Now, more than ever, The Jethro Tull Board kicks ass!
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War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Thread Started on Mar 5, 2011, 8:41pm »
The Jethro Tull Board is pleased to present Ian Anderson's 'Conceptual Outline' of a planned script for the War Child stage show that, unfortunately, never came to pass. Ian passed it over to the Tullpress, Cup of Wonder and Ministry of Information webmasters, and it has miraculously fallen into our hands, but we're not saying how! We thank our confidential source....he knows who he is!
It is Ian's story outline, followed by his detailed description of the main characters and partial plot synopsis for the musical that Ian was writing at the time. (I say "partial" plot synopsis because Ian only provided five pages to the webmasters, but the whole thing including the story outline and description of characters , together with Andy's introductory notes, is about 25 pages, so it's a good chunk of stuff chock full of insight into the WarChild/Passion Play concept.)
It is my understanding that bits of this were at one time posted on the official Tull site, but never the whole package that we've got here, and what little was once posted has been removed from the site long ago. So this is, in every sense of the word, an exclusive to Jethro Tull Board members only!
We'll do this in maybe three or four installments , as it is too long to post all at once, but we'll move forward quickly and have the whole thing up in the next couple of days!
First up: Andy, the Tullpress webmaster's notes to Jan, the Cup of Wonder webmaster, describing what he had received from Ian, followed by Andy's description of the story outline to his fellow webmasters. Much more to follow, but first roll this around in your mouth for awhile!
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #1 on Mar 5, 2011, 9:31pm »
With all of the "subject matter" (and I use the term matter loosly, as in loose stool) being put into production...who knows maybe some aspiring film-maker will take this project on. Would'nt it just be fitting in say 75 years from now after we're all long gone, Hollywood discovers Ian Anderson the "screenwriter". Then as would be fitting he becomes famous for that and 5 Tull/Anderson albums are turned into films. Surely history is and will be much more gracious to Anderson's genious after he is no longer here. Funny how it's that way with most TRUE artists of any medium...JSM
Now, more than ever, The Jethro Tull Board kicks ass!
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3,695
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #2 on Mar 6, 2011, 7:11pm »
Continuing now with Ian's title sheet, and handwritten note to promotion manager Joe Lustig, followed by Ian's preface and brief story outline of the planned War Child musical:
Joined: Nov 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 1,269 Location: Pittsboro, NC
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #3 on Mar 6, 2011, 9:50pm »
Holy Satan's Coat Stains! This is gold!
Now to find someone willing to make an animated adaption of this post-poned movie. Of course they would need Ian's permission, but perhaps they'd get away with it if they charged nothing for it.
Now, more than ever, The Jethro Tull Board kicks ass!
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3,695
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #4 on Mar 7, 2011, 8:53pm »
Tonight's installment - #3 in this thread, if you're counting - is Ian's description of the main characters in the War Child musical, to wit: Evelyn, Peter Du Jour, G.Oddie and Samuel Lucius Brown a/k/a Satan.
Here goes:
Coming in Installment #4: City Left and City Right!
Now, more than ever, The Jethro Tull Board kicks ass!
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3,695
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #5 on Mar 8, 2011, 10:28pm »
In tonight's segment (#4 of this series) Ian gives a three-page description of the scene where most of the action takes place, which is a City divided into Left and Right territorial areas, signifying Heaven and Hell, and a smaller neutral square where "Newts" have to make up their mind which path to follow!
It is, essentially, the meaning and origin of the song Left, Right from the Nightcap album.
Stay tuned for the only two extant scene synopses from the aborted War Child movie-musical, brought to you by Your Jethro Tull Board!
Now, more than ever, The Jethro Tull Board kicks ass!
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3,695
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #6 on Mar 11, 2011, 12:05am »
Ian sent only two scene synopses to the three Tull webmeisters, but there's a little more here than Andy suggests in his note to Jan.
It's a total of seven pages for the two scenes. However the pages are confusingly numbered, so I pieced the material together and added two page numbers that did not appear because they were carry-overs from preceding pages that were not provided by Ian. This makes it easier to follow.
Here is the first scene synopsis, which consists of three pages begins at the hash marks that I have added on my new page 49. {The small excerpt above the hash marks is from a scene that was not provided by Ian; it is a continuation of what obviously was page 49}
Andy comments in his opening notes (posted at the start of this thread) that the full synopsis would have been approximately 60 pages, and laments that Ian did not send them more.
Tomorrow night: Ian's four page synopsis of the final scene!
Now to find someone willing to make an animated adaption of this post-poned movie. Of course they would need Ian's permission, but perhaps they'd get away with it if they charged nothing for it.
I'm glad you are enjoying this stuff, KB. Tomorrow night, I will post the final scene synopsis. That'll give you the whole weekend to study up for the three-part essay exam that will follow on Monday.
Now, more than ever, The Jethro Tull Board kicks ass!
Joined: Sept 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3,695
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #8 on Mar 11, 2011, 9:47pm »
This final extract of what Ian provided the webmasters begins mid-stream and mid-scene, with God in his pajamas, and then Ian proceeds to describe how the whole bizarre nightmare ends, with the four characters chanting a serious admonition to the audience.
So what does everyone think? The deep and profound thoughts of a genius, or the incomprehensible gibberish of a madman?
