The Incredible String Band
| Track | Album |
|---|---|
| Robin Williamson songs | |
| Banks Of Sweet Italy | Earthspan |
| Creation | Changing Horses |
| Dear Old Battlefield | Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air |
| First Girl I Loved | 5000 Spirits or The Layers Of The Onion |
| The Iron Stone | Wee Tam & The Big Huge |
| Mr. & Mrs. | Changing Horses |
| Koeeaddi There | The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter |
| October Song | The Incredible String Band |
| Pictures In A Mirror | I Looked Up |
| Time | U |
| Vishangro | Be Glad For The Song Has No Ending |
| Mike Heron songs | |
| Chinese White | 5000 Spirits or The Layers Of The Onion |
| Jane | On Air |
| Maker Of Islands | Hard Rope & Silken Twine |
| Maybe Someday | The Incredible String Band |
| Mercy I Cry City | The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter |
| Painted Chariot | Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air |
| Red Hair | Liquid Acrobat As Regards The Air |
| This Moment | I Looked Up |
| A Very Cellular Song | The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter |
| You Get Brighter | Wee Tam & The Big Huge |
Mike Heron (left) and Robin Williamson
(‘The 5000 Spirits’ back cover photo by Iain Skinner)
ISB playlist
Contributor: Merric Davidson
The natural cards revolve ever changing, seeded elsewhere, planted in the garden fair, grow trees, grow trees, tongues of the sheer wind, setting your foot where the sand is untrodden, the ocean that only begins.
The ISB created a mystique through performance in major venues in the sixties, surrounded by countless instruments – oud, gimbri, flute, mandolin, sitar – and worshipful audiences. Critics compared their songwriting ability to The Beatles, and the third album, The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter, reached No.5 in the UK LP charts.
Vibrating light forever one the sun, the book of life is open to us, there’ll be no secrets left between us.
All these years later and Robin and Mike are still making glorious music and continuing to influence young musicians. The above listings are simply a starting off point, the real exploration is in the many layers of the onion in between. Have fun.
May the long time sun
Shine upon you,
All love surround you,
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on.
Be Glad: Incredible String Band fanzine
Incredible String Band extensive website – discography, timeline, concerts
The official website of Robin & Bina Williamson
Incredible String Band biography (Apple Music)
Robin and Mike, Likky and Rose, and all those memories. Painting Box, Way Back In The 1960s, Witches Hat, Womankind, Waltz Of The New Moon … and all the solo work? – we’d love to hear from you about that.
Merric Davidson is a retired publisher who started this site in 2013. He tweets toppermost @AgeingRaver.
TopperPost #13
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The 5000 Spirits has a special place because of the sleeve design, one of the ones you’d pick out to represent the era. Way Back In The 1960s is a title I find myself quoting often (“Before the wide world war …”). That was a very special album for me. I bought The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter but somehow lost touch … I’ll chase up the suggestions here.
I truly have a tendency to agree with everything that has been authored in “The Incredible String Band – Toppermost”. Thanks for all the information.
I know music lovers who just couldn’t understand The Incredibles. For me, like Fairport Convention, they were very important and I saw them in various incarnations. ‘Air’ from Wee Tam and The Big Huge rivals God Only Knows for me, as the best pop song ever penned.