Sopwith Camel
The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon-Remastered 2006
© 1971 SOPWITH CAMEL (675604860024)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
All other music ceases for a month, during which we are all refreshed and enlightened. San Francisco psychedelic rock with a jazz feel and great lyrics, re-issued again by the drummer, Norm Mayell.
tracks
- 1 Fazon
- 2 Coke, Suede and Waterbeds
- 3 Dancin' Wizard
- 4 Sleazy Street
- 5 Orange Peel
- 6 Oriental Fantasy
- 7 Sneaky Smith
- 8 Monkeys on the Moon
- 9 Astronaut Food
- 10 Brief Synthophonia
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The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon, Remastered 2006
I first reissued this work in 2001 and it successfully sold out. The only master that Warner Bros. had in its vault turned out to be a safety copy recorded during the vinyl mastering 30 years before. In this age of digital processing, it became the long awaited CD converted from tape. But this year, producer Erik Jacobsen, discovered a box of reels from San Francisco’s Wally Heider Studios in his basement. Ah, the Master! We could not resist and so here it is again. Some would say this version is more faithful to the original vinyl recording of 1973.
Formed in 1966, the Sopwith Camel was the second San Francisco band to be signed by a major record company - Buddha/Kama Sutra - right after Jefferson Airplane and before the Grateful Dead. The Camel was the first San Francisco pyschedelic group in the '60s to have a "wildly commercial" hit on a national level called "Hello-Hello." It made the Billboard Top 10 in 1967. The group was originally produced by Erik Jacobsen. One of the earliest bands in San Francisco they first appeared in public on February 12, 1966. The Sopwith Camel played the Fillmore, the Avalon, the Matrix, Long Shoremans Hall, and are billed on a dozen or more of the collectible psychedelic posters of 1966 thru 1967. The Camel toured the country, appearing with the Rolling Stones, the Rascals, the Doors, the Turtles, the Who, the Velvet Undergroud, the Beach Boys and, of course, the Lovin' Spoonful, who were produced by Jacobsen as well. In San Francisco, they played with Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother, The Dead, Quicksilver, The Great Society, and so many others.
The group reformed in 1971 and recorded one more album to great reviews after signing with Mo Ostin of Warner Bros. After sitting in the Warner Bros. vaults for 30 years, the Camel's long-awaited early '70s album, "The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon," finally became a CD in 2001. It was called, "The Millennium Edition." Now this year, the 2nd CD release of the Miraculous Hump is called "Remastered 2006." Enjoy!...
Rumour has it, the Camel is back together, online, writing a new album.
Norman Mayell of Generic Type Records has re-issued the Miraculous Hump for CD. He played with the Sopwith Camel from 1966-1973 producing two albums: "Hello-Hello" and "The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon." Other studio work and collaboration includes the following discography: 1971, "Spirit in the Sky" with Norman Greenbaum; 1969-1971, three albums with Blue Cheer; 1963-64, "Essential Blues" with Michael Bloomfield; 2000, guest artist on "Alchemy Through Dreams" with Mortal Loom.
STEREO REVIEW (1973)- "... In my dreams, 'The Miraculous Hump' sells about 750,000 copies... [It is a] holiday from... overproduction, and noisy nonsense... All other music ceases for a month, during which we are all refreshed and enlightened. This album is a musical backrub. Were it for nothing else I would love it for the lines in Coke, Suede and Waterbeds:
Now they've all got money down
House in the country, store in town
Baby looks fine in her platform shoes
Daddy's got a harp, tryin' to learn the blues
...I record that Sopwith Camel are all Californians and that their marvelous music would not have been possible without that life style.
I go further: I hope Sopwith Camel will be around for years this time. They are intelligent, gentle, funny, and a little mad." -JV
reviews
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NASA Hump
author: tom hohmannGlad to see others appreciate the 'Camel". I still have the LP and now the CD..I was working at NASA in Houston when this came out and Astronaut Food has to be my favorite. Jump and Jive........... Great music!
- author: cynthia shepard
Wonderful album guys....still has the same magic it did in the early seventies...long time ago...the album is timeless
Miraculous Hump Returns From the Moon
author: Beth LickliterI had looked for this album for years. Our 29th anniversary was here and when I found it online I couldn't believe. My husband was elated it was a wonderful surprise. I loved the look on his face after all these years. We listened to it twice through. It brought back some fine memories. Beth from Indy
listener downunder
author: John WestSOPWITH CAMEL: The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon really is a must have. Two songs will be listed among history's all time classics-"Astronaut Food" and "Monkeys on the Moon".I just love the "We dont take ourselves that seriously vibe of these two. Been searching for around 30 years. The CD made the trip to Australia in excellent condition so thanks CDBaby.
