When Ian Anderson decided to take Jethro Tull, the band that he had formed in Blackpool in 1967 in a different direction, one person stood in his way. Mick Abrahams had joined the band in late 1967 and had written and recorded their debut album with them. This Was combined the straight ahead blues rock favoured by Anderson with Abrahams gift for a more traditional blues sound. Anderson and “the management” saw a more folky progressive future, and by the time of their follow-up, Anderson’s harmonica was mainly redundant and Abrahams was out of the band. However Abrahams wasn’t about to sit on his laurels and he soon hooked up with Andy Pyle (bass), Jack Lancaster (sax, flute and violin), and Ron Berg (drums). They formed the strangely named Blodwyn Pig, and by April 1969 they had released their debut studio album, Ahead Rings Out. This latest three CD set set brings together that debut alongside its follow-up, Getting To This (1970), and a disc of BBC archive material recorded between 1969 and 1974, plus other assorted bonuses.
Released on the same day as Jethro Tull’s second album, Stand Up, unsurprisingly Ahead Rings Out (1969) sounds nothing like Tull (except maybe for the flute infused instrumental ‘Leave It With Me’). Kicking of with the rocking ‘It’s Only Love’ there’s no flute in sight here. However there is plenty of big band brass in evidence over its blues rock swing, a feel also evidenced later on ‘Sing Me A Song That I Know’. ‘Dear Jill’, and prison blues ‘The Change Song’, both display something closer to what I believe the audience were expecting from Ambrahams, as he slips into low key trad blues which leans heavily on slide guitar and sax on the former, and acoustic plucking and harmonica on the later, for their vibe. The rich man’s blues of ‘Up And Coming’ takes on Cream era Clapton, while Jack Lancaster’s ‘The Modern Alchemist’ strays into fusion territory, galloping along like a mad jazz soiree from the ’40’s. ‘Back Wash’ lulls you into a false sense of security before the heavy ‘Ain’t Ya Coming Home, Babe?’ closes out the debut in fine style with its 6-8 vocal contrasting with the 4-4 instrumental saxophone/guitar soloing. Disc one is rounded off with single A (the Tullish ‘Walk On The Water’), and B sides (‘Sweet Caroline’, Summer Day’), out-takes (‘Walk On The Water’, the goon like ramblings of ‘McGregor Muckabout’) and the first of the BBC session tracks (‘The Change Song’, ‘It’s Only Love’). I think Ahead Rings Out can be classed as “setting out your stall (or sty)” project for the newly formed outfit.
One year on, and this time within a month of Tull’s Benefit album’s release, Getting To This (1970) hit the stores. With one album and many road miles now under their belt, Getting To This comes over as a more rounded piece of work. Still with plenty of swing, ‘Drive Me’ once again profits from Lancaster’s brass skills and jazz sensibilities, as well as the piano of Graham Waller (who also appears on the ‘Beach Scape’ segment of ‘San Francisco Sketches’). ‘Variations On Nainos’ is the albums subtle nod to Abrahams previous life, and is just one of a number of jazz influenced moments (‘Send Your Son To Die’, ‘San Francisco Sketches’). With less trad blues in evidence the band take a more heavy rock direction on ‘See My Way’, and ‘Worry’. Only ‘Toys’, and the short deep southern tones of ‘Long Bomb Blues’ which shift into the rhythmic work-out of ‘The Squirreling Must Go On’ return to Abrahams first love. Within this second outing only the rather novelty cod-reggae of ‘To Rassman’ lets the side down. More A’s (‘Same Old Story’), B’s (the rocking ‘n’ rolling ‘Slow Down’) and out-takes (‘Meanie Mornay’, the poppy ‘One Thing Leads To Another’) round disc 2 off nicely. Shortly after the release of Getting To This, Abrahams bailed from his own ship, leaving the rest of the Piggies to look elsewhere for a replacement guitarist, eventually calling it a day following stints with Peter Banks (Yes) and Larry Wallis (Pink Fairies, Motorhead).
