Incredible String Band


 * The Incredible String Band were formed in 1965 when Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer, who had been playing as a duo around the Scottish folk club scene, were joined by Mike Heron. The ISB became resident performers at Clive(Palmer)'s Incredible Folk Club in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, were signed by Elektra Records' Joe Boyd, recorded an eponymous album consisting mostly of original songs by Heron and Williamson, and then broke up. Later in 1966 Heron and Williamson re-united and began to perform under the ISB name, with Joe Boyd as manager and producer. In July 1967 they released The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, the LP which made their name with a wider public and caused some critics to compare them to the Beatles. In 1968 further acclaim followed with the albums The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (their biggest commercial success) and Wee Tam and the Big Huge. The ISB were now highly regarded by critics and audiences both in Britain and the USA, although their highly original form of acoustic music was far from the rock mainstream. They were the only British "underground" group to win a sizeable following in the US, and toured widely, performing in concert halls and open-air festivals, notably Woodstock in 1969 - although this is not remembered as one of their finest performances. This phase of their career ended in 1970, with the "surreal pantomime in song and dance", U, which received a negative critical response and was the first significant setback they had experienced.
 * Then, at the end of 1970, Joe Boyd decided to cease managing the ISB and the other artists in his Witchseason Productions stable. He returned to the USA and the ISB moved from Elektra to Island, where they gradually moved from their earlier folk-based style to a more conventional rock group line-up, issuing five albums, as well as solo albums from both Heron and Williamson, before breaking up in 1974. Due to their exuberant live performances the ISB retained a loyal following during this period, but they were no longer highly regarded by critics and their records did not sell as well as their Elektra work.
 * After 1974 both Williamson and Heron pursued solo careers. Robin Williamson moved to California and formed the Merry Band, with a more traditional, "Celtic" style than the ISB. When they split up, he continued as a prolific solo performer, releasing many albums of traditional songs and stories as well as new material. Heron moved into rock music, with his bands Mike Heron's Reputation and Heron, became active as a songwriter for other artists and released occasional solo albums.


 * The ISB were out of fashion and the band members out of the public eye for much of the 1980s. A revival of interest in their work in the 1990s led to Williamson and Heron agreeing to get back together for two concerts in 1997. The positive response to these prompted a full-scale reunion of the original trio of Williamson, Heron and Palmer in 1999. They performed together for four years, playing mostly material from the early albums and not adding much to the existing ISB canon, before Williamson, eager to return to his own projects, left in 2003. An ISB led by Heron continued to tour and record but finally split up in 2006.

Links to Peel

 * The lifespan of the "original" ISB, from 1966-1974, coincides with the rise and fall of the hippy movement with which they, and Peel, were frequently identified. (In his 1974 end-of-year round-up in The Listener he expressed regret that they had broken up.) They rank among the artists who have done the most sessions for his shows, although after 1970 he seldom played tracks from their later LPs for Island Records. However, in the mid-70s Mike Heron's bands Reputation and Heron both did sessions for Peel's shows and JP also played tracks from the first two albums by Robin Williamson's Merry Band (Journey's Edge and American Stonehenge).


 * The first ISB record Peel played on his Perfumed Garden show on Radio London was "Chinese White", issued by Elektra in June 1967 as one side of a limited-issue single serving as a taster for the forthcoming LP. He was impressed enough by the album (The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion) to play all of side one on one night (18 July 1967) and all of side two the following night (19 July 1967). From then on the LP was a regular feature of the PG playlist, and the ISB were among his favourite artists.


 * The Night Ride programmes were originally intended to focus on acoustic music, in contrast to the pop and rock orientation of Top Gear. The ISB, by early 1968 the leading figures in the "folk avant-garde" as it was then known, were therefore a natural choice as session guests for the first Peel Night Ride on 6 March. This was just before the release of The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, about which Peel enthused in his International Times column. Their first Night Ride session was the only one ever to be repeated on a later edition of the programme.


