{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox song | name = | cover = "The_Witch's_Promise",_Jethro_Tull_UK_single_sleeve,_1970.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] | album = | B-side = [[Teacher (Jethro Tull song)|Teacher]] | released = 16 January 1970<ref name="world">{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/70/Record-Mirror-1970-01-10-S-OCR.pdf|title=Record Mirror}}</ref> | format = | recorded = 19 December 1969{{sfn|Rabey|2013|p=64}} | studio = [[Morgan Studios]], London<ref name="linernotes">{{cite web |title=JETHRO TULL LIVING IN THE PAST - Original 1972 double album liner notes |url=http://aln2.albumlinernotes.com/Living_In_The_Past.html |website=albumlinernotes |access-date=24 November 2020}}</ref> | venue = | genre = *[[Folk rock]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/in-defense-of-jethro-tull-revisiting-ian-andersons-greatest-songs?1669653773724 | title=In Defense of Jethro Tull: Revisiting Ian Anderson's Greatest Songs | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> *[[freak folk]]<ref name="Stanley 2024">{{cite book|title= The Story of the Bee Gees - Children of the World|first=Bob|last=Stanley|date=6 February 2024 |chapter= Nowhere|page= 133|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster|Pegasus Books]]|location= New York City|isbn=9781639365531 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9uigEAAAQBAJ&source=gbs_book_other_versions_r&cad=1|access-date= 28 February 2026}}</ref> | length = 3:48 | label = [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]] | writer = [[Ian Anderson]] | producer = Ian Anderson, [[Terry Ellis (record producer)|Terry Ellis]] | prev_title = [[Sweet Dream (Jethro Tull song)|Sweet Dream]] | prev_year = 1969 | next_title = Inside | next_year = 1970 }}
"'''The Witch's Promise'''" is a song by British [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]], released as a single in January 1970,<ref name="world"/> on the [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]] label.{{sfn|Rees|1998|p=193}} It reached No. 4 on the [[UK Singles Chart]],<ref name=chart>{{cite web |title=Jethro Tull |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13506/jethro-tull/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref> and was promoted by an appearance on the British chart show ''[[Top of the Pops]]''.{{sfn|Rabey|2013|p=66}} The [[B-side]] was an alternate version of "[[Teacher (Jethro Tull song)|Teacher]]", which later appeared on the US release of the album ''[[Benefit (album)|Benefit]]''.{{sfn|Rabey|2013|pp=64,68}} In the U.S., the single was released on the [[Reprise Records|Reprise]] label.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jethro Tull – The Witch's Promise |url=http://www.45cat.com/record/0899|access-date=21 September 2018}}</ref>
==Background== The song was recorded at [[Morgan Studios]], London, on 19 December 1969.{{sfn|Rabey|2013|p=64}}<ref name="linernotes" /> It was intended to be a follow-up to the band's two previous singles, "[[Living in the Past (song)|Living in the Past]]" and "[[Sweet Dream (Jethro Tull song)|Sweet Dream]]", which had been top ten hits.<ref>{{cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin (writer) |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |publisher=Omnibus Press |year=2011 |page=2002 |isbn=978-0-857-12595-8}}</ref> Musically, it developed from the style heard on the group's previous album, ''[[Stand Up (Jethro Tull album)|Stand Up]]'', discarding the [[blues]] influences that the band had started with, and steered towards [[Folk music|folk]].{{sfn|Rees|1998|p=35}}
''[[Record World]]'' said that "Jethro Tull sounds strangely like a medieval Scottish troubador" and called "Ian Anderson's flute and vocal both excellent."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Record World|date=4 April 1970|page=8|accessdate=28 April 2023|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-04-04.pdf}}</ref>
The single was the first recording to feature keyboardist [[John Evan]], who would be an important member of Jethro Tull throughout the 1970s. He was sharing a flat with frontman [[Ian Anderson]] at the time, and agreed to perform as a [[session musician]]. He played Hammond organ on "Teacher" and both piano and [[Mellotron]] on "The Witch's Promise".<ref name="Flying Colours">{{cite book |last1=Russo |first1=Greg |title=Flying Colours The Jethro Tull Reference Manual |date=2016 |publisher=Russo |page=59 |url=http://www.crossfirepublications.com/tull.html |access-date=30 May 2021}}</ref> This led to an offer to join the band full-time.{{sfn|Rabey|2013|pp=64–65}} The track is one of the few recorded by Jethro Tull to feature the Mellotron, a tape replay keyboard that could emulate a [[string section]],{{sfn|Smolko|2013|p=9}} and the only single released by the band to feature the instrument.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.planetmellotron.com/revj3.htm#tull|title=Jethro Tull|first=Andy|last=Thompson|work=Planet Mellotron|date=1999–2018 |access-date=22 September 2018}}</ref>
"The Witch's Promise" was intended to be the last standalone single from the band that was not taken from an LP. Anderson said the band would issue singles from future albums in order to gain radio play, but he was not particularly interested in promoting them.{{sfn|Rees|1998|p=35}}
The song appeared as a remixed version on both the UK and US releases of the compilation album ''[[Living in the Past (album)|Living in the Past]]'' (1972).<ref name="linernotes" />
==Personnel== * [[Ian Anderson]] – vocals, flute * [[Martin Barre]] – guitar * [[Glenn Cornick]] – bass * [[Clive Bunker]] – drums
'''Additional personnel''' * [[John Evan]] – piano, [[Mellotron]]{{sfn|Smolko|2013|p=9}}
==Covers== English rock band [[All About Eve (band)|All About Eve]] covered the song on a 10" vinyl release of their 1989 single "December".<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=All About Eve – December|publisher=Mercury|id=EVENB 11 876 439-9|year=1989}}</ref>
[[Mostly Autumn]] side-project [[Mostly Autumn#Side-projects|Odin Dragonfly]] covered the song as "Witches Promise" on their 2007 debut, ''Offerings''.
==References== '''Citations''' {{reflist}}
'''Sources''' {{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Rabey |first=Brian |title=A Passion Play: The Story Of Ian Anderson & Jethro Tull |url=https://archive.org/details/passionplaystory0000rabe |url-access=registration |publisher=Soundcheck Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-957-14424-8}} * {{cite book |last=Rees |first=David |title=Minstrels In The Gallery – A History of Jethro Tull |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MctpQgAACAAJ |publisher=FireFly |year=1998 |isbn=0-946719-22-5}} * {{cite book |last=Smolko |first=Tim |title=Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play: Inside Two Long Songs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UfFAAAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-253-01038-4}} {{refend}}
==External links== * [https://www.45cat.com/record/wip6077 "The Witch's Promise"] at 45cat.com
{{Jethro Tull}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witch's Promise}} [[Category:1969 songs]] [[Category:1970 singles]] [[Category:Jethro Tull (band) songs]] [[Category:Songs written by Ian Anderson]] [[Category:Chrysalis Records singles]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Ian Anderson]] [[Category:Psychedelic folk songs]] [[Category:Freak folk]]