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.
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 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
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."
Tour
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
All credits adapted from the original releases.
Personnel
Camel
Andrew Latimer – guitars, flute, backing vocals; autoharp on "Who We Are"; lead vocals on "Who We Are", "Hymn to Her" and "Neon Magic"
Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals; lead vocals on "Wait" and "Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine"
Kit Watkins – Hammond C3 organ, Solina synthesizer, Yamaha electric grand piano, Rhodes electric piano, Moog synthesizer, Minimoog, Hohner Clavinet, Prophet-5, Yamaha CS-80, EMS Sequencer, flute
Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha CS-80, Yamaha electric grand piano, grand piano, Prophet-5, Moog synthesizer, Minimoog, EMS Sequencer
Andy Ward – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
Mel Collins – alto saxophone on "Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine"
Phil Collins – percussion
Rupert Hine – backing vocals
Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements on "Who We Are" and "Survival"
Charts
References
Notes
External links
Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album review by Matthew Plichta, credits & releases at AllMusic.com
Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album review by Shachar Sagui, credits & user reviews at SputnikMusic.com
Camel - I Can See Your House from Here (1979) album to be listened as stream at Play.Spotify.com
1979 albums
Camel (band) albums
Decca Records albums
Albums produced by Rupert Hine