Then - and more recently - Woolly Wolstenholme ...
...heard today of the sad death of Stuart "Woolly" Wolstenholme earlier this week - believed to be suicide (Stuart had been battling depression for many years).
For those too young etc etc. Woolly was one of the founder members of Barclay James Harvest - who, together with Focus were one of my earliest "hero worship" bands when I was at school back in the early 1970s. Woolly was born in Chadderton near Oldham and the band saw their roots in the Saddleworth area (this was long before I moved up this way - as in 3 miles down the road from Saddleworth - in the mid-1980s). BJH were one of the first bands to use the mellotron - a precurser to the Moog Sythesiser that could give amazing "orchestral" sounds (in fact, pre-mellotron, BJH did actually tour once with a full orchestra - and lost a fortune !) - and Woolly was THE keyboard-meister...
BJH were vastly underrated in this country - despite some classic albums like "Everyone is Everybody Else", "Time Honoured Ghosts" and the classic "Concert for the People" which was recorded live at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin (the band were HUGE in Germany). Woolly left the band in the late 70s, did a couple of solo albums and took up organic farming in Wales. He was later re-united with one of the other founder members of the band - John Lees - and had been performing with "John Lees' Barclay James Harvest" for the last couple of years - in fact me and Mrs Smiffy have tickets to see JLBJH at the Buxton Opera House next February - whether this gig goes ahead now ... I've no idea.
Stuart now joins drummer Mel Pritchard in the "Great Gig in the Sky" (Mel died of a heart attack in 2004) - my commiserations go out to all involved - especially Stuart's partner Sue. There was a track on the "Octoberon" album entitled "Suicide" - sadly many may well see this as prophetic ... but I'd like to think in a more positive way - could have chosen "Mockingbird" ... but here's a "Youtube" of BJH (without Woolly) performing "Life is for Living" from that concert in Berlin ... he may not have been there ... but it's the title that sums it up for me ...
(EDIT - 18th December 2010) - I've picked up on some comments etc elsewhere - and in hindsight I agree I could have chosen a more fitting tribute - something to showcase the talents of Woolly - so I have ...)
"Is there nothing left at all after the day ?" - yes ... the music remains - always ...
RIP Woolly ...
.
6 comments:
I remember going to see them play at the Free Trade Hall. We got tickets through school as iy was considered to be educational. I thought they were good but then they went and spoilt it all by playing in apartheid South Africa.
A lovely tribute, thank you. May I just mention that the right-hand picture at the top is of John Lees, not of Woolly?
All the best,
Keith Domone
www.woollywolstenholme.co.uk
www.barclayjamesharvest.com
Oh dear me - large clanger dropped - thanks for pointing out my mistake (now corrected) ... so sorry ...
No problem! Thanks for changing it so quickly, and for a very touching tribute.
Keith
My favourite band had all their albums play them every week,played a DVD last Sunday suicide is on it.
Seen them many times in Manchester ,what a talented group they were ,hope John Lees carries on their music will live on.
My favourite song will be played on Tameside radio on Boxing day with 10 others I have chosen, picked for the music and words,everyones a loner til you need a helping hand, its for no one
I saw Woolly play with the original band in 1975, and was hoping to see him playing with JLBJH sometime soon. So sorry to hear about this. He was a lovely player, playing to enhance the band and the song, not a flash-harry show-off. I liked his singing too.
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