Reflections on Sopwith Camel by Keith Keller
July 23rd, 1977: I was walking around the Oakland Coliseum during Led Zeppelin’s, “Day on the Green” concert. How I got there with a semi-back stage pass I do not recall beyond that I was a minor figure in the Bay Area music scene at the time (booking, managing and promoting bands). With a fresh BA in Broadcasting from San Francisco State University in hand this sort of work was interesting and necessary as SFSU graduated around 600 people with such degrees that year while there were only around 6 major broadcasting jobs available in the area. My story is not important at this particular point beyond being part of the narrative as my purpose is to re-introduce the world to Sopwith Camel a band I was representing at the time.
Everyone was wondering why Zeppelin’s drum tech/roadie was banging on the kick-bass drum for what seemed like an eternity. Then opportunity struck; there was Bill Graham standing right next to me in the upper decks looking to be in an approachable mood. I introduced myself and started to quickly describe the fact that Sopwith Camel was back and sounding rather good. Mr. Graham looked interested but then his radio-phone buzzed (long before this current era of cell-phones). He was informed that Led Zeppelin’s crew was busy assaulting his crew backstage. Cleary enraged; he managed to exit the conversation politely yet the chance went glimmering away. The version of Sopwith Camel that I worked with faded away as well. I believe it had something to do with a limited budget from their recording label and the complexities inherent in gaining