Local music history: Barclay James Harvest

The satellite towns of Greater Manchester – such as Rochdale, Oldham, Bury, Bolton and Stockport – have never been on the main British pop and rock tour itineraries. They were (and are) simply too close to Manchester to be able to hold their own and attract large audiences. Notable exceptions exist; in 1958 Buddy Holly came to Wigan, but surprisingly not to Manchester. Bolton Odeon was occasionally on the rock 'n' roll and pop touring circuit. Big names rarely came to Rochdale.

As I have mentioned before in Style Magazine, Champness Hall on Drake Street did attract some big names in rock music in the 1970s such as Incredible String Band, Thin Lizzy, Quintessence and Barclay James Harvest. Barclay James Harvest were part of the 1970s British progressive rock scene and, despite an eventful history, are still going strong.

Originally from Oldham, the band changed its name to Barclay James Harvest in 1967 and rehearsed in Preston House, formerly a 16th century Inn in Saddleworth. The line-up consisted of John Lees (guitar, vocals), Les Holroyd (bass, vocals), “Woolly” Woolstenholme (keyboards, vocals) and Mel Pritchard (drums). In 1968 the band signed to EMI Records and released their debut single, Early Morning.

The following year Barclay James Harvest moved across to EMI's new progressive label, Harvest. They were one of the first rock bands to regularly feature a full orchestra when performing live shows. This type of concert has become so widespread in recent years – names too numerous to mention- that many people forget these local pioneers were making a successful rock/classical fusion from their early days.

Three years later, Barclay James Harvest came to Rochdale's Champness Hall on August 21st 1973. 1973 had been an eventful year for Barclay James Harvest; they had toured the UK in the spring, played some European dates and, controversially, toured apartheid South Africa. The band had also played support to Ten Years After at London's Alexandra Palace at the beginning of August.

Barclay James Harvest were at something of a crossroads. They had been signed to EMI's progressive imprint Harvest for four years, releasing an album each year. While their label mates, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple thrived and sold millions of records, Barclay James Harvest were very much in the second division. Earlier in the year the band had issued a single, Rock And Roll Woman; this was their final release for Harvest.

Champness Hall was about the nearest venue that Barclay James Harvest had to a home-town gig, being only a few miles from their native Oldham. The support band were Gryphon, a band known for using medieval instruments. It was a one-off concert just a few days after the headliners had played the Bilzen Festival in Belgium.

1974 brought a new record label for Barclay James Harvest, signing to the Polydor label. They also changed their management, joining Harvey Lisberg's Kennedy Street Enterprises who already represented 10cc. Suddenly, things started to happen; a new studio album Everybody Is Everybody Else attracted a lot of attention and, just six months later, that 1970's rock staple, a double live album was the band's first UK chart entry.

Strings were central to the Barclay James Harvest's sound, whether from a real orchestra or from a keyboard called a Mellotron which reproduced the sounds of orchestral instruments. If you listen to the Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever, early Genesis albums and much of the Moody Blues' output, you will hear the sounds of a Mellotron. This was widely used before samplers and electronic keyboards were available.

Two other Barclay James Harvest songs stand out for me; one called Titles is a composition based almost entirely of Beatles' song titles. It is very cleverly thought out and effective with a chorus going “Lady Madonna, let it be..”! Hymn - as the title suggests – is a Christian inspired song which starts with just acoustic guitar and short verses. The refrain which starts: “Jesus came down from heaven to earth...” is instantly memorable. It builds and builds, becoming a powerful anthem. Unsurprisingly, the song became a favourite with audiences all around the world. I remember hearing the song when it was first released and being transfixed by it.

Try and listen to these songs on streaming services or watch old videos on YouTube. If the band are a new name to some Style readers, you might be pleasantly surprised. The band have a delicate artistry which has not dated anything like as much as many of their “prog” contemporaries. If - like this writer - you still prefer CDs, try Child Of The Universe- The Essential Collection, a two-disc set that contains many of the band's best songs.

Many British rock bands found loyal audiences in mainland Europe, not least in Germany and Barclay James Harvest were no exception. In 1980 the band played a free concert on the steps of the Reichstag in West Berlin in front of no less than 175,000 people, just yards away from the Berlin Wall. The live recording of the event, Concert For The People was released the following year and became their highest ever British chart placing. Seven years later, the band played East Berlin's Treptower Park which also became a live album, Glasnost.

Whatever happened to the band? Sadly, two of the four original members have died – Mel Pritchard (d. 2004) and Woolly Wolstenholme (d. 2010). The band had already split in two – this is something of an occupational hazard in British rock and pop – other examples include UB40, The Searchers, The Beat and Yes. John Lees's Barclay James Harvest and Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd now have their own followings.

Singer and guitarist, John Lees could be found a few years ago working at an Oldham secondary school as a music and ICT technician. On his final day at the school, before John's return to touring, he performed a version of Hymn in a special assembly accompanied by members of the school choir. It seems that many of the school community had had no idea that a famous rock musician had been working amongst them!

It is an unbelievable half a century since Barclay James Harvest played in Rochdale. Both versions of the band are still active and playing concerts and festivals, especially in Europe where they remain incredibly popular. John Lees is now 76 years old and Les Holroyd a year younger. Did YOU see them (when they – and probably you -were in their 20's) at Champness Hall in 1973?

Richard Lysons

Further details: barclayjamesharvest.co.uk (Les Holroyd) barclayjamesharvest.com (John Lees) bjharvest.co.uk (band history)