How Jimmy Page Almost Ruined an Iconic Jethro Tull Guitar Solo

Considering that Jimmy Page is rock royalty, it’s difficult to imagine him “ruining” any song. But according to longtime Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, that’s very nearly what happened while he was recording his famous “Aqualung” solo.

While Jethro Tull was in the studio in 1971 working on Aqualung, their fourth album, Led Zeppelin was hard at work on Led Zeppelin IV in the same building. Barre was on his second take of the “Aqualung” solo when Page stopped by the studio, Barre told Guitarist magazine.

“We’d locked ourselves away and I hadn’t seen Jimmy at all,” Barre explained. “Finally, he walked into the control room to say hello, just as I was recording the solo to ‘Aqualung’.”

Jethro Tull’s Unspoken Two-Take Rule

Because of how Jethro Tull approached the recording process, that take was Barre’s last chance. If an idea wasn’t working out after two takes, it would be scrapped, and the band would move on. In the case of Barre’s “Aqualung” solo, if it hadn’t come together, it would’ve been replaced by a flute solo by frontman and band leader Ian Anderson.

“It was never spoken of, but essentially, you had a couple of goes,” Barre said of the band’s approach. “You didn’t get 10 shots at a solo because the rest of the band had walked out; that’s what you got.”

Page was unaware of this when he visited. Rather than risk his take, Barre played on.

“He was in the control room window, waving madly,” Barre explained. “I was in the middle of the solo, and I thought, ‘Sorry, but I can’t stop.’ And I didn’t. I just turned my back. Which was a bit rude. But that was the solo on ‘Aqualung’.”

And he never had the chance to explain himself.

“He left before I finished,” Barre said. “I’m sure he understood that when you’re out there doing something, you need to get on with it.”

Barre’s choice to focus on his solo paid off. “Aqualung” is one of the band’s best-known songs, although it was never released as a single, and the solo is often hailed as one of the best in rock. The album is the band’s most successful, with over 12 million copies sold.