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Barclay James Harvest are an English
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band. They were founded in
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...
, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd (b. 1948), guitarist/vocalist John Lees (b. 1947), drummer/percussionist Mel Pritchard (1948–2004), and keyboardist/vocalist Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (1947–2010).
History
After signing with EMI's
Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
label in the UK for one single in early 1968, they moved to the more progressively inclined
Harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...
label. The name for the band, according to The International Barclay James Harvest Fan Club, signifies nothing specifically. Having exhausted other possibilities, each of the band members wrote single words on pieces of paper which were drawn out of a hat one by one. All were rejected until only three were left: James, a man who used to sing with the band, Harvest because they were living in a farmhouse, and Barclay after
Barclays
Barclays () is a British multinational universal bank, headquartered in London, England. Barclays operates as two divisions, Barclays UK and Barclays International, supported by a service company, Barclays Execution Services.
Barclays traces ...
bank, because they aspired to make money. These were then rearranged to get the best-sounding name - "Barclay James Harvest".
[What does the name "Barclay James Harvest" mean?]
The International Barclay James Harvest Fan Club website
Their self-titled debut album featured backing by an orchestra organized by
Robert John Godfrey
Robert John Godfrey (born 30 July 1947) is a British people, British composer, pianist and a founding member of The Enid.
Early career
Born on the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England, Godfrey was privately educated in various prep schools prior ...
. It was released in mid-1970 and was heavily touted by the musicians and the record label as the next big thing in orchestral rock, but met with overwhelmingly negative reviews and weak sales. Their second album, ''
Once Again'', was followed by a tour with a full orchestra under Godfrey's guidance. Godfrey departed over writing issues behind "Mocking Bird" – one of the group's most consistently popular tracks - so Martyn Ford was brought in to supervise the orchestral work for their third album, ''Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories''. Years later Godfrey filed a lawsuit alleging he was owed composing credits and corresponding royalties on several of Barclay James Harvest's songs. By the release of their fourth album, ''Baby James Harvest'', in 1972, the pressures of touring were beginning to affect the band.
After this album, they departed from EMI, moved management to
Harvey Lisberg
Harvey Brian Lisberg (born 2 March 1940) is an English talent manager and impresario, best known for discovering Herman's Hermits in 1963. In 1965, he signed songwriter Graham Gouldman, a founder member of 10cc, who Lisberg also managed, along w ...
, and signed to
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
; the move immediately resulting in greater sales. The next album, ''
Everyone Is Everybody Else
''Everyone Is Everybody Else'' is the fifth studio album by British Rock Band Barclay James Harvest released in June 1974. This was their first album for the Polydor label after they had parted company with EMI.
The album was produced by Rodge ...
'' (1974) was voted 13th by listeners in
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Alan Crawford initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. ...
's 1977 Top 100 All Time Albums Chart. The band did a BBC Radio 1 session in 1974 for
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
;
Alan Freeman
Alan Leslie Freeman, MBE (6 July 1927 – 27 November 2006), nicknamed "Fluff", was an Australian-born British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years, best known for presenting ''Pick of the Pops'' from 1961 to 200 ...
, however, would be the band's main champion on the station in the 1970s and again when he returned from 1989 to 1993. The double live album, ''Barclay James Harvest Live'', which followed in late 1974, was the first to chart in the UK, reaching No. 40.
''
Time Honoured Ghosts
''Time Honoured Ghosts'' is the sixth studio album released by the English rock group, Barclay James Harvest in October 1975. The title was suggested by the wife of Harvey Lisberg, the band's manager at the time, though it is believed that she ...
'' (1975), which has "Titles", recorded in the US, followed, and this too charted in the UK, reaching No. 32.
[ ''Octoberon'' followed in 1976 and reached number 19 in the UK.][ They broke into the mainstream mainland European market with their 1977 set '' Gone to Earth'', which contained the song "Poor Man's Moody Blues", a homage to the ]Moody Blues
Moody may refer to:
Places
* Moody, Alabama, U.S.
* Moody, Indiana, U.S.
* Moody, Missouri, U.S.
* Moody, Texas, U.S.
* Moody County, South Dakota, U.S.
* Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
* Hundred of Moody, a cadastral division in South A ...
' song, "Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album ''Days of Future Passed''. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 ...
."
Wolstenholme – whose mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
playing was a trademark of the band's sound in the 1970s – left in 1979 after the album '' XII'' (1978), as he began to suffer from clinical depression. He pursued a short solo career fronting the band Maestoso, before retiring from the music industry
The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...
to farm. He remained inactive throughout the 80s before rejoining John Lees when BJH essentially split in two.
