I Can See Your House from Here

I Can See Your House from Here
Studio album by Camel
Released 29 October 1979
Recorded 1979 at Farmyard Studios, Little Chalfont, England
Genre Progressive rock
Length 46:04
Label Gama/Decca
Producer Rupert Hine
Camel chronology
Breathless
(1978)Breathless1978		 I Can See Your House from Here
(1979)		 Nude
(1981)Nude1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

I Can See Your House from Here is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Camel. Released in 1979, a new line up was introduced with founding members Andrew Latimer (guitar) and Andy Ward (drums) joined by bassist Colin Bass (to replace Richard Sinclair) and keyboardists Jan Schelhaas (who joined in 1978 for the Breathless tour) and Kit Watkins (ex-Happy The Man) who replaced Dave Sinclair. At one point, the album was going to be called Endangered Species.[2][3]

Recording

Work started on the album in summer 1979, collaborating with producer Rupert Hine, at the Farmyard Studios in Little Chalfont. The process also took place in an Elizabethan country house, a residential recording studio that suited the band well. The orchestral overdubs were added at London's AIR Studios. Mel Collins (who also worked with Caravan) contributed to the band's sound on the saxophone, while Genesis' drummer/vocalist Phil Collins was chosen to play percussion. Andy Latimer was pleased with the end product, saying Hine "was great fun to work with, he was really up and zappy. I enjoyed making that record. We did it rather quickly and it wasn't a lengthy production."

The album was released in mid-October 1979. It spent three weeks in the chart in late October and early November, reaching No. 45. An accompanying single was planned, but shelved. Instead a maxi single containing an edited version of Andy Latimer and Kit Watkins "Remote Romance" was backed with "Rainbow's End" from Breathless (1978) and a Camel / Mick Glossop production of "Tell Me", first released on Rain Dances (1977). It did not reach the charts. The single "Your Love is Stranger than Mine" / "Neon Magic" followed in February 1980.

Cover artwork

At the time of the recording one of the somewhat popular jokes in England concerned crucifixion. Its punchline had Jesus nailed to the cross stating to his beckoned apostle Peter, "I can see your house from here." This made such an impression on the band that they decided to develop an outer space theme adaption based on the joke for the sleeve of the album.

Tour

The world tour began on 8 October at The Dome, Brighton, England, following France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Spain and ended on 29 January 1980 in Koseinenkin Hall of Tokyo, Japan.

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Wait" (Andrew Latimer, John McBurnie) – 5:02
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, backing vocals
    • Kit Watkins – Yamaha electric grand and Rhodes electric pianos, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha electric grand piano, Yamaha CS-80, Prophet-5 and Moog synthesizers
    • Colin Bass – bass, lead vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
  2. "Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine" (Colin Bass, Latimer, Jan Schelhaas, Andy Ward) – 3:26
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, backing vocals
    • Kit Watkins – Prophet-5 synthesizer
    • Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha electric grand piano, Minimoog
    • Colin Bass – bass, lead vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
    • Mel Collins – alto saxophone
  3. "Eye of the Storm" (Kit Watkins) – 3:52 – this was an updated version of a track that Watkins had played with his previous band Happy the Man
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar
    • Kit Watkins – Hohner Clavinet, flute, Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Colin Bass – fretless Wal bass
    • Andy Ward – massed marching military snares
  4. "Who We Are" (Latimer) – 7:52
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals, flute, autoharp
    • Kit Watkins – Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
    • Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
    • Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements
Side two
  1. "Survival" (Latimer) – 1:12
    • Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements
    • Gavin Wright – leader of the orchestra
  2. "Hymn to Her" (Latimer, Schelhaas) – 5:37
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals, flute, autoharp
    • Kit Watkins – Hohner Clavinet, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
    • Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
  3. "Neon Magic" (Latimer, Viv McAuliffe, Schelhaas) – 4:39
  4. "Remote Romance" (Latimer, Watkins) – 4:07
  5. "Ice" (Latimer) – 10:17
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar
    • Kit Watkins – Yamaha electric grand and Rhodes electric pianos, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
    • Colin Bass – bass
    • Andy Ward – drums [4]
2009 Expanded & Remastered Edition
  1. "Remote Romance" (Single version)
  2. "Ice" (Live 1981) – 7:15

Personnel

Camel
Additional musicians

References

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