If one were to ask me, I would say that not enough is ever said about Camel, the UK prog band that produced a string of excellent albums in the ’70s with a few in the early ’80s. At the band’s inception, one of the members – Peter Bardens, along with Andy Latimer, Andy Ward, and Doug Ferguson wroked hard to create a strong band. Peter Bardens left Camel after their 1978 album, Breathless. But by then, Camel had expanded to include Mel Collins, and replacing Ferguson with Richard Sinclair. Camel released a few more but the loss of Bardens, followed by Sinclair, and Collins put a choke hold on Camel and it went down from there.
Peter Bardens was a massive influence musically. Previously, he was with a band by the name of Village (who also had Bruce Thomas, the future bassist for Elvis Costello & The Attractions, on board), as well as being involved with solo work leading to Camel.
On May 27, Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red UK) will revisit the Pre-Camel music created by Peter Bardens in a new 2CD set – Long Ago, Far Away. The set will collect both early solo albums recorded for Transatlantic Records along with rarities including the A and B-sides of the Village single. All the music is newly remastered. The booklet will contain a new essay on the prodigious talent of Peter Bardens.
Long Ago, Far Away – Peter Bardens
CD1 (The Answer – 1970)
01 The Answer
02 Don’t Goof with a Spook
03 I Can’t Remember
04 I Don’t Want to Go Home
05 Let’s Get it On
06 Homage to the God of Light
Bonus Tracks
07 Man in the Moon (Village A-side of single)
08 Long Time Coming (Village B-side of single)
09 Long Ago and Far Away (Recorded in 1970)
CD2 (Peter Bardens [UK], Write My Name In The Dust [US] – 1971)
01 North End Road
02 Write My Name in the Dust
03 Down So Long
04 Sweet Honey Wine
05 Tear Down the Wall
06 Simple Song
07 My House
08 Feeling High
09 Blueser
Bonus Tracks
10 Homage to the God of Light (Part One) (A-side of French single 1971)
11 Homage to the God of Light (Part Two) (B-side of French single 1971)