The remaining three members continued. In August 1980, they played a free concert in front of the Reichstag in West Berlin, with an estimated attendance of 250,000 people. They were the first Western rock band to perform in an open-air concert in East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
(over two years before the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
fell), playing in Treptower Park
Treptower Park (, with a silent ''w'') is a park alongside the river Spree in Alt-Treptow, in the district of Treptow-Köpenick, south of central Berlin.
History
It was the location of the Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin in 1896. It is ...
, East Berlin on 14 July 1987 to a 170,000-plus audience.
The band continued as a trio with regular guest-musicians until 1998. One album, ''Welcome to the Show'', produced in 1990, was released under the abbreviated name BJH. However, because of criticism from fans, the full name was restored, albeit with the inclusion of the BJH moniker.
In 1998, musical differences amongst members of BJH saw the band essentially split into two different groups, each of which retained "Barclay James Harvest" as part of its name. John Lees released an album mixing new songs and classics of the band, entitled ''Nexus'', under the name "Barclay James Harvest Through the Eyes of John Lees". Woolly Wolstenholme played in (and composed for) this band, subsequently resurrecting Maestoso to record and tour with new material, as well as back-catalogue favourites. Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard teamed up to record under the name "Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd". In 2006/7, Lees and Wolstenholme toured under the slightly modified band title "John Lees' Barclay James Harvest".
Mel Pritchard died suddenly of a heart attack in early 2004. Woolly Wolstenholme took his own life in December 2010, having apparently struggled with depression for many years.
The two derivatives of Barclay James Harvest continue to record and tour to this day, and enjoy ongoing popularity, particularly in Germany, France, and Switzerland.
John Lees' Barclay James Harvest (since 1998)
This derivative of Barclay James Harvest features John Lees, bassist Craig Fletcher, drummer Kevin Whitehead and keyboard player Jez Smith. The band originally featured "Woolly" Stuart Wolstenholme on keyboards before his death in December 2010. The group formed in 1999 to record the album "Nexus". Craig Fletcher and Kevin Whitehead were from Wolstenholme's band "Maestoso", and John and Woolly were members of the original Barclay James Harvest. The band toured in the UK and Europe in 2006, and recorded the live album "Legacy" at the Shepherd's Bush Empire
Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
in London. Since then, the band has played at venues in the UK, but more so in the rest of Europe, where they achieve good success. The band toured again around the UK in 2009. They played at the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
anniversary festival at the Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...
, Bad Homburg in Germany with JLBJH's best attendance of 17,500 people, and more recently in Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
, Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
with an attendance of 5,000. The band recently visited America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, and played in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. John Lees' Barclay James Harvest is currently signed and managed by Esoteric Recordings
Esoteric Recordings is a UK independent record label specialising in 1970s progressive rock, folk, psychedelic, and jazz-rock reissues as part of Cherry Red Records. Its releases include both catalogue reissues and new works from artists who s ...
. Mark Powell, founder of the label, works as the band manager. In October 2013 JLBJH released "North", a studio album of all-new material, recorded at John's own Friamere Studios, on limited edition vinyl, CD and deluxe CD with a bonus disc recorded live at the Buxton Opera House. "North" was very well received, going on to become Cherry Red's biggest selling album of the fourth quarter of 2013. The band played nine gigs on a UK tour to promote the album, followed by a live radio concert for Christmas on German station SWR1.
The band also formerly featured Jeff Leach and Mike Bramwell as guest musicians.
Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd (since 2002)
In 2001, Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard returned to the studio to record the album 'Revolution Days' along with former Sad Cafe members Ian Wilson and Michael Byron-Hehir, as well as Steve Butler, Steve Pigott (Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
, Mike and the Mechanics
Mike and the Mechanics (stylised as Mike + The Mechanics) is an English rock supergroup formed in Dover in 1985 by Mike Rutherford, initially as a side project during a hiatus period for his earlier group Genesis. The band is known for hit singl ...
), and Rabbit Bundrick
John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is an American–English rock keyboardist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roge ...
(The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
).
'Revolution Days' was released in 2002, and a touring band was put together with Holroyd and Pritchard; Michael Byron-Hehir on lead guitar and vocals; Ian Wilson on guitar and vocals; Steve Butler on keyboards, percussion, and vocals; Chris Jago on drums; and former BJH sideman Colin Browne on keyboards and vocals.
The first show was at the Colmar Wine Festival in August 2002. In October and November of that year, they undertook their first European Tour. More tours and festivals followed in 2003.
In January 2004, the band performed at the 'Art on Ice' spectacular at the Zurich Hallenstadion with Roger Hodgson, John Helliwell and Bob Siebenberg of Supertramp
Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending pro ...
, Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The group came to ...
and Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
. Upon returning to the UK, Mel Pritchard died from a suspected heart attack.
