Camel Discography and nsFAQ --------------------------- Version 1.1 25/5/1994 Forenotes: Despite all my ambitions to complete the Camel discography, I could not retrieve track listing for some less-important collections. But for my own part the discography is comprehensive enough to be entitled Version 1.0. I allowed myself to give some description of each album, in order to help you find what you're looking for. The opinions expressed here are mine, so if you find them irrelevant, please write me about it. "nsFAQ" stands for (not so-) Frequently Asked Questions, as Camel are not commonly discussed... I have, however, put in some trivial notes and answers to questions that tend to pop up at times. This type of info is marked with an asterisk (*). Technical notes, such as record labels and charts are given after "Tech:" label. Some people felt mislead by my enthusiastic description of most of the albums. I want to point out that many Progressive Rock listeners find the period of 1973-1977 (or 1976) to be the 'best' Camel years, and dislike the rest of the albums, that I will refer to as '2nd-period Camel' I personally find the above note to be misleading in itself, and therefore I'd like to point out that: a. 2nd-period Camel albums may be quite good, when it comes to other fields of music. I suppose most Progressive listeners find themselves listening to other types of music, and enjoying them as well - so please give it a try! b. Each of these 2nd-period albums has at least one Progressive Rock piece, usually a great one - a Progressive Rock Gem. c. Getting to know, and hopefully - to like these latter albums would enable the listener to get into Nude and Dust & Dreams. The above latter two are, IMHO, their best albums over the 'popier' years, and they are progressive. One who is familiar with early Camel albums and not with the latter ones might be disappointed to hear those albums, because 80's Camel sounds very different from the 70's. Those who got used to the Camel style of the late 70's may fully enjoy both of these latter albums - and that is not because they are 'better' than other albums of that period of time, but rather because they are VERY good on their own. The sources for the information on this file are my correspondence with other fans through e-mail, Gibraltar digests, Camel's tour programs, my records and CD collection, Camel Productions' Newspaper "The Nature of the beast", John Tracy's liner notes from misceleneous Deram CD releases, and even Susan Hoover and Andy Latimer themselves, who answered some of my questions. Lots of thanks to the following, who contributed to this file: Tony Alumkal Marc Boire Mike Borella Dave Brown David Fox Richard Fox Stephen E. Girotti Todd Hawley Hobie Orris Craig Shipley James J Warren Marshall Wood A special thank-you goes to Rami Zakh, who provided help in creating this FAQ, contributed information and granted me some moral support. If I forgot anyone, please notify me, and I'll fix that - my apologies in advance... Also, many thanks for those who have directed questions to me. Your questions, information, and ideas are welcome. Ofir Zwebner e-mail: ofirz1@ccsg.tau.ac.il ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Camel Discography ----------------- 1973 - Greasy Truckers: Live At Dingwall's Dance Hall ? A compilation of 2 records set, side 2 is by Camel. Four bands from the 'Canterbury scene' were recorded live: Gong, Camel, Henry Cow and the Global Village Trucking Co. Camel played Lord of Light Revisited, parts 1,2 & 3. * "Lord of Light" is available on Camel on the Road, entitled "God of Light" * Greasy Truckers has become a very expensive collector's item. ------------------- 1973 - Camel Slow yourself down Mystic queen Six ate Separation Never let go Curiosity Arubaluba Andy Ward: Drums and Percussion Doug Ferguson: Bass and Vocals on tracks 2,6 Peter Bardens: Organ, Mellotron, Piano, VCS3 Synthesizer and Vocals on track 5 Andy Latimer: Guitar and Vocals on track 1,4 Camel's debut album is probably one of their best. Very similar in sound and production to their second release, Mirage. It features some jazz-rock improvisation tracks, along with simple rock songs. The cover has a picture of a camel mixed with a train (?), with tears coming from the camel's eyes and turning to stars. Back cover has a black & yellow picture of the band. It used to be available on LP by MCA records, now available by Camel Production on CD. The CD has a lyrics sheet and pictures of the group. * Andy Latimer summarised the album's recording as "a bloody nightmare". * _Camel_ sold about 5000 copies in it's first year. * _Camel_ never got the success it should have had, and it became somewhat a collector's item only years later. * Camel toured this album, supporting Barcley James Harvest. * Eddie (who?) played Congas on "Slow Yourself Down". * The CD release