Incredible String Band ORIG US LP 5000 spirits EX ’67 Gold Elektra EKS74010

Incredible String Band

Original US 1st Press LP released in 1967 on the Gold & White Elektra Label. Cat: EKS74010.   

This batch of LP’s are from a very recently acquired collection of all original late 60’s early 70’s pressing LP’s. There are around 200 albums I hope to list over the coming weeks some fantastic titles amongst them most over 45 years old!! I have hand cleaned and listened to every album and graded conservatively (as per usual) to give the most accurate grading I can. I hope you enjoy browsing or bidding on the titles as much as I have listening to them all.

In 1967, Joe Boyd had signed the Incredible String Band, who were then down to Robin Williamson, Mike Heron, and Licorice McKechnie, to Elektra. The 5000 Spirits or Layers of the Onion had been crafted in a cottage in Glasgow, but Boyd wanted a proper recording studio to get it on tape. He chose engineer John Wood's Chelsea studio for the sessions. Recorded on a four-track machine, Boyd and Wood proceeded to capture the very best of the dozens of songs Williamson and Heron brought in. Influenced heavily by the era this was the summer of love, after all and North African music due to Williamson’s recent trip to Morocco, the set is one of the most ambitious albums in the band’s catalog. The trio were also accompanied by Danny Thompson on bass on seven tracks, as well as Nazir Jarazbhoy on sitar. The standout tracks include “First Girl I Loved” (later covered by Judy Collins and Jackson Browne), and the cosmic folk-blues “The Mad Hatter’s Song.” On this set, British folk often comes up against against Williamson’s fascination with Middle Eastern sounds check the bowed gimbri hovering and flitting about the acoustic guitar on “Chinese White,” and the hand drums underscoring the acoustic slide guitar on “The Hedgehog Song.” Thompson’s bass and Williamson’s harmonica are the only elements that keep “Blues for the Muse” on the ground barely a blues at all because of the way it pushes the 12-bar envelope. The brief “My Name Is Death” begins as a one-chord drone before it moves back to a more formally constructed 18th century traditional song. The meld of all ISB’s influences are heard on “Gently Tender,” a beautiful if somewhat anarchic tune where flutes, acoustic blues, hand drums, bass, gimbri, and sitar are all employed. This set stands as one of the true masterpieces in the group's catalog.

Tracks: Chinese white/ No sleep blues/ Painting box/ The mad hatter’s song/ Little cloud/ The eyes of fate/ Blues for the muse/ The hedgehog’s song/ First girl I loved/ You know what you could be/ My name is death/ Gently tender/ Way back in the 1960’s.

There are a few light spindle marks on labels. Record has some light scuff marks and very light scratches that cause a few light crackles throughout mostly noticeable between tracks and is in Excellent condition. Cover has light ring wear, a few light marks, light scuffing on corners and a few tiny surface tears around edges and is in VG+ condition.

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Wrapping method: All records are sent in stiff cardboard mailers then wrapped in brown paper and sealed around edges with brown packaging tape. Records are taken out of sleeve to avoid seam splits and ring wear.

Post methods within Australia: All records are posted via Australia Post. Within Australia all items come with a tracking number.

Post method for overseas: All parcels are sent via Australia Post and are sent on a standard airmail service. There are no tracking numbers on these items. If you require a tracking number the item will have to be sent as an insured item which incurs a further postage fee.  

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