Camera Camera (Renaissance album)
Encyclopedia
Camera Camera was a 1981 album by progressive rock band Renaissance
.
. The departed members were replaced by keyboardist/singer Peter Gosling and drummer Peter Barron. Given that the new members were not pictured on the album at all, it's unclear just how official their membership was.
Between the previous Renaissance album and this one, Haslam and Dunford had worked with Gosling as a trio called Nevada, releasing two singles and recording several demos. Nevada's somewhat
new wave
sound strongly influenced Camera Camera. One of the Camera Camera songs, "Faeries", had previously been recorded (but not released) by Nevada.
This album's attempt to blend Renaissance's signature sound with synth pop is largely considered unsuccessful -- due at least in part to the prominence of harsh synthesiser sounds -- but its songs are said to have worked very well in concert.
The original U.K. LP release of Camera Camera did not include the single "Bonjour Swansong"; but the song has been included on all other releases of the album, including later U.K. ones.
This was the last Renaissance studio album to include lyrics by the band's longtime lyricist Betty Thatcher. She wrote the words to "Bonjour Swansong" as "a private goodbye to the group."
Renaissance (band)
Renaissance are an English progressive rock band, most notable for their 1978 UK top 10 hit "Northern Lights" and progressive rock classics like "Carpet of the Sun", "Mother Russia" and "Ashes Are Burning".-Original incarnation :...
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Information about the album
After losing two of their five members and being dropped from their label, Renaissance signed on to I.R.S. RecordsI.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
. The departed members were replaced by keyboardist/singer Peter Gosling and drummer Peter Barron. Given that the new members were not pictured on the album at all, it's unclear just how official their membership was.
Between the previous Renaissance album and this one, Haslam and Dunford had worked with Gosling as a trio called Nevada, releasing two singles and recording several demos. Nevada's somewhat
new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
sound strongly influenced Camera Camera. One of the Camera Camera songs, "Faeries", had previously been recorded (but not released) by Nevada.
This album's attempt to blend Renaissance's signature sound with synth pop is largely considered unsuccessful -- due at least in part to the prominence of harsh synthesiser sounds -- but its songs are said to have worked very well in concert.
The original U.K. LP release of Camera Camera did not include the single "Bonjour Swansong"; but the song has been included on all other releases of the album, including later U.K. ones.
This was the last Renaissance studio album to include lyrics by the band's longtime lyricist Betty Thatcher. She wrote the words to "Bonjour Swansong" as "a private goodbye to the group."
Track listing
- "Camera Camera" (Camp-Dunford) - 6:05
- "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)" (Dunford-Gosling) - 4:02
- "Remember" (Dunford-Thatcher) - 4:36
- "Bonjour Swansong" (Dunford-Thatcher) - 3:40
- "Tyrant-Tula" (Camp-Dunford) - 6:00
- "Okichi-San" (Dunford-Thatcher) - 6:00
- "Jigsaw" (Dunford-Thatcher) - 5:07
- "Running Away from You" (Camp) - 3:54
- "Ukraine Ways" (Camp-Dunford) - 6:26
Personnel
- Annie HaslamAnnie HaslamAnnie Haslam is an English progressive rock vocalist and songwriter.Originally a fashion student, she began studying under opera singer Sybil Knight in 1970 and developed her five-octave vocal range...
- lead & backing vocals - Jon Camp - bass, guitars, backing vocals
- Michael Dunford - guitars, backing vocals
- Peter Gosling - keyboards, backing vocals
- Peter Barron - drums, percussion, backing vocals