does not include the song credits: 3,4,5 by Latimer, 2,6,7 by Bardens, and 1 by Ward/Latimer. Tech: LP: MCA 250 634-1, MCA MUPS 473, MCA 2665. Released in February 1973 CD: CP-002CD ------------------- 1974 - Mirage Freefall Supertwister Nimrodel / The Procession / The white rider Earthrise Lady Fantasy: Encounter Smiles for you Lady Fantasy Doug Ferguson: Bass Andy Ward: Drums, Cans, Bottles & Body mist Peter Bardens: Organ, Piano, Celeste, Mini Moog, Mellotron & Vocals Andy Latimer: Guitar, Flute & Vocals A superb album, featuring lots of rhythm changes, organ/guitar dialogues, and some lovely flute solos (the incredible "Supertwister"). "Lady Fantasy" presents the forthcoming tendency toward long, complicated pieces. The cover features a distorted version of the CAMEL cigarettes pack, with the same CAMEL logo. The US version has the picture of the camel from the first album only now it has a dragon's body, and it's eating strange crystal pieces on a desert surface on a distant planet. Available on LP, MC, and CD. Deram CD version includes notes by John Tracy. * The third track is based on Tolkien's trilogy "Lord of the Rings". The white rider was the magician Gandalf, and Nimrodel is the name of the lake that goes through middle earth, according to the Tolkien myth. * Geoff Jukes, Camel's manager formed Gama Records, to which Camel were signed from this album until Stationary Traveler. * Camel had a seven-week tour in the US, supporting Wishbone Ash. The group found themselves giving a 45-minutes show as the 'support' act. * You can try pulling a gag with the Mirage MC: Try offering it as a cigarettes pack to someone. Rami Zakh claims that it actually works. * Some people asked how Camel's relate to the cigarette brand - Andy Latimer responds: "We have nothing to do with Camel Cigarettes". And yet, the famous Camel picture is printed on all of their CP releases. Tech: LP: Passport PB 9855, Janus JXS 7009, SML 1107. Released in March 1st 1974, UK MC: Passport PBC 9855 CD: Deram 820 613-2 Mirage reached number 149 on the US Billboard charts. ------------------- 1975 - The Snow Goose The great marsh Rhayader Rhayader goes to town Sanctuary Fritha The snow goose Friendship Migration Rhayader alone Flight of the snow goose Preparation Dunkirk Epitaph Fritha alone La princesse Perdue The great marsh Andy Ward: Drums, Vibes, Varispeed Percussion Doug Ferguson: Bass and Duffle Coat Peter Bardens: Organ, Mini Moog, Electric Piano, Pipe Organ, Acoustic Piano, ARP Odyssey Andy Latimer: Electric, Acoustic and Slide Guitars, Flute, Vocals Camel's most accessible album. Recommended for Camel starters, and for everybody - not necessarily Progressive Rock fans. The Snow Goose features an orchestra on some parts. There are Two vocal parts, but without any lyrics - This album is completely instrumental. Cover has the CAMEL cigarette logo with picture of a snow goose in white, blue and gold. Few versions has a short description of the story on the back cover, in reference to each song. It is said there is a double-fold version of the LP but I've never seen one. Available on LP, MC and CD. The Deram CD release has inner notes by John Tracy. * TSG is based on the novella "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico. * It took Latimer and Bardens two weeks of intense work in a solitude cottage in Devon, to write _TSG_. * Critics were confused by the lack of lyrics, and Camel's popularity in the states dropped. * While choosing the story, Bardens had Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" in mind - according to John Gill. On the other hand, according to John Tracy, he was into Steppen Wolf. Ferguson suggested TSG and both him and Latimer outvoted Bardens. * It was originally intended to narrate the album, but the idea was dropped. * Paul Gallico's publishers threatened to put a court injunction on the album, and therefore it was entitled "music inspired by". * Another _TSG_ music and story album was officialy released by Ed Welch. It is claimed to be a disastrous album. * Camel worked hard on arranging _TSG_ to be performed live. Several attempts were not successful, and one of the better ones is available on _A Live Album_. * The story of the Snow Goose is about a Rhayader, a lonely person who lives in the marshes. One day he finds a wounded Snow Goose, and takes care of her. A little girl, Fritha, is also concerned about the goose, and Rhayader has finally found a friend. By the season's end the goose heals, and it is sent free. Following this, Rhayader is alone again, as Fritha doesn't come to visit him anymore. Rhayader helps saving people at the battle of Dunkirk, and during the battle the Goose comes back to help. It is then named La Princess Perdue, and the friendship between Rhayader and Fritha continues. Tech: LP: Passport PB 9856, Janus 7016, Decca SKL-R 5207. Released in April 1975 