# Barry St. John

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Scottish singer (1943–2020)

Barry St. John Also known as Liz Thomson Born Eliza Janet Thomson November 1943[1][2] Gallowgate, Glasgow, Scotland Died 24 July 2020 (aged 76)[3] Hither Green, London, England Genres Pop, R&B Occupation Singer Years active c.1961–1990s Labels Decca, Columbia, Major Minor, Bradley's

Musical artist

**Eliza Janet Thomson** (November 1943[2] – 24 July 2020),[3] who recorded as **Barry St. John**, was a Scottish female singer who had a No. 47 hit in the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) in December 1965 with "[Come Away Melinda](/source/Come_Away_Melinda)".[4][5] It was her only solo chart success.[6]

## Biography

Born and raised in [Gallowgate, Glasgow](/source/Gallowgate%2C_Glasgow), Scotland, Liz Thomson sang from a young age, and joined local [beat group](/source/Beat_music), Bobby Patrick's Big Six, before they moved to London in January 1962. The group toured Germany and played clubs in [Hamburg](/source/Hamburg), before Thomson decided to start a solo career and returned to England.[7]

As Barry St. John, she signed with [Decca Records](/source/Decca_Records) in 1964 and released her first single, a version of [the Jarmels](/source/The_Jarmels)' "[A Little Bit of Soap](/source/A_Little_Bit_of_Soap)". Her follow-up, a [cover version](/source/Cover_version) of [the Newbeats](/source/The_Newbeats)' hit "[Bread and Butter](/source/Bread_and_Butter_(song))", made the German pop chart later that year. Although she continued to release singles in the UK, they had little success. In 1965, she moved to [Columbia Records](/source/Columbia_Graphophone_Company), and had her only [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) entry with "[Come Away Melinda](/source/Come_Away_Melinda)", a [Weavers](/source/The_Weavers) song previously recorded by [Harry Belafonte](/source/Harry_Belafonte) which St. John recorded at the suggestion of record producer [Mickie Most](/source/Mickie_Most).[1] Later releases on Columbia were less successful, although several became popular a few years later on the [Northern soul](/source/Northern_soul) scene. In 1968, she recorded further solo singles, on the [Major Minor](/source/Major_Minor_Records) label, and also released an album, *According to St. John*, produced by Mike Pasternak, alias [Emperor Rosko](/source/Emperor_Rosko).[8][9]

She was a member of the [Les Humphries Singers](/source/Les_Humphries_Singers) between 1972 and 1973, but stayed on as a session singer for the band until 1975. St. John was also a background singer on many records, including [T. Rex](/source/T._Rex_(band))'s *[Tanx](/source/Tanx)* (1973), [Pink Floyd](/source/Pink_Floyd)'s *[The Dark Side of the Moon](/source/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon)* (1973), [Rick Wakeman](/source/Rick_Wakeman)'s *[The Six Wives of Henry VIII](/source/The_Six_Wives_of_Henry_VIII_(album))* in the same year, the concept album *[The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast](/source/The_Butterfly_Ball_and_the_Grasshopper's_Feast)* (1974), and [Andy Fairweather Low](/source/Andy_Fairweather_Low)'s, *[La Booga Rooga](/source/La_Booga_Rooga)* (1975).[10][11][12] She performed as a [session musician](/source/Session_musician) for a string of other artists including [Alexis Korner](/source/Alexis_Korner), [Long John Baldry](/source/Long_John_Baldry), and [Duster Bennett](/source/Duster_Bennett) in the late 1960s, and with [Bryan Ferry](/source/Bryan_Ferry), [Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel](/source/Steve_Harley_%26_Cockney_Rebel) and [Elton John](/source/Elton_John) in the 1970s.[13] Her other project work the following decade encompassed [Vivian Stanshall](/source/Vivian_Stanshall), [Kevin Coyne](/source/Kevin_Coyne), [John Cale](/source/John_Cale), [Daevid Allen](/source/Daevid_Allen), [Tom Robinson](/source/Tom_Robinson) and [Whitesnake](/source/Whitesnake).[6] Her work continued into the early 1990s with [Squeeze](/source/Squeeze_(band)) and [Jorge Ben Jor](/source/Jorge_Ben_Jor).[14]

