Jethro Tull’s shifting lineup and the troubled birth of “A Passion Play”

Jethro Tull, formed in 1967 in Luton, England, has seen a rotating roster of musicians around founder Ian Anderson. Notable members have included bassist David Goodier (since 2007), keyboardist/accordionist John O’Hara, drummer Scott Hammond, original guitarist Mick Abrahams and original drummer Clive Bunker. The band’s catalog features landmark albums such as Aqualung and Thick as a Brick, and it earned a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 1989.

In July 1973 the group attempted to record the follow‑up to Thick as a Brick at the Château d’Hérouville in France. Anderson described the conditions as “altogether unpleasant,” with scabies, diarrhoea and spoiled food afflicting the band. After a vote, they abandoned the château and returned to London’s Morgan Studios, scrapping most of the material. The resulting album, A Passion Play, was released later that year, reached No. 1 in the US, but received mixed to hostile reviews and remains an album Anderson has publicly expressed regret about.