British experimental rock and folk cross-culture band. The Third Ear Band were rooted in 1960's London underground scene, and stem from two bands: 1. the duo Giant Sun Trolley: Glen Sweeney (percussion) and Dave Tomlin (guitar, violin, voice), and 2. a parallel band called Hydrogen Jukebox: Glen Sweeney (percussion), Barry Edgar Pilcher (sax), Dick Dadem (trombone) and Clive Kingsley (guitar). The Third Ear Band started life circa 1967/68 as a some sort of psychedelic rock and jazz group, although no recordings are known. After a concert at the Middle Earth Club in July 1969 when a lot of their equipment was stolen, the guitarist called it a day, but the rest of the band decided to keep on. But, what to do? They had no money. Soon, after a total rethink the all acoustic Third Ear Band was born, featuring: hand drums, violin/viola, oboe/recorder, and cello.
Unquestionably the strangest band on the Harvest label, and enthusiastically championed by DJ John Peel, the Third Ear Band invented a new genre of instrumental music, rooted in the medieval, but with Eastern ethnic elements and aesthetically "rock" avant-garde. Their most famous release is the soundtrack to Roman Polanski's "Macbeth". During the 1970's the band went through numerous changes, mostly only documented by live appearances and radio sessions.