Martin Barre
Encyclopedia
Martin Lancelot Barre is an English
rock
musician
.
Barre has been the guitarist
for rock
band
Jethro Tull
since 1969. He has appeared on every Jethro Tull album except their debut This Was
. His sound has been marked by a blend of Jeff Beck
and Eric Clapton
style blues
with the baroque
complexities of early 1970s progressive rock
and traditional Europe
an folk music
sounds. He has also acted as a flautist
both on-stage for Tull, and in his solo work.
with the Birmingham
band
, The Moonrakers, in the early 1960s. During July 1966, he joined Beau Brummell
's former backing band, The Noblemen, with fellow ex-Moonraker, Chris Rodger, and the group subsequently changed their name to The Motivation. The band also comprised singer Jimmy Marsh, bassist
Bryan Stevens, keyboardist
Mike Ketley and drummer
Malcolm Tomlinson
. The group appeared at London
's legendary Marquee Club
on two occasions and also supported Cream
at the Upper Cut in the Forest Gate
district of London. They also performed at the Piper Club in Rome for six weeks in mid-1967.
In the summer of 1967, Marsh and Rodger left and the others brought in former Clayton Squares singer Denny Alexander and became The Penny Peeps. Signed to Liberty Records
, the band released two single
s in 1968 — "Little Man With A Stick" backed by "Model Village" and "I See The Morning" backed with "Curly, Knight of The Road". By this point, Barre had switched to lead guitar
and his impressive solo
on "Model Village" has made the track
a popular collectors' item.
Alexander left the band in mid-1968 and the group became a blues outfit under a new moniker — Gethsemane. The new band recorded further material which was never released, and broke up in mid December 1968, when after a brief career in Fat Matress with Noel Redding
of Jimi Hendrix
fame, Barre joined Jethro Tull.
's Ian Anderson
was going through conflicts with his then blues guitarist Mick Abrahams
. After having a brief stint with Earth (and future Black Sabbath
) guitarist Tony Iommi
auditioned and joined Jethro Tull briefly, appearing on the Rolling Stones "Rock and Roll Circus" TV special miming to "A Song for Jeffrey". Additionally David O'List
of The Nice
auditioned for the Jethro Tull lead guitarist slot without success. Barre came to audition for Anderson, but was so nervous that he barely played. For his second audition, Martin Barre didn't bring an amplifier or a guitar cord. Even so, Ian Anderson still approved Barre as Abrahams' permanent replacement. Today, Barre is the next longest-standing member in Jethro Tull next to Ian Anderson.
For four decades, Barre's career focused on Jethro Tull. His best-known guitar work includes "Aqualung
", "Cross-Eyed Mary
", and "Locomotive Breath
".
. On these recordings, Barre combined rock and guitar oriented fusion in his sound.
On one track of 1994's A Trick of Memory, Barre plays a guitar given to him by friend Mark Mancina
. The Meeting (1996) features the bassist Jonathan Noyce
, who was then introduced to Tull vocalist and flute player, Ian Anderson by Barre and played with Jethro Tull in 1996-2007.
His most recent solo effort, 2003's Stage Left, saw Barre essay a number of blues, acoustic folk and even ambient electronic styles. In 2004 in support of Stage Left, he played a number of solo dates and played at all of the Tull gigs in 2005. According to his official website, he has also recorded work on the recent album by veteran British folk music outfit, Pentangle
.
According to a diary entry on his website dated December 2006, Barre says he "has started work on an acoustic project" with Dan Crisp, a singer and guitarist and Alan Bray, a bassist. Barre states he will be playing a number of acoustic instruments with the group, including bouzouki
and mandolin
. The group has already played three shows and they will continue to collaborate in 2007. No mention is made of the group recording an album.
magazine as one of the top rock guitar solos of all time. Also, in 2007, this solo was rated one of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos by Guitar World
magazine. Dire Straits
' leader Mark Knopfler
, in a 2005 interview, called Barre's work with Ian Anderson "magical".
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Barre has been the guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
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...
since 1969. He has appeared on every Jethro Tull album except their debut 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...
. His sound has been marked by a blend of Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
and Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
style blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
with the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
complexities of early 1970s 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...
and traditional Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
sounds. He has also acted as a flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
both on-stage for Tull, and in his solo work.
Early career
Barre began his career playing saxophoneSaxophone
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...
with the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, The Moonrakers, in the early 1960s. During July 1966, he joined Beau Brummell
Beau Brummell
Beau Brummell, born as George Bryan Brummell , was the arbiter of men's fashion in Regency England and a friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV...
's former backing band, The Noblemen, with fellow ex-Moonraker, Chris Rodger, and the group subsequently changed their name to The Motivation. The band also comprised singer Jimmy Marsh, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Bryan Stevens, keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Mike Ketley and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Malcolm Tomlinson
Malcolm Tomlinson
Malcolm Tomlinson is most notable as a Canadian musician, particularly active as a recording artist in the late 1970s.-UK Years: Early 1960s-1969:...
. The group appeared at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's legendary Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
on two occasions and also supported Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
at the Upper Cut in the Forest Gate
Forest Gate
Forest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, 7 miles northeast of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Manor Park to the east and and to the west lies Stratford town centre. The northern half of the busy Green Street runs through it.-History:...
district of London. They also performed at the Piper Club in Rome for six weeks in mid-1967.
