Wishbone Ash can trace its origins back to Torquay, Devon, England, a seaside resort in the southwest of the country. It was there that Martin Turner and Steve Upton first performed together; Turner on bass, Upton on drums, before moving to London in 1969 to seek fame and fortune. In the capital the decision was made to place an advertisement for a keyboard player and a lead guitarist. The resulting audition threw up two guitar leads, but nobody could decide who to choose and the trademark twin-lead sound of Wishbone Ash was born.
Ted (David) Turner and Andy Powell soon went through the poverty and growing pains of a new band, but were fortunate that Miles Copeland was championing their cause and a fairly rapid progression was achieved. The first Album, Wishbone Ash, was released in December 1970 and their second, Pilgrimage, surfaced just six months later to reach #6 in the NME charts. Great things were just 11 months away with the release of Argus (1972) -- possibly the band's best album; certainly their most commercially successful -- which reached #2 in the UK charts and went gold. Argus is considered to be one of the great rock classics of all time. The next album, Wishbone Four, only 12 months later, went silver.
After these early highs, Ted Turner decided that he had had enough, and left the band to be replaced by Laurie Wisefield. Although Laurie’s style was not to everyone’s taste, he was generally well liked by the fans and brought a slightly harder edge to the folk-tinged progressive rock that was the Wishbone Ash formula. Wisefield was a dynamic player and became an excellent partner to Andy -- they were to play together for a very successful 11 years and the MKII version of the band is very well thought of for most of its output. About this time the band became more influenced by America and would eventually move there.
The next album, There's The Rub (1974), was recorded in Florida and produced by Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. Once again it was to do well, achieving silver disc status. There's the Rub included the instrumental piece F.U.B.B. Steve Upton was arrested in New Zealand for announcing at a concert it's full title. In New Zealand, swearing in public is a criminal offense, and when Upton announced the title at an outdoor concert, a woman sunbathing in her garden nearby complained to the mayor. Upton spent the night in jail, and the album reached #3 in New Zealand due to the publicity.
It was inevitable that a turkey was due and to fans Locked In (1976) fit this bill. This record was not released -- it escaped! Fortunately things were much better with the quality of the following albums and although the high chart positions were gone, the fans were enjoying some competent, well-crafted output.
After 11 years in the band, Martin Turner decided to leave. This move began a period of frequent changes of bass player with the likes of John Wetton and Trevor Bolder being two of the better known; however, Wishbone Ash always has attracted musicians of the highest order. A much more controversial move was the introduction of Clair Hamill to fill in some of the vocal talent Martin had taken away with him. Clair was not popular with the fans which was perhaps a little unfair. She had contributed backing vocals on Just Testing (Turner's last album (1980), which he had also produced) and had co-written the excellent Living Proof, which is still a crowd favourite today. Her stay was short-lived with Andy Powell taking on more vocal duties. Wisefield left in late 1985 and the band continued to tour with various replacements, but were very much in limbo until 1987 when a miracle occurred. Miles Copland persuaded the original lineup to reform for a project for a music charity that he was helping, and a Hammersmith Odeon concert which the BBC recorded resulted. The project produced an instrumental album Nouveau Calls (1987), which was very well received. Even better received was the fact that three years of the original lineup were to follow.
Just when things were going so well, Steve Upton decided to quit the business entirely in 1990, to be replaced by Ray Weston. Martin Turner carried on for another year before leaving to pursue a solo career, and Ted left two years later. The next five years saw lots of personnel changes, but eventually resulted in a good period of stability with Ray Weston returning and Bob Skeet joining on bass in 1998.
The new millennium has also seen stability in respect of Andy's guitar partner, with the last 6 years being filled by Ben Granfelt and subsequently Muddy Manninen, both of whom come from Finland. 2005 saw Wishbone Ash celebrate their 35th year. 2006 heralded the new album Clan Destiny (the first featuring Muddy as guitarist). 2007 saw the exit of long-term drummer Ray Weston, due to the increasingly hectic pace of band life. Joe Crabtree (formerly of The David Cross band) stepped up to fill his place. With regard to new releases, 2007 saw First Light, which features original recordings of the songs featured on their debut album, as well as some outtakes. Also released that year was the new album The Power of Eternity (partly featuring Joe Crabtree on drums), which coincided with the Autumn tour.
Wishbone Ash are still performing 150 gigs a year in the U.S. and Europe. They get very supportive crowds with good numbers turning out all over Europe -- the U.S. tends to attract smaller audiences, but very committed fans. If you want to hear classic Wishbone Ash, get ahold of Argus. Visit their web site www.wishboneash.com, where tour dates and albums, etc. can be obtained.
Cosmic Jazz
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a cloak and dagger tune.
