With Palmer still in the east, when a lack of funds brought Williamson back home, he and Heron reformed the String Band as a duo. Williamson’s time in Morocco had, however, produced an array of exotic instruments, including a gimbri and when the second ISB album, The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, appeared in July 1967 the sleeve credited him as playing guitar, mandolin, oud, bowed and bass gimbri, flute, and percussion in the form of assorted drums and rattles.
When The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter appeared in March 1968 the multi-instrumental range had expanded to guitar, gimbri, penny whistle, percussion, pan pipe, piano, oud, mandolin, jaw harp, chahanai, water harp and harmonica with Heron on sitar, Hammond organ, guitar, hammered dulcimer, harpsichord.
Both, of course, wrote and sang their own compositions.
But while the duo were prolific it was never a comfortable relationship. According to Boyd, who was, by this time their manager and producer and was, therefore, aware of the internal dynamics “Neither would agree to the inclusion of a new song by the other unless he could impose himself on it by arranging the instruments and working out all the harmonies.” (White Bicycles p. 186)
Williamson’s girlfriend Licorice appeared on 5000 Spirits on vocals and percussion with the peerless Danny Thompson handling bass duties, but when Williamson suggested Licorice become a permanent member of the band Heron insisted his girlfriend, Rose Simpson join as well, bought er an electric bass and taught her how to play the required parts by rote.
A short tour of the UK supporting Elektra acts Tom Paxton and Judy Collins, regular gigs at London clubs including Les Cousins, the UFO Club (co-owned by Boyd) and the Speakeasy along with a spot on the bill along with Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen at the Newport Folk Festival, on a bill spread the word. Enthusiastic reviews in the music press and exposure on John Peel's pirate Radio London Perfumed Garden radio show and subsequently on Peel’s BBC show (Top Gear) maintained the momentum.