Barclay James Harvest is a British rock band specialising in Symphonic/Melodic Rock with folk/progressive/classical influences.
The band was founded in Saddleworth, a civil parish now in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in 1966 by John Lees (*1947, vocals, guitars), Les Holroyd (*1948, bass, guitars, keyboards, vocals), Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme (*1947, vocals, mellotron, keyboards) and Mel Pritchard (1948-2004, drums, percussion).
After early success in the UK with their second album Once Again, the band broke into the mainstream European market with their 1977 set Gone to Earth.
Woolly Wolstenholme – whose mellotron playing was a trademark of the band's sound in the 70s – left in 1979. Woolly pursued a short solo career fronting Maestoso before retiring from the music business to pursue farming.
The remaining three members continued. At the height of their success they played a free concert in front of the Reichstag in Berlin (Germany), with an estimated attendance of 250,000 people (30 August 1980). They were also the first Western rock band to play an open-air concert in pre-Glasnost East Ger...
| years active | 1966–present |
| status | Active |
| origin | Saddleworth, England |
| country | England |
| music genre | Rock music |
| current members | John Lees Les Holroyd Woolly Wolstenholme |
| past members | Mel Pritchard |
