Camel biography

The roots of Camel can be already found in 1969 when guitarist/flute player/vocalist Andrew Latimer (born on May 17, 1947), bassist Doug Ferguson and only 14-year-old drummer Andy Ward met in the band The Brew as a trio. In 1970, the trio teamed up with singing keyboardist and changed the name according to him to Phillip Goodhand – Tait. But at the end of the same year, Phillip quit the band. In May of 1971, Peter Bardens, a keyboard player (ex Them), came to strengthen the orphaned trio. The new quartet formed in Surrey chose the name Camel. December 4, 1971 was the day of the band first performance as a support band of more famous Wishbone Ash.

In August of 1972, Camel signed the contract with MCA Records and by the end of 1973, the band released the debut album "Camel". After having changed record labels and signed with Decca's Gama, the band issued the follow-up "Mirage". The cover inspired by a homonymous cigarette packet attracted the unwanted attention of the American cigarette branch, which wanted to change the cover; otherwise they would sue the band. The American record company quickly developed a new cover to avoid the lawsuit. The band members were really upset because of it and Peter Bardens sarcastically renamed the title song of the album to "Twenty Sticks of Cancer".

In 1975, the band decided to record a concept album based on a book story. Bassist Doug Ferguson suggested Paul Galico's "The Snow Goose", which has become a very successful issue. On October 17, 1975, Camel together with the London Symphony Orchestra performed "The Snow Goose" in the sold-out Royal Albert Hall. The self-titled instrumental song of the album has reached the greatest success.

In April of 1977, bassist Doug Ferguson quit the band being replaced by Richard Sinclair (ex – Caravan) for a year. Saxophonist Mel Collins, who was spending most of his time in the studio and touring with the band, became an official band member up until August of 1979.

On July 30, 1978, keyboardist Peter Bardens, who was quarrelling with Latimer for a longer time, left the band. Their conflict already developed during recording LP "Rain Dancers". Bardens left very reasonably after the band had completed the album "Breathless". Two keyboardists Kit Watkins and Jim Schelhaas replaced Bardens for a couple of months. Bassist Colin Bass was brought in to the band to replace Sinclair.

Both recording the conceptual album "Nude" describing the story of a soldier forgotten on an island during the World War II and following world tour in mid-1981 had a very destructive effect on all band members. Andy Ward succumbed to alcohol and drugs and tried to commit suicide, fortunately unsuccessfully. He has been saved, but it resulted in a long-time interruption of both recording a new album and tours. Decca Records, however, was not interested in problems inside the band itself and they wanted Camel, in compliance with the contract, to record next new stuff. Latimer having understood that his friend and drummer in one person Andy Ward could not recover in such a short time, had to ask for a help musicians like vocalist Chris Rainbow, singing bassist David Paton, guitarist Anthony Phillips (ex – Genesis), keyboardist Francis Monkman (Sky) and drummers Simon Phillips (Who, Jeff Beck, Toto), Dave Mattacks (Fairport Convention), and Graham Jarvis (Cliff Richard). They together issued the new album "The Single Factor". Peter Bardens took part in recording the song "Sasquatch". Andy Ward joined the musicians on the road but later, after nearly 13 years of being a member of Camel, he definitively left.

In 1983, guitarist Andy Latimer met Dutch keyboard player Ton Scherpenzeel (Kayak) who he recorded the conceptual album "Stationary Traveller" with. The album was recorded in London with the support of bassist Colin Bass and new drummer Paul Burgess (Jethro Tull, 10cc). Camel having been encouraged by a great response set out on a tour. The line-up consisted of Andrew Latimer, Colin Bass, Chris Rainbow and Paul Burgess. Ton Scherpenzeel, however, was not touring with the band because of his "travelling by plane-phobia". The live gig of the "Stationary Traveller" tour was recorded on May 11, 1984 and issued on videocassette and CD entitled "Pressure Points". Visiting Peter Bardens as well as keyboard player Richie Close, who sadly died a few months later due to Legionnaire's disease, took part in the mentioned concert.

In mid-1980s, Decca stopped supporting the band and Latimer had to face the lawsuit filed by former Camel manager Geoff Jukes. The stressful process took a long time but it has resulted in Latimer's victory. Soon after in mid-1988, Latimer sold his house in London and then moved to California where he established a small independent studio Camel Productions. New Camel album "Dust and Dreams" was recorded there in 1990.

In August of 1992, after a 7-year break, Camel set out on a tour again. Drummer Paul Burgess and keyboardist Mickey Simmonds (Fish, Mike Oldfield) joined Andrew Latimer and Colin Bass.

