Mike Heron (born James Michael Heron, 27 December 1942, Edinburgh) is a Sco… Read Full Bio ↴Mike Heron (born James Michael Heron, 27 December 1942, Edinburgh) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work in the The Incredible String Band in the 1960s and 1970s.
Heron began by playing in R&B and pop bands in Edinburgh, including The Saracens. In late 1965 he successfully auditioned to join a new trio, The Incredible String Band, with Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer.
While with ISB, Heron released a solo recording, Smiling Men with Bad Reputations, released in 1971. This took eclecticism to a new extreme, blending rock, folk and world music into an atmospheric whole. Contributing musicians included Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, Duncan Browne and Ronnie Lane (as "Tommy & The Bijoux"!), John Cale, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dudu Pukwana, Elton John, and Steve Winwood.
After the ISB broke up in 1974, Heron formed his own band, Mike Heron's Reputation, with three other members of the final "electric" ISB line-up - Graham Forbes, John Gilston, and Malcolm Le Maistre. Later known simply as Heron, the band recorded and toured until 1977.
In 1977/78, while still living in the Glen Row cottage near Innerleithen which had been the Incredible String Band's home and headquarters, Heron recorded songs which were eventually issued as The Glen Row Tapes. In 1979, he released a solo album on Casablanca Records, but then withdrew from performance for several years. In the 1990s he re-emerged with a new group, Mike Heron's Incredible Acoustic Band, and released the album Where The Mystics Swim.
In 1997 he reunited with Williamson for some concerts, and from 1999 to 2006 performed occasionally with a reformed version of the Incredible String Band.
He has also recorded a song with his daughter Georgia Seddon, based on a poem by John Burnside, for the Ballads of the Book album released in March 2007.
Website: www.mikeheron.co.uk
Heron began by playing in R&B and pop bands in Edinburgh, including The Saracens. In late 1965 he successfully auditioned to join a new trio, The Incredible String Band, with Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer.
While with ISB, Heron released a solo recording, Smiling Men with Bad Reputations, released in 1971. This took eclecticism to a new extreme, blending rock, folk and world music into an atmospheric whole. Contributing musicians included Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, Duncan Browne and Ronnie Lane (as "Tommy & The Bijoux"!), John Cale, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dudu Pukwana, Elton John, and Steve Winwood.
After the ISB broke up in 1974, Heron formed his own band, Mike Heron's Reputation, with three other members of the final "electric" ISB line-up - Graham Forbes, John Gilston, and Malcolm Le Maistre. Later known simply as Heron, the band recorded and toured until 1977.
In 1977/78, while still living in the Glen Row cottage near Innerleithen which had been the Incredible String Band's home and headquarters, Heron recorded songs which were eventually issued as The Glen Row Tapes. In 1979, he released a solo album on Casablanca Records, but then withdrew from performance for several years. In the 1990s he re-emerged with a new group, Mike Heron's Incredible Acoustic Band, and released the album Where The Mystics Swim.
In 1997 he reunited with Williamson for some concerts, and from 1999 to 2006 performed occasionally with a reformed version of the Incredible String Band.
He has also recorded a song with his daughter Georgia Seddon, based on a poem by John Burnside, for the Ballads of the Book album released in March 2007.
Website: www.mikeheron.co.uk
Lady No Wonder
Mike Heron Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Mike Heron:
Audrey Heron Audrey my dear, I've been waitin' so long for you…
Beautiful Stranger John Cale: piano, harmonium, brass arrangement Pat Donaldso…
Belinda There was no foolin' Stretched out her hand and led me Let…
Brindaban Lately I've seen your face come close in on mine…
Call Me Diamond Dudu Pukwana: piano, alto sax, horn arrangement Simon Nicol…
Do It Yourself (Desert Song) Billy and me were the best kind of friends We were…
Don't Kill It Carol Oh Carol oh, Won't you let this red rose grow…
Evie Evie I loved those days so well, The way you…
Feast Of Stephen John Cale: piano, guitar, bass, viola, vocal arrangement Si…
It Takes My Breath Away Yet I did not meet you soul to soul. I felt the…
Jane Jane can't tell me if her hands Are trembling with emotion …
Maker of Islands I do my job and it's pleasing to me. I'm getting…
No Turning Back No turing back I gave a small cry Stirring in…
Savage Moon "To the white man nature was a wilderness infested with…
Spirit Beautiful Vemu Mukanda, Mohana Lakshmipathy: veena Vshailendra: tambu…
Squeeze the Minutes My heart melts at the thought of two people Achingly in…
Torch Song The light in the crooner's life is an old torch…
Transiberian Express A relationship was being ended. She sent me a book -…
Warm Heart Pastry "Tommy and the Bijoux": guitar, bass, drums John Cale: viol…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@Reed___
Singing the Dolphin Through is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard - underrated for sure!
@joggingjim
Wow! Thanks so much for uploading this. I’ve been retrying to get hold of this for years. Interesting hearing Robin Williamsons contributions on backing vocal on this despite the recent ISB split. I saw Reputation at London’s “Nashville” then “Heron” at the Marquee with Chelsea as support band.
@johnwoods2736
I am very interested in the career of Mike Heron just after the ISB split. How big a part did Malcolm play in the live performances? Did he sing any of his own songs?
@PIPEHEAD
@@johnwoods2736 I saw this combo at the Marquee in what must have been 75. Malcolm was the star of the band, as you'd expect, singing, dancing, chatting, playing the guitar, playing the fool. For some reason I don't seem to recall what they played, must be getting old..........
@rosebrunberg
Residential Boy is really a fine song and so is the rest of this album.