In 1974, Camel were at a turning point. Their first album had not sold enough for MCA to retain them, but they were establishing a growing fanbase and were already creating a distinctive melodic/symphonic progressive sound. They were too good to be allowed to just fade away.
There was, though, a plan. Their managers, Geoff Jukes, Richard Thomas, and Max Hole had founded a record company, Gama, so that would be the home for the second Camel album, Mirage. Even better, Gama had a distribution deal with Decca. The future looked brighter.
A US tour was lined up and promotion of Mirage was continuing after its release in March 1974. Before departing for the US, they played a small venue, The Marquee, for one of the final times before they would step up to bigger concert halls. The gig was recorded by Marquee Studios with a view to issuing material to radio stations in Europe and the US.
This release is the first presentation of the entire gig as an album in its own right. It previously formed the first disc of the Live Recordings 1974-77 set issued in 2023 (together with material from the following year at the Royal Albert Hall) for which it was remastered. Now it has been mixed again, with Stephen W. Taylor sprucing up the original master tapes. Three of these songs – Arubaluba, Supertwister, and Mystic Queen – appeared on the remastered reissue of Mirage, and two – Liggin’ at Louis and Lady Fantasy – were on A Live Record (originally issued in 1978).
Listening to this recording over fifty years later, it’s remarkable how fully formed the Camel sound is. The elements are in place and making themselves fully known. Clearly most of the material is from the only two albums so far released, Camel and Mirage, and the gig is also notable for featuring an early appearance of songs from their next album, The Snow Goose. We hear Rhayader Goes to Town/The Snow Goose and, with the enthusiasm of a new album they were proud of, this the point at which the gig really takes off. Perhaps we hear it differently now because we know, with the benefit of hindsight, what a significant album The Snow Goose would be, not only for Camel but for progressive rock as a whole.
Not that they had been lacklustre on the seven songs played before this point.
Mirage provided a lively start to the show. Andy Latimer’s fluid lead guitar is a feature of Earthrise, and he trades licks with Pete Barden’s distinctive organ playing.
That served to get the band warmed up before launching into the first of many long Camel tracks, Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider, Latimer’s music inspired by The Lord of the Rings. His vocals are half spoken. Now we have some Rick Wakeman style keyboards, Bardens and Latimer’s melodic playing resting on the rhythm section of Andy Ward on drums and Doug Ferguson on bass; rhythms that go beyond solid and often edge towards jazz fusion territory to great effect.
Let’s jump forward to the long closing track in this set, Homage to the God of Light, which was first released on Pete Bardens’ solo album The Answer. Here the rhythm section provided a template for the playing Genesis would embrace for their A Trick of the Tail album in 1975, especially the drum style of Phil Collins on their track Los Endos. At eighteen minutes, it also had the space to explore the jazz fusion approach of Collins’ other band, Brand X. As with many Camel songs, this is a shapeshifter with great use of light and shade.
Throughout the album we hear prog rock’s adopted classical instrument, the flute, expertly and lyrically played by Andrew Latimer. It’s worth noting that Latimer continues to release profoundly moving songs and long instrumental pieces, which can be heard via his Bandcamp page (link below).
Stephen W Tayler has extracted the best from a tape never intended for commercial release as a live double album; if the dynamic range seems a little narrower than we’re used to in these days of surround sound and crystal-clear media files, the range, fluidity and sheer excellence of the playing keeps the listener in the moment throughout album. Once again Cherry Red has filled a gap in the history of prog.
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
01. Introduction (0:48)
02. Earthrise (7:57)
03. Nimrodel / The Procession / The White Rider (10:05)
04. Six Ate (6:18)
05. Supertwister (2:16)
06. Mystic Queen (6:00)
07. Arubaluba (7:33)
08. Liggin’ At Louis’ (6:36)
Time – 47:33
DISC TWO
01. Rhayader Goes To Town (5:19)
02. Sanctuary (1:15)
03. The Snow Goose (3:19)
04. Freefall (6:26)
05. Lady Fantasy (15:26)
06. Homage To The God Of Light (18:55)
Time – 50:40
Total Time – 98:13
MUSICIANS
Andrew Latimer – Guitars, Flute, Vocals
Peter Bardens – Organ, Piano, Minimoog, Vocals
Doug Ferguson – Bass
Andy Ward – Drums, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Rred Records
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 30th January 2026
Original Recording: 30th October 1974 by Marquee Studios, London
STUDIO DISCOGRAPHY
– Camel (1973)
– Mirage (1974)
– The Snow Goose (1975)
– Moonmadness (1976)
– Rain Dances (1977)
– Breathless (1978)
– I Can See Your House From Here (1979)
– Nude (1981)
– The Single Factor (1982)
– Stationary Traveller (1984)
– Dust and Dreams (1991)
– Harbour of Tears (1996)
– Rajaz (1999)
– A Nod and a Wink (2002)
– The Snow Goose (2013 Version)
LINKS
Camel – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp (Andrew Latimer) | YouTube | X | Info at Cherry Red Records
