Wishbone Ash - The Most Fascinating Facts Anywhere

Wishbone Ash

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1. Wishbone Ash's Original Line-up Came Together Through an Audition

Wishbone Ash developed from a group formed by bassist Martin Turner and drummer Steve Upton in Devon. Guitarist Andy Powell joined after an audition, and Ted Turner subsequently became the other guitarist. The unusual result was a four-piece with two lead guitarists rather than the more conventional lead-and-rhythm arrangement. That decision would become central to the band's identity and influence.

2. Their Twin-Lead Sound Was Not Simply Two Guitar Solos at Once

Wishbone Ash became known for weaving two melodic guitar lines together, with the players often harmonising, answering one another or moving independently around the same musical idea. Rather than treating the second guitar as mere accompaniment, the band made the relationship between the two instruments a compositional feature. The approach became especially prominent on tracks such as “The King Will Come” and “Warrior”, helping distinguish them from many contemporary hard-rock groups.

3. Ritchie Blackmore Helped Bring the Band to a Wider Audience

Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is often credited with recommending Wishbone Ash to producer Derek Lawrence, who was working with Deep Purple. Lawrence produced the band's self-titled debut album, released in 1970. The connection helped the young group gain a recording opportunity, although Wishbone Ash soon established a musical identity quite different from Deep Purple's heavier, organ-driven sound.

4. The Debut Album Already Contained the Blueprint for Their Sound

Released in 1970, Wishbone Ash introduced the band's blend of hard rock, blues, folk-influenced melody and intertwined guitars. Tracks such as “Blind Eye” and “Phoenix” showed that they were interested in more than short, riff-based songs. “Phoenix” in particular gave the group room to stretch out instrumentally, foreshadowing the longer compositions that would become a hallmark of their early-seventies work.

5. “Phoenix” Became a Fixture of Their Live Shows

The extended “Phoenix” from the debut album gave Wishbone Ash a vehicle for live improvisation and guitar interplay. Its structure allowed the musicians to build passages gradually rather than rely solely on a repeated verse-and-chorus pattern. The song remained associated with the band's concert repertoire as their performances evolved, demonstrating how their studio material could become a framework for different live interpretations.

6. Pilgrimage Took Them Further from Straight Hard Rock

The band's second album, Pilgrimage, appeared in 1971. Its music explored a wider range of textures, including acoustic passages and more spacious instrumental arrangements. Tracks such as “Vas Dis” and “The Pilgrim” showed the group balancing rock power with a more reflective, sometimes pastoral atmosphere. This contrast became part of the appeal of Wishbone Ash's early records.

7. Argus Was Released in 1972

Argus is widely regarded as Wishbone Ash's defining album. Released in 1972, it brought together the twin-guitar approach, memorable melodic writing and extended arrangements that the band had been developing. Songs such as “The King Will Come”, “Warrior” and “Throw Down the Sword” give the album a loosely medieval atmosphere, with lyrics and music that suggest conflict, duty and the aftermath of battle.

8. The Cover of Argus Was Created by Hipgnosis

The cover of Argus was designed by the celebrated art-design group Hipgnosis, known for imaginative sleeves for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and many other artists. Its solitary armoured figure gazing into the distance gives the record an enigmatic, timeless appearance. The image complements the album's medieval themes without illustrating one specific song, helping the sleeve become as recognisable to fans as the music itself.

9. “The King Will Come” Opens Argus with a Distinctive Guitar Figure

The opening track of Argus introduces the album's sound through a measured guitar pattern, sustained vocal lines and carefully layered instrumentation. Its lyrics invoke a figure associated with judgement and the return of a king, reinforcing the record's mythic atmosphere. The song is a good example of how Wishbone Ash used the twin-guitar arrangement to build drama gradually rather than relying on sheer volume alone.

10. “Warrior” and “Throw Down the Sword” Form a Powerful Closing Pair

The final two tracks of Argus are frequently heard as a connected musical sequence. “Warrior” is forceful and urgent, while “Throw Down the Sword” shifts towards reflection and release. The change in mood gives the album a sense of narrative closure, as though the battle suggested by the earlier songs has finally ended. Their contrasting arrangements also showcase the band's ability to combine twin-guitar power with subtle melodic detail.

