Barclay James Harvest
An English progressive rock band from Oldham, Lancashire, formed in 1966, who made orchestral albums for Harvest, played the steps of the Reichstag in 1980 and split into two touring bands in 1998.
- Origin
- Oldham, Lancashire, England
- Years active
- 1966-present
- Genres
- progressive rock, art rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock
- Labels
- Parlophone, Harvest, Polydor, Sire, MCA, Esoteric
- Also known as
- BJH
Oldham to Harvest
Barclay James Harvest formed in Oldham in September 1966 around John Lees, Les Holroyd, Mel Pritchard and Stuart Wolstenholme, known as Woolly, playing semi-professionally as the Blues Keepers before turning professional in summer 1967 under the manager John Crowther at his farmhouse, Preston House. The name was drawn from a hat, with Harvest from a farmhouse and Barclay from the bank, by the fan club's account. Wolstenholme became what the fan site calls the unchallenged wizard of the Mellotron, and the band hired and then bought one in late 1967.
Their first single, "Early Morning" and "Mr. Sunshine" (Parlophone, April 26, 1968), led to John Peel sessions. They signed to EMI's Harvest label in 1969, and their debut album of 1970 used an orchestra led by Robert John Godfrey, with a short orchestral tour including the Royal Albert Hall on July 3, 1970. Once Again followed on February 5, 1971, produced by Norman Smith. After a strained relationship with EMI they moved to Polydor and the manager Harvey Lisberg.
Live, Berlin and the split
Live (November 1, 1974), recorded at Drury Lane on June 30 and Liverpool Stadium that August, was their first UK chart album at number 40. Octoberon reached number 19 in 1976 and number 174 in the US. Wolstenholme left after XII (1978). On August 30, 1980 they played a free concert on the steps of the Reichstag in West Berlin, released as Berlin: A Concert for the People (1982; UK 15, number one in Germany). On July 14, 1987 they played to about 170,000 in Treptower Park, East Berlin, the first Western rock band to play an open-air concert in East Germany, issued as Glasnost (1988).
In 1998 the band divided into John Lees' Barclay James Harvest, which Wolstenholme rejoined, and Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd. Pritchard died in January 2004 and Wolstenholme on December 13, 2010. Lees announced in December 2022 that there would be no touring after the 2023 dates, and his band's Relativity came out on October 17, 2025.
Members
- John Lees guitar, vocals (1966-1998)
- Les Holroyd bass, vocals (1966-1998)
- Mel Pritchard drums (1966-1998)
- Stuart Wolstenholme Mellotron, keyboards, vocals (1966-1979)
Records
- Once Again 1971 · Harvest
The second album, with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Robert John Godfrey.
Songs
- Mocking Bird Once Again · 1971
Written by John Lees in 1968, sung by Woolly Wolstenholme and recorded with an orchestra; the band's most-played song at their own shows.
Related artists
Where to go next
Reference
- Barclay James Harvest on Wikipedia History and line-ups.
Discography and data
- Barclay James Harvest discography Albums and singles.
Fan sites and communities
- BJH fan site: biography A long account.
- BJH fan site: Live (1974) The live double album.
- BJH fan site: Berlin 1980 The Reichstag concert.
Sources
- Barclay James Harvest, Wikipedia
- Barclay James Harvest biography, bjharvest.co.uk
- Live (1974), bjharvest.co.uk
- Berlin - A Concert for the People, bjharvest.co.uk