Author:Rose Simpson
This intriguing book is subtitled ‘A Girl’s Life in The Incredible String Band’, and is an account of the author’s time in the band from roughly 1967 to 1971. I suppose it’s easy to forget now how innovative and influential ISB were, and how successful they were both in terms of record sales and as a live draw. I’m sure many of us at the very least owned a copy of The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter, and remember hearing that extraordinary music for the first time. This isn’t a conventional autobiography as such, the chapters being arranged more around themes than in strict chronological order, giving an insight into how a no nonsense Yorkshire lass whose main interest was mountaineering transformed herself, along with band mate Licorice, into something of a hippy pin up for a new and alternative way of living. In fact, the book is as much about the hippy lifestyle of that period as it is about the band and its music. Rose makes no great claims to having been a talented musician, but perseverance and patience enabled her to move from initially being something of a fish out of water to become a fully-fledged member of the band. Indeed, one of the most interesting aspects of the book is the insight into the relationship between the four individuals/ two couples that made up the band, all very different characters but each contributing their own unique strengths to the overall heady mix. Ultimately they naturally gravitated to the US at the height of flower power, resulting in a chaotic appearance at Woodstock. As the strain of living and working together eventually took its toll on their Arcadian dreams and their collective vision of Utopia, the influence of Scientology also exerted its grip on some band members, leading to more rifts in the ranks. Eventually, on New Year’s Eve of 1970, Rose simply walked away from the band and its friendships with barely a backwards glance, no ill feelings, just a natural progression to the next stage – a baby was on the way and a new chapter in her life beckoned far away from the confines of ISB. This is an excellent read, honest and intoxicating, with the dreamy text accompanied by a super selection of photographs, that shine a light on an extraordinary story played out in extraordinary times.
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
This is a delightful and captivating memoir of a life and times that seem so far away now – if you are an ISB fan of old or are simply interested in the hippy culture of that time then this is an essential read.
One thing you’ve learned
Rose moved on to a new life with her daughter, her subsequent career, far away from the music scene, encompassing activities as diverse as working for the Probation Service, gaining a PhD in German Literature and spending a year as Lady Mayoress of Aberystwyth.
About time we heard her story, I think. Who could resist a book with that title? I understand she pinched it from Thora Hird.
I was at the very first gig (or so we were told) where Rose and Licorice joined the band. They were laughingly if charmingly inept and half an hour later most of the crowd (100% stoned hippies) had left. Things did get better after that gig but not by much.
I’m sure it will be a fascinating read nonetheless so thanks for the heads up.
It’s a most enjoyable read, I ‘went’ to the book launch a few months back. I’d bought the hardback just before as it was difficult to resist a title like that.
I had to look up ‘odalisque’. Crikey.
Odalisque, odalisque, odalisque, just passin’ through…
Interesting interview here
https://pleasekillme.com/rose-simpson-incredible-string-band/
Great article. Again, thanks
Got this as the limited print initial hardback, as an early Xmas present to myself – kinda holding it back as a holiday read. Sounds like it’s gonna be worth the wait. BTW, I think Rose is the only member of ISB on Twitter.
Incidentally, Mike Heron’s book with Andrew Greig ‘You Know What You Could Be’ is down to £4 on Kindle – the first half of the book, covering the time up to the first ISB album, is written by Heron, the second by Greig.
He is apparently writing a second volume covering the ISB years.
I’ve just read this and was about to write a review when I thought I’d better just check… Glad I did!
The first thing to say is that what sets this above most music memoirs, ghost written or otherwise, is that Rose Simpson can write. She tells the story well and what a story it is.
It has caused me to revise what I thought I understood about the ISB. The popular opinion is that the two women were there simply because they were the girlfriends of the two men. However the musical partnership long outlived the romantic ones. And when Rose Simpson left, they cancelled a tour. Clearly, there was something important about her contribution.
Other random impressions:
Very interesting to get a backstage view of Woodstock. I’ve never read anything from that perspective before. I think the experience can be summed up by the fact that the first thing Joe Boyd did when he got them out was to make sure that everyone got gamma globulin shots.
And on the subject of Joe Boyd, he emerges as the grown-up in the room, constantly smoothing that path of his naive child-like charges. The only thing that prevents me from calling him a parental figure is that it would invoke the spectre of incest, according to the book…
The baleful influence of L Ron Hoover’s Church of Appliantology probably goes without saying and was clearly what spelt the end of that configuration of the band. To her credit, RS immediately saw that it was a grift.
One of the strengths of the writing is that RS shows rather than tells. One of the things she shows, I think, is that Robin Williams was a bit of an ass-hat, without actually writing a word of criticism of him. Another is that the whole hippy, free love, communal living, non-materialistic (yet somehow very materialistic) lifestyle was a lot of hard work. In a surprise development, much of the hard work fell to the women, who not only did the chores but were “expected to be sexually available”. And there’s an aftertaste of sadness for me there because much as RS portrays herself as a willing and enthusiastic participant in the lifestyle, it seems clear to me that she loved Mike Heron – and in that environment, their relationship could not last.
One final thing – and this just blew my mind – early on RS and MH set up home near to where I grew up in West Lothian. This won’t mean much to most people here but believe me the bleak post-industrial, small-town/small mind environment is the last place you’d expect to find such colourful – in every sense – characters.
Thanks for reminding me about this book, Mr Cakes. I might give it a go.
Excellent review, Bargepole. You make me very curious to read it.
I saw the ISB at the Albert Hall in 1969..(The support act was Family.) There was something very special about them
https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/A9hAkTQAQj3b1
The ticket cost me a princely 25 shillings!
I would have loved to see that. I caught one of the reunion tours (Clive Palmer and Mike Heron presiding); “we are our own tribute band” said MH.
I also saw an all-star ISB tribute that Joe Boyd put on at the Edinburgh Festival one year (2017, I think), at which Rose Simpson and Mike Heron put in an appearance. I enjoyed it but can’t remember a thing about the other musicians!
Mike Heron is apparently writing a further volume of his own memoir and if that sees the light of day, I will be all over it like a rash.