A year later, Latimer's father died. This grievous lost has inpired him to write the song "The Hour Candle" (A Song for My Father) included in the album "Harbour of Tears" of early 1996.

In 1997, Camel began a tour again. Burgess was replaced by Dave Stewart and Foss Patterson replaced Simmonds. The band performed in the Czech Republic as well. In October of 1999, Camel issued the LP "Rajaz" composed by Latimer and recorded with the participation of returned keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel. The live release "The Paris Collection" was recorded during Y2K Kayak album tour on September 30, 2000. 71-minute long CD includes 10 songs warmly accepted by fans as well as the bonus "Slow Yourself Down" originated during rehearsals.

On January 22, 2002, the first Camel keyboardist, Peter Bardens, died of the lung-cancer.

Camel issued the anthology "Lunar Sea: An Anthology 1973 – 1985" on March 27, 2002.

The seven song new album "A Nod and a Wink" of the line-up consisted of Latimer, Guy LeBlanc, Colin Bass, and Denis Clement appeared on August 13, 2002.

Camel will be headlining NEARfest on June 29th 2003. This marks the band's first concert on the US east coast in 28 years. The band will consist of Andrew Latimer, Colin Bass, Guy LeBlanc and Denis Clement.

Camel have announced that the 2003 tour will be their last. Increasing difficulties with booking viable concert dates in an unpredictable market have greatly contributed to this sad decision. However, Camel's Andy Latimer stresses that the band will continue making music.

Camel have been forced to postpone the European leg of their farewell tour. Keyboardist Guy LeBlanc's wife suffered a heart attack at the beginning of May and he has returned to Canada to be there for her and his children. It is expected that LeBlanc will not be returning to Camel soon due to the seriousness of the situation. Therefore all dates of European tour have been postponed until the Autumn. The USA tour will go ahead according to the plan.

Camel have found two replacement keyboard players for Guy LeBlanc, who had to bow out for personal reasons. Tom Brislin, who recently toured with Yes on their Yessymphonic tour, will be joining Camel on the USA leg of the tour, while old Camel cohort Ton Scherpenzeel, who previously worked with the band in the early eighties, will be tinkling the ivories on the postponed European leg. Source: http://www.camelproductions.com

Camel - Stationary Traveller

Riverside biography

Despite not being the biggest progressive rock powerhouse of Europe, Poland have certainly sprouted great and interesting progressive bands since the heyday of progressive rock, being the biggest examples of that the singer and multi-instrumentalist Czeslaw Niemen and the supergroup SBB. After the fall of the communist regime, during the 90's and 2000's, more bands begun to form and release their material, strengthening the country's own progressive rock scene, such as the neo prog bands Abraxas and Collage, and Riverside is, quite possibly, the biggest and best known band to come out from that scene.

Riverside was formed almost by accident, when two of its members, the guitarist Piotr Grudziñski and the drummer Piotr Kozieradzki, listened to Marillion in Kozieradzki's car back in 2001. Both played in heavy metal bands at the time, but had the common interest for progressive rock, so they decided to join with their mutual friend, Jacek Melnicki, who owned a studio, and started to experiment with progressive rock. Mariousz Duda, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from the band Xanadu, joined the trio later that year for rehearsals and the results and reactions from those meetings were extremely positive. After some more rehearsals, and the completion of some compositions by the band, Mariousz started to take the role as both the band's vocalist and bass player.

In late 2002, about one year after the band's formation, Riverside's was already playing gigs in Warsaw with material that would later be their debut album, Out of Myself, and, after distributing 500 copies of their demos around the town, the band played in a small club in Warsaw by the end of the year.

In 2003, shortly after the recording of Out of Myself, Riverside's founding member and keyboard player Jacek Melnicki decided to leave the band to focus on his own studio, so the rest of the band continued to mix and produce the album, as well as to search for a replacement for Jacek, which would be the band's current keyboardist Michal Lapaj.

Upon its release, in late 2003, Out of Myself had an unexpected success in Poland, and such success led to the album's rerelease in September 2004 by the American record label Laser's Edge, which led to even bigger media coverage and even more praises and attention towards the band. Still on 2004 the band had its first gig outside Poland in the Progpower festival in the Dutch city of Baarlo. The crowd's response was so good tDespite not being the biggest progressive rock powerhouse of Europe, Poland have certainly sprouted great and interesting progressive bands since the heyday of progressive rock, being the biggest examples of that the singer and multi-instrumentalist Czeslaw Niemen and the supergroup SBB. After the fall of the communist regime, during the 90's and 2000's, more bands begun to form and release their material, strengthening the country's own progressive rock scene, such as the neo prog bands Abraxas and Collage, and Riverside is, quite possibly, the biggest and best known band to come out from that scene.

