Andrew Giddings
Encyclopedia
Andrew Giddings Born July 10, 1963 in Pembury
, Kent
) is an English
keyboardist
and was a member of classic rock band Jethro Tull
from 1991 to 2007.
His first group performance was with two of his schoolmates playing on a borrowed drum kit and bass guitar while Andrew played on an electric organ that he paid the previous owner for by painting their garage door. At the age of fifteen, Andrew got his first taste of being paid for playing music with a local dance band, which enabled him to develop his keyboard skills. After leaving school with no qualifications at all, Andrew found employment in a musical instrument store.
Andrew became part of popular Kent band Profusion supporting Shalamar, Kool & The Gang and Fat Larry's Band around the UK, and later formed his own band X-statique along with some poached Profusion members. A brief solo period backing artists from the past and playing keyboards with Blues Bothers tribute band The Brothers Grimm preceded tours and recording with Eric Burdon
of The Animals. Andrew remained part of Burdon's band for approximately five years before more extensive touring, recording and television appearances with a string of artists including Leo Sayer
, Sniff 'n' the Tears
, Vyktoria Keating, Willy Porter
, The NEC Orchestra of Boston and Jon Anderson
of YES.
, The Beacons Bottom Tapes, Roots to Branches
, Jethro Tull In Concert
, J-Tull Dot Com
, Living with the Past
, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
and Aqualung Live
.
He quit the band in 2007 and was succeeded by John O'Hara. Giddings was the longest serving keyboardist for the group ever, notching up sixteen years service.
A collection of Andrew's original music entitled Picture This is available on CD via his official web site
Pembury
Pembury is a large village in Kent, in the south east of England, with a population of around 6,000. It lies just to the north-east of Tunbridge Wells.The village centre, including the village green and High Street area is a conservation area.-History:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
) is an English
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
and was a member of classic rock band Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
from 1991 to 2007.
Early life
Andrew's mother played the piano through her term of pregnancy with him. She had to stop playing when she could no longer get close enough to the piano. In an effort to cheer Andrew up following the death of a pet rabbit, she signed him up for piano lessons at the age of about six.Musical career
Andrew hated piano lessons but within two or three years his teacher had encouraged him into giving public performances, which he found terrifying. He quit formal lessons at the age of thirteen, in favour of learning to play pop music by ear.His first group performance was with two of his schoolmates playing on a borrowed drum kit and bass guitar while Andrew played on an electric organ that he paid the previous owner for by painting their garage door. At the age of fifteen, Andrew got his first taste of being paid for playing music with a local dance band, which enabled him to develop his keyboard skills. After leaving school with no qualifications at all, Andrew found employment in a musical instrument store.
Andrew became part of popular Kent band Profusion supporting Shalamar, Kool & The Gang and Fat Larry's Band around the UK, and later formed his own band X-statique along with some poached Profusion members. A brief solo period backing artists from the past and playing keyboards with Blues Bothers tribute band The Brothers Grimm preceded tours and recording with Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
of The Animals. Andrew remained part of Burdon's band for approximately five years before more extensive touring, recording and television appearances with a string of artists including Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
, Sniff 'n' the Tears
Sniff 'n' the Tears
Sniff 'n' the Tears is a British rock band best known for their 1978 song "Driver's Seat", a hit in many countries . The exception was the UK itself where a problem with EMI's pressing plant meant that the single was not available following the band's appearance on Top of the Pops and it peaked...
, Vyktoria Keating, Willy Porter
Willy Porter
Willy Porter is a contemporary American folk musician and singer-songwriter from Mequon, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and was a member of the Epsilon Chi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta, a men's fraternity.-Career:...
, The NEC Orchestra of Boston and Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
of YES.
Jethro Tull
Giddings joined Jethro Tull in 1991, succeeding Martin Allcock. He plays on the albums Catfish RisingCatfish Rising
Catfish Rising is the 18th studio album by the British rock group Jethro Tull, released in 1991. It is the first Tull album to feature keyboardist Andrew Giddings.-Vinyl edition:Side One# "This Is Not Love" – 3:56# "Occasional Demons" – 3:48...
, The Beacons Bottom Tapes, Roots to Branches
Roots to Branches
Roots to Branches is the name of the 19th studio album by the band Jethro Tull. It carries characteristics of Tull's classic 1970s art-rock and folk-rock roots alongside jazz and Arabic and Far Eastern influences. All songs were written by Ian Anderson and recorded at his home studio...
, Jethro Tull In Concert
In Concert (Jethro Tull)
In Concert is a live album by Jethro Tull, recorded on the 8th of October 1991 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.-Personnel:* Ian Anderson - vocals, flute, mandolin, acoustic guitar, harmonica* Martin Barre - electric guitar, acoustic guitar...
, J-Tull Dot Com
J-Tull Dot Com
J-Tull Dot Com is the name of the 20th studio album by the band Jethro Tull. J-Tull Dot Com was released four years after their 1995 album Roots to Branches and continues in the same vein, marrying hard-rock and art-rock with Eastern music influences...
, Living with the Past
Living with the Past
Living with the Past is a live album by Jethro Tull. Disc one contains material from the Hammersmith Apollo performance on November 20, 2001 and features songs from different eras of Tull's history as well as two pieces from Ian Anderson's solo albums: "The Habanero Reel" from The Secret Language...
, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album
The Jethro Tull Christmas Album is the 21st studio album released by Jethro Tull, on September 30, 2003 . The songs are a mix of new material, re-recordings of Tull's own suitably themed material and arrangements of traditional Christmas music...
and Aqualung Live
Aqualung Live
Aqualung Live is a live album by Jethro Tull,a live performance of Aqualung before an audience of 40invited guests at XM Studios in Washington, D.C.....
.
He quit the band in 2007 and was succeeded by John O'Hara. Giddings was the longest serving keyboardist for the group ever, notching up sixteen years service.
Post Tull
Andrew currently provides his keyboard and orchestration services via e-sessions and writes and records music for film, television and fun at his digital studio in the Oxfordshire countryside. He can say "nice pair" in six languages, including Sign.A collection of Andrew's original music entitled Picture This is available on CD via his official web site