Jethro Tull’s relationship with the Christmas season goes all the way back to the legendary band’s early days. Now it’s to be renewed for modern-day admirers and longtime fans alike, with the release of an expanded and remixed edition of 2003’s The Jethro Tull Christmas Album via InsideOutMusic on December 6, 2024. It’s available for pre-order in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
Under the new title The Jethro Tull Christmas Album – Fresh Snow at Christmas, the band’s 21st studio album has been remixed from the original masters by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), as well as being given the surround sound treatment in both Dolby Atmos & 5.1. The limited deluxe 4-CD + Blu-ray book-set collection features all-new artwork, as well as live material, and includes the following across its 5 discs:
CD1: Original Album Mixes
CD2: 2024 Remixes by Bruce Soord
CD3: Christmas Live At St. Bride’s 2008 (newly remixed by Bruce Soord)
CD4: The Ian Anderson Band Live At St. Bride’s 2006 (previously unreleased)
Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & High Resolution Stereo Mixes of The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, as well as High Resolution Stereo Mixes of both live recordings
The album will also be released on vinyl for the very first time, as a gatefold 180g 2-LP featuring the 2024 remixes. It’s available for pre-order in the U.K. here.
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It included new interpretations of no fewer than seven Tull songs, including their first to be inspired by the holiday, 1968’s much-loved “A Christmas Song.” That Anderson composition, which opened with lyrics interpolated from “Once in Royal David’s City,” was the B-side of the band’s first U.K. chart single, “Love Story.”
“Some of the tracks are not necessarily Christmas songs; they’re more seasonal so that gives a broader window,” says Anderson. “And then there are a couple of them that I quite often play in the middle of summer and say, ‘It’ll soon be Christmas – it’s in the diary. So let’s kick it off now.’ And that’s part of what I’ve done over the years since October of 1968 when I went into record ‘A Christmas Song.’ So, yes – it goes back a long way.”
“A Christmas Song” was joined on the album by reworkings of such pieces as Tull’s 1976 festive hit “Ring Out Solstice Bells”; “Weathercock,” first heard on 1978’s Heavy Horses; and “Another Christmas Song,” from 1989’s Rock Island. Also among the re-recordings was J.S. Bach’s “Bourrée,” another longtime live favorite, inimitably imagined by Anderson.
“Part of the joy of redoing those things,” he says, “is that you can…not necessarily recreate, but you can keep all the essential elements of the song and maybe declutter it a little bit and give it a fresh look, but essentially still staying faithful to the original arrangements.”
Related: Our 2023 interview with Anderson on Tull’s past, present and future
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album was their last studio set to feature longtime guitarist Martin Barre, who composed its pretty closing instrumental “A Winter Snowscape.” Also featured on the album were keyboard and accordion player Andrew Giddings, bassist Jonathan Noyce and drummers Doane Perry and James Duncan. Anderson compositions making their debut included the opening “Birthday Card at Christmas” and “First Snow on Brooklyn,” while traditional pieces such as “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “We Five Kings” were interpreted alongside Fauré’s “Pavane.”