Merry Christmas...
author: Kira MichalikMy uncle had asked for this CD for Christmas and I looked everywhere for this CD...and of course couldnt find it. So, when I did a search on the internet CD Baby's website came up and there is The only thing that I was a bit diappointed with is the case was all smashed up and I am still waiting for a replacement.
Found long lost classic
author: Edward J. IvioA blast from the past. Brings back euphoric recall from days gone by. Classic. Thanks for making it available again.
I can love again !
author: steven koernerI had the album when it first came out,played it to death,taped it, same. Finally a copy I can enjoy!Thanks CD Baby!
Now my "BEST LOVED ALBUMS" collection is complete!
author: Laura - NYI searched record stores (when in town on business) from NY to Vancouver, BC in search of the Camel. Usually, came home with something else, so not to be totally sad. I googled Sopwith Camel many times over the years only to come up with airplanes. Then finally it happened. I bought 3 copies for me and my daughters, who grew up listening to the Camel since their conception.. It's amazing that when listening to the CD now, all the music I like reminds me of the Camel... The Dancing Wizard is back! Luv ya man!!!
A stone classic!
author: DonAn absolute stone classic. I couldn't live without this album, and it's wonderful to have it available again. Thank you, thank you, thank you...
at long last!
author: Randy RuckmanI too had this when it was new - on 8 track and later on vinyl. The new CD is fantastic and I still know all the words after 30 years! The sound is a great -although it has a litte "vintage" tape hiss but turn it up loud the way it was meant to be heard and it's no problem. The music is jazzy and spacy all at the smae time. What a gem!
Looking for lost gems? Look no further.
author: Mark from England.If you're one of the growing band of under-40s who have belatedly realised that the 1970s was not really 'the decade that style forgot', but is really a treasure trove of hithertofore unseen gems, be gladdened. You have just stumbled upon a 24 carat solid gold nugget of brilliance. Buy this and be amazed that it's taken you so long to discover it!
- author: Dave Destler
I bought the original 8-Track tape in '73 and still have it! I took it out recently and popped it into my home 8-track player, and was transported back 33 years...without drugs! I loved the "Hump", and couldn't find it anywhere. My 16 year old daughter said, "Dad, I'll find it for you." And in 3/10 of a second, she had your site up on the computer with my "Miraculous Hump" tape, er, ah, album, I mean, CD! So I'm awaiting it to be reproduced, as my 8-track tape is bleeding through after all these years...hurry and make more copies! Dave dd_bay@yahoo.com
Finally!!!
author: Cheryl in TexasI was recently going through old albums and came across "The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon". What a great memory. How I would love to have this on CD since I no longer have a working turntable. What the heck, my husband tells me you can find anything on the net. To my surprise I did find the CD, ordered it immediately and have played it every day since. I played it for my 20 year old son. Though he enjoyed the music, I'm not sure he can really appreciate the lyrics not having been a "hippie" in the 70's. I shall enjoy for years to come!!!
Perfect gift
author: StephanieMy father requested this CD for father's day. I'm so pleased I was able to find it, he enjoys this band and been looking for it for a very long time. Thanks!
one of THE BEST ALBUMS EVER!! i said EVER!
author: mark schmiedlinoriginally, i discovered this album by accident. they were discarding good albums from my campus radio station in the late 70's as it was converting to disco. (ick) i took albums with song titles without the word "love" in every other song, albums with cool art, and albums with songs longer than 3 minutes. the Miraculus Hump filled all 3 of my requirements. Boy was i surprised! i was instantly hooked! i was a good little audiophile too, never playing the album more than once a day. WHAT CAN I SAY?? i love everything about this album, the lyrics are sweet, the musical synergy between the artists is unbelievable. every note is delicious, perfectly and yet effortlessly placed, soulfully played. take all the best bits from all these other reviews, and that would be my review. i bought 8 copies and gave 3 away! i had been searching for this on CD for a long time, and finally gave up until my friend's wife requested we play some at our wedding reception (this weekend) (i had been taking requests for the reception). i said that i only had it on vinyl, and was only playing CD's, but for kicks, searched for it and found the Camel's website with the link to CD Baby. sweet. as an audiophile, i am almost ashamed to admit that i've played it daily for the last 2 weeks since i first received it. I LOVE THIS MUSIC! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! i think the Camel was ahead of its time or this album would have propelled them to superstar status.