MC: Passport PBC 9856 CD: Deram 800 080-2 The Snow Goose reached 22 in the UK charts ------------------- 1976 - Moonmadness Aristillus Song within a song Chord change Spirit of the water Another night Air born Lunar sea Doug Ferguson: Bass, Lead Vocal on Song Within A Song Andy Ward: Drums, Percussion, Voice on Aristillus Peter Bardens: Keyboards, Vocal on Spirit of the Water Andy Latimer: Guitars, Flute, Vocal on Song Within A Song, Another Night, Air Born A very bombastic album, most of it has a "Spacy" or "Atmospheric" soung. Very strong rhythm parts, Spacy guitars and lots of synthesisers. The sound of this one is completely different than the first two, a classic progressive album, and it tends, somewhat, to fusion. Cover has a bright picture of a woman (man?) sitting by a rock looking at the moon above. No more cigarette logos. Another cover, from the (early ?) US releases, featured a circular picture of a the famous weeping Camel in a spacesuit with a British emblem, standing on a lunar landscape. The inside cover has the UK cover picture. Available on LP, MC, and CD. * During the short time they had to do this album, Camel were pressured into doing something 'a bit more commercial'. * Although Ferguson worked with the band on the songs of their next album, this is his last album with Camel. Still, he introduced the band to saxophonist Mel Collins, who became a part-time player on their live gigs. Mel Collins also worked with King Crimson, Eric Clapton, Richard Wright, Dire Straits, and many more bands and artists. * "He was such an inventive drummer... blowing down a hose pipe into a bucket of water to creat the intro on Lunar Sea" - Andy Latimer on Andy Ward. Tech: LP: Passport PB 9857, Decca TXS-R 115, Janus JXS-3, Released in April 1976 (Concert programme claims March) MC: Passport PB 9857, Janus JXSC-3 CD: London 810 879-2, Janus JXS-7024 Moonmadness reached 15 in the charts ------------------- 1977 - Rain Dances First Light Metrognome Highways of the sun Unevensong One these days I'll get an early nht Elke Skylines Rain dances Andrew Latimer: 6/12 String Guitars, Pan Pipes, Fretless Bass, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Electric & Acoustic pianos, Mini Moog, "String synthesiser", Glockenspiel, Treated guitars Peter Bardens: Mini Moog, String synth, Electric Piano, Organ, Acoustic Piano, Car Horns Andy Ward: Drums, Nocarina, Teeth, Cheek, Turkish Ring, Money, Percussion, Finger Cymbals, glockenspiel, Liquid Boo Bams, Rototoms, Talking Drum, Smurd, Swanee Whistle, Tunisian Clay Drums Richard Sinclair: Bass, Vocals Mel Collins: Saxophones, Bass & Concert Flutes, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet Eno (Brian?): Mini moog, Electric & Acoustic Pianos, Bells, Random Notes Fiona Hibbert: Harp Martin Drover: Flugel horn Malcolm Griffiths: Trombone Ferguson left, Sinclair joined, bringing more Jazzy touch to the music of Camel. Still very progressive. A good album for those who tend toward fusion / jazz rock. Cover features a boy standing behind a window with rain dropping and two women jumping to the sides. Back cover has a picture of the band (without Collins), Latimer holding another picture of the band. Available on LP, MC and CD. Deram CD release features yet more notes by John Tracy, and also an edited single version of "Highways of the Sun". * Mel Collins in not a member of the group yet, and so are the rest of the guest musicians listed after him. He did play in the live tours, though. * Sinclair joined in a rush, after Ferguson left the band a few days before the recording started. His impressive fretless bass playing is notable. Sinclair played with Caravan until 1972, then formed Hatfield & The North. * Andy Latimer played fretless Bass on "Tell Me" and "Skylines" (rather good!). * The RD tour was a sell-out. They toured Europe, but the American tour, planned for the beginning of 1978, was canceled later. Tech: LP: Decca TXS-R 124. Passport PB 9858. Janus JXS-2, Janus 7035, Released in September 1977 MC: Passport PBC 9858, Janus JXSC-2 CD: Deram 820 725-2 RD reached 20 in the charts, 136 on the Billboards charts. ------------------- 1978 - A Live Record Disc 1: Never let go Song within a song Lunar sea Skylines Ligging at louis' Lady fantasy Disc 2: The Snow Goose: The great marsh Rhayader Rhayader goes to town Sanctuary Fritha The snow goose Friendship Migration Rhayader alone Flight of the snow goose Preparation Dunkirk Epitaph Fritha alone La princesse Perdue The great marsh Peter Bardens: Keyboards Andrew Latimer: Guitars, Flutes, Vocal Andy Ward: Drums and Percussion Mel Collins: Saxophones and Flute Richard Sinclair: Bass on first 4 track, Vocals on 2 first tracks Doug Ferguson: Bass on the rest of the tracks A double live album, with very good sound and playing, although one may prefer the studio version of "The Snow Goose" which has a nice