Camera Footage (Everyone Knows Your Face)

***Camera Footage (Everyone Knows Your Face)*** is the fourth studio album by Luke Melvin, released on 9 October 1975. It was the last album by Melvin issued by Apple. It came as a try from Melvin to get his career back on track following the disaster of *Meet the Eye*and the controversy of his 1975 US Tour. Though the album was not keenly anticipated on release, it was successful and by 2018 had been certified 3x platinum. The album produced the award winning single: "Kept Out Of It".

When the album was completed, Luke Melvin put it on the queue for his new label Meet the Eye Records. However, EMI knew that Melvin's contract with Apple had not run out so cunningly took it off the queue and issued it on Apple. This caused the biggest lawsuit in the history of music, which was not resolved until 2016 with EMI paying the Estate of Luke Melvin four million dollars, but his estate agreeing that the album would keep being released on the Apple label. On 9 October 2005, Luke Melvin released a remastered version of the album for the thirtieth anniversary.

## Background

"When I turned the key in the door and got in the house I was just fucking ... it was great. I fainted. That tour - I had never come so close to suicide." - Luke Melvin on returning to Liverpool, England from his 1975 US Tour.

After the controversy that he had achieved, Luke Melvin wanted to become critically acclaimed again. So he swore to himself he would never tour again and just make records. He immediately started writing songs. He wanted it to be the debut for his label Meet the Eye Records. After writing all the songs, he thought that none of them sounded good enough so got the name "Camera Footage (Everyone Knows Your Face)" from seeing a documentary where people were being filmed without their consent.

## Songs

**Side one**

"Kept Out Of It" was the only single from *Camera Footage (Everyone Knows Your Face)* and reached No. 1 in charts around the world. It is about Melvin wishing he had never been a singer-songwriter.

"Happen To Me" was the B-side to "Kept Out Of It" written about why everything happens to Luke Melvin, and why he is having all this controversy.

"No, Guess Not" was about when Paul McCartney sent him a message to try and have a truce with him but he declined and called McCartney a dickhead.

"Eight" was about Melvin's favourite time of his life: when he was eight. He wrote it on the controversial 1975 US Tour and when he was depressed.

"Give You That, Give You This" was a song about doctors and how much Melvin hated them following them making him get addicted to antibiotics.

**Side two**

"Baby No" was a just a simple love song that Melvin wrote in 1965. Melvin said: "I saw the song and I thought: 'good album filler' so instead of writing a new song, I plonked it on *Camera Footage*.

"That Was Them" was about the public's love for the early Beatles. Melvin said: "I just thought, what the fuck? The Beatles are the Beatles. What the fuck is 'the early Beatles'?"

"The Old Days" was about the *Nature Will Take Everything*and *Sweet Smell of Success*days when he was actually successful.

"Challenge" was about Melvin trying to get his career back on track and being as successful as he was from 1970-73.

## Track listing

All songs written by Luke Melvin.

**Side one**

1. "Kept Out Of It" - 2:34
2. "Happen To Me" - 8:18
3. "No, Guess Not" - 3:23
4. "Eight" - 3:12
5. "Give You That, Give You This" - 4:23

**Side two**

1. "Baby No" - 1:59
2. "That Was Them" - 5:32
3. "The Old Days" - 1:42
4. "Challenge" - 4:32

## Personnel

* Luke Melvin - lead vocals, lead, acoustic and rhythm guitars, slide guitar, percussion
* George Harrison - backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
* John Lennon - harmony vocals, lead, acoustic and rhythm guitars
* Klaus Voormann - bass guitar
* Billy Preston - keyboards
* Ringo Starr - drums, percussion