even better 30 years later
author: greg stokesan even better experience than my 1,st LSD hazed memory of 30 years ago .Thank you for making this particular record available on cd so that it,s melodic harmonies may once more reverberate on this side of the pacific. After such a long abscence ,I and my wife cant stop playing it.
i love these guys
author: deewhat can i say. i loved hello hello in 68, but fell over when i heard returns from the moon cd in 74, wow what a great sound. i must have at least 4 copy's of each on lp. i have a list of cd,s that are on my want list in my head at all times and this has been on the top, but have'nt been able to find in stock anywhere till now. cdbaby was unbelievable in their response . 2 days and the cd was in my hands. great customer service all around.. thank you norm and thanks to cd baby.......dee in virginia
love this band
author: dee - in virginiawhat can i say. i loved hello hello in 68, but fell over when i heard returns from the moon cd in 74, wow what a great sound. i must have at least 4 copy's of each on lp. i have a list of cd,s that are on my want list in my head at all times and this has been on the top, but have'nt been able to find in stock anywhere till now. cdbaby was unbelievable in their response . 2 days and the cd was in my hands. great customer service all around.. thank you norm and thanks to cd baby.......dee in virginia
Ahhhh...
author: SherryBlissful memories of days gone by. I wish the instrumental teaser at the end of the cd would go on forever. Love it. Thank You !!
Absolutely Awesome
author: DebbsLike the others who have written reviews, I had the vinyl in the 70's and no means to play the album recently. I have been looking for the release of the CD for years!!!! Just every so often doing a search on the net for the album. My effort paid off last week when I received the CD. This is my favorite album released by any artist ever!!! Favorite song is Sleazy Street. Thanks for the effort getting it produced on CD. Forever grateful...Debbs
Had Fazon on an 8 track tape 27 years ago,tape broke,thanks for making it availa
author: Rebecca WhiteSounds every bit as good today as it did when I was 23 I waited 27 years to hear it again, it's worth the wait.
Still sounds great after all these years
author: D MillerThis has been hard to find for quite a while and the vinyl copy just didn't sound so great anymore. Glad to find this CD release. The band still sounds refreshing today. They did a find job on the re-mix. Super fast shipping from CD Baby!
A great Record -I love finding these things!
author: David WanglerI got some records that are good but nobody knows about. 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, by Spirit. 20 Granite Creek, by Moby Grape.The 1st. Crazy Horse album. A Box of Frogs. This is another one---really good to listen to. I love it!
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE BLAST FROM THE PAST!
author: Kathy and Mike DeLaquilMy husband always joked and told me I married him for his stereo and music. Although that wasn't true, I must say his music choices playing in the background helped create some of the most wonderful memories of our lives. The Miraculous Hump From The Moon was the GREATEST!!! Unfortunately, our apartment was totally destroyed by fire the year we were married back in 1976. Everything, including all his albums, was destroyed. We have been trying to replace the music ever since. Now in 2003, we have the prize find -- The Miraculous Hump!!! cdbaby.com was the only place that truly had it in stock, and within two days we were listening to the magnificent tunes again! Thanks for remastering this treasured jewel on CD! Fazon, Dancin Wizard, Sleazy Street, and Orange Peel are our favorites, but we love the whole thing! Speaking of Dancin Wizard, we turn our age back to our early 20's again while listening... ;-)
This is one of the most soothing and musically interesting albums I have ever he
author: Rachael VardemanI had a listening party for this album. It has a soothing blend of funk and rythym. I loved it, all my musician freinds loved and it made us all feel real good. Love the vibe, thanks for the miraculous hump returns from the moon.
