Amazing Blondel was an English acoustic folk-progressive band formed in 1969 by John Gladwin and Terry Wincott. The duo initially played together in an electric band called Methuselah before leaving in 1969 to focus on acoustic music. After school friend Eddie Baird joined the group, they recorded their debut studio album, The Amazing Blondel (also known as Amazing Blondel and a Few Faces), which was recorded in 1969 and released in 1970 on Bell Records. The band signed with Island Records and released the albums Evensong (1970), Fantasia Lindum (1971), and England (1972). On stage, they were known for their musical precision, instrumental versatility utilizing around forty instruments, and banter that included risqué jokes. In 1973, Gladwin left the group, leading the remaining members to continue as a duo and transition towards a more modernized, electrified sound. Their albums from this period include Blondel (1973), Mulgrave Street (1974), Inspiration (1975), and Bad Dreams (1976). Although the group ceased performing at the end of the 1970s, the original lineup reunited in 1997 to release the album Restoration and perform across Europe until 2000. They also released the studio album The Amazing Esmeralda Elsie in 2010.
