Mike Heron
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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Mike Heron
| Img = Mikeheron.jpg|thumb|200px|right|
| Img_capt = Cover of ''Smiling Men With Bad Reputations'', 1971
| Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| Landscape =
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = James Michael Heron
| Alias =
| Born = {{birth date and age|1942|12|27|mf=y}}<br />{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]], [[UK]]
| Died =
| Origin =
| Instrument = Vocals, guitar, etc.
| Genre =
| Occupation = Singer, songwriter
| Years_active = Since 1965
| Label =
| Associated_acts = [[The Incredible String Band]]<br>Heron
| URL =
| Current_members =
| Past_members =
| Notable_instruments =
}}
'''Mike Heron''' (born James Michael Heron, 27 December [[1942]], [[Edinburgh]]) is a [[Scotland|Scottish]] singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work in the [[Incredible String Band]] in the 1960s and 1970s.
==Career==
He attended [[George Heriot's School]], where his father was a teacher, and spent a year at [[Edinburgh University]] before leaving to start training as an accountant. He played in R&B and pop bands in Edinburgh, including The Saracens, and in late 1965 successfully auditioned to join a new trio, The Incredible String Band, with [[Robin Williamson]] and [[Clive Palmer]].<ref name=beglad>Adrian Whittaker (ed.), ''Be Glad: The Incredible String Band Compendium'', 2003, ISBN 1-900924-64-1</ref>
:''Main article : '''[[The Incredible String Band]]'''''
He has also released a number of solo recordings, mostly more rock-oriented than the Incredible String Band material. The first of these, [[Smiling Men with Bad Reputations]], released in 1971 when still a member of the ISB, took eclecticism to a new extreme, blending rock, folk and world music into an atmospheric whole. Contributing musicians included [[Pete Townshend]], [[Keith Moon]], and [[Ronnie Lane]] (as "Tommy & The Bijoux"!), [[John Cale]], [[Richard Thompson (musician)|Richard Thompson]], [[Dave Mattacks]], [[Simon Nicol]], [[Dave Pegg]], [[Dudu Pukwana]], [[Elton John]], and [[Steve Winwood]].
The Incredible String Band broke up in September 1974. With three other members of the final "electric" ISB line-up - Graham Forbes, John Gilston, and [[Malcolm Le Maistre]] - he formed the band Mike Heron's Reputation, later known simply as Heron, with whom he 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, he 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''. <ref name=beglad>Adrian Whittaker (ed.), ''Be Glad: The Incredible String Band Compendium'', 2003, ISBN 1-900924-64-1</ref>
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 Georgia Seddon based on a poem by [[John Burnside]] for the [[Ballads of the Book]] album released in March 2007.
==Solo discography==
*''[[Smiling Men with Bad Reputations]]'' (1971)
*''[[Mike Heron’s Reputation]]'' (1975)
*''[[Diamond Of Dreams]]'' (as Heron) (1977)
*''[[Mike Heron (album)|Mike Heron]]'' (1979)
*''[[The Glenrow Tapes]]'' (1988)
*''[[Where the Mystics Swim]]'' (1996)
*''[[Conflict Of Emotions]]'' (1998)
*''[[Futurefield]]'' (2002)
*''[[Echo Coming Back]]'' (2005)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://normanlamont.typepad.com/writing/2007/05/mike_heron_smil.html "How Mike Heron opened the door for me"]
*[http://www.theincrediblestringband.com The reformed Incredible String Band]
*[http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/h/heron.html Full discography]
{{The Incredible String Band}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heron, Mike}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Scottish pop musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]