First released in July 1967, the Incredible String Band’s second album -The 5000 Spirits Or The Layers Of The Onion – is one of the masterpieces of the summer of love. The album went straight to Number One in the UK folk chart and was named by Paul McCartney as one of his favourite records of the year. With Clive Palmer having left for India, Mike and Robin were accompanied by Danny Thompson on double bass and Licorice on vocals and percussion. The record demonstrates the beginnings of what Robin Williamson describes as “using the recording studio as a giant paintbox”.

Standout songs on 5000 Spirits include Heron’s ‘The Hedgehog Song’, Williamson’s beautiful ‘First Girl I Loved’ (later recorded by Judy Collins, Jackson Browne and many others) and ‘The Mad Hatter’s Song’. The Fledg’ling edition has been carefully remastered by original producer Joe Boyd and engineer John Wood. Packaged in a stunning digipac with all elements of the original artwork and new sleevenotes from Mike Heron.

track list:
1   Chinese White
2   No Sleep Blues
3   Painting Box
4   The Mad Hatter’s Song
5   Little Cloud
6   The Eyes Of Fate
7   Blues For The Muse
8   The Hedgehog’s Song
9   The First Girl I Loved
10   You Know What I Could Be
11   My Name Is Death
12   Gently Tender
13   Way Back In The 1960s

Mike Heron : lead vocals, harmonica and guitar
Robin Williamson : lead vocals, bowed and bass gimbri, guitar, flute, Soma sitar, tamboura, drums, rattles, oud & mandolin
Danny Thompson : double bass
Licorice : vocals and finger cymbals
John Hopkins : piano
Nazir Jarazbhoy : sitar, tamboura

Release date : 29th March 2010
Barcode number : 5020393 307727