Riverside was formed almost by accident, when two of its members, the guitarist Piotr Grudziñski and the drummer Piotr Kozieradzki, listened to Marillion in Kozieradzki's car back in 2001. Both played in heavy metal bands at the time, but had the common interest for progressive rock, so they decided to join with their mutual friend, Jacek Melnicki, who owned a studio, and started to experiment with progressive rock. Mariousz Duda, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from the band Xanadu, joined the trio later that year for rehearsals and the results and reactions from those meetings were extremely positive. After some more rehearsals, and the completion of some compositions by the band, Mariousz started to take the role as both the band's vocalist and bass player.

In late 2002, about one year after the band's formation, Riverside's was already playing gigs in Warsaw with material that would later be their debut album, Out of Myself, and, after distributing 500 copies of their demos around the town, the band played in a small club in Warsaw by the end of the year.

In 2003, shortly after the recording of Out of Myself, Riverside's founding member and keyboard player Jacek Melnicki decided to leave the band to focus on his own studio, so the rest of the band continued to mix and produce the album, as well as to search for a replacement for Jacek, which would be the band's current keyboardist Michal Lapaj.

Upon its release, in late 2003, Out of Myself had an unexpected success in Poland, and such success led to the album's rerelease in September 2004 by the American record label Laser's Edge, which led to even bigger media coverage and even more praises and attention towards the band. Still on 2004 the band had its first gig outside Poland in the Progpower festival in the Dutch city of Baarlo. The crowd's response was so good that they sold out all CDs they had on stock. Still in 2004 they began to work on their EP Voices in my Head, in an attempt to keep their momentum in Poland and ready their fans for their upcoming release. The EP was released in early 2005.

Marillion played an important part in Riverside's history: the band was one important element in their very formation and Riverside's first three albums, their debut foremost and their second and third albums in a minor degree, are hugely influenced by Marillion, specifically the Fish-era Marillion.

Finally, still in 2005, the band signed with the record label InsideOut and was able to rerelease all of its previous works to the international public and could release the upcoming album (at the time) in late 2005, which is Second Life Syndrome. The album was an even bigger success than the debut, allowing the band to play for the first time overseas at NEARfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on June 24, 2006. Second Life Syndrome is considered as the band's breakthrough album, since it was responsible for most of Riverside's international attention, such as the invitation to play at the NEARfest and the title of one of the best albums of 2005 by Dream Theater's drummer Mike Portnoy.

By the release of their third album, entitled Rapid Eye Movement, in late 2007, Riverside was considered one of the big progressive metal band of the world. The tour they did supporting Dream Theater in the Fall of 2007 and the release of Rapid Eye Movement stretched the band's horizons even further and widened the band's fanbase. The album was considered by Classic Rock Magazine one of the 10 essential progressive rock albums of the decade. Rapid Eye Movement has two different release packages: the standard album and the double album, containing both the original album and a bonus disk, containing material from the 02 Panic Room Single and two new and unreleased songs.

In 2008, despite the lack of fresh material, Riverside released its first proper live release ever and it is entitled Reality Dreams. The album was recorded during a concert performed in Lodz. Also in late 2008, Mariousz Duda released an album by his project called Lunatic Soul.

2009 was a bright year for Riverside. Despite the bankruptcy of SPV, the owner of InsideOut, the band was able to release their newest album, Anno Domini High Definition, on schedule and have more success than ever. The album debuted as the leader of Polish charts and went gold on Poland, after selling over 10 thousand copies in Poland alone and seems like nothing will stop it from also claiming international recognition. Anno Domini High Definition also represents a major change of direction for the band: from the mellow and introverted mix of progressive rock and progressive metal they did until Rapid Eye Movement to full blast energetic, fresh and surprisingly original progressive metal. With their latest release, the band apparently found their own unique signature sound. The album, much like what happened with Rapid Eye Movement, have two different release packages: the standard album and the double album, containing the studio album and a live bonus DVD, recorded on December 2008 at Amsterdam's Paradiso club.

The year of 2010 seems to bring surprises as well, as Mariousz Duda announced the release of the second album from his project Lunatic Soul, what could be yet another fine release by one of those fine polish progheads.

( Biography written by CCVP. Replace original Biography written by Brian Adair)

Riverside - Live at Paradiso (Amsterdam 2008.12.10)