live performance (with an orchestra!) but not as accurate and impressive as the original album. Camel usually play good live shows and this album is very recommended for all those who liked their first albums. Early Ferguson-era songs were given an interesting touch by Bass virtuoso Richard Sinclair. Cover is black with a robot's finger shooting a lightning into a red record floating in the air. Available on 2LP and 2CD sets. Deram CD set features inner notes by John Tracy. * "Ligging at Louis'" is a jazzy track from 1974. * _ALR_ was received with mixed reactions from the press, and according to Latimer, most of them were not entirely unjustified. He claims "it was meant to be a life history rather than a great sounding live record". * The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Bedford, played on _The Snow Goose_ performance. Tech: LP: London 820 727-1, Decca R7/8, DBC-R 7-8, Released in April 1978. CD: London ???, Deram 844 122-2 ------------------- 1978 - Breathless Breathless Echoes Wing and a prayer Down on the farm Starlight ride Summer Lightning You make me smile The sleeper Rainbow's end Andrew Latimer: Guitar, CS80/50, Vocals Peter Bardens: Keyboards Andy Ward: Drums, Percussion Richard Sinclair: Bass, Vocals Mel Collins: Flute, Saxes Camel becoming poppier - this tendency will become stronger with the years. Cover has picture of a camel, on a mountain skyline background. There's also an inner sleeve with pictures of the members. Available on LP and CD. Beware of One Way Records release which is poorly designed, and has no sleeve notes like the Deram one, although the sound quality is Ok. Israeli release of this album has a different song order on the cover, though the record is the same - everything can happen in Israel. * Sinclair wrote 'Down on the farm', featuring blechs and other stupid voices. * Latimer and Bardens wrote the songs in Cornwall. * During that time Bardens had decided to leave the band. He remained for the duration of the recordings. He has since then collaborated with Camel on two records, and maybe some live gigs. * Collins became a formal member of the band. Tech: LP: Decca TXS-R 132, Arista 4206, Arista 0798, Released in September 22nd, 1978. CD: One Way Records OW 29130 (Canadian) Reached Billboard #134 ------------------- 1979 - I Can See Your House From Here Wait Your love is stranger than mine Eye of the storm Who we are Survival Hymn to her Neon magic Remote romance Ice Andy Latimer: Guitars, Flute, Autoharp, Vocals, Backing Vocals Andy Ward: Drums, Massed Marching Military Snares, Drum Loop, Percussion Jan Schelhaas: Yamaha C.S.80, Prophet Five, Yamaha Electric Grand Piano, Mini Moog, Grand Piano, Solina, EMS Sequencer Kit Watkins: Hammond C.3, Solina, Yamaha Electric Grand Piano, Rhodes Piano, Mini Moog, Clavinet, Flute, Yamaha C.S.80, Grand Piano Colin Bass: Bass, Vocals, Wal Fretless Bass, Backing Vocals. guest appearances: Mel Collins: Alto Sax on "Your Love is Stranger than Mine" Phil Collins: Percussion (probably played little riffs somewhere, I detect Some typical riffs on "Hymn to Her") Camel's sound getting into the 80's. Some songs are good, and Ice is a very strong progressive piece (10 minutes!). "Neon Magic" lyrics were written by Viv McAuliffe, "Wait" lyrics were written by John McBurnie. Cover has a picture of the earth viewed from space, with a floating space man nailed to a cross. Available on CD and LP. Deram CD release features inner notes by John Tracy. * Some ideas about the cover suggest it is based on a rather irreverrant joke about crucified Jesus, calling for Peter, and telling him the Album's title... * Andy Latimer: "'I can see...' was meant to be called 'Endangered Species'. I was out voted by the rest of the band [...] who wanted to be humorous." * Jan Schelhaas (he's from exotic Liverpool) played with Caravan, just like Richard Sinclair. When he joined Caravan, he replaced Dave Sinclair, Richard's cousine. Dave Sinclair later played with Camel on Breathless tour. Got it? * Note: A two keyboards-players band. Latimer: "I suddenly thought using two keyboards players would be a great deal because we'd be able to do many more adventurous things... ...At one stage I did think of calling the band Caramel!" Got it? * "Eye of the Storm" also appeared on Happy the Man's third album, _Better Late_. Tech: LP: Decca TXS-R 137, Arista 4254, London L20P 1048, Released in mid-October 1979 CD: Deram 820 614-2, One Way Records OW 29131. ICSYHFH reached 45 in the UK charts ------------------- 1981 - Nude City life Nude Drafted Docks Beached Landscapes Changing places Pomp & circumstance Please come home Reflections Captured The homecoming Lies The last farewell The birthday cake Nude's return Andrew Latimer: Guitars, Vocals, Flute, Koto & various Keyboards Andy Ward: Drums & Percussion Colin Bass: Bass & Vocals Mel Collins: Flute, Piccolo & Saxophones Duncan Mackay: Keyboards Jan Schelhaas: Piano on "The Last Farewell" Chris Green: Cello Gasper Lawal: All Percussions on "Changing places" Herbie Flowers: Tuba Camel re-forming with lots of players. This is a very good albums, with great sound, lots of instrumentals (most of them very strong). It Doesn't sound like the early band's concept-progressive albums but it is still very good. Cover has a picture of a man's suit with no one in them standing on a rock in the middle of a sea, with a mountain in the background. Available on LP, MC and CD. CD release feature the story of nude. Some releases have fold jackets, some have the lyrics on an inner sleeve. * The album is based on a supposedly true story of a Japanese soldier who was marooned on an island during World War II, and stayed there for 29 years, oblivious to the outside world. * Susan Hoover provided the concept for the albums, and some songs lyrics. * Herbie Flowers was a member of Sky at that time (... read further...) Tech: LP: Passport PB 6008, Decca SKL 5323, Released in January 1981. MC: Passport PBC 6008 CD: London 810 880-2 ------------------- 1981 - Chameleon (Best of Camel) Echoes Rhayader Rhayader goes to town Song within a song Remote romance Nude Drafted Lies Supertwister Uneven song Rainbow's end A compilation. Cover is completely white with a shade of a chameleon shape. Available on LP but deleted from the catalog. No new stuff. Tech: LP: Decca SKL 5325, Released in September 1981. ------------------- 1982 - The Single Factor No easy answer You are the one Heroes Selva Lullabye Sasquatch Manic Camelogue Today's goodbye A heart's desire End peace Andy Latimer: Guitars, Piano, Vocals, Keyboards, Organ, Mellotron, Bass David Paton: Bass, Fretless Bass, Vocals Graham Jarvis: Drums Duncan Mackay: Prophet Synth Chris Rainbow: Backing Vocals, Lead on "A heart's desire" and "End piece" Francis Monkman: Harpsichord-Synclavier Anthony Phillips: Grand Piano, Organ, Classical and 12 Strings Guitar, Poly Moog, ARP 2600, Marimba Pete Bardens: Organ, Mini Moog on Sasquatch Hydne Bendall: Yamaha CS-80 Tristian Fry: Glockenspeil Jack Emblow: Accordion A popish record, some people dislike it, though it has its moments. Some claim it resembles Alan Parsons Project. (No wonder: same people on both groups: Chris Rainbow, David Paton). Cover is grey/blue "computerized" picture of a face (Andy?). The back cover is slightly different, but same idea. Available on LP, MC. Some LP pressing are not fold out and have no inner notes/lyrics. Used to be available on CD, featuring B/W cover and not blue/white. A new DERAM CD release is due very soon, with sleeve notes by John Tracy * Some lyrics were written by Susan Hoover. * Note the return of Peter Bardens on one track. * Fry and Monkman were members of Sky at that time. Both Camel and Sky were produced and engineered by Tony Clark and Haydn Bendall at that time. * Anthony Phillips is from the early Genesis. * This is the first album without Andy Ward, what leaves us with only Andy Latimer from the original Camel lineup. A note on the lyrics sheet claims that "Ward does not appear on this album following a serious injury to his hand." Tech: LP: Passport PB 6013, Decca SKL 5328. Released on May 6th. MC: Passport PBC 6013 ------------------- 1984 - Stationary Traveler Pressure points Refugee Vopos Cloak and dagger man Stationary traveler West Berlin Fingertips Missing After words Long goodbyes Andy Latimer: 12 Strings, Acoustic, Classic and Electric Guitars, Flute, Bass, Piano, PPG, Juno 60, Yamaha CS-60, Drumulator, Pan Pipes, Vocals Paul Burgess: Drums Ton Scherpenzeel: Yamaha CS-80, Grand Piano, PPG, Prophet, Accordion, Juno 60 Hyden Bendall: PPG Voices, Fairlight David Paton: Bass, Fretless Bass Chris Rainbow: Vocals Mel Collins: Saxophone This one is even more Alan Parsons than Alan Parsons... Obscure concept by Susan Hoover about both sides of the Berlin Wall (now Ex-Wall). The title track one of the highlights of the album, featuring Andy on Pan Flute. The cover has a b/w picture of woman standing on a street (in Berlin?... there are signs in German). The back cover is the same only that the woman now stands backwards. Same idea in the inner sleeve where a woman stands on a road with buildings in the background. Inner sleeve has lyrics and information. Available on LP, MC and CD. Tech: LP: Polydor/Metronome 821 504-1, Decca 5334 820 020, Decca SKL 5334. (Released in March??) MC: Polydor/Metronome 821 504-4 ------------------- 1985 - Pressure Points: Live in Concert Pressure points Drafted Captured Lies Sasquatch West Berlin Fingertips Wait Rhayader Rhayader goes to town Andy Latimer: Lead Guitar and Vocals Colin Bass: Bass Guitar and Vocals Ton Scherpenzeel: Lead Keyboards Chris Rainbow: Vocals and Keyboards Richie Close: Keyboards Paul Burgess: Drums and Percussion guest appearances: Mel Collins: