Ian A. Anderson

Ian A. Anderson (born 26 July 1947) is an English magazine editor, folk musician and broadcaster.

Early career and The Village Thing Anderson first performed in his home town of Weston-super-Mare as a member of the Backwater Jook Band and came to prominence as a member of the Bristol based country blues scene of the mid to late 1960s, performing live and on record, both solo, with Al Jones and Elliott Jackson as the trio "Anderson Jones Jackson",

In the 21st century, much of Village Thing’s output has been categorised as "psych folk" or "acid folk", terms which did not exist at the time its records were first made.

1970s–80s duo In 1973, he moved from Bristol to Farnham, Surrey, performing internationally with his then wife, Maggie Holland, as the duo Hot Vultures who recorded three albums. In 1982, he founded Farnham Folk Day,

Anderson and Folk Roots were actively involved in the 1987 campaign which established the term "world music", and supported tours by artists who were previously unknown in the UK. In 2001, he developed the Awards For World Music, which were produced and run by BBC Radio 3 from 2002 to 2008.

fRoots was given the WOMEX Award for professional excellence in 2010.

Rogue Records As a spin-off from his 1980s activities, he founded an independent record label, Rogue Records, which provided a platform for both his own bands and new artists, concentrating on world music. In 2023, he joined community station Cambridge 105 Radio, where he presents a monthly show.

Recent music career In 2008/2009, he was one third of Blue Blokes 3, with Lu Edmonds (formerly of the Mekons, Billy Bragg's Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3, the Damned, PiL and others) on vocals, cumbus, saz and guitar, and Ben Mandelson (Billy Bragg’s Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3, Tiger Moth, Yiddish Twist Orchestra and others) on vocals, mandolin, baritone bouzouki, banjo, tenor guitar, etc. After Edmonds re-joined Public Image Limited in 2010, Anderson and Mandelson continued as the duo The False Beards who released their first album in 2013. In 2016, Anderson and Holland got together again for a Hot Vultures reunion tour, and in 2017 he commenced doing solo gigs again for the first time since 1973.

He released an album of new and completely solo recordings in 2017, then in January 2019 the compilation Onwards!, which was sourced from 50 years of his solo work and all the bands he has been part of (including previously unissued material).

In 2024, Anderson compiled and wrote the sleeve notes for Les Cousins: The Soundtrack Of Soho’s Legendary Folk & Blues Club, a three-CD box set featuring various artists from the Soho club, Les Cousins.

Discography Albums The Inverted World – Saydisc (1968) Stereo Death Breakdown – Liberty (1969) Book Of Changes – Fontana (1970) Royal York Crescent – The Village Thing (1970) A Vulture Is Not A Bird You Can Trust – The Village Thing (1971) Singer Sleeps On as Blaze Rages – The Village Thing (1972) Carrion On – EMI Bestseller/Red Rag (1975) The East Street Shakes – Red Rag (1977) Up The Line – Plant Life (1979) No Rules – Dingles (1982) Home and Deranged – Rogue (1983) Tiger Moth – Rogue (1984) The Continuous Preaching Blues – Appaloosa (1984) Howling Moth – Rogue (1988) Stubble – Fledg'ling (2008) Ankle – Ghosts From The Basement (2013)

Singles and EPs Anderson Jones Jackson – Saydisc (1966) Almost The Country Blues – Saydisc (1967) Salt of The Earth (Song Of Praise) – Rogue (1988) The World At Sixes And Sevens – Rogue (1989)