11. Martin Turner's Bass Was an Important Part of the Arrangements

Wishbone Ash's twin-guitar sound can dominate discussions of the band, but Martin Turner's bass playing and vocals were crucial to the early records. His melodic bass lines helped connect the guitar parts, giving the arrangements movement without overcrowding them. His role as bassist, singer and songwriter also made him a key contributor to the group's musical identity during its classic early period.

12. Steve Upton Helped Give the Music Its Rhythmic Flexibility

Drummer Steve Upton was part of the original line-up and remained with Wishbone Ash through much of their classic era. His playing could be forceful when the guitars surged, but it also allowed the music to breathe during quieter or more intricate passages. The band's longer pieces depended on more than technical display: they needed a rhythm section able to maintain direction while the two guitarists developed their melodic exchanges.

13. Ted Turner and Andy Powell Developed Distinctive Guitar Roles

Although they were often described as twin lead guitarists, Andy Powell and Ted Turner did not simply duplicate each other's playing. Their different phrasing and tonal approaches helped the guitar lines feel like a conversation. The balance between them changed from song to song, with harmony lines, unison riffs and separate melodic phrases all playing a part. Their interaction became a reference point for later guitar bands.

14. The Band's Influence Reached Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden guitarist Dave Murray has cited Wishbone Ash as an influence, particularly their twin-lead guitar approach. The connection is easy to hear in the use of harmonised melodic lines that became a hallmark of Maiden's sound. Wishbone Ash did not invent harmonised guitars, but they helped demonstrate how two lead guitars could form the central musical identity of a rock band rather than serve as an occasional effect.

15. The Early Albums Mixed Rock with Folk-Like Melodies

Wishbone Ash's music has often been placed between hard rock and progressive rock, but their early work also draws on folk-like melodic phrasing. Acoustic textures, open arrangements and tunes that unfold gradually soften the impact of the heavier passages. This combination is especially evident across Pilgrimage and Argus, where the band's music can sound expansive without relying on elaborate studio effects or orchestration.

16. There's the Rub Marked a Major Line-up Change

After Ted Turner left in 1974, guitarist Laurie Wisefield joined Wishbone Ash. The album There's the Rub, released in 1974, was the first studio album with Wisefield and marked a new chapter for the band. His playing brought a different character to the twin-guitar partnership with Andy Powell. The record also showed that the group could retain its melodic approach while changing a central part of its line-up.

17. The Band Recorded There's the Rub in the United States

There's the Rub was recorded in the United States, reflecting Wishbone Ash's growing international reach. The album included “Persephone”, one of the group's best-known melodic songs, alongside more direct rock material. Its production and arrangements marked a shift from the medieval atmosphere associated with Argus, while retaining the twin-guitar interplay that had made the band distinctive.

18. “Persephone” Became One of Their Most Recognisable Songs

“Persephone”, from There's the Rub, is named after the figure from Greek mythology associated with the underworld and the changing seasons. Its graceful melody and carefully arranged guitars show a more lyrical side of Wishbone Ash. The song became a favourite among fans who value the band's ability to balance rock instrumentation with a strong melodic centre.

19. Martin Turner Left the Band in 1980

Martin Turner departed Wishbone Ash in 1980, ending the original bassist-vocalist's first period with the group. The band continued with different musicians and changing line-ups, while Andy Powell remained a central figure. Turner's departure was one of several major changes that separated the band's later history from its celebrated early-seventies period, although the original records continued to attract new listeners.

20. Wishbone Ash's Twin-Guitar Legacy Outlasted Their Classic Line-up

Wishbone Ash continued performing and recording after the departure of several original members. Andy Powell's ongoing involvement kept the band's twin-guitar concept at the centre of its identity, while successive line-ups interpreted the catalogue in their own ways. Their early records remain influential because the arrangements made two guitars work as interlocking melodic voices, a sound that later hard-rock and heavy-metal bands would develop in different directions.