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 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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XavierTheBat
Full track listing of that '76 compilation double LP on Island "Seasons They Change" :
Black Jack David
Blues For The Muse
Nightfall
Puppies
Cold Days Of February
Worlds They Rise And Fall
Chinese White
Empty Pocket Blues
When The Music Starts To Play
Saturday Maybe
Red Hair
The Circle Is Unbroken
First Girl I Loved
Cosmic Boy
Darling Belle
My Father Was A Lighthouse Keeper
Queen Juanita And Her Fisherman Lover
tranecalls
This is someone's compilation of songs mostly from the three original Incredible String Band member's solo albums. Robin Williamson's "Myrhh" (1972), Mike Heron's "Smiling Men With Bad Reputations" (1971) and Clive Palmer's band C.O.B.'s "Spirit of Love" (1971). I don't know if this was ever really an intended album, but it is very nicely done. In 1976 Island did release a double LP of the same name with various previously released ISB songs and one long wonderfully whimsical performance piece that hadn't been released called "Queen Juanita And Her Fisherman Lover."
XavierTheBat
Full track listing of that '76 compilation double LP on Island "Seasons They Change" :
Black Jack David
Blues For The Muse
Nightfall
Puppies
Cold Days Of February
Worlds They Rise And Fall
Chinese White
Empty Pocket Blues
When The Music Starts To Play
Saturday Maybe
Red Hair
The Circle Is Unbroken
First Girl I Loved
Cosmic Boy
Darling Belle
My Father Was A Lighthouse Keeper
Queen Juanita And Her Fisherman Lover
drummerboy1390
@tranecalls I'm pretty sure this was put together and released by Joe Boyd in the mid seventies to cover the ISB catalogue after they had finally split, including Mike Herons solo 'Smiling Men' album.
I'd forgotten about this album. It's so long ago and I could be mistaken but that's my take on it.
Nurul Hanafi
Queen Juanita and Her Fisherman Lover is one of my favourite ISB songs.👍
JahinIinI
These guys are the pinnacle of musical beingness.
serendip369
oops....EffulGence,, 🙂
serendip369
Absolutely correct ! and well said,Jahinli . Their effervescent joyfull gentleness effulving playfully ..... Love em.
lennon _#9dream
No hay mas riqueza músical como el rock Clásico, escuches todo lo que escuches es la hostia, arreglos de cualquiera manera, de todos los sonidos y de todos los colores. Lic Mckechnie, te adoro!!
Alejandro González
Lovely compilation. The real LP was nice too (and the very first I had of them), but this is a jewel.
robbieman23
Some great uplifting music, thanks for posting.....