In January 2005, BJHFLH toured with Asia featuring John Payne as support, returning the favour on four UK shows in March of the same year. In 2006, they undertook the Classic Meets Rock Symphonic Barclay Tour with the 25-piece Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. In July 2007, they toured the UK. Les Holroyd and Michael Byron-Hehir also worked on Alan Simon's ''Excalibur II''
album, Les joining the stage show in 2010. Les also performed in the live show of Simon's ''Anne de Bretagne
Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...
''.
In 2011, Les joined the Rock Meets Classic Tour along with Ian Gillan, Lou Gramm, Dan McCafferty with The Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, performing four BJH songs: "Hymn", "Mockingbird", "Ring Of Changes", and "Life Is For Living".
Still touring Europe, the band introduced an acoustic spot into the set, showcasing their vocal harmonies with old favourites like "Poor Boy Blues", "Friend of Mine", and "Crazy City". They recorded their 2012 winter tour.
External works
The band released a single "Breathless"/"When the City Sleeps" under the pseudonym of "Bombadil" in 1972. "Breathless", an instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
, was credited to "Terry Bull" (actually John Lees). The B side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
"When the City Sleeps" was credited to "Lester Forest" (actually Woolly Wolstenholme), who also played every instrument and sang. This obscure track made an appearance on the soundtrack of the 2007 series ''Life on Mars
The possibility of life on Mars is a subject of interest in astrobiology due to the planet's proximity and similarities to Earth. To date, no proof of past or present life has been found on Mars. Cumulative evidence suggests that during the ...
'', although it was not featured on the CD release.
Members
Barclay James Harvest (1966–1998)
*Les Holroyd – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards (1966–1998)
*John Lees – vocals, guitars (1966–1998)
*Mel Pritchard – drums, percussion (1966–1998; died 2004)
*Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme – vocals, mellotron, keyboards, guitars (1966–1979; died 2010)
John Lees' Barclay James Harvest
;Current members
*John Lees – vocals, guitars (1998–present)
*Craig Fletcher – bass (1998–present)
*Kevin Whitehead – drums, percussion (1998–present)
*Jez Smith – keyboards (2009–present)
;Former members
*Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme – vocals, mellotron, keyboards, guitars (1998–2010)
;Guest musicians
*Jeff Leach – keyboards (1998–2006)
*Mike Bramwell – keyboards (2006–2009)
*John Joseph Lees – cornet (2006, 2009)
*Liz Fitzpatrick – trumpet (2009)
Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd
;Current members
*Les Holroyd – vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards (2002–present)
*Colin Browne – keyboards, guitars (2002–present)
*Steve Butler – guitars, keyboards (2002–present)
*Michael Byron-Hehir – lead guitars (2002–present)
*Louie Palmer – drums, percussion (2011–present)
;Former members
*Mel Pritchard – drums, percussion (2002–2004)
*Ian Wilson – guitars (2002–2009)
*Chris Jago – drums, percussion (2002–2003, 2004–2005)
*Roy Martin – drums, percussion (2003–2004, 2006–2007)
*Paul Walsham – drums, percussion (2005–2006, 2007–2011)
Discography
;Albums
* ''Barclay James Harvest'' (1970)
* '' Once Again'' (1971)
* ''Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories'' (1971)
* ''Baby James Harvest
''Baby James Harvest'' is the fourth album by English progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest, released in 1972.
Track listing Side one
#"Crazy Over (You)" (Les Holroyd) – 4:17
#"Delph Town Morn" (John Lees (musician), John Lees) – 4:4 ...
'' (1972)
* ''Everyone Is Everybody Else
''Everyone Is Everybody Else'' is the fifth studio album by British Rock Band Barclay James Harvest released in June 1974. This was their first album for the Polydor label after they had parted company with EMI.
The album was produced by Rodge ...
'' (1974)
* ''Barclay James Harvest Live'' (1974, live)
* ''Time Honoured Ghosts
''Time Honoured Ghosts'' is the sixth studio album released by the English rock group, Barclay James Harvest in October 1975. The title was suggested by the wife of Harvey Lisberg, the band's manager at the time, though it is believed that she ...
'' (1975)
* '' Octoberon'' (1976)
* '' Gone to Earth'' (1977)
* ''Live Tapes'' (1978, live)
* ''XII'' (1978)
* ''Eyes of the Universe'' (1979)
* ''Turn of the Tide'' (1981)
* ''A Concert For The People (Berlin)'' (1982, live)
* ''Ring of Changes'' (1983)
* ''Victims of Circumstance'' (1984)
* ''Face to Face'' (1987)
* ''Glasnost'' (1988, live)
* ''Welcome to the Show'' (1990)
* ''Caught in the Light'' (1993)
* ''River of Dreams'' (1997)
References
External links
Barclay James Harvest site with full discography and history of the band
{{Authority control
English progressive rock groups
Musical groups established in 1966
Musical groups from the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
Harvest Records artists
Sire Records artists
1966 establishments in England