 * During his Radio London and early BBC career Peel favoured many acoustic and folk-based artists, from Donovan, Pentangle and Leonard Cohen to his own discoveries Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bridget St. John and Principal Edwards Magic Theatre. (Because the early ISB were an acoustic duo they were sometimes confused with the pre-electric Tyrannosaurus Rex.) However few of these would appear in his playlists in later years, and none were invited to do sessions - whereas the ISB did a Peel session in 2000.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * None

Sessions

 * 12 sessions. A selection of ISB session material from 1969 to 1974 is available on the 2 CD set Across The Airwaves on Hux Records (HUX087).

1. Recorded: 1967-10-10. First broadcast: 15 October 1967. This early Top Gear programme was actually hosted by Pete Drummond and Tommy Vance rather than John Peel.
 * Painting Box / Mercy I Cry City / Chinese White / Nightfall

2. Recorded: 1968-03-04. First broadcast: 06 March 1968. Repeated: 26 June 1968 Won't You Come See Me wasn't included in the original broadcast on the 06 March 1968 but replaced Ducks On A Pond in the repeat broadcast on the 26 June 1968.
 * You Get Brighter / All Too Much For Me / Ducks On A Pond / I Bid You Goodnight / Won't You Come See Me

3. Recorded: 1969-02-05. Broadcast: 05 March 1969. This complete session is available on the 2 CD set Across The Airwaves on Hux Records (HUX087), although Fine Fingered Hands is taken from an off air source as it no longer exists in the BBC archives.
 * All Writ Down / Dust Be Diamonds / Theta / Fine Fingered Hands

4. Recorded: 1969-08-05. First broadcast: 24 August 1969. Repeated: 01 November 1969 Black Jack Davy wasn't included in the original broadcast on the 24 August 1969 but was added to the repeat broadcast on the 01 November 1969.
 * The Letter / This Moment / Gather Round / Waiting For You / Black Jack Davy

5. Recorded: 1970-07-20. First broadcast: 25 July 1970. Repeated: 3 October 1970
 * Won't You Come See Me / Empty Pocket Blues / Flowers Of The Forest / Beautiful Stranger / Dark-Eyed Lady

6. Recorded: 1970-10-06. First broadcast: 09 January 1971. Repeated: ?
 * Everything's Fine Right Now / Long Long Road / The Circle Is Unbroken / Raga Puti Raga

7. Recorded: 1971-10-05. First broadcast: 13 October 1971. Repeated: ?
 * You Get Brighter / Jigs / How We Danced The Lord Of Weir /The Actor

8. Recorded: 1972-02-29. First broadcast: 17 March 1972. Repeated: ?
 * Oh Did I Love A Dream / Restless Night / Down Before Cathay / Secret Temple

9. Recorded: 1972-08-14. First broadcast: 29 August 1972. Repeated: ?
 * Black Jack Davy / Rends-Moi Demain / Did I Love A Dream / Witches Hat/Ladybird/I Bid You Good Night/Long Time Sunshine

10. Recorded: 1973-02-26. First broadcast: 06 March 1973. Repeated: ?
 * Raga June / At The Lighthouse Dance / Saturday Maybe / Maker Of Islands

11. Recorded: 1973-10-09. First broadcast: 23 October 1973. Repeated: ?
 * Dreams Of No Return / Black Jack Davy / Jane / Dear Old Battlefield

12. Recorded: 2000-08-01. First broadcast: 23 November 2000. Repeated: ?
 * Maker Of Islands / October Song / You Know What You Could Be / Waltz Of The New Moon / Big City Blues

(Please correct mistakes and add any missing info)

Live

 * 28 March 1971 Recorded 1971-03-18, Paris Theatre. Repeated on 31 March 1971


 * 1) Bright Morning Stars
 * 2) Worlds They Rise And Fall
 * 3) Jigs - Sunday Is My Wedding Day/Drops Of Whiskey/Grumbling Old Men/Eyes Like Leaves
 * 4) Spirit Beautiful
 * 5) Willow Pattern
 * 6) Cosmic Boy
 * 7) Turquoise Blue
 * 8) Whistle Tune
 * 9) Darling Belle
 * 10) Adam And Eve
 * 11) You've Been A Friend To Me

Other Shows Played
(Please add any missing info)
 * DD Month YYYY: Song (single/album) Label