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Gone to Earth (Barclay James Harvest album)

(Redirected from Gone to Earth (1977 album))

Gone to Earth is the eighth studio album by the English rock group Barclay James Harvest released in 1977.[1]

Gone to Earth
Studio album by
Barclay James Harvest
ReleasedSeptember 1977
RecordedMarch–June 1977
StudioStrawberry Studios, Stockport, England
GenreProgressive rock
Length39:50
LabelPolydor
ProducerBarclay James Harvest, David Rohl
Barclay James Harvest chronology
Octoberon
(1976) 		Gone to Earth
(1977) 		XII
(1978)

Background

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"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".[2] In response, guitarist John Lees wrote a song which sounded like the Moody Blues song "Nights in White Satin", but in fact was cleverly not the same - the words would not fit. Justin Hayward was not pleased; meeting him years later, bassist Les Holroyd apologised for it.

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").[3]

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.

The original LP version of the 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.

Reception

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Gone to Earth reached #30 in the UK Albums Chart; in Germany it peaked at #10 and stayed for 197 weeks in the German album charts. As of 2011 it is ranked #6 on the list of 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) spent more weeks in the charts. It was the band's largest selling album, eventually selling more than a million copies worldwide.[citation needed]

Hymn (often misinterpreted as a Christian song but actually a song against the dangers of drug use and dedicated to musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Paul Kossoff and Janis Joplin)[4] was a successful turntable hit at German radio stations in the late 1970s.

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hymn"John Lees5:06
2."Love is Like a Violin"Lees4:03
3."Friend of Mine"Les Holroyd3:30
4."Poor Man's Moody Blues"Lees6:55
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hard Hearted Woman"Holroyd4:27
2."Sea of Tranquility"Woolly Wolstenholme4:03
3."Spirit on the Water"Holroyd4:49
4."Leper's Song"Lees3:34
5."Taking Me Higher"Holroyd3:07
Bonus tracks of the 2003 CD Edition
No.TitleLength
10."Lied" (previously unissued)5:05
11."Our Kid's Kid" (B-side of Polydor 2058 904 "Hymn/Our Kid's Kid")4:00
12."Hymn" (single edit - previously unissued)4:26
13."Friend of Mine" (single version - A/B side of Polydor 2059 002 "Friend Of Mine/Suicide? (live)")3:01
14."Medicine Man" (originally released as A/B side of "BJH Live" EP)11:53

Personnel

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Barclay James Harvest

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[12] Platinum 500,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[13] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "A possible answer". The Ottawa Journal. 21 October 1977. p. 33. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Barclay James Harvest relies on proven tactics". The Bangor Daily News. 10 March 1979. p. 87. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  3. ^ Mare Tranquillitatis is a lunar mare on the moon.
  4. ^ Information about the song hymn
  5. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Barclay James Harvest – Gone to Earth" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Barclay James Harvest – Gone to Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1978. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1979. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1980. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1981. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Barclay James Harvest; 'Gone to Earth')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Barclay James Harvest Chart Positions and Sales Awards". bjharvest.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  14. ^ "British album certifications – Barclay James Harvest – Gone to Earth". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
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