Sax on Fingertips Peter Bardens: Organ Camel's second live record is a very good performance of the late 70's and early 80's songs. The live versions are very good, some consider them being better than the original releases. The cover is dark, strange face flooded with light with marks all over it (ie pressure points). All this is in a box on a skyline background. Back cover has pictures from the show. Available on LP, MC and CD. The CD release by Deram feature notes by John Tracy. * Note Bardens guest-playing on two songs from _The Snow Goose_. * The tracks were taken from a full-length live performance at the London Hammersmith Odeon, on the 11th May, 1984. * There used to be a Video recording of the complete show, available from PolyGram. There IS a LaserDisc from Japan, that has more and different songs. * I've read somewhere that Pressure Points was digitally recorded. However, the CD release is AAD. Tech: LP: Decca SKL 5338 (820 166-1). Released in November 1984. MC: Decca KSKC 5338 CD: London 820 166-2, PolyGram 820166, Decca 5338 ------------------- 1985 The Collection Aristillus Freefall Supertwister Spirit of the water Lunar sea Rhayader Rhayader goes to town The princes perdue The great marsh Drafted Captured Sasquatch Rain dances Highways of the sun Yet another collection by The Collector Series... They did it to Camel as well! The cover has some geometric figures and picture(s) of the band. Available on LP and CD. A double LP (?) Tech: LP: Castle CCSLP 116 CD: Castle Coomunications CCSCD 116 ------------------- 1985 - A Compact Compilation Freefall Lady Fantasy Encounter Smiles for you Lady fantasy The Great marsh Rhayader Rhayader goes to town The snow goose Flight of the snow goose Dunkirk Song within a song Lunar sea First light Metrognome Rain dances Considerably a good collection from Mirage, The Snow Goose, Moonmadness and Rain Dances. No new stuff and no new versions. The cover features a camel standing on the road leading to a city at night, on the back there's a picture of the band (with Ferguson, without Sinclair). Available on CD and LP. Tech: CD: Rhino R2-75900 ------------------- 1991 - Landscapes ? Another compilation? ------------------- 1992 - Dust and Dreams Dust bowl Go west Dusted out Mother road Needles Rose of Sharon Milk n' honey End of the line Storm clouds Cotton camp Broken banks Sheet rain Whispers Little rivers and little rose Hopeless anger Whispers in the rain Andrew Latimer: Guitars, Flute, Keyboards, Vocals Colin Bass: Bass Ton Scherpenzeel: Keyboards Paul Burgess: Drums David Paton: Vocals Mae McKenna: Vocals Christopher Bock: Drums Don Harriss: Keyboards Neil Panton: Oboe Kim Venaas: Timps, Harmonica John Burton: French Horn Camel's comeback is an intense and moving concept album, very close to Nude in the global sound but much more touching. Highly recommended for those of you who got used to the 80s Camel, but it is very different from the first five Progressive albums. The last 8 songs are instrumental, standing together as one piece (a la Nude and The Snow Goose). Cover has a b/w photo of a boy standing on a road. CD and MC available from Camel Production. * The record was inspired by John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath". * The concept was arranged by Susan Hoover, who also wrote some lyrics. Tech: CD: CP-001CD ------------------- 1993 - Camel on the Road 1972 Lady fantasy Six ate White rider God of light Andy Latimer: (Guitar?) Peter Bardens: (Keyboards?) Andy Ward: (Drums?) David Ferguson: (Bass?) The first "official" bootleg by Camel Production. It features material by the first Camel lineup. Sound quality is very good, with only minor sound drops at some points. The cover has a road-in-bad-condition sign, which looks like two humps. Available on CD only, by Camel Productions. The cover features notes by Latimer and pictures of the group. * Lord of Light is a piece by Peter Bardens, from his second solo album, 'Write My Name in the Dust'. * An anecdote: ALL the camels on any Camel album have only ONE hump, not like what this album's cover suggest. * Some technical mismatches in the cover: This album has three different titles: "Warning: Camel on the Road 1972", "Camel on the Road 1972" and "On the Road 1972". "God of light" is also entitled, on the inner sleve, as "God of light revisited" - One thing's for sure: Camel Production sure knows how to make a bootleg! Tech: CD: CP-003CD ------------------- 1993 - Echoes: The Retrospective CD1: Never let go Freefall Lady Fantasy Encounter Smiles for you Lady Fantasy Rhayader Rhayader goes to town Song within a song Air born Lunar sea Unevensong Tell me Elke Skylines CD2: Breathless Echoes The sleeper Your love is stranger than mine Hymn to her Ice Drafted Lies Sasquach You are the one Refugee West Berlin Mother road Whispers in the rain An Anthology of Camel from PolyGram/Deram