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album – Fresh Snow at Christmas Track Listing
CD1: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album – original mixes
1. Birthday Card at Christmas Original Mix 00:03:40
2. Holly Herald Original Mix 00:04:17
3. A Christmas Song Original Mix 00:02:47
4. Another Christmas Song Original Mix 00:03:32
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman Original Mix 00:04:34
6. Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow Original Mix 00:03:37
7. Last Man at the Party Original Mix 00:04:49
8. Weathercock Original Mix 00:04:17
9. Pavane Original Mix 00:04:19
10. First Snow on Brooklyn Original Mix 00:04:58
11. Greensleeved Original Mix 00:02:39
12. Fire at Midnight Original Mix 00:02:26
13. We Five Kings Original Mix 00:03:17
14. Ring Out Solstice Bells Original Mix 00:04:05
15. Bourée Original Mix 00:04:25
16. A Winter Snowscape Original Mix 00:04:56
CD2: The Jethro Tull Christmas Album – 2024 stereo remixes
1. Birthday Card at Christmas 2024 Remix 00:03:40
2. Holly Herald 2024 Remix 00:04:17
3. A Christmas Song 2024 Remix 00:02:47
4. Another Christmas Song 2024 Remix 00:03:32
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman 2024 Remix 00:04:34
6. Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow 2024 Remix 00:03:37
7. Last Man at the Party 2024 Remix 00:04:49
8. Weathercock 2024 Remix 00:04:17
9. Pavane 2024 Remix 00:04:19
10. First Snow on Brooklyn 2024 Remix 00:04:58
11. Greensleeved 2024 Remix 00:02:39
12. Fire at Midnight 2024 Remix 00:02:26
13. We Five Kings 2024 Remix 00:03:17
14. Ring Out Solstice Bells 2024 Remix 00:04:05
15. Bourée 2024 Remix 00:04:25
16. A Winter Snowscape 2024 Remix 00:04:56
CD3: Christmas Live At St. Brides 2008
1. Weathercock Live at St. Brides 2008 00:04:41
2. Introduction: Rev. George Pitcher / Choir: What Cheer Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:32
3. A Christmas Song Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:19
4. Living in These Hard Times Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:44
5. Choir: Silent Night Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:06
6. Reading: Ian Anderson, Marmion Live at St. Brides 2008 00:02:17
7. Jack in the Green Live at St. Brides 2008 00:02:33
8. Another Christmas Song Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:56
9. Reading: Gavin Esler, God’s Grandeur Live at St. Brides 2008 00:01:50
10. Choir: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:50
11. A Winter Snowscape Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:39
12. Fires at Midnight Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:38
13. We Five Kings Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:19
14. Choir: Gaudete Live at St. Brides 2008 00:03:39
15. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman / Thick As A Brick Live at St. Brides 2008 00:10:25
CD4: The Ian Anderson Band Live At St. Brides 2006
1. Living In The Past Live at St. Brides 2006
2. Griminelli’s Lament Live at St. Brides 2006
3. A Christmas Song Live at St. Brides 2006
4. Mozart Live at St. Brides 2006
5. Pastime With Good Company Live at St. Brides 2006
6. Holly Herald Live at St. Brides 2006
7. Pavane Live at St. Brides 2006
8. We Five Kings Live at St. Brides 2006
9. Aqualung Live at St. Brides 2006
Blu-ray: Main Album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound, 24/44 High Resolution Stereo
+ Live material in High-Resolution
1 Birthday Card at Christmas Dolby Atmos
2 Holly Herald Dolby Atmos
3 A Christmas Song Dolby Atmos
4 Another Christmas Song Dolby Atmos
5 God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman Dolby Atmos
6 Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow Dolby Atmos
7 Last Man at the Party Dolby Atmos
8 Weathercock Dolby Atmos
9 Pavane Dolby Atmos
10 First Snow on Brooklyn Dolby Atmos
11 Greensleeved Dolby Atmos
12 Fire at Midnight Dolby Atmos
13 We Five Kings Dolby Atmos
14 Ring Out Solstice Bells Dolby Atmos
15 Bourée Dolby Atmos
16 A Winter Snowscape Dolby Atmos
17 Weathercock Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
18 Introduction: Rev. George Pitcher / Choir: What Cheer Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
19 A Christmas Song Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
20 Living in These Hard Times Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
21 Choir: Silent Night Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
22 Reading: Ian Anderson, Marmion Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
23 Jack in the Green Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
24 Another Christmas Song Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
25 Reading: Gavin Esler, God’s Grandeur Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
26 Choir: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
27 A Winter Snowscape Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
28 Fires at Midnight Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
29 We Five Kings Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
30 Choir: Gaudete Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
31 God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman / Thick As A Brick Live at St. Brides 2008 – High Res Audio
32 Living In The Past Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
33 Griminelli’s Lament Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
34 A Christmas Song Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
35 Mozart Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
36 Pastime With Good Company Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
37 Holly Herald Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
38 Pavane Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
39 We Five Kings Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
40 Aqualung Live at St. Brides 2006 – High Res Audio
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