Woolly Wolstenholme

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Woolly Wolstenholme, 2009

Stuart John "Woolly" Wolstenholme (born April 15, 1947 in Chadderton , Lancashire , England ; † December 13, 2010 ibid) was a British musician (including keyboard and singer ) who was the founder and member of the English rock group Barclay James Harvest (BJH ) and became known as a solo musician.

biography

Musical beginnings

Wolstenholme attended North Chadderton Secondary Modern School in Chadderton . His first musical instrument was a tenor banjo , which he got at the age of 12, and he played the tenor horn .

In Oldham Wolstenholme in 1964 met John Lees in Oldham School of Art . With him he founded the band The Sorcerers , from which the BJH predecessor group The Keepers emerged . He played every instrument that was required, such as the tambourine , harmonica, and 12-string guitar. Wolstenholme taught himself to play the keyboard , first on the Mellotron , which he adapted to the organ , piano and synthesizer .

Wolstenholme's musical influences ranged from Gustav Mahler , Love , Vanilla Fudge and UK to Radiohead .

Barclay James Harvest (BJH)

In 1966 Wolstenholme and Lees formed the band The Blues Keepers together with Les Holroyd and Mel Pritchard , from which Barclay James Harvest emerged in 1967 . With this group he celebrated successes. In 1979 he quit after becoming frustrated and dissatisfied with the band's musical direction.

BJH songs composed, written by Wolstenholme and some of them well known are: “When the World was Woken” , “Happy Old World” , “The Poet” , “Moonwater” , “Ra” , “Sea of ​​Tranquility” , “In Search” of England ” and “ Harbor ” . He was also responsible for much of the arrangement and transitions of Les Holroyd's song "She Said" .

John Lees' Barclay James Harvest (JLBJH)

Wolstenholme returned to the music business in 1998: At that time Barclay James Harvest split into two bands, and he has since acted with John Lees and other musicians until his death in 2010 under the name John Lees' Barclay James Harvest (JLBJH) - bis 2005 named Barclay James Harvest Through the Eyes of John Lees . They recorded the remake and studio album Nexus (February 22, 1999). Revival… (single album, double album; March 27 and November 27, 2000) and Legacy… (album and DVD; November 5 and 26, 2007) also appeared as live media .

Wolstenholme's well-known song from the JLBJH era is probably “Star Bright” , which he wrote together with John Lees, like some other songs from this phase, for example “Sitting Upon a Shelf” and “The Devils That I Keep” .

solo

Mæstoso

In 1980 Wolstenholme recorded his solo album Mæstoso (October 1980), toured with his band Mæstoso (also known as Maestoso ) as opening act for Judie Tzuke and Saga and also wrote film and television music. His 1982 work in progress second album, Black Box , has been postponed. He lost interest in the music business and retired to his farm, first to Lancashire and later to western Wales . Songs from the sessions for this album were released along with the full album Mæstoso as Songs from the Black Box (June 1994).

A new CD with songs from the Black Box sessions and previously unreleased demo and live material was released as Black Box Recovered (February 16, 2004). In the same year the new studio album One Drop in a Dry World followed (May 17, 2004). A short UK tour was planned to promote the CD, but only one concert took place at London's Mean Fiddler (May 12, 2004). The following year the resulting live album Fiddling Meanly (February 21, 2005) was released with solo and BJH material. On November 27, 2004, Wolstenholme's band Mæstoso appeared again in London, as opening act for Caravan at the Bloomsbury Theater , with John Lees as guest musician on two songs on stage.

During this creative phase Wolstenholme released the Mæstoso studio albums Grim (October 10, 2005) and Caterwauling (November 19, 2007). Most of the members of the Mæstoso band also act as studio and live musicians for John Lees' Barclay James Harvest .

The songs from the Mæstoso phase include: "Mæstoso - A Hymn in the Roof of the World" , "Deceivers All" , "Through a Storm" , "Caterwauling" and "Soldier of Fortune" .

Mandala ribbon

Wolstenholme also acted in the mandala band . He wrote instrumental contributions to most of the songs on their studio album The Eye of Wendor - Prophecies (1978). For the studio album Mandalaband III - BC: Ancestors (2009) he wrote the songs Nimrod and Roots and acted as a musician when they were recorded. In addition, the studio album Mandalaband IV - AD: Sangreal (2011), which was released about seven months after his death, contains a Wolstenholme version of John Lee's BJH classic Galadriel (1971).

death

On December 13, 2010, Wolly Wolstenholme committed suicide . He had suffered from severe depression for many years.

