spinynorman Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Just been converting some old vinyl to mp3s. Camel, "Mirage" and "Moon Madness" - given that it's mid 70s prog rock, they stand up rather well, and Doug Ferguson on bass - never even comes up in the "under-rated bass players" threads, but he gets my vote. Really strong, melodic, driving the song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Check out the live album with Richard Sinclair (also of Caravan, Hatfield and the North, etc) called A Live Record - brilliant stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Haven't listened to them for a long time. This might just make me dig out the LPs again. I think it was 1979 or 80 I saw them at Glasgow Apollo. Andy Ward played just about the best drum solo I have ever heard. Great band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Yeah, like the Canterbury scene alot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Oooh Moonmadness and that lovely repetitive bass riff on Lunar Sea at the end!! My fave camel album by far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 One of the first 'rock' concerts I ever saw, Camel supporting Stackridge. Probably be about 1972. What a pair of bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 [quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1335305352' post='1629187'] Oooh Moonmadness and that lovely repetitive bass riff on Lunar Sea at the end!! My fave camel album by far [/quote] Ditto. In fact one of my two favourite albums, along with Wish You Were Here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted April 25, 2012 Author Share Posted April 25, 2012 Some time around 1977 I saw them at a cinema in Birmingham, probably the Odeon. Those were the days, when you didn't have to stand in an aircraft hanger to hear a big name band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 My uncle used to operate the snow goose!!!!! im not kidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaypup Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7esW6StGSI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7esW6StGSI[/url] Whenever certain friends of mine get together we always end up singing this as we walk between pubs - great tune! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 ah knackers, here's another band that I'll have to get into and inevitably buy... Why is BC getting soooo expensive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I have pretty much all their back catalogue in one format or another but infortunately never got to to see them play live. I think I read somewhere that Andy Latimer got quite ill a while back and couldn't play gigs for a while but might be getting back to better health now? Or am I confusing him with someone else?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1335366298' post='1629973'] I have pretty much all their back catalogue in one format or another but infortunately never got to to see them play live. I think I read somewhere that Andy Latimer got quite ill a while back and couldn't play gigs for a while but might be getting back to better health now? Or am I confusing him with someone else?. [/quote] That's right, don't think he's fully fit yet, but would be great if they toured some time. Love Moonmadness, Nude and I can See your house from here. I don't think of it as "old" in any way, just great music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musophilr Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Camel = one of my all time favourite bands! Wouldn't like to hear them compressed to MP3 format though. Even the highest bitrate is nowhere near Hi Fi standards. Try FLAC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Big fan of Camel here too. Live Record bass playing excellent. Saw them on the I Can See Your House From Here tour in early 80's with Colin Bass another great bassist. Agree that Doug Ferguson was always under-rated. He had some very nice bass runs had a significant contribution to Camel's sound in those days. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 [quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1335366016' post='1629965'] ah knackers, here's another band that I'll have to get into and inevitably buy... Why is BC getting soooo expensive? [/quote] You need Spotify, mate!! Saves me thousands.... Yes, another Camel fan here. Moon Madness and Nude were two of the lps (yes, plastic) that I used to love back in the mullet days. Andy Latimer is one of those 'that is what a guitar is supposed to sound like' guys for me and Andy Ward was certainly ne of the drummmers that showed me that there is more tho the drums than boom, chuck, boom, chuck. I remember the drummer on early Pendragon stuff was very much in that mould (I met them once when they were auditioning singers and was able to watch him close up - don't recall his name, may have been Nigel Harris but I am not sure). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 Lovely that Camel came up! For me too, it's Moonmadness all the way, and Breathless to a somewhat lesser extent. I'd always thought everyone else loved other albums a lot better. Personally, I could never like The Snow Goose (too wannabee imnsho). Bought it many times to try, and just sold it on again. I'll go and listen to the bass parts now. Thanks for the tip on Doug Ferguson. best, bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 moonmadness is fantastic - i grew up as a spotty teenager on that and a few other albums this is good too - quite different to moonmadness [url="http://youtu.be/-E3ZUwI5iW8"]http://youtu.be/-E3ZUwI5iW8[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I like a lot of the early Camel stuff, never a huge fan though - I think I might have been if they had stuck to beign solely instrumental. That said, this is one of the finest slicest of instrumental prog you'll ever hear. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWXyVsuWx8A"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWXyVsuWx8A[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1335456586' post='1631551'] You need Spotify, mate!! Saves me thousands.... I remember the drummer on early Pendragon stuff was very much in that mould (I met them once when they were auditioning singers and was able to watch him close up - don't recall his name, may have been Nigel Harris but I am not sure). [/quote] Fudge Smith? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I think the name Fudge would have stuck.... He was a geeky looking soul, long greasy dark hair and specs. A great player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Just checked their wiki, yes it was Nigel Harris up to 84, I saw them first in 86 or 87 when Fudge had joined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born 2B Mild Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I've been a Camel fan since the first album, and was fortunate to see them live in the 70s. The last time was a bit of a weird one. They had just finished doing Snowgoose at the Albert Hall but had a contractual obligation to perform at Reading Town Hall. So they 'performed' it but a little less seriously. In fact the roadies were having a laugh with some of the backdrop projections. So, that was the last time they performed it in its entirety. Later, I saw Doug playing bass at a cellar bar in Reading (The Target) with his next band ...Mungo Jerry! Pete Bardens died not so long a go. I remember doing some demo recordings in a studio in Wokingham (late 70s) where I met his sister, who reminded me of Pete's Van Morrison/Them days. Richard Sinclair took on the low end duties of course. He's one of my personal favourite players. I was lucky enough to buy a fretless Jazz Bass off him (a 1985 MIJ) which he told me he bought in Japan on tour. It had Rotosounds on which were the last of the freebies he'd got whilst in Camel. I'll never sell it, and if anyone wants a mwah on it, then I've got it at Twyford. Think I'm going to have to start my day (off) now with Mirage ...what an opening number! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 I loved Moonmadness and Snow Goose back in the day but was disappointed at their post-Moonmadness output. Afraid I went off them when they played my local (Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall) in around 1980 and were utterly disinterested and didn't bother with an encore (despite the usual calls from the crowd). They really didn't want to be there and - as a teen with hard earned pockey money that paid for the gig - that was it for me. Occasionally listen to Moonmadness (still got it on my iPod; I love the ethereal Spirit of the Water more than the obvious ones like Lunar Sea). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1335773583' post='1635608'] I loved Moonmadness and Snow Goose back in the day but was disappointed at their post-Moonmadness output. Afraid I went off them when they played my local (Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall) in around 1980 and were utterly disinterested and didn't bother with an encore (despite the usual calls from the crowd). They really didn't want to be there and - as a teen with hard earned pockey money that paid for the gig - that was it for me. Occasionally listen to Moonmadness (still got it on my iPod; I love the ethereal Spirit of the Water more than the obvious ones like Lunar Sea). [/quote] Think the band were having serious internal issues at that time if memory serves me right. Its no excuse for putting on a poor show or not giving it your best. Shame when that happens. Dave Edited April 30, 2012 by dmccombe7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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