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 in December 1965 with "Come Away Melinda".[4][5] It was her only solo chart success.[6]
Biography
Born and raised in Gallowgate, Glasgow, Scotland, Liz Thomson sang from a young age, and joined local beat group, Bobby Patrick's Big Six, before they moved to London in January 1962. The group toured Germany and played clubs in Hamburg, before Thompson decided to start a solo career and returned to England.[7]
As Barry St. John, she signed with Decca Records in 1964 and released her first single, a version of the Jarmels' "A Little Bit of Soap". Her follow-up, a cover version of the Newbeats' hit "Bread and Butter", 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, and had her only UK Singles Chart entry with "Come Away Melinda", a Weavers song previously recorded by Harry Belafonte which St. John recorded at the suggestion of record producer Mickie Most.[1] Later releases on Columbia were less successful, although several became popular a few years later on the Northern soul scene. In 1968, she recorded further solo singles, on the Major Minor label, and also released an album, According to St. John, produced by Mike Pasternak, alias Emperor Rosko.[8][9]
^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