In the summer of 1967, Marsh and Rodger left and the others brought in former Clayton Squares singer Denny Alexander and became The Penny Peeps. Signed to Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
, the band released two single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s in 1968 — "Little Man With A Stick" backed by "Model Village" and "I See The Morning" backed with "Curly, Knight of The Road". By this point, Barre had switched to lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and his impressive solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
on "Model Village" has made the track
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
a popular collectors' item.
Alexander left the band in mid-1968 and the group became a blues outfit under a new moniker — Gethsemane. The new band recorded further material which was never released, and broke up in mid December 1968, when after a brief career in Fat Matress with Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
fame, Barre joined Jethro Tull.
With Jethro Tull
By the end of 1968, Jethro TullJethro 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...
's 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:...
was going through conflicts with his then blues guitarist Mick Abrahams
Mick Abrahams
Michael Timothy 'Mick' Abrahams was the original guitarist for Jethro Tull. He recorded the album This Was with the band in 1968, but conflicts between Abrahams and Ian Anderson over the musical direction of the band led Abrahams to leave once the album was finished...
. After having a brief stint with Earth (and future Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
) guitarist Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
auditioned and joined Jethro Tull briefly, appearing on the Rolling Stones "Rock and Roll Circus" TV special miming to "A Song for Jeffrey". Additionally David O'List
David O'List
David 'Davy' O'List is a rock guitarist, vocalist and trumpeter.Most notably, he played with The Attack, The Nice and Jet.- Career :...
of The Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
auditioned for the Jethro Tull lead guitarist slot without success. Barre came to audition for Anderson, but was so nervous that he barely played. For his second audition, Martin Barre didn't bring an amplifier or a guitar cord. Even so, Ian Anderson still approved Barre as Abrahams' permanent replacement. Today, Barre is the next longest-standing member in Jethro Tull next to Ian Anderson.
For four decades, Barre's career focused on Jethro Tull. His best-known guitar work includes "Aqualung
Aqualung (song)
"Aqualung" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull, and the title track from their Aqualung album. The song was written by the band's frontman, Ian Anderson, and his then-wife Jennie Franks....
", "Cross-Eyed Mary
Cross-Eyed Mary
"Cross-Eyed Mary" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their album Aqualung . The song is about "Cross-Eyed Mary", a schoolgirl prostitute who prefers the company of "leching greys" over her schoolmates....
", and "Locomotive Breath
Locomotive Breath
"Locomotive Breath" is a song by the English progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung. It is notable for a long bluesy piano introduction and its flute solo by rock flute virtuoso Ian Anderson...
".
Recent work
In the 1990s Barre began to perform as a solo artist, and has recorded four albums: A Summer Band, A Trick of Memory, The Meeting and Stage LeftStage Left
Stage Left is Martin Barre's fourth solo CD, . Featuring 13 instrumental tracks , the Jethro Tull guitarist moves through a wide range of guitar-based styles including classical and blues acoustics, progressive rock, and 80s-styled finger picking...
. On these recordings, Barre combined rock and guitar oriented fusion in his sound.
On one track of 1994's A Trick of Memory, Barre plays a guitar given to him by friend Mark Mancina
Mark Mancina
Mark Alan Mancina is a U.S. composer, primarily for Hollywood soundtracks, such as his collaboration with Trevor Rabin on the soundtrack for Con Air. He arranged many of the songs behind Disney's The Lion King including the Broadway musical...
. The Meeting (1996) features the bassist Jonathan Noyce
Jonathan Noyce
Jonathan Mark Thomas Noyce is an English musician. He is a bass guitarist primarily known as a member of British rock group Jethro Tull, with whom he toured and recorded as a member from 1995 until 2007....
, who was then introduced to Tull vocalist and flute player, Ian Anderson by Barre and played with Jethro Tull in 1996-2007.
His most recent solo effort, 2003's Stage Left, saw Barre essay a number of blues, acoustic folk and even ambient electronic styles. In 2004 in support of Stage Left, he played a number of solo dates and played at all of the Tull gigs in 2005. According to his official website, he has also recorded work on the recent album by veteran British folk music outfit, Pentangle
Pentangle (band)
Pentangle are a British folk rock band with some folk jazz influences. The original band were active in the late 1960s and early 1970s and a later version has been active since the early 1980s...
.
According to a diary entry on his website dated December 2006, Barre says he "has started work on an acoustic project" with Dan Crisp, a singer and guitarist and Alan Bray, a bassist. Barre states he will be playing a number of acoustic instruments with the group, including bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
. The group has already played three shows and they will continue to collaborate in 2007. No mention is made of the group recording an album.
Recognition
Barre's signature solo on the 1971 Jethro Tull standard "Aqualung" was voted by the readers of Guitar PlayerGuitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
magazine as one of the top rock guitar solos of all time. Also, in 2007, this solo was rated one of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos by Guitar World
Guitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
magazine. Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
' leader Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
, in a 2005 interview, called Barre's work with Ian Anderson "magical".
Discography (solo)
- A Summer Band (1992)
- A Trick of Memory (1994)
- The Meeting (1996)
- Stage LeftStage LeftStage Left is Martin Barre's fourth solo CD, . Featuring 13 instrumental tracks , the Jethro Tull guitarist moves through a wide range of guitar-based styles including classical and blues acoustics, progressive rock, and 80s-styled finger picking...
(2003)