Harbour of Tears is the twelfth studio album and a concept album by English progressive rock band Camel. It tells the story of an Irish family who are painfully separated as their young ones depart to the United States to seek a better future. Released in 1996, it was their twelfth studio album.

Harbour of Tears
Studio album by
Released15 January 1996
Recorded1994–1995
GenreProgressive rock
Length62:14
LabelCamel Productions
ProducerAndy Latimer
Camel chronology
Dust and Dreams
(1991)
Harbour of Tears
(1996)
Rajaz
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Title and lyrics edit

Band vocalist and guitarist Andrew Latimer learned that the last sight of Ireland his grandmother's family would have seen was Cóbh Harbour, a deep-water port that witnessed the fracturing of thousands of families as their sons and daughters departed towards America. Thus the album was titled as the common alias of the port, 'Harbour of Tears'.

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Irish Air (Traditional Gaelic)"Andy Latimer, Susan Hoover0:57
2."Irish Air (Instrumental Reprise)"Latimer1:57
3."Harbour of Tears"Latimer, Hoover3:13
4."Cóbh"Latimer0:51
5."Send Home the Slates"Latimer, Hoover4:23
6."Under the Moon"Latimer1:16
7."Watching the Bobbins"Latimer, Hoover7:14
8."Generations"Latimer1:02
9."Eyes of Ireland"Latimer, Hoover3:09
10."Running from Paradise"Latimer5:21
11."End of the Day"Latimer, Hoover2:29
12."Coming of Age"Latimer7:22
13."The Hour Candle (A Song for My Father)" ([nb 1])Latimer23:00

Personnel edit

Additional musicians edit

  • John Xepoleas – Drums
  • David Paton – Bass, lead vocals on "Send Home the Slates"
  • Mae McKenna – A Capella vocal on "Irish Air"
  • Neil Panton – Oboe, Soprano sax, Harmonium
  • Barry Phillips – Cello
  • John Burton – French horn
  • James SK Wān – Bamboo flute
  • Karen Bentley – Violin
  • Anita Stoneham – Violin

Other credits edit

  • Mixed by Andy Latimer and Colin Bass
  • Sleeve design by Jon Storey

Charts edit

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[2] 58

Notes edit

  1. ^ Song ends at 6:30, afterwards a hidden track begins; after 8:03 the hidden track shifts into low-volume sea wave sounds until 23:00.

References edit

  1. ^ Connolly, Dave. "Harbour of Tears - Camel | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  2. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Camel – Harbour of Tears" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  • The Rough Guide to Rock. (2003). United Kingdom: Rough Guides. p.165