Records. Double CD set including material from _Camel_ to _Dust and Dreams_. All the songs are from the original release, none of them from the live versions. Cover is half the Rain Dances cover - one dancer leaping to the right. Susan Hoover wrote the liner notes. Tech: Deram 844 340-2 ------------------- 1993 - Never Let Go CD1: Never Let Go Earthrise Rhayader Rhayader goes to town Spirit of the water Unevensong Echoes Ice City life Drafted CD2: Dust and Dreams Dust bowl Go west Dusted out Mother road Needles Rose of Sharon Milk n' honey End of the line Storm clouds Cotton camp Broken banks Sheet rain Whispers Little rivers and little rose Hopeless anger Whispers in the rain Sasquatch Lady Fantasy Andy Latimer: Guitars, flute, keyboards, vocals Colin Bass: Bass, bass pedals, keyboards, vocals Mickey Simmonds: Keyboards Paul Burgess: Drums, octopad, bells, tambourine A live performance - the second "official" bootleg by Camel Production. This is a two-disks set containing a complete live performance that took place in Enschede, Holland, September 5th, 1992. Great sound quality and a good performance that runs over more than 2 hours. The cover features a black & blue shade of Andy Latimer on stage, with the guitar hanging on him, playing keyboards. Available on 2CD set only. Tech: CD: CP-004CD ------------------- Singles, Maxi Singles, 7-inchers: John Tracy claims that Camel released only 4 singles. Curiosity/Never Let Go - MUS 1177 Released January 1973 Flight of the Snow Goose/Rhayader - F-R 13581 Released May 16th, 1975 Highways of the Sun (edit)/Tell Me - F-R 13729, Released September 23rd 1977 Remote Romance/Rainbow's End,Tell me - F-R 13879, Rel: UK, October 26th 1979 Your Love is Stranger than Mine/Neon Magic - F-R 13871, Rel: February 29th, 1980 * There is a long version, a remix of "Pressure Points" available too. ....? ------------------- Videos Pressure Points Pressure points Refugee Vopos Stationary traveller West Berlin Fingertips Sasquatch Wait Cloak and dagger man Afterwords Long goodbyes The Snow Goose (excerpts) Lady Fantasy A video of the show from _PP_ album, which took place at London's Hammersmith Odeon 1984. Running time approx 90 minutes. * Personnel should be the same as in the live album. * Stationary Traveller album is performed almost in its entirety. Tech: Available on LaserDisc. Used to be available on PolyGram Music Video Cassette. Now available on Video Cassette from Camel Productions. Total Pressure CP's first video bootleg... An alternative look at the same live show from the Pressure Points tape. It contains the entire show, unedited, undubbed and unmixed, with time-code. ------------------- Bootlegs - !!! DON'T BUY BOOTLEGS! Support the artists !!! 1992 - Needles in the Camel's Eye God of Light Revisited The White Rider Lady Fantasy Arubaluba Excerpts form "The Snow Goose" This is an Italian bootleg of a performance which took place "London 70's". The quality of the recording is excellent, though the vocals are a bit weak. The front cover is a colour photo of a camel bearing a load of stuff being led by a hooded figure across a flat plain. The rear cover has a b/w photo of two old folks smooching (it also has the title as "Needless in the Camel's Eye"). No line-up is given, though writing credit is given for each song on the playlist. Tech: CD: Make Me Smile MMS 0592 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Camel's members solo careers ---------------------------- I've got very few information about past Camel members. I'll deal with the members of the original lineup. There were many other musicians who played with Camel, and it would be hard to keep track of all of them. Consult the Mel Collins discography for more information about him. Maybe there is a Caravan discography available that has more information about Jan Schelhaas and Richard Sinclair. New information about any of Camel's members will be appreciated. Peter Bardens ------------- *** Before he joined Camel: 1970 - The Answer The Answer Don't goof with a spookie I can't remember I don't want to go home Let's get it on Homage to the God of Light Peter Bardens: Keyboards, Vocals Steve Ellis: Vocal Andy Gee: Guitar Reg Isadore: Drums Linda Lewis: Vocal Alan Marshall: Vocal, Percussion Bruce Thomas: Bass David Wooley: Vocal * Note "Homage to the God of Light" is probabely the origin of "God of Light". Tech: LP: Verve 3088, MGM ??, Transatlantic Records TRA 222, Released September 1970 1971 - Peter Bardens Tech: LP: Transatlantic Records TRA 243, Released July 1971 * According to John Tracy, Peter Bardens had only two solo albums before he joined Camel. Apparently, he refered to Write My Name in Dust when he mentioned Peter Bardens. 