Hobbits Garden: Friday 12th March 1971 ✶✶✶ Barclay James Harvest

I saw Barclay James Harvest at Hobbits Garden. It started very late as the sound system was not to their liking. They eventually played and were wonderful. They did seem nonplussed by the encore calls and just re did 'Mocking Bird', their first number.
Small intimate place, amazed at some of the bands that played there.
Memory thanks to: Bob Huffam

There were two slightly different Barclay James Harvests at this time. In the studio they recorded with a Symphony Orchestra, while their finances in 1971 didn't stretch to such an expensive outlay and so playing 'live' the mellotron created the orchestral sound of their music.

'Mocking Bird' from their album 'Once Again' was a good example of two versions of the same song. Here then in the interests of authenticity from that night 50 years ago is a band only rendition live at the Drury Lane in 1974. The video picture quality is fairly dire but the sound is all there.  

I did struggle to find something close to how the band sounded back then. Plenty of newer versions but not as good for me. For a comparison you can listen to the LP 'Mocking Bird' version here.

Possibly my favourite BJH track 'Dark Now My Sky' was off their first album and the band version was just great. I have a John Peel in concert from February 1971 that you should hear: [link]