Make love to you every full moon, baby,
When the day is through.
Use your magic carefully,
The danger creeps up slow.
Intuition can serve you well,
Or fool you when it's time to go.
Come stealin' like a thief,
Now I'm shakin' like a leaf.
Screamin' out, ¡°t's comin' soon!'
Yeah, yeah, the crescent moon.
Cosmic jazz is all around,
Keeps my feet on the ground.
Overload, shake down,
Gotta go, oh, gotta go.
About this premonition,
It contains a spell.
Stays just like a vision,
Showin he's not doin' well.
Spot carved from a finger,
The witches paint it black.
A wizard tied up by her love,
But now he wants his wallet back.
Been stealin' like a thief,
Now I'm shakin' like a leaf.
Screami' out, it's comin' soon!'
Yeah, yeah, the crescent moon.
Cosmic jazz is all around,
Keeps my face on the ground.
Overload, shake down,
Gotta go, oh, gotta go.
Repeat twice.
The lyrics to Wishbone Ash's song "Cosmic Jazz" appear to describe a magical or supernatural encounter. The first stanza sets the scene with a sense of secrecy and intrigue, as the singer speaks to someone who has revealed their name but suggests that there is much more to the situation than meets the eye. The reference to "cloak and dagger" suggests that there is some kind of clandestine activity happening, while the mention of making love by the light of the full moon adds an element of mysticism.
The next stanza seems to suggest that there is some danger involved in this encounter, and that intuition is important in navigating it. The line "The danger creeps up slow" is particularly ominous, suggesting that the danger is insidious and difficult to detect until it is too late. Later in the song, there are references to witches, wizards, and spells, which reinforce the mystical theme. The repeated refrain about the "cosmic jazz" that is all around and keeps the singer's "feet on the ground" seems to suggest that there is some force that is keeping them grounded amidst all of this tumultuous activity.
Interestingly, the song does not have a clear narrative or plot, and the lyrics come across more as a series of images or impressions. The repeated references to stealing and being afraid suggest that the encounter is not entirely consensual, and that the singer is caught up in something that they do not fully understand. Overall, "Cosmic Jazz" is a mysterious and haunting song that taps into a sense of wonder and fear about the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
I know your name, you told me,
I am aware of your identity, as you have revealed it to me.
It's a cloak and dagger tune.
Your name is a secret or code, requiring discretion and secrecy to understand.
Make love to you every full moon, baby,
I engage in sexual intimacy with you specifically during full moons.
When the day is through.
After the daylight and regular activities have ended.
Use your magic carefully,
Be cautious with your mystical or supernatural abilities.
The danger creeps up slow.
Hazards approach gradually and subtly.
Intuition can serve you well,
Trusting one's instincts can be beneficial.
Or fool you when it's time to go.
However, intuition can be misleading when it is time to depart or make decisions.
Come stealin' like a thief,
Arriving in a furtive or stealthy manner.
Now I'm shakin' like a leaf.
I am trembling in fear or anticipation.
Screamin' out, ¡°t's comin' soon!
Yelling in warning or concern that something is imminent.
Yeah, yeah, the crescent moon.
Making reference to the specific stage of the lunar cycle.
Cosmic jazz is all around,
There is a pervasive and profound energy or force ubiquitous in the universe.
Keeps my feet on the ground.
This energy or force acts as an anchor or foundation, providing stability and grounding.
Overload, shake down,
It can be overwhelming and intense, causing agitation or upheaval.
Gotta go, oh, gotta go.
Feeling a need to depart or leave a situation immediately.
About this premonition,
Concerning this forewarning or presentiment.
It contains a spell.
This premonition has mystical or supernatural qualities to it.
Stays just like a vision,
It persists much like a vivid or clear mental image.
Showin' he's not doin' well.
This premonition concerns someone else's struggle or suffering.
Spot carved from a finger,
Referring to a small, physical mark on someone's finger.
The witches paint it black.
This mark has been darkened or altered in some way by witches or other magical beings.
A wizard tied up by her love,
A male magician is constrained or confined by his emotional attachment to a woman.
But now he wants his wallet back.
The wizard desires to assert his own financial independence or security.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: MARTIN ROBERT TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mr Smokeydog
Thank You So Much For putting This Recording On YOU TUBE even though this particular record differed from the usual Wishbone Ash from the bulk of their career . I Personally find this recording phenomenal very diverse and unique. Even though this might have not found commercial success. Listening to this recording always makes me remember how great music used to be.
Fred Carter
Were totally under rated
Fredy Barrera C
I was looking for a girl in Tagged, meet a girl in person gave her like 1000 dollars, kissed her and dissappeared... for ever