She died in July 2020, in London, England, at the age of 76.[3]

## Discography

### Singles

- "[A Little Bit of Soap](/source/A_Little_Bit_of_Soap)" / "Thing of the Past" (Decca, 1964)

- "[Bread and Butter](/source/Bread_and_Butter_(song))" / "[Cry to Me](/source/Cry_to_Me)" (Decca, 1964)

- "Mind How You Go" / "Don't You Feel Proud" (Decca, 1965)

- "Hey Boy" / "I've Been Crying" (Decca, 1965)

- "[Come Away Melinda](/source/Come_Away_Melinda)" / "Gotta Brand New Man" (Columbia, 1965)

- "Everything I Touch Turns To Tears" / "Sounds Like My Baby" (Columbia, 1966)

- "[Cry Like a Baby](/source/Cry_Like_a_Baby)" / "Long and Lonely Night" (Major Minor, 1968)

- "[By The Time I Get To Phoenix](/source/By_The_Time_I_Get_To_Phoenix)" / "Turn on Your Light" (Major Minor, 1969)

### Albums

- *According to St. John* (Major Minor, 1968)[15]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-kutner_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-kutner_1-1) ["Come Away Melinda (Barry St John)"](http://www.jonkutner.com/come-away-melinda-barry-st-john/), *JonKutner.com*. Retrieved 15 March 2017

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Check_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Check_2-1) ltd, company check. ["BARRY ST. JOHN GALVIN director information. Free director information. Director id 700410501"](http://companycheck.co.uk/director/700410501/BARRY-ST-JOHN-GALVIN/summary). *Companycheck.co.uk*. Retrieved 5 October 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Guardian_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Guardian_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Guardian_3-2) [Barry St John obituary](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/27/barry-st-john-obituary), *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Barry St. John"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171022195446/http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100533540). *Oxfordindex.oup.com*. Archived from [the original](http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100533540) on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums_5-0)** Roberts, David (2006). *[British Hit Singles & Albums](/source/British_Hit_Singles_%26_Albums)* (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 479. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-904994-10-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-904994-10-5).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AMG_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AMG_6-1) ["Barry St. John | Biography & History"](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-st-john-mn0000148062). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved 4 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Crayons To Perfume Girl of the Week: Barry St. John – the lil' gal with the big voice!"](http://wfmuichiban.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/crayons-to-perfume-girl-of-week-barry.html), *WFMU Rock'n'Soul Ichiban*, 28 July 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2017

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Barry St John, "According to St John"](https://www.discogs.com/Barry-St-John-According-To-St-John/release/8058552), *Discogs.com*. Retrieved 15 March 2017

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Lee Ricketts (20 May 2015). ["Barry St John: Cry Like A Baby 60s Music"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzpy563TUfA). [YouTube](/source/YouTube). Retrieved 28 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Graham Betts (2006). *Complete UK Hit Singles 1952–2006*. p. 721. BARRY ST JOHN ; UK singer from Glasgow who sang backing for Pink Floyd, Elton John, Rick Wakeman and the Tom Robinson Band

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Barry St John (Major Minor) Northern Soul - s w e a t s o a k e D"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151208054059/http://www.sweatsoaked.com/2012/02/barry-st-john-major-minor-northern-soul/). Archived from [the original](http://www.sweatsoaked.com/2012/02/barry-st-john-major-minor-northern-soul/) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Credits_12-0)** ["La Booga Rooga – Andy Fairweather Low | Credits"](http://www.allmusic.com/album/la-booga-rooga-mw0000839142/credits). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved 4 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LarkinGE_13-0)** [Colin Larkin](/source/Colin_Larkin_(writer)), ed. (1992). *[The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music)* (First ed.). [Guinness Publishing](/source/Guinness_Publishing). pp. 2355/6. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85112-939-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85112-939-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Barry St. John | Credits"](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/barry-st-john-mn0000148062/credits). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. Retrieved 4 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Magic Potion Listings"](http://www.magic-potion.net/park-sable---sandie-shaw.html). *Magic-potion.net*. Retrieved 28 August 2018.

Authority control databases International ISNI Artists MusicBrainz

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