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Third Ear Band evolved within the London alternative and free-music scene of the mid 1960's with members coming from The Giant Sun Trolley & The People Band to create a uniquely improvised music drawing on Eastern raga forms, European folk, experimental and medieval influences. They recorded their first session in 1968 for Ron Geesin which was released under the pseudonym of The National-Balkan Ensemble on one side of a Standard Music Library disk. Their first actual album, Alchemy, was released on the EMI Harvest label in 1969, (featuring John Peel playing Jew's Harp on one track), followed by Air, Earth, Fire, Water (aka Elements) in 1970. They recorded two soundtracks, the first in 1970 for an animated film by Fuchs of Abelard and Heloise (which first saw release as part of Luc Ferrari's Necromancers of the Drifting West Sonic Book in 1997) and then in 1971 for Roman Polanski's film of Macbeth. After various later incarnations & albums they finally disbanded in 1993 owing to leader & percussionist Glen Sweeney's ongoing health problems.

• Glen 'Zen' Sweeney: hand drums, wind chimes, drums
• Paul Minns: oboe, recorder
• Richard Coff: violin, viola
• Benjamin Cartland: viola
• Mel Davis: cello, slide pipes
• Ursula Smith: cello, violin
• Paul Buckmaster: cello, bass guitar
• Simon House: violin, VCS3
• Denim Bridges: guitars
• Dave Tomlin: bass guitar, violin on "Alchemy"
• Mike Marchant: guitar, vocals
• Allan Samuel: violin
• Neil Black: violin, midi violin
• Mick Carter: electric guitar
• Lyn Dobson: soprano saxophone, flute, vocals
• John Peel: jaws harp on "Alchemy"
• Keith Chegwin: vocals on "Music from Macbeth"

• The National-Balkan Ensemble (1968)
• Alchemy (1969)
• Third Ear Band (1970)
• Abelard and Heloise (1970)
• Music from Macbeth (Soundtrack to The Tragedy of Macbeth, Roman Polanski's film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth) (1972)
• Prophecies (1972 (more likely 1978)- released in 1991)
• Experiences (Compilation 1976)
• Live Ghosts (1988)
• Radio Sessions (1988)
• New Forecasts from the Third Ear Almanach (1989)
• Magic Music (1990)
• Brain Waves (1993)
• Live (1996)
• Magic Music (1997)
• The Magus (1972 - released in 2005)

• Third Ear Band — from the Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock
• Third Ear Band: Alchemy & Improv — by Chris Blackford
• Third Ear Band— page with audio link & vintage images

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