Blodwyn Pig At The BBC 1969-1974, brings together the balance of the sessions that the band recorded for the corporation throughout their career, including “Top Gear”, “Sounds Of The 70’s” and “In Concert” performances. As well as tracks from across both of their studio albums, many of which have been enhanced by loose jammed sections, there are plenty of unreleased gems across disc 3. ‘Mr. Green’s Blues’ pays tribute to the Fleetwood Mac legend in fine styles with Abrahams rapping over some easy, deep blues soloing. Recorded after Mick Abrahams departure, ‘Moon’s Gone’ highlights the big part that Jack Lancaster played in the Pig sound, and brings guitar/vocalists Barry Reynolds and ex-Yes man Peter Banks into the fold. Banks provided ‘The Lady Of Liberty’ which strangely, if unsurprisingly takes the band in the more progressive direction which their former guitarist was eager to avoid. After being away pursuing solo projects and considering his place in the future of the music business, both of the 1974 sessions herald the return of Mick Abrahams, as well as bringing in his former Jethro Tull colleague, drummer, Clive Bunker to join the Blodwyn ranks. Both the studio and live tracks, display much more of the blues angle which Abrahams had been striving for, with ‘Baby Girl’, the somewhat appropriately titled ‘Leaving Song’, and ‘Blues Of A Dunstable Truck Driving Man’ being prime examples of the genre. But, it is the “In Concert” section recorded at The Hippodrome in London on 15th August ’74, which truly puts the succulent lid on this particular musical pork pie, with classic BP tracks like ‘See My Way’, and ‘It’s Only Love’ joining the groups take on the much covered, Dave Dudley truck stop country blues, ‘Six Days On The Road’, and two newly written tunes, the gospel tinged song ‘I Know’, and the “ancient art” funk of ‘Cosmografication’. Once you get past the interjection of the very English presenters, the high energy performances, and virtuoso playing add up to making Blodwyn Pig At The BBC the crackling on the pork of this particular collection.
Following the short lived Wommett project, Abraham went on to record his first solo (Mick Abrahams Band) album, titled simply Mick Abrahams in 1971 which along with its follow-up This Was, make up the Seasons – The Recordings 1971-1972 2CD set released just a week after this collection (reviewed elsewhere on this website). He would however return to Blodwyn Pig in the 90’s and continued an on-off relationship with the band alongside his solo efforts. Assembling a new line-up Mick Ambrahams’ Blodwyn Pig recorded two further studio albums, the vastly underrated Lies in 1994 and Pig-In-The-Middle in 1996, but by this time, Lancaster, Pyle, and Berg were nowhere to be seen. Despite suffering a cardiac arrest in 2009, Abrahams recorded his final (solo) album, Revived! featuring his Tull replacement, Martin Barre In 2015. Abrahams passed away in December 2025 at the age of 82. Blodwyn Pig – The Recordings 1969-1974 is a thoroughly fitting tribute to his and the groups legacy.
- Reviewed By Peter Brockwell.
- The Recordings 1969-1974 is released via Esoteric/Cherry Red Records on 20th March 2026.
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Track List:
Disc One: Ahead Rings Out
1. It’s Only Love
2. Dear Jill
3. Sing Me A Song That I Know
4. The Modern Alchemist
5. Up And Coming
6. Leave It With Me
7. The Change Song
8. Back Wash
9. Ain’t Ya Coming Home, Babe?
10. The Change Song (BBC David Symonds session February 1969)
11. It’s Only Love (BBC “Top Gear” session March 1969)
12. Sweet Caroline (B-side of single)
13. Walk On The Water (A-side of single)
14. Summer Day (B-side of single)
15. McGregor Muckabout (recorded during sessions for “Ahead Rings Out”)
16. Walk On The Water (alternate version)
Disc Two: Getting To This
1. Drive Me
2. Variations On Nainos
3. See My Way
4. Long Bomb Blues
5. The Squirreling Must Go On
6. San Francisco Sketches
7. Worry
8. Toys
9. To Rassman
10. Send Your Son To Die
11. Same Old Story (A-side of single)
12. Slow Down (B-side of single)
13. Meanie Mornay (Recorded during sessions for ‘Getting To This’)
14. One Thing Leads To Another (Recorded during sessions for ‘Getting To This’)
Disc Three: Blodwyn Pig at the BBC 1969 – 1974
1. Ain’t Ya Coming Come Babe (Top Gear session March 1969)
2. The Modern Alchemist (Top Gear session March 1969)
3. Mr. Green’s Blues (Top Gear session March 1969)
4. Worry (Sounds of the 70s session March 1970)
5. Variations On Nainos (Sounds of the 70s session May 1970)
6. Moon’s Gone (Sounds of the 70s session September 1970)
7. The Lady Of Liberty (Sounds of the 70s session September 1970)
8. See My Way (John Peel Sounds of the 70s session June 1974)
9. Baby Girl (John Peel Sounds of the 70s session June 1974)
10. Leaving Song (John Peel Sounds of the 70s session June 1974)
11. Blues Of A Dunstable Truck Driving Man (John Peel Sounds of the 70s session June 1974)
12. See My Way (Radio 1 “In Concert” August 1974)
13. I Know (Radio 1 “In Concert” August 1974)
14. Cosmografication (Radio 1 “In Concert” August 1974)
15. Six Days On The Road (Radio 1 “In Concert” August 1974)
16. It’s Only Love (Radio 1 “In Concert” August 1974)
