The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion [SEP] record label
The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion
The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion is the second album by the Scottish psychedelic folk group, The Incredible String Band (ISB), and was released in July 1967 on Elektra Records ("see" 1967 in music). The album was recorded following the reformation of the band as a duo consisting of Robin Williamson and Mike Heron. Notably, the album was a change in musical direction for the two as they transitioned from their more conventional folk music structures
, Williamson's adaption of the Arabian oud to the guitar, and the vocal arabesques being major stylistic points in the album's overall sound.
Release.
"The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion" was released in July 1967 on the Elektra label to the UK (catalogue item EUK 257), and the US (catalogue item EUK 4010). The album, more successful than the ISB's debut, peaked at number 25 on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Folk Chart,