Harbour of Tears
A concept album about an Irish family divided by emigration, named for Cobh Harbour.
Camel, 1996
- Released
- 1996
- Studio
- Downstairs at Harry's
- Label
- Camel Productions
Harbour of Tears tells the story of an Irish family painfully separated when the young leave for the United States. Latimer learned that the last sight of Ireland his grandmother's family would have had was Cobh Harbour, a deep-water port in County Cork, which witnessed the fracturing of thousands of families. The album takes its title from the port's alias. Its tray card calls it the last sight of Ireland for hundreds upon thousands of fractured families.
It was recorded at Downstairs at Harry's. Mickey Simmonds plays keyboards, John Xepoleas drums and Colin Bass bass, and the guests include David Paton, who sings Send Home the Slates, and Mae McKenna, who sings the a cappella Irish Air. Barry Phillips plays cello, Neil Panton oboe, soprano sax and harmonium, and Karen Bentley and Anita Stoneham violins. Latimer and Bass mixed it. Hoover wrote lyrics for Harbour of Tears, Send Home the Slates, Watching the Bobbins, Eyes of Ireland and End of the Day.
Track listing
- Irish Air0:57
- Irish Air (Instrumental Reprise)1:57
- Harbour of Tears3:12
- Cobh0:50
- Send Home the Slates4:23
- Under the Moon1:16
- Watching the Bobbins7:13
- Generations1:01
- Eyes of Ireland3:09
- Running from Paradise5:20
- End of the Day2:29
- Coming of Age7:21
- The Hour Candle (A Song for My Father)6:24
- Irish Air (Reprise)1:44
Personnel
- Andrew Latimer guitars, flute, keyboards, vocals, penny whistle
- Colin Bass bass, backing vocals
- Mickey Simmonds keyboards
- John Xepoleas drums
- David Paton bass; lead vocals on Send Home the Slates
- Mae McKenna a cappella vocal on Irish Air
- Neil Panton oboe, soprano saxophone, harmonium
- Barry Phillips cello
- John Burton French horn
- Karen Bentley violin
- Anita Stoneham violin
More from Camel
Camel (1973), Mirage (1974), The Snow Goose (1975), Moonmadness (1976), Rain Dances (1977), Breathless (1978), A Live Record (1978), I Can See Your House from Here (1979), Nude (1981), The Single Factor (1982), Stationary Traveller (1984), Pressure Points (1984), Dust and Dreams (1991), Rajaz (1999), A Nod and a Wink (2002)
Sources
- Harbour of Tears, Wikipedia
- Camel: Harbour of Tears, Discogs
- Camel: Harbour of Tears (Camel Productions CD), Discogs