1971 - Write My Name in Dust North end road Write my name in the dust Down so long Sweet honey wine Tear down the wall Simple song My house Feeling hugh Blueser Peter Bardens: Keyboards, Vocals Victor Brox: Violin, Vocals Andy Gee: Guitar Reg Isadore: Drums John Owen: Bass Maxine Offla: Vocal Linda Lewis: Vocal Judy Powell: Vocal Liza Strike: Vocal Anita Pollinger: Vocal Tech: LP: Verve 3091 1976 Vintage 69 The Answer Don't Goof with a spookie I can't remember I don't want to go home Write my name in the dust Homage to the god of light Peter Bardens: Keyboards, Vocals Steve Ellis: Vocal Andy Gee: Guitar Peter Green: Guitar Reg Isadore: Drums Linda Lewis: Vocal Alan Marshall: Vocal, Percussion Bruce Thomas: Bass David Wooley: Vocal John Owen: Bass Linda Lewis: Vocal Judith Powell: Vocal Liza Strinke: Vocal Anita Pollinger: Vocal B/w picture of Bardens on the cover, some notes on the back. My version of this album is a limited issue in CLEAR vinyl (it is transparent!) * This is mostly, a reissue of Bardens' first album, with one track from _Write My Name in the Dust_. Tect: LP: Transatlantic TRA SAM 36 *** After leaving Camel: 1979 Heart to Heart Julia Doing the crab Slipstream Raining all over the world Jinxed After dark Slow motion Tune for Des Heart to heart Peter Bardens: Keyboards, Vocals Mel Collins: Sax Gus Isadore: Guitar, Vocals Chris Karan: Percussion Stan Scrivener: Bass Peter Shade: Backing Vocals Peter Van Hooke: Drums Tech: LP: Arista 1108 1987 Seen One Earth Seascape Man Alive Seen one earth Home thoughts Prelude In Dreams Stargate Many happy returns Peter Bardens: Synth (...?) Adrian Dessent: Guitar Honey Hylton: Vocals Neil Lockwood: Vocals Peter Van Hooke: Drums * A concept albums, based on the space exploration and astronaut book "The Right Stuff" {Linda Kohanov, All-Music Guide) Tech: LP: Cinema ST-12555, Capitol 46868 MC: Cinema C4-46868, C4-12555 CD: Capitol 46868, Atlantic CDP7458682 Reached Billboard #148. 1988 Speed of Light Westward ho! Black elk Gold This could be paradise Afterthought Speed of light Whisper in the wind Heartland Columbine Gold (reprise) Peter Bardens: Keyboards Mick Fleetwood: Drums David Foster: Bass Russell Gilbrook: Drums Honey Hylton: Vocals Neil Lockwood: Vocals Neale Neywood: Guitar Neil Nicholas: Vocals * A followup to the popular Seen One Earth * "Gold" was also released as a single CD, Atlantic DPRO79360 Tech: MC: Cinema C4-48967 CD: Capitol 48967, Cinema C2-48967 1991 Watercolors * Water Colors is considered as Bardens best solo album. Tech: MC: Miramar MPC-4001 CD: Miramar MPCD-4001 Peter Bardens also played with Keats, whose only self-titled albums was produced by Alan Parsons Project: 1984 Keats Heaven knows Tragedy Fight to win Walking on ice How can you walk away Turn your heart around Avalanche Give it up Ask no questions Night full of voices David Paton: Bass Ian Bairnson: Guitars Stuart Elliot: Drums Chris Rainbow: Vocals Peter Bardens: Keyboards (?) 1993 Further than you know Tech: CD: Miramar 2601 Andy Ward --------- Played drums on Richard Sinclair's album, Caravan of Dreams, and so did David Sinclair, Richard's cousin. Ward was briefly in Marillion, and he appears in the video for "Garden Party", but not on any of their albums. He is on the 'special thanks' list of Fugazi. Both Ward and Richard Sinclair appear on Todd Dillingham's CD, _The Wilde Canterbury Dream_. -------------------------------------- Appendix A - Getting in touch with Camel Production This is very easy: Simply write something to Camel Production, P.O. Box 4876, Mt. View, CA 94040, USA. You can buy Dust and Dreams, Camel, Camel on the Road, Never Let Go, and Pressure Points video from them. You will also receive their newsletter entitled "The Nature of the Beast...". The albums from the 80's have addresses for a Fan Club, and for a Camel information service. I've been notified by Susan Hoover that the Fan Club is no longer in existence. I therefore recommend you to direct your letters to Camel Productions. Appendix B - Finding Camel albums CP tells that most of their other CDs are available from PROGTRON, P.O. Box 10151, San Jose, CA 95157-1151 USA. Camel Production releases are available in the UK by Pinnacle Records. In Spain they are distributed through DiscMedi. Israeli fans can find HUNDREDS of low-price Camel CDs on Piccadilly stores in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Prices ranging from 25NIS to 39NIS. (approx 12$) Most of the albums are available. Appendix C - Getting to know more about Camel * An incredible interview with Andrew Latimer is available on Gibraltar digest: Vol3.Iss2. It is available on FTP site cs.uwp.edu and on the Progressive Rock FTP site ortega.cs.ucdavis.edu (courtesy of Mike Borella). * Some of John Tracy's sleeve notes were typed in. They are available on the Progressive Rock FTP site. Appendix D - Reading matter (summary) * Paul Gallico's "The Snow Goose" * John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" * John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King", "The Hobbit"