In 1967 Licorice -Robin's girlfriend- was brought into the band to augment their stage sound. Christina "Licorice" McKechnie sang and played percussion and organ; later together with Rose Simpson who sang and played percussion, violin and bass guitar. The first String Band album Licorice (Likkie) appeared on was "5.000 spirits or the layers of the onion". The sweet female vocal on “Painting Box” belonged to Licorice.
Likkie had a characteristic voice and proof of this you can hear on "Darling Belle" on the album "Liquid acrobat as regards the air".
But, she also wrote some own songs like "I know you" from the album "U":
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From: Michael Lambert
On impulse I enter "The Incredible String Band" into a search engine and
look what I find! Amazing!
I saw the String Band a bunch of times in the
NYC area after, unfortunately, Likki and Rose left the Band. The Bottom
Line (I recall a particularly wild Evolution Rag there), Avery Fisher
Hall and others. Never enough room to jig, but jig we did! To this day I
consider ISB concerts the best I've been to. As I was involved in
Scientology at the time, I got backstage to meet the band a few times.
As is mentioned in the FAQ about Likki's whereabouts, she was married to
Brian Lambert, my brother who will be very amused to find himself
mentioned in this website. They got amicably divorced back in the late
70s or early 80s, maintained contact for a while after that and then
drifted apart.
Brian hasn't heard from her in years and has no idea
where she may be. I recall my ex sister-in-law with fondness. Finding
this site has refreshed my memories of visiting them in LA, and sharing
Christmas with them at my other brother's home in the Connecticut
woodlands.
Likki's music always had a magical, elfin quality about it.
With good reason. There is a magical, elfin quality about her. I hope
she is well.
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Another interesting letter on the Be Glad web site, is this:
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From: David Evans:
I knew Likki and her husband Brian Lambert in about 1980 in Los Angeles.
She was not in the music business at the time, but still incredibly
talented and musical. She and I made some attempts at writing together.
I took guitar lessons from Brian. Likki still had Robin's nylon string
painted guitar he had written many ISB songs on. I offered her every
cent I had but she wouldn't think of parting with it. At a party at her
house in the Hollywood Hills, she sang a song called Old Songs And
Cottages which was so amazing I had to learn it. She felt so close to
that song that she refused to teach anybody how it goes. I still
remember the first two chords and have been playing with them for the
past 18 years. She was incredibly sweet.
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Do you have more info on Likkie e-mail me
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