Wild Turkey

Published February 3, 2017 | By Shiloh Noone

Wild Turkey on the Tull menu

The age of Tull had come to pass through three seminal albums This Was, Stand Up and Benefit, strongly surcharged by bassist Glen Cornick. Glenn, a veteran of early sixties groups Vikings / Hobos and Executives left Jethro Tull just before they entered the global arena with their Aqualung masterpiece. To be sure Glenn can look back and say he was their during their most versatile quest with a legacy of three of their most dimensional projects, including numerous sessions for Living In The Past. To rewind ,Glen’s parents had a pub and this is where he honed his skill as a folk guitarist often playing with Garfield Row which included Jon Blackmore who appeared on Wild Turkey’s Battle Hymn. Glen first recruited ex Smokestacks vocalist Gary Pickford-Hopkins from the disabled Eyes Of Blue, ex Garfield Row folk guitarist Jon Blackmore, Strawberry Dust axeman Graham Headley-Williams & ex Eyes Of Blue drummer Pugwash Weathers. The last two would later defect to Graham Bond while replacements were ex Man drummer Jeff Jones and ex Liquid Umbrella Alan ‘Tweke’ Lewis, an extremely young guitarist who had the ability to make his guitar chime like a mandolin sleigh ride.

Tweke had recently been hi-jacked by Cornick after an impressive live set while he was jamming with Will Youatt in an early formation of Alcatraz. Wild Turkey launched their debut Battle Hymn (1972) which opened up with the riff laden “Butterfly”.

Tweke had this ability to reach unfathomable heights as his guitar streaked incessantly on the solar layered “To The Stars” and madrigal theme chiming “Sanctuary”, an anti- war sonic that carries all the anger and regret of a war veteran. Acoustic delights frolic through Blackmore’s “Dulwich Fox”, not unlike some of the medieval Tull drippings. Cornick is superb with the bass that melodically ambles though Blackmore’s “Sentinel”, written about Arthur C. Clarke’s short story of the same name which inspired Kubrick’s 2001Space Odyssey.

Battle Hymn is a dimensional array of guitar fused with enriching acoustic and lyrics, a quality that would lack with their 1972 follow up “Good Old Days”/”Life Is A Symphony”. The single gave way to their self titled follow up which lacked the dimensions of the Battle even though it displayed gritty boogie on “Telephone” and “Eternal Mother”/ “The Return”. Ex Harlot Mick Dyche and future Babe Ruth Steve Gurl (former roadie) stepped in for the album with a latter inclusion of ex Juicy Lucy / UFO Bernie Marsden who later stepped into Cozy Powell’s Hammer and Babe Ruth.

Nevertheless the Turkey had left the plate and their was no thanksgiving accept for Glen who defected to the States after his Karthago excursions to join ex Fleetwood Mac Bob Welsh for the group Paris. Pickford-Hopkins featured with Rick Wakeman and Rare Bird while Tweke Lewis, after a short stint in Man sharing guitar duties with Micky Jones, later formed Micky Jones & The Blues Bunch with Clive Roberts. By the year 2007 Tweke was bullish having severed his riffs with The Penetrators and Contraband resulting in an empassioned guitar instrumental album called Into The Chill.

Added: October 20th 2010
Reviewer: shiloh noone | See all reviews by shiloh noone
Category: Music
Score:
Related Link: Seekers Guide To The Rhythm Of Yesteryear

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