| Born: Genre: Style: |
1971 – Liverpool, United Kingdom Rock Progressive rock |
| Year | Album Title | Label | In House |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Camel | MCA Records | No |
| 1974 | Mirage | Deram | No |
| 1975 | The Snow Goose | Decca | No |
| 1976 | Moonmadness | Decca | On Website |
| 1976 | Camel | Decca | YES |
| 1977 | Rain Dances | Decca | No |
| 1978 | Breathless | Decca | No |
| 1978 | A Live Record | Decca | No |
| 1979 | Can See Your House from Here | Decca | No |
| 1981 | Nude | Decca | No |
| 1982 | The Single Factor | Decca | No |
| 1984 | Stationary Traveller | Decca | No |
| 1991 | Dust and Dreams | Decca | No |
Camel never achieved the mass popularity of other British progressive rock bands such as the Alan Parsons Project, but they did cultivate a devoted cult following. Camel went through many changes over the course of their career, but Andrew Latimer remained the band's leader throughout the years.
Camel formed in Surrey in 1971, originally consisting of Latimer (guitar, flute, vocals), Andy Ward (drums), Doug Ferguson (bass) and keyboardist Peter Bardens, formerly of Them. In late 1973, the group signed to MCA and released their eponymous debut. In 1974, the band changed labels, signing with Decca's Gama subsidiary and releasing Mirage. In 1975, Camel released their breakthrough album The Snow Goose, which reached the UK Top 30. The band's English audience declined with 1976's Moonmadness, but the album was more successful in America, where it reached number 118 — the band's highest chart position ever. After the release of Moonmadness, Ferguson left the band and was replaced by Richard Sinclair (ex-Caravan); at the same time, the group added saxophonist Mel Collins. Latimer and Bardens came to blows during the recording of 1977's Rain Dances, and these tensions would come to a head during the making of 1978's Breathless. After the completion of Breathless, Bardens left the band. For the recording of their next album, Camel replaced Bardens with two keyboardists — Kit Watkins (Happy the Man) and Jim Schelhaas (Caravan) — and replaced Sinclair with Colin Bass.
By the time Camel released their 1979 album I Can See Your House From Here, rock & roll had changed with the rise of punk rock, resulting in less press attention for progressive rock and lower record sales. Camel suffered from this shift in popular taste—I Can See Your House from Here received less attention than any of the band's other releases since their debut. Latimer returned to writing concept albums with 1981's Nude. In 1982, drummer Andy Ward was forced to leave the band after a serious hand injury. Camel's 1982 album The Single Factor was more accessible than previous Camel albums, but failed to chart. Stationary Traveller (1984) was another concept album.
After the release of the 1984 live album Pressure Points, Camel went into a long hibernation that lasted until the early 1990s. Decca dropped Camel in 1985. In 1985, Decca dropped Camel from its roster. Latimer was unable to find a new label due to a difficult legal battle with Camel's former manager Geoff Jukes; Camel eventually won the lawsuit in the late 1980s. During this period, Camel produced no new music. In 1988, Latimer sold his home in England and moved to California, where he founded the independent label Camel Productions. By the time Camel recorded the follow-up to Stationary Traveller in the early 1990s, the band consisted mostly of Andrew Latimer and a handful of session musicians. Dust and Dreams (1991) was the first release from Camel Productions. In 1993, PolyGram released a double-disc Camel retrospective, Echoes. In early 1996, Camel released Harbour of Tears.
