Incredible String Band Mike Heron

Mike Heron

James Michael “Mike” Heron was  born on December 27, 1942. Heron, with Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer, founded The Incredible String Band in 1965 as a folk-song group which evolved to produce an emerging “world music” sound.

From a 2017 The List piece about the band, Heron said, “When they asked me to join the band I was really thrilled…. I joined very much as an apprentice in my mind; I’d been admiring them for ages. I was trying to be accepted by the alien beatniks. It took a little while!’

Incredible String Band Mike Heron

Incredible String Band

The Incredible String Band produced over 10 albums including “Five Thousand Spirits or the Layers of the Onion”, the Grammy nominated “The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter”, and “Wee Tam and The Big Huge”.

Their sound and success and “underground” radio’s fondness for their songs led to an invitation to perform at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. After a Friday night postponement, the band appeared on Saturday inconveniently placed between the blues-oriented Keef Hartly Band and Canned Heat.

Incredible String Band Mike Heron

Solo

In 1971 Heron released his first solo album, Smiling Men with Bad Reputations.  Sitting in were such luminary musicians as John Cale, Pete Townshend, Richard Thompson, Elton John, Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Keith Moon, and Ronnie Lane.  It featured a much more rock sound very different than Incredible String Band.

Incredible String Band Mike Heron

Mike and daughter Georgia

More recently Mike has been performing with his daughter, Georgia Seddon.

In 2008 Mike and Georgia were invited to perform at The Hollywood Bowl, collaborating with American band The Album Leaf for an evening of World music.

His site lists the nine solo albums Mike has released.

Mike and Georgia are now performing with Mike Hastings, and the multi instrumentalist Nick Pynn. Here is a video of Mike Heron guitar, vocals; Georgia Seddon keyboards, vocals; Nick Pynn violin, vocals; John Wilson violin recorded live at The Lighthouse, Deal June 27th 2014

Memoir

In 2017, he co-authored a memoir titled You Know What You Could Be: Tuning into the 1960s with his friend, the poet and author Andrew Greig.

Heron’s part of the book covers his life from 1957 to 1966.

A 2018 review said in part: “Mike’s portion of the book is a thing of wonder as we follow the young Mike through his childhood and teenage rock band years to his meeting with Clive Palmer, erstwhile beatnik folk musician and part of the ISB’s DNA. Mike’s early ‘career’ as an accountant soon falters as his balance sheet comes down more on the side of hash, girls and music, than profit and loss. “

Incredible String Band Mike Heron