A Great Long Lost Lp is Back,Miraculous Hump Returns to our Players
author: RikWow, was I ever shock to see Sopwith Camel's " The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon" on Cd. This long lost lp is a must in any record collectors Stash. Being a former DJ at KZEL from the hayday of underground FM Radio, Sopwith Camel's lp was a classic lp. We received so many reguests from this lp. Fazone,Dancin' Wizard,Sleazy Street and Orange Peel were played with heavy rotation. These songs are well worth the price of the CD. Then there's classic's like Sneaky Smith, Coke,Suede and Waterbeds,Oriental Journey and Monkey's On The Moon. This Lp along with the Captain Beyond lp's "Captain Beyond" and "Sufficently Breathless". The First 3 Jade Warrior Lp's are all a must for anybodys 70's Space Music collection.If you like Captain Beyond you must buy this right away. Thank You for re-releasing this all time classic lp on CD. So many good times from the 70's are on this CD. All you Kraut Rock lovers,70's Space Rock lovers,todays lover of Classic LP's from the 70's and you listeners of the old KZEL buy it now, you won't be disapointed. The Wasted Potato
ONE OF THE GREATEST ROCK ALBUMS EVER RECORDED!
author: Don LockmanAre 6 stars possible? From the very first time I heard it in the early 70's, this album POSSESSED me! An effortless blend of rock, jazz, pop, folk and exotic eastern musical elements, this is one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded, honest-to-god. If you like Steely Dan, you'd like Miraculous Hump (although they are only vaguely alike). It's got everything--Great melodies, super arrangements where every note has its place, devilishly clever lyrics awash in colorful (and slightly unhinged) imagination, Fine playing, good sound fidelity, and atmosphere you can cut with a machete. And yet it all comes off so light & effortless. If ever there was an album that deserved to sell 20 million copies, this is it. From its images of dancing in the desert to lowlifes slouching through the sleaziest side of town, this album is a wonder. The song "Fazon" is worth the album's price alone, although EVERY song is pure *quality*. Check it out. It may not change your life, but then again it might.
After years without, an amazing rediscovery
author: Bear DancingWhen I left my apartment in 1990, I left about 1200 albums. This was without a doubt the album I missed the most as I lived on the road for next 7 years. The tape I had made had long since worn out and when I finally built a new home, my sister wouldn't return my albums. She claimed them as a gift for my neice and goddaughter. Fine and good, I thought, until I couldn't replace it. It's back now, sounding better than ever (no scratches), and I might even get that Dancin' Wizard Tattoo. This music has not aged at all. It is as fresh and coherent as when I first found it. And while I miss the lyrics and gatefold cover, everything can be found at their wwebsite, www.sopwithcamel.com
This 1972 masterpiece (and it truly is an AMAZING record).
author: Tom TuerffSopwith Camel: “The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon” (GenericType Records CD 8600) **** Some years ago, I wrote an article for ConNotations (this was waaaay back in its magazine-style days) about science-fiction and fantasy in rock. I made a brief but glowing mention to one of my favorite albums of this genre, “The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon,” by Sopwith Camel. Well, this relatively unknown 1972 masterpiece (and it truly is an AMAZING record) has been fully remastered and released in a limited quantity, all supervised by the band’s drummer, Norman Mayell, and the original engineer, Steve Jarvis. The results are truly stunning. Some history first. Sopwith Camel started as a five-man band in the Sixties, and they were, in fact, the first San Francisco-based band of the “psychedelic” era to score a hit record, “Hello Hello,” in 1966. While things looked good for the band at first, somehow they just couldn’t come up with a successful followup to that song, and after one album, they broke up. Zoom ahead to the early 70s. The band’s main songwriters, Pete Kramer and Terry McNeil, received a very large sum from a very large burger chain to use “Hello Hello” in one of their commercials. They took the money, went to Hawaii, and promptly spent most of it on what could best be called “chemical and herbal refreshment.” However, in the ensuing months on the island, they put together some impressive songs and decided it was time for the Sopwith Camel to make their comeback. Reuniting with most of the group (Mayell and bassist Martin Beard), they headed to the studio and recorded an album that is one-half sci-fi/fantasy, one-half California culture ‘70s-style. (That in itself is an odd form of fantasy.) The album kicks off with “Fazon,” a spacey, dreamy song that speculates on what kind of people will eventually live in cities built underground, in the oceans and in outer space, once the earth is finally rendered uninhabitable. Kramer’s seductive soprano sax invites you to relax before the vocals challenge you with their rhetorical questions about the future. “Dancin’ Wizard,” probably my favorite song on the CD, basically says wouldn’t it be cool to be a wizard, where you could change yourself into anything you wanted and back? Whenever you needed a break, you could turn into a lizard on a rock somewhere if you felt like it. (Hell, I’ve wanted to do that three times this week.) When “Miraculous Hump” was recorded, we were still sending Apollo ships to the moon. The band weighs in here with two songs about that: “Monkeys on the Moon,” sort of God’s take on the whole situation, and “Astronaut Food,” about those goofy little tubes of dried food they used to sell, which I truly believe are now being marketed as Power Bars. Probably the best thing about this remastered version of the album is you get to hear just what incredible musicians these guys were. The bubble-gummy sound of the first album is almost totally replaced by a more jazz-influenced feel. Martin Beard’s bass lines especially pop out of the mix without overwhelming; they are at once melodic, original and supportive. Tom Tuerff, Pheonix
Oh man if you only knew what a sheer pleasure it is to hear this phenomenal albu
author: BenjyGreetings from the other side of the world...South Africa! Bet you didnt think that the Camel`s music had reached that far! I have just today finally recieved the `Hump` cd that i ordered some time ago from Amazon.com....Oh man if you only knew what a sheer pleasure it is to hear this phenomenal album again after so long...my treasured vinyl can now be stored away in peace after years of faithful service.I dont know if any of the members will get to read this but i just wanted them to know that in the dark, painful and depressed years of the old (and thankfully departed) apartheid South Africa this album was like a ray of light to me and opened up my musical horizons...thanks for the great music!
