I Can See Your House from Here

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.[3][4]

I Can See Your House from Here
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1979
Recorded1979
StudioFarmyard Studios, Little Chalfont, England
GenreProgressive rock
Length46:04
LabelGama/Decca
ProducerRupert Hine
Camel chronology
Breathless
(1978)
I Can See Your House from Here
(1979)
Nude
(1981)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Classic Rock[2]

Recording edit

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 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 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 edit

The cover image is based on a joke that was somewhat popular at the time, in which Jesus, while hanging up on the Cross dying, calls out for his disciple Peter to come to him, who does so with great difficulty. The punchline is that Jesus merely wants to tell Peter, "I can see your house from here."[5]

It also pays homage to the 1951 painting Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí.

Tour edit

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

Track listing edit

All credits adapted from the original releases.[6]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Notes[7]Length
1."Wait"Andrew Latimer, John McBurnie
Personnel:
    • 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
5:02
2."Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine"Colin Bass, Latimer, Jan Schelhaas, Andy Ward
Personnel:
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, backing vocals
    • Kit WatkinsProphet-5 synthesizer
    • Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha electric grand piano, Minimoog
    • Colin Bass – bass, lead vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
    • Mel Collins – alto saxophone
3:26
3."Eye of the Storm[nb 1]"Kit Watkins
Personnel:
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar
    • Kit WatkinsHohner Clavinet, flute, Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Colin Bass – fretless Wal bass
    • Andy Ward – drums, massed marching military snares
3:52
4."Who We Are"Latimer
Personnel:
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals, flute, autoharp
    • Kit WatkinsSolina and Moog synthesizers
    • Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
    • Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
    • Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements
7:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Notes[7]Length
1."Survival"Latimer
Personnel:
    • Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements
    • Gavin Wright – leader of the orchestra
1:12
2."Hymn to Her"Latimer, Schelhaas
Personnel:
    • Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals, flute, autoharp
    • Kit WatkinsHohner Clavinet, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
    • Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
    • Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals
    • Andy Ward – drums
5:37
3."Neon Magic"Latimer, Vivienne McAuliffe, Schelhaas
Personnel:
4:39
4."Remote Romance"Latimer, Watkins
Personnel:
4:07
5."Ice"Latimer
Personnel:
    • 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
10:17
2009 Expanded & Remastered Edition
No.TitleLength
10."Remote Romance" (Single version)4:02
11."Ice" (Live 1981)7:15

Personnel edit

Camel
Additional musicians

Charts edit

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[8] 18
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 36
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 45

References edit

  1. ^ Plichta, Matthew. "Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album review at AllMusic.com". www.AllMusic.com. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  2. ^ Lawson, Dom (March 2010). "Camel - Reissues". Classic Rock. No. 142. p. 94.
  3. ^ John Tracy's liner notes on I Can See Your House from Here album's Decca 1989 CD edition
  4. ^ Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album review at www.rajaz.co.uk Archived 18 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Camel Discography and FAQ - in Jokes".
  6. ^ Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album releases & credits at Discogs.com
  7. ^ a b Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album releases & credits at Discogs.com
  8. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Camel – I Can See Your House from Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Camel – I Can See Your House from Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.

Notes edit

  1. ^ This was an updated version of a track that Watkins had played with his previous band Happy the Man.

External links edit