Song:Never Let Go
Album:Lunar Sea: An Anthology 1973-1985
Camel was a British progressive rock band that came out of The Canterbury Scene. And similar to groups like The Soft Machine or Caravan, their music was a mix of rock and jazz. They built their fanbase through touring and never had the commercial success of other progressive rock groups of the 70s. The group leader was guitarist Andrew Latimer (born May 17, 1949 in Guildford, England). Along with drummer Andy Ward (born Sept. 28, 1972 in Epsom, England) and bassist Doug Ferguson (born Mar. 4, 1947 in Carlisle, England), they had a group called The Brew. Keyboardist and singer Peter Bardens (born June 19, 1944 in Westminster, England) was a member of Them. He joined The Brew for a gig in Belfast, Ireland in 1971. Initially they were called Peter Bardens' On but soon changed their name to Camel. A gig in London opening for Wishbone Ash got them a contract with MCA Records. Never Let Go was on their 1973 debut album Camel. Though critically acclaimed, Camel never had the commercial success that MCA/Decca/Deram was looking for. The record company was always pressuring them for a hit single. But their 1975 album Music Inspired By The Snow Goose earned a gold record and a fanbase in the US. So they earned a cult following but it never seemed to be enough for Decca. After their 1976 album Moonmadness, Ferguson left and was replaced by Richard Sinclair of Caravan. Then Bardens left in 1978 and was replaced by a couple of former Caravan members for a tour. Latimer took over the lead vocals and Camel used session keyboard players on future albums. By the mid-80s, music tastes had changed and Camel lost their record deal. This 2CD comp was released by Decca in England in 2001. It's available as an import. Andrew Latimer moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and has released Camel albums on his own label until he was diagnosed with myelofibrosis in 2007. He underwent a bone marrow transplant is still hopeful that he can return to touring. Peter Bardens had solo success in the mid 80s. He died of a brain tumour in 2002. I recommend Camel to fans of british progressive rock. Here's Camel performing Never Let Go at the Odeon Hammersmith Mar. 1984.
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