Limited edition (195, with 20 artist proofs), combination color silkscreen/giclee fine art print made from the original artwork, printed on heavy white stock

Produced by Simon Posthuma ("The Fool" art collective) 

Signed and numbered by the designer, Simon Posthuma, and counter-signed by both Robin Willamson and Mike Herron of the Incredible String Band 

Printed by Kaleidascope, Birmingham, UK, in July 2006

Print size 26" x 25", Image size 19" x 19"

Unmatted/unframed - sorry, but we do NOT currently stock a frame of this size. (click here for custom framing information)

 

 

 

Robin Williamson signs his prints       Mike Herron signs his prints

 

The full title of this 1967 release was The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, and its cover image has been included in nearly every "best record cover of all time" list from the rock era. The design was by Dutch art collective "The Fool", who also produced another near magnum opus in record album design in 1967 with the original cover painting for The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album (which, interestingly enough, was abandoned for Robert Fraser's now-famous design), as well as other psychedelic imagery for The Beatles, The Hollies, and Eric Clapton. Their talents were highlighted in the UK and the US by famed photographer, Karl Ferris.

 

Formed in 1965 by three Scottish folk musicians - Robin Williamson on violin/fiddle, Mike Herron on guitars, and Clive Palmer on banjo, the band recorded one album with the original line-up before Palmer left for Afghanistan and the others toured the Middle East, soaking up musical influences along the way. The two remaining members formed a group with other multi-instrumentalists and vocalists and then released The 5000 Spirits in 1967, where it went to the top of the UK folk charts and impressed top musicians in the U.S., including Bob Dylan and Judy Collins (who covered one of ISB's tunes as "First Boy I Loved").

 

After being embraced by the London rock club scene for their strange combination of Bluegrass, Celtic, Rock and Middle Eastern-influenced music, they were invited to play at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.