Gone to Earth (Barclay James Harvest album)
Encyclopedia
Gone To Earth is an album by the English rock group Barclay James Harvest
released in 1977. It reached #30 in the UK charts, but in Germany it peaked at #10 and stayed for 197 weeks in the German album charts. It is on rank #6 of the longest running albums in the German album charts. Only the My Fair Lady
soundtrack and albums by Simon & Garfunkel (Greatest Hits), The Beatles
(1962-1966), Pink Floyd
(Wish You Were Here), and Andrea Berg
(Best Of) spend more weeks in the charts. It was the band's largest selling album, eventually selling more than a million copies worldwide.
Hymn (often misinterpreted as Christmas song but actually a song against the dangers of drug use and dedicated to musicians like Jimi Hendrix
, Paul Kossoff
and Janis Joplin
) was a successful turntable hit at German radio stations in the late 1970s.
Poor Man's Moody Blues was written after a journalist angered the band by referring to Barclay James Harvest as a poor man's Moody Blues. Shortly after, guitarist John Lees wrote a song that reminded him of the Moody Blues
song Nights in White Satin
, and decided to use the journalist's phrase as the song title.
Other songs on the album deal with subjects like ended relationships (Friend of Mine), alienation (Leper's Song) the exploitation of animals for their fur (Spirit on the Water.), and the space race (Sea of Tranquility).
The original LP version of this album, designed by Maldwyn Tootill, featured die-cut outer cover and full-color inner album sleeve. On one side of the inner sleeve was an owl (as shown in the picture); on the other side was a picture of a sunset. The inner sleeve could be reversed so that either side would be displayed through the die cut.
The album's title, Gone To Earth, refers to the fox hunter's cry used to indicate that the quarry has returned to its lair.
Barclay James Harvest
Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Saddleworth, Lancashire, in September 1966 by John Lees, Les Holroyd, Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme , and Mel Pritchard .-History:...
released in 1977. It reached #30 in the UK charts, but in Germany it peaked at #10 and stayed for 197 weeks in the German album charts. It is on rank #6 of the longest running albums in the German album charts. Only the My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
soundtrack and albums by Simon & Garfunkel (Greatest Hits), The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
(1962-1966), Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
(Wish You Were Here), and Andrea Berg
Andrea Berg
Andrea Berg is a German singer in the schlager genre.Berg was born in Krefeld. As a child she would experiment with performing short sketches at carnivals and other celebrations. She later played with a band, and also worked backstage on stage set-up and drove the band's van...
(Best Of) spend more weeks in the charts. It was the band's largest selling album, eventually selling more than a million copies worldwide.
Hymn (often misinterpreted as Christmas song but actually a song against the dangers of drug use and dedicated to musicians like Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Paul Kossoff
Paul Kossoff
Paul Francis Kossoff was an English rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Free.Kossoff was ranked 51st in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" -Early days:...
and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
) was a successful turntable hit at German radio stations in the late 1970s.
Poor Man's Moody Blues was written after a journalist angered the band by referring to Barclay James Harvest as a poor man's Moody Blues. Shortly after, guitarist John Lees wrote a song that reminded him of the Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
song Nights in White Satin
Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward and first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.It is in the key of E minor Aeolian.-Single releases:...
, and decided to use the journalist's phrase as the song title.
Other songs on the album deal with subjects like ended relationships (Friend of Mine), alienation (Leper's Song) the exploitation of animals for their fur (Spirit on the Water.), and the space race (Sea of Tranquility).
The original LP version of this album, designed by Maldwyn Tootill, featured die-cut outer cover and full-color inner album sleeve. On one side of the inner sleeve was an owl (as shown in the picture); on the other side was a picture of a sunset. The inner sleeve could be reversed so that either side would be displayed through the die cut.
The album's title, Gone To Earth, refers to the fox hunter's cry used to indicate that the quarry has returned to its lair.
Side 1
- "Hymn" (John Lees) - 5:06
- "Love is Like a Violin" (Lees) - 4:03
- "Friend of Mine" (Les HolroydLes HolroydThis derivative of the band featured Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard after the schism in the original band. Pritchard remained with the group until his death in February 2004...
) - 3:30 - "Poor Man's Moody Blues" (Lees) - 6:55
Side 2
- "Hard Hearted Woman" (Holroyd) - 4:27
- "Sea of Tranquility" (Woolly WolstenholmeWoolly WolstenholmeStuart John Wolstenholme, usually known as Woolly Wolstenholme was vocalist and keyboard player with the British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest.-Biography:...
) - 4:03 - "Spirit on the Water" (Holroyd) - 4:49
- "Leper's Song" (Lees) - 3:34
- "Taking Me Higher" (Holroyd) - 3:07
Bonus tracks of the 2003 CD Edition
- "Lied" (previously unissued) - 5:05
- "Our Kid's Kid" (B-side of Polydor 2058 904 "Hymn/Our Kid's Kid") - 4:00
- "Hymn" (single edit - previously unissued) - 4:26
- "Friend of Mine" (single version - A/B side of Polydor 2059 002 "Friend Of Mine/Suicide? (live)") - 3:01
- "Medicine Man" (originally released as A/B side of "BJH Live" EP) - 11:53
Personnel
- John LeesJohn LeesJohn Lees may refer to:*John Lees , American contemporary artist*John Lees , English bodybuilder*John Lees , English textile machinery inventor...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Les HolroydLes HolroydThis derivative of the band featured Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard after the schism in the original band. Pritchard remained with the group until his death in February 2004...
– vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitars, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Stuart "Woolly" WolstenholmeWoolly WolstenholmeStuart John Wolstenholme, usually known as Woolly Wolstenholme was vocalist and keyboard player with the British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest.-Biography:...
– vocals, mellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, keyboards - Mel PritchardMel PritchardMel Pritchard was the former drummer with the British progressive rock band, Barclay James Harvest.-Biography:Melvyn Paul Pritchard was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...