Blodwyn Pig

Career

Abrahams left Jethro Tull, due to a falling-out with Tull vocalist Ian Anderson, after their debut album, This Was, was released, and formed Blodwyn Pig with Jack Lancaster (saxophone and flute), Andy Pyle (bass guitar), and Ron Berg (drums). Ex-Yes and future Flash guitarist Peter Banks became one of several guitarists to succeed Abrahams after he left to form his own band for a time.

With Abrahams and Lancaster in the lead, Blodwyn Pig recorded two albums, Ahead Rings Out in 1969 and Getting To This in 1970. Both reached the Top Ten of the UK Albums Chart and charted in the United States; Ahead Rings Out displayed a jazzier turn on the heavy blues–rock that formed the band's core rooted in the British 1960s rhythm and blues scene from which sprang groups like The Yardbirds, Free and eventually Led Zeppelin. Saxophonist–singer Lancaster (who often played two horns at once, like his idol Rahsaan Roland Kirk) was at least as prominent in the mix as Abrahams; some critics thought this contrast bumped the band toward a freer, more experimental sound on the second album.

The track "Summer Day" from the album "Getting To This" did not achieve chart success, yet Blodwyn Pig gained popularity within the underground live music scene. The band's sporadic activity over the years was partly due to Mick Abrahams's dissatisfaction with the music industry. At different times, Jack Lancaster transitioned into record production, while Ron Berg later became a member of Savoy Brown. Since their initial formation, Blodwyn Pig has undergone several reunions, typically spearheaded by Abrahams and Lancaster, and released two additional albums in the 1990s.

Singles

Studio albums

Live albums/compilations