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 and Andy Ward joined by bassist Colin Bass and keyboardists Jan Schelhaas and Kit Watkins 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 contributed to the band's sound on the saxophone, while Genesis' drummer/vocalist 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 and a Camel / Mick Glossop production of "Tell Me", first released on Rain Dances. 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

;Side one
  1. "Wait" – 5:02
  2. * Andrew Latimer – guitar, backing vocals
  3. * Kit Watkins – Yamaha electric grand and Rhodes electric pianos, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
  4. * Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha electric grand piano, Yamaha CS-80, Prophet-5 and Moog synthesizers
  5. * Colin Bass – bass, lead vocals
  6. * Andy Ward – drums
  7. "Your Love Is Stranger Than Mine" – 3:26
  8. * Andrew Latimer – guitar, backing vocals
  9. * Kit Watkins – Prophet-5 synthesizer
  10. * Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha electric grand piano, Minimoog
  11. * Colin Bass – bass, lead vocals
  12. * Andy Ward – drums
  13. * Mel Collins – alto saxophone
  14. "Eye of the Storm" – 3:52 – this was an updated version of a track that Watkins had played with his previous band Happy the Man
  15. * Andrew Latimer – guitar
  16. * Kit Watkins – Hohner Clavinet, flute, Solina and Moog synthesizers
  17. * Colin Bass – fretless Wal bass
  18. * Andy Ward – drums, massed marching military snares
  19. "Who We Are" – 7:52
  20. * Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals, flute, autoharp
  21. * Kit Watkins – Solina and Moog synthesizers
  22. * Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
  23. * Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals
  24. * Andy Ward – drums
  25. * Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements
;Side two
  2. "Survival" – 1:12
  3. * Simon Jeffes – orchestral arrangements
  4. * Gavin Wright – leader of the orchestra
  5. "Hymn to Her" – 5:37
  6. * Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals, flute, autoharp
  7. * Kit Watkins – Hohner Clavinet, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
  8. * Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
  9. * Colin Bass – bass, backing vocals
  10. * Andy Ward – drums
  11. "Neon Magic" – 4:39
  12. * Andrew Latimer – guitar, lead vocals
  13. * Kit Watkins – Hammond C3 organ, Yamaha CS-80 and Solina synthesizers
  14. * Jan Schelhaas – Yamaha electric grand piano, Solina, Yamaha CS-80 and Moog synthesizers
  15. * Colin Bass – bass
  16. * Andy Ward – drums
  17. "Remote Romance" – 4:07
  18. * Andrew Latimer – guitar
  19. * Kit Watkins – Hohner Clavinet, Yamaha CS-80 and Moog synthesizers, EMS sequencer
  20. * Jan Schelhaas – EMS sequencer
  21. * Andy Ward – drums, percussion, loops
  22. "Ice" – 10:17
  23. * Andrew Latimer – guitar
  24. * Kit Watkins – Yamaha electric grand and Rhodes electric pianos, Hammond C3 organ, Solina and Moog synthesizers
  25. * Jan Schelhaas – grand piano
  26. * Colin Bass – bass
  27. * Andy Ward – drums
;2009 Expanded & Remastered Edition
  2. "Remote Romance"
  3. "Ice" – 7:15

    Personnel

;Camel
;Additional musicians