Their self-titled debut album featured backing by an orchestra organized by Robert John Godfrey. 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, and signed to Polydor; the move immediately resulting in greater sales. The next album, Everyone Is Everybody Else (1974) was voted 13th by listeners in Radio Caroline's 1977 Top 100 All Time Albums Chart. The band did a BBC Radio 1 session in 1974 for John Peel; Alan Freeman, 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 (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' song, "Nights in White Satin."
Wolstenholme – whose mellotron 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 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 (over two years before the Berlin Wall fell), playing in Treptower Park, 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 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 anniversary festival at the Brandenburg Gate, Bad Homburg in Germany with JLBJH's best attendance of 17,500 people, and more recently in Porto, Portugal with an attendance of 5,000. The band recently visited America, and played in Philadelphia. John Lees' Barclay James Harvest is currently signed and managed by Esoteric Recordings. 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, Mike and the Mechanics), and Rabbit Bundrick (The Who). '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, Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues and Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac. 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. 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, was credited to "Terry Bull" (actually John Lees). The B side "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, 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)
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barclay_James_Harvest
Studio albums
Barclay James Harvest (1970)
Once Again (1971)
Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories (1971)
Baby James Harvest (1972)
Everyone Is Everybody Else (1974)
Time Honoured Ghosts (1975)
Octoberon (1976)
Gone to Earth (1977)
XII (1978)
Eyes of the Universe (1979)
Turn of the Tide (1981)
Ring of Changes (1983)
Victims of Circumstance (1984)
Face to Face (1987)
Welcome to the Show (1990)
Caught in the Light (1993)
River of Dreams (1997)
The Song
Barclay James Harvest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a little bit of everything you see
But you don't know why Harry cried
There's a time right after love when you feel low
Like a bird with perfect wings denied the sky
But you don't know why Harry cried
Take a look at the common man
Pass you on by with a smile
Like he just don't care
Take a look at yourself in the light
People see by the look in your eyes
Either you're deaf or you're blind
Or you just don't care Well something stirred today
Young Harry he passed away
Someone moves and a leaf falls to the ground
Morning comes and he is not around
But you don't know why Harry cried
Well you pick him up and you put him in your hand
And he slips on through like tiny bits of sand
But you don't know why Harry cried
Take a look at the common man
He can talk with the use of his hands
Pass you on by with a smile
Like he just don't care
Take a look at yourself in the light
People see by the look in your eyes
Either you're deaf or you're blind
Or you just don't care Well something stirred today
Young Harry he passed away
Bye bye
The song "The Song" by Barclay James Harvest is a reflection on the complexity of human emotions and actions. The opening lines describe how every person is made up of various elements and experiences - "There's a little bit of you and some of me / There's a little bit of everything you see." However, despite this, there are still moments when we cannot understand why someone feels a certain way. The chorus repeats the phrase "But you don't know why Harry cried," implying that sometimes we witness others' pain or sadness but are unable to comprehend it.
The song goes on to explore how people often hide their true emotions behind a façade of indifference or stoicism. The lines "Take a look at the common man / He can talk with the use of his hands / Pass you on by with a smile / Like he just don't care" suggest that many people may be struggling internally but are reluctant to reveal their vulnerabilities. The final verse reveals that "Young Harry" has passed away, and yet his reasons for crying remain unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a little bit of you and some of me
There are similarities between us, we have some common traits and interests
There's a little bit of everything you see
We all have varied experiences and perspectives
But you don't know why Harry cried
The reason behind someone's emotions or actions may not always be apparent
There's a time right after love when you feel low
After a relationship or emotional connection ends, it's common to feel down
Like a bird with perfect wings denied the sky
Feeling grounded and unable to soar after being equipped with all the right tools
Take a look at the common man
Examining everyday people and their actions
He can talk with the use of his hands
Body language is often an effective means of communication
Pass you on by with a smile
People often hide their true emotions or feelings behind a mask or facade
Like he just don't care
Appearing indifferent or unconcerned, perhaps to protect oneself
Take a look at yourself in the light
Reflecting on one's own behavior and motives
People see by the look in your eyes
One's expressions may reveal more than their words
Either you're deaf or you're blind
Ignoring or denying the truth, perhaps purposely
Or you just don't care
Indifference or apathy towards a situation or person
Well something stirred today
An event or emotion has been awakened
Young Harry he passed away
A person's life can be fleeting and unpredictable
Someone moves and a leaf falls to the ground
Small actions can have consequences and impact the larger picture
Morning comes and he is not around
The absence of someone can be felt intensely
Well you pick him up and you put him in your hand
Attempting to grasp or understand the situation
And he slips on through like tiny bits of sand
The situation or person may be intangible and difficult to grasp or comprehend
Bye bye
A farewell or goodbye
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LEES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joseiturra8083
En Chile todos conocen esta canción es un clásico. Barclay James harvest gran banda de rock progresivo..❤ gracias.por todo .
@claudioecheverria8227
MAGNETOSCOPIO MUSICAL DE CHILE 💪🏻🇨🇱 QUEREMOS QUE VUELVA 😢
@nestorangulo1870
Cómo no acordarnos de los 80's Que vuelvan saludos de chile con rock
@wolflair3329
Christ this takes me back. This album rested in the collection of the first girl I had a serious relationship with, I played it every time we got together at her house. Never forgotten you Kathy
@jemandoondame2581
I wish Kathy to come here to YouTube see this comment and get together with you to talk.
@saschalinz7970
Wenn man sich vorstellt, daß die das in den 70ern abgeliefert haben. So ein geiler Sound.
@aleximetal9
Gran canción, espero poder seguir escuchandola en Chile!!!!
@Polo96019
Lo mas probable
@franciscomartinez4072
Que nostalgia...😉
@daddybloggt571
I swear this song has healing powers😀😀