The Incredible String Band
The group came together in the mid-1960s. Clive and Robin had been playing together at Clive’s Incredible Folk Club, a small folk club in Saucihall Street in Glasgow. They built up quite a following including Billy Connolly and Mike Heron, who later joined on guitar. They were a trio when Joe Boyd visited the club having heard about the band. He signed them to Elektra and they completed their first album, The Incredible String Band released in 1966. This showcased the fine writing talents of the three members and already showed, to a small extent, that they were moving beyond the usual folk style. Robin’s October Song from this album has become a classic and is highly rated by Bob Dylan.
The biggest-selling album, reaching number five in the UK, was The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter. Next up was a double album Wee Tam & The Big Huge. Be Glad for the Song has No Ending was released as an album but there was also a film that is now available on video and DVD. In 1969, the String Band played Woodstock although it is said to be one of their poorest performances. They did not appear in the original film of the event but a short section of When You Find Out Who You survives on the DVD Woodstock Diaries. Towards the end of the decade they produced U. This was more than an LP; it was a multimedia experience encompassing dance and mime and premiered at London’s Roundhouse. The band produced a few more albums in the early 1970s although none matched the quality of the earlier work. By by 1975, both Rose and Likky had left and a number of other musicians had beeen drafted in including Malcolm LeMaistre from the dance troupe Stone Monkey who contributed to the final shows. Robin Williamson has remained a prolific writer and recording artist, first with the Merry Band and then solo. Mike formed Heron and has made occasional albums but has been generally quieter. Clive Palmer formed Clive’s Original Band (COB) and the Famous Jug Band. In 1997, Robin and Mike got together for two concerts to dispel the myth that they were not on speaking terms. This was followed by a full reunion of the original three members in 1999 (with Robin’s wife Bina and Lawson Dando). This line-up has now been playing together regularly around the UK since then.
