Camel Keep in mind Hiroo Onoda, Japan’s Final Soldier

By the early Eighties, the Prime 20 placings that Camel achieved on the British album charts with Moon Madness and Rain Dances had been one thing of a reminiscence. However even when the brand new wave period had contributed to their model of progressive rock turning into a extra specialist style, on January 31, 1981, the band had a brand new title on the UK charts with Nude.

Based mostly largely on the songwriting of multi-instrumentalist and chief lead singer Andy Latimer, the album was an idea file based mostly on the exceptional story of Hiroo Onoda. He was the officer within the Imperial Japanese Military who, famously, was unaware that World Struggle II had come to an finish and continued to carry out, in hiding, within the Philippines for almost 30 additional years, till his commanding officer travelled there to alleviate him in 1974.

That includes titles comparable to “Drafted,” “Please Come Dwelling,” and “Captured,” the album is warmly remembered by Camel followers as one in every of their strongest. The band had been a fundamental three-piece by this stage, with Colin Bass on bass guitar and two lead vocals, and Andy Ward on drums for the final time. Duncan Mackay was the brand new contributor on keyboards, and the album additionally featured contributions from such famous session gamers as saxophonist Mel Collins and Herbie Flowers on tuba.

Take heed to uDiscover Music’s Camel Best Of playlist.

After coming into the UK chart, Nude climbed to its peak of No.34 in its second week, an enchancment on the No.45 of its 1979 predecessor I Can See Your Home From Right here. It additionally confirmed extra endurance, with a seven-week run. The LP missed the Billboard 200, on which Camel’s albums had loved a modest presence by way of a lot of the Seventies, and was the band’s final Prime 40 album in their very own nation. However additional chart appearances ensued with The Single Issue in 1982 and 1984’s Stationary Traveller.

Purchase or stream Nude.

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