Sopwith Camel (band)

Sopwith Camel
Company type	Rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	1965
Founder	Peter Kraemer
Defunct	1974
Headquarters	San Francisco, California, United States
Products	Music albums and singles

Sopwith Camel was a rock group from the United States associated with the mid-1960s San Francisco psychedelic movement.

Career

The band took its name from the World War I British fighter aircraft, as chosen by founder Peter Kraemer. Formed in late 1965, the lineup included Peter Kraemer (vocals, saxophone), guitarists Terry MacNeil (later known as Nandi Devam) and William "Truckaway" Sievers, bassist Martin Beard, and drummer Norman Mayell. They became the second San Francisco-based band to obtain a national recording contract and were the first among their peers to land a Top 40 hit.

Their initial album, Sopwith Camel (1967, Kama Sutra Records), featured the track "Hello, Hello," which climbed to No. 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 9 on Canada's RPM listings. Another single, "Postcard from Jamaica," attained No. 88 on the US charts. This album was produced by Erik Jacobsen—also known for his work with the Lovin' Spoonful—and combined elements of vaudeville with psychedelic rock. The song "Frantic Desolation" later gained recognition as an important piece within the psychedelic genre. Despite their initial achievements, the group disbanded in 1967 after failing to duplicate their early success. The debut record was re-released under the titles Frantic Desolation (1986) and Hello Hello Again (1990).

Following the breakup, Beard and Mayell contributed as session musicians under Jacobsen’s guidance, notably participating in Norman Greenbaum's successful 1969 album Spirit in the Sky. Later, Mayell joined Blue Cheer as their drummer.

Sopwith Camel reunited in 1971 without Sievers and issued their sophomore album, The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon, via Warner Bros.' Reprise label in 1973. This release was met with moderate praise for its fusion of jazz, progressive rock, and Indian classical music influences. Although creatively ambitious, it was often characterized as relaxed hippie groove music. The band dissolved once again in 1974.

Martin Beard transitioned to a career as an electronics technician in Silicon Valley and died in 2015 at age 68. Norman Mayell passed away in 2022 at age 80.

Albums

1967: Sopwith Camel
1973: The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon

Singles

1967: "Hello, Hello" / "Treadin'"
1967: "Postcard from Jamaica" / "Little Orphan Annie"
1967: "Saga of the Low Down Let Down" / "The Great Morpheum"
1973: "Fazon" / "Sleazy Street"

Reissues

The album Sopwith Camel saw reissues as LP titled Frantic Desolation in 1986 and as CD named Hello Hello Again in 1990.

After spending thirty years stored in Warner Bros.’ archives, The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon was released on CD in 2001 by drummer Norman Mayell’s Generic Type Records under the name The Millennium Edition. A remastered version followed in 2006, also overseen by Mayell, utilizing the original master tape discovered in producer Erik Jacobsen's basement.

Sources

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Joel Whitburn, 2000 (7th edition)

External links