Discography

Barclay James Harvest

(For the following and other BJH albums and singles as well as details see:
Section Barclay James Harvest (BJH) of the article Barclay James Harvest / Discography )

Studio albums:

  • Barclay James Harvest , 1970
  • Once Again , 1971
  • Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories , 1971
  • Baby James Harvest , 1972
  • Everyone Is Everybody Else , 1974
  • Time Honored Ghosts , 1975
  • Octoberon , 1976
  • Gone to Earth , 1977
  • XII , 1978

Live albums and compilations:

  • Live , 1974
  • Live Tapes , 1978
  • ... BBC in Concert 1972 , 2002
  • After the Day - The Radio Broadcasts - 1974-1976 , 2008

Singles:

  • Early Morning / Mister Sunshine , 1968
  • Brother Thrush / Poor Wages , 1969
  • Taking Some Time On / The Iron Maiden , 1970
  • Mocking Bird / Vanessa Simmons , 1971
  • I'm Over You / Child of Man , 1972
  • Breathless / When the City Sleeps , 1972
  • Thank You / Medicine Man , 1972
  • Rock and Roll Woman / The Joker , 1973
  • Poor Boy Blues / Crazy City , 1974
  • Mocking Bird / Galadriel , 1975
  • Titles / Sweet Jesus , 1975
  • Rock 'n' Roll Star (live) / Crazy City , 1977
  • Hymn / Our Kid's Kid , 1977
  • Friend of Mine / Suicide? (live), 1978
  • Loving Is Easy / Polk Street Rag (live), 1978

John Lees' Barclay James Harvest

(For the following and other JLBJH albums and details see:
Section John Lees' Barclay James Harvest (JLBJH) of the article Barclay James Harvest / Discography )

  • Nexus (remake and studio album) , 1999
  • Revival ... (live single and live double album) , 2000
  • Legacy ... (live album) , 2007

Mæstoso

  • Mæstoso (studio album), Polydor, 1980; Released twice as CD (Brimstone) and as a new release ( Eclectic ) , in 2000 and 2006
  • Too Late (music cassette; limited edition of 250 cassettes with 5 songs) , 1989
  • Songs From the Black Box (session album including Mæstoso album; Voiceprint ) , 1994
  • Black Box Recovered (compilation including previously unreleased demo and live bonus material; Eclectic) , 2004
  • One Drop in a Dry World (studio album, Wolstenholme / Mæstoso; Eclectic) , 2004
  • Fiddling Meanly (live album, Wolstenholme / Mæstoso; Eclectic) , 2005
  • Grim (studio album, Wolstenholme / Mæstoso; Eclectic) , 2005
  • Caterwauling (studio album), Wolstenholme / Mæstoso; Esoteric Recordings (formerly Eclectic Discs) , 2007
  • Uneasy Listening … 1980–2008 (compilation), The Best of Woolly Wolstenholme and Mæstoso (Esoteric Recordings) , 2009
  • Strange Worlds - A Collection 1980–2010 (box set; compilation, Wolstenholme / Mæstoso; Esoteric Recordings) , 2018:
    - CD 1: Mæstoso (studio album; 1980)
    - CD 2: Black Box Recovered (compilation; 2004)
    - CD 3 : One Drop in a Dry World (studio album; 2004)
    - CD 4: Fiddling Meanly (live album; 2005)
    - CD 5: Grim (studio album; 2005)
    - CD 6: Caterwauling (studio album; 2007)
     - CD 7: The Unlost Works - demos & fragments (compilation; 2018)

Mandala ribbon

  • The Eye of Wendor - Prophecies (studio album; Chrysalis Records ) , 1978
  • Mandalaband III - BC: Ancestors (studio album; Legend ) , 2009
  • Mandalaband IV - AD: Sangreal (studio album; Legend) , 2011

Web links

Official websites of the international fan club, the JLBJH band and Woolly Wolstenholme:

Other websites:

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Wolly Wolstenholme: News , on woollywolstenholme.co.uk
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Woolly Wolstenholme biography , on woollywolstenholme.co.uk
personal data
SURNAME Wolstenholme, Woolly
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wolstenholme, Stuart John (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English musician
DATE OF BIRTH April 15, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Chadderton , Lancashire , England , United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH December 13, 2010
Place of death Chadderton , Lancashire , England , United Kingdom