I was browsing idly through channels on my TV. Imagine my surprise when I came across Barclay James Harvest in Berlin in 1980, playing to 250,000 people in front of the Reichstag. 45 years ago. Wow. I looked at it like looking through a portal to the past.
The first thing I noticed was that everyone setting up the stage was a totally different body shape to today. Not thin but not in the slightest bit overweight. It was really noticeable just because it was so different from now.
The second was how awful the clothes were. Wooly Wolstenhome was wearing a white satin kimono! But that aside, it was a great concert and brought back when I saw them in, I think, 1978. They were never especially popular, as familiar as their name is and they did well live.
Incredibly they released 5 studio albums before they charted with the sixth, Time Honoured Ghosts - great title - making 32 in 1975 which came with the gorgeous poster above. I loved how an album was a piece of art not just a soulless file. The double live was very popular at school at lunchtime, particularly the first side Summer Soldier and Medicine Man, as well as the legendary Mockingbird which I surprised myself by knowing every word of, so ingrained in me, is it, despite the fact I’ve not heard it for 30 years. Only got to #40 though.
Octoberon was the first studio album I got and that was the most popular, making #19 and the only album to chart in America at #174. The highest chart position was for the record of the Berlin concert, which went to #1 in Germany and #15 in the UK.
Never as technically flash as some other prog rock bands and more symphonic, they were nonetheless a very melodic, creative band. I wonder if their failure to crack America was one of those record company failures or just that they didn’t want to haul themselves around on a three month tour.
They did have 10 charting albums but mostly in the 30-60 range and released 20 records as well as 16 live records in various incarnations. And there must be two dozen compilations. Believe it or not, they had a #1 single in Switzerland with ‘Life Is For Living from Turn Of The Tide’. The EP from the live album is a 4-track classic as is the EP from Time Honoured Ghosts, you'll need about £25 if you can find a copy.
They might be best known for Hymn in the UK, but I was surprised it only made #54 but that was as high as they got with any of six charting singles in the UK out of over 30 released. Why was Mockingbird - a non-charting single in 1971 - their most famous song? Go on, play it now, I bet you know every word too.
They were a classic example of a band everyone had at least one record by, who were a popular live draw, but never became a household name, despite being around since 1968 when they released their first single - Early Morning / Mr. Sunshine on Parlophone which will cost you up to £75 for a mono copy.
Very much a band that everyone liked, whose members in the 1970s looked like everyone’s big brothers.