Hey, The Miraculous Hump is in a class by itself.
author: JohnHey, The Miraculous Hump is in a class by itself. Not only is the music unique and excellent, the album is a gem of poetry. This is one of the few albums I've owned where I know just about all the words to every song, and like to make myself obnoxious by trying to get other people to dig it too. Alas, it is often like casting pearls before swine. My only gripe is that they didn't throw "Hello, Hello" on there as a bonus track. The biggest bummer about the CD vs. the album is that now the dynamite cover art is too small. The biggest upside is that now I can finally listen to this album again! --John
"who'd want to live in a city in outer space?"
author: LindaHi! I have to write to share my story about Sopwith Camel and The Miraculous Hump...Yada Yada Yada. I was 14 years old and my hippie older brother brings home the album, (circa 1974). When I first heard the song "Coke, Suede and Waterbeds", I thought it was one of the best jazz/ rock fusion songs I'd ever heard! I also really enjoyed the clever lyrics of all the songs. Plus, after watching the 1969 space walk on the moon, I always thought that living in outer space would be somewhat tedious and boring, so when Sopwith Camel sang "who'd want to live in a city in outer space?", I really laughed out loud! I immediately saved my baby sitting money and bought the album. Then, I left home at 17 to move to Jackson Hole, WY. in 1977. I took all my albums and some jerk roommate stole my album along with some Grateful Dead and Airplane albums, and I have not been able to replace it. But in 1993, I went to a used record/ tape store in K.C. MO. For some reason I decided to ask the owner, who was a little older than me, if he had the "Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon". He didn't have it for sale, but owned a copy, so he taped it for me. So, tonight I decided to listen to the tape for the first time in years, and get nostalgic, and decide to look up the band on the Internet, and wallah! You have a cool web site and the album is on CD! I guess the old phrase fits, "good things come to those who wait!" Anyway, thank you for listening! And thank you for reissuing the album on CD! It really makes my day! God Bless You and peace! -Linda =0)
Norman: Just received my copy of "Hump." WOW.
author: TNorman: Just received my copy of "Hump." WOW. Thanks for making it available again. I write CD reviews for a Phoenix-based tabloid called ConNotations, which is sent out to several thousand people, mostly in Arizona, who attend science fiction conventions regularly. Given that about half of the album has a sci-fi/fantasy bent to it, hopefully my bringing it to their attention will get you some more sales from around here Hats off to you and your engineer- wonderful sound and well done! --Tom
Hi Norm, I've been a big fan for long time.
author: TomHi Norm, I've been a big fan for long time. Have owned the album/LP since it came out. Been looking for the cd all over. Wish you guys would get some local air play/promotion, bet their phone lines would overload with rediscovery by a younger crowd. I turned a few friends onto the album back in the 70's and your unique sound still brings back some fond memories. Maybe I should send a copy to local DJ for request. Well no more wear and tear on LP. I sometimes hang up my LP's on wall with frame that allows LP cover to be inserted/displayed and "The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon" has spent some time on wall. Thanks for the note and I hope you guys are rediscovered by part of the new generation that can appreciate great music. --Tom
Got the cd yesterday, rushed home and put it on.
author: DfGot the cd yesterday, rushed home and put it on. (something i never do) have been listening to the record recently, but was just thrilled with the cd. looks fine, sounds great. thanks for all your hard work making this happen. i hope besides us die hard fans, this music finds new fans. it is a great work. --Best of Luck DF