Stand Up) and "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" (off Benefit). Introducing the first song, in the days before Hammond joined the band, Anderson would portray him in slightly condescending terms as someone with emotional problems who lost his way easily, as described in the first line of the song. His eventual appearance as a band member, therefore, was something of a surprise. Hammond is also namechecked in the lyrics of the Benefit track, "Inside".
Hammond narrated the surreal piece "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" on the album A Passion Play, and the related short film. He also received credit, along with Anderson and John Evan
, for writing the piece.
Hammond was also credited with creating the "claghorn", a hybrid instrument. He took the mouthpiece and bell from a toy saxophone
and attached them to the body of a flute. The result can be heard on the track "Dharma for One" on the album This Was
.
Although Hammond is no longer playing music, he is not bitter about his time in Jethro Tull, having attended the band's 25th anniversary reunion party in 1994 and participating in an interview, along with Ian Anderson and Barriemore Barlow
, that was featured as a bonus track on the reissue of Thick as a Brick
.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player for the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
.
Hammond adopted the name "Hammond-Hammond" as a joke, since both his father's name and mother's maiden name were the same. He also joked in interviews that his mother defiantly chose to keep her maiden name, just like Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
.
Musician with Jethro Tull
One of several band members from BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he met band leader Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
in school when he was 17 years old, eventually joining a band with Anderson and future Jethro Tull members John Evan
John Evan
John Evan , played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 to June 1980. He was educated at King's College London....
and Barriemore Barlow
Barriemore Barlow
Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980....
. After leaving Grammar School, he opted to study painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
rather than continue with music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, but he was convinced to join Jethro Tull in January 1971. During the time of Tull's dramatic stage costumes, Jeffrey started wearing a black and white striped suit and played a matching bass guitar, this became his trademark and a feature of Tull's Thick as a Brick
Thick as a Brick
-Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
stage performance.
Hammond burned the suit in December 1975 on his departure from the band. He played on the following albums:
- Aqualung (1971)
- Thick as a BrickThick as a Brick-Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
(1972) - Living in the PastLiving in the Past (album)Living in the Past is a double album quasi-compilation collection by Jethro Tull which contains album tracks, outtakes, the "Life Is A Long Song" EP, and all of their singles non-lp tracks except "Aeroplane", "Sunshine Day", "One For John Gee", "17" and the original United Kingdom version of...
(compilation, 1972) - A Passion PlayA Passion PlayA Passion Play is a concept album, and the sixth studio album, released by Jethro Tull. Apparently concerning the spiritual journey of one man in the afterlife, it is similar to Thick as a Brick in that it is one long track split across both sides of the LP vinyl record, save for the interruption...
(1973) - War ChildWar Child (album)War Child is the seventh studio album by Jethro Tull, released in October 1974.Originally meant to accompany a film project , it was reinstated as a ten-song, single-length rock album after failed attempts to find a major movie studio to finance the film.The "War Child" movie was written as a...
(1974) - Minstrel in the GalleryMinstrel in the GalleryMinstrel in the Gallery is the eighth studio album by British band Jethro Tull, released in September 1975.Ian Anderson's lyrics and subject matter show an introspective and cynical air, possibly the byproduct of Anderson's recent divorce from first wife Jennie Franks and the pressures of touring,...
(1975)
He then left the band to continue his career in art. According to Ian Anderson's sleevenotes for the 2002 reissue of Tull's Minstrel in the Gallery
Minstrel in the Gallery
Minstrel in the Gallery is the eighth studio album by British band Jethro Tull, released in September 1975.Ian Anderson's lyrics and subject matter show an introspective and cynical air, possibly the byproduct of Anderson's recent divorce from first wife Jennie Franks and the pressures of touring,...
, Hammond "returned to his first love, painting, and put down his bass guitar, never to play again."
Hammond's replacement as bass player was John Glascock
John Glascock
John Glascock was the bass guitarist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist for the progressive rock band Carmen. He was also the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock band Jethro Tull from December 1975 until August 1979...
, a professional musician. Hammond had required considerable practice and rehearsal to play Jethro Tull's music. Despite his being a friend of Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
this lack of acumen led to some friction and tended to drag out the rehearsal process.
Before joining the band as a performer, Hammond appears to have spent much time with them in the background. Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
wrote songs about his friend's idiosyncrasies, of which the best known are "A Song for Jeffrey" (off This Was), "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
" (off Stand Up) and "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" (off Benefit). Introducing the first song, in the days before Hammond joined the band, Anderson would portray him in slightly condescending terms as someone with emotional problems who lost his way easily, as described in the first line of the song. His eventual appearance as a band member, therefore, was something of a surprise. Hammond is also namechecked in the lyrics of the Benefit track, "Inside".
Hammond narrated the surreal piece "The Story of the Hare Who Lost His Spectacles" on the album A Passion Play, and the related short film. He also received credit, along with Anderson and John Evan
John Evan
John Evan , played keyboards for Jethro Tull from April 1970 to June 1980. He was educated at King's College London....
, for writing the piece.
Hammond was also credited with creating the "claghorn", a hybrid instrument. He took the mouthpiece and bell from a toy saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and attached them to the body of a flute. The result can be heard on the track "Dharma for One" on the album This Was
This Was
*The 2001 remastered CD added three bonus tracks and extensive liner notes.40th Anniversary Collectors' Edition*A deluxe two-CD fortieth anniversary edition was released in 2008...
.
Although Hammond is no longer playing music, he is not bitter about his time in Jethro Tull, having attended the band's 25th anniversary reunion party in 1994 and participating in an interview, along with Ian Anderson and Barriemore Barlow
Barriemore Barlow
Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980....
, that was featured as a bonus track on the reissue of Thick as a Brick
Thick as a Brick
-Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
.