Barclay James Harvest

Originally from Oldham, Lancashire, guitarist John Lees, keyboardist Stuart "Wooly" Wolstenholme, bassist Les Holroyd and drummer Melvin Pritchard first turned professional together in 1967, drawing the names Barclay, James and Harvest out of a hat. Often described as "the poor man's Moody Blues," BJH did draw some similarities to their namesake, particularly that 60s vibe to their music. They released a pair of singles (including the folksy "Brother Thrush" b/w "Poor Wages") to some acclaim (notably DJ John Peel), before being signed to EMI's new Harvest label. Their debut album was produced by Norman Smith, but the record's rich orchestration from "resident musical director" Robert John Godfrey would be more characteristic of the band. "Taking Some Time On" is a wonderfully psychedelic song filled with awesome guitar from Lees, while "Good Love Child" contains a punchy if uncharacteristically rocking melody. "Mother Dear" and "The Iron Maiden" turn to folk influences; despite being immaculately executed, they wallow in earnestness. Clocking in at 12 minutes, the epic "Dark Now My Sky" is the album's magnum opus. The orchestra kicks off, topped with Lees's soaring lead guitar, and coalesces into a gentle melody before the waves of orchestra follow in to close. More than classically-inspired, the band and orchestra are a perfect fit for each other; though what it has do with rock music is anyone's guess. A second album, Once Again, saw release in February 1971, and the band then embarked on a UK tour accompanied by Godfrey and an orchestra. The next two albums for Harvest followed in similar fashion; however, it would take a label change and a live album for the band to finally hit the charts in the UK.