Barclay James Harvest – Barclay James Harvest (2018)

Esoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a new re-mastered four disc deluxe expanded boxed set limited edition (comprising 3 CDs and a DVD) of the legendary self-titled debut album by BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST. In April 1968 Barclay James Harvest released their first single, Early Morning, on EMI s Parlophone label and became the first signing to EMI s progressive label Harvest Records (named after them) the following year. Their self-titled debut album was released in June 1970, and saw BJH successfully fuse an orchestra with rock to create a unique, sometimes pastoral, form of symphonic progressive rock. Produced by Norman Smith (also famed for his work with Pink Floyd and the Pretty Things), Barclay James Harvest was dominated by the twelve-minute epic Dark Now My Sky and also featured such wonderful material as The Iron Maiden, Mother Dear, When the World Was Woken and the fine rock tracks Taking Some Time On and Good Love Child. The album established Barclay James Harvest as one of Britain s most unique groups and paved the way for a remarkable career and a catalogue of music that continues to endure. This expanded reissue has been newly re-mastered from the original master tapes and features an additional 33 bonus tracks drawn from new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mixes from the original multi-track master tapes, BBC radio sessions from 1968 and 1971, the singles Early Morning, Brother Thrush & Taking Some Time On, a rare Woolly Wolstenholme solo demo from 1969 of The Sun Will Never Shine, along with the 1968 short film Mr. Sunshine. The set also includes a lavishly illustrated 68 page book with previously unseen photographs and an essay by BJH specialists Keith & Monika Domone. Additionally, the set includes a facsimile of the 1970 Barclay James Harvest orchestral tour programme and two facsimile press releases from 1968 and 1969, postcards and a replica 1968 record shop poster for the Early Morning single. This special edition of Barclay James Harvest is a fitting tribute to a fine band.