I am curious to know why the Evelyn Du Jour character was replaced by Ronnie Pilgrim in the Passion Play programme.
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #9 on Mar 19, 2011, 10:44pm »
Ian Anderson comments on life in all his albums I feel. His lyrics portray the many facets of life. I have downloaded the quad tape version of War Child as a DVD-A and really really enjoy it. Different positioning and emphasis on instruments and the difference between the stereo only and quad version makes the quad version a great listen. My favourite track " Skating Away" regardless of media type - the one track I always play when listening to "War Child".
(HE'S NOT THE KIND YOU HAVE TO WIND UP ON SUNDAYS).
jrpipik Ethnic Piano Accordian-ist member is offline
There was a little boy stood on a burning log, rubbing his hands with glee
Joined: Apr 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 193
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #13 on Apr 6, 2011, 5:33pm »
Thanks for posting this. The general plot is a bit more clear than in other summaries. And I wish we could see more of the specific scenes, which are very interesting.
My next move is going to be to listen to War Child again with this document in hand, trying to see where the songs fit into the tale. In many ways it seems closer to Passion Play at first glance. But those two and the various Chateau Disaster outtakes seem to cover a lot of the same ground, don't they?
If we had the rest of the treatment I can't help but wonder if there wouldn't be some way to assemble it all into a "rough cut" of the movie soundtrack, perhaps with accompanying illustrations.
Thanks for posting this. The general plot is a bit more clear than in other summaries. And I wish we could see more of the specific scenes, which are very interesting.
My next move is going to be to listen to War Child again with this document in hand, trying to see where the songs fit into the tale. In many ways it seems closer to Passion Play at first glance. But those two and the various Chateau Disaster outtakes seem to cover a lot of the same ground, don't they?
If we had the rest of the treatment I can't help but wonder if there wouldn't be some way to assemble it all into a "rough cut" of the movie soundtrack, perhaps with accompanying illustrations.
Glad you liked that, jrpipik, that's something we've been meaning to post for awhile, because it's never been made public before in its entirety.
It's a shame, as you said, that Ian did not provide the entire script to the three Tull webmasters, but nonetheless, this does lend a good deal of insight into the Passion Play/War Child/Chateau D'isaster recordings, and you're right, a lot of the themes and music are related. It is all very interesting stuff, albeit a little dense. Passion Play, War Child and Minstrel were all kind of heavy and brooding, and it wasn't until TOTRNR and SFTW that they lightened up again.
Welcome to the Board, we are glad to have you here with us! I love your screen name, it's very funny, but can we know your first name too? We like to be on a first name basis, but if you'd rather not that's cool too. Either way, I'm sure we'll be "chatting" again soon!
Jeff
P.S. You don't happen to be the son of the very famous Moishe Pipik, or are you?
Welcome to the Board, we are glad to have you here with us! I love your screen name, it's very funny, but can we know your first name too? We like to be on a first name basis, but if you'd rather not that's cool too. Either way, I'm sure we'll be "chatting" again soon!
Jeff
P.S. You don't happen to be the son of the very famous Moishe Pipik, or are you?
Thanks for the welcome. I'm Jim, no relation to Moishe. If there are Jewish roots back there somewhere in my geneology, I'm sadly unaware of them. But I often call my cat Moses, Moishe. She doesn't get it.
Welcome to the Board, we are glad to have you here with us! I love your screen name, it's very funny, but can we know your first name too? We like to be on a first name basis, but if you'd rather not that's cool too. Either way, I'm sure we'll be "chatting" again soon!
Jeff
P.S. You don't happen to be the son of the very famous Moishe Pipik, or are you?
Thanks for the welcome. I'm Jim, no relation to Moishe. If there are Jewish roots back there somewhere in my geneology, I'm sadly unaware of them. But I often call my cat Moses, Moishe. She doesn't get it.
Jim, I apologize for my faux pas. Please see your private message box.
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #17 on Apr 8, 2011, 10:48pm »
A fascinating read It is fun to begin to the puzzle pieces together with the music. I heard that at one point Ian was going to collaborate with John Cleese on a film? I could really see the project having some of the gritty finesse of Monty Python and Terry Gilliam! Seriously though--I would love to see this made and to see where Ian Anderson would take it...
A fascinating read It is fun to begin to the puzzle pieces together with the music. I heard that at one point Ian was going to collaborate with John Cleese on a film? I could really see the project having some of the gritty finesse of Monty Python and Terry Gilliam! Seriously though--I would love to see this made and to see where Ian Anderson would take it...
Haha--I meant (not )...still learning the intricacies of the commands here on the board
Joined: Dec 2011 Gender: Male Posts: 15 Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Re: War Child - A Musical Fantasy! « Reply #19 on Dec 28, 2011, 3:19pm »
I take it that the since-released classical instrumental "Warchild Waltz" was intended to be included as part of the soundtrack for this project. But since it fades out, I was wondering what that track's true unedited length is...
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It is fun to begin to the puzzle pieces together with the music. I heard that at one point Ian was going to collaborate with John Cleese on a film? I could really see the project having some of the gritty finesse of Monty Python and Terry Gilliam! Seriously though--I would love to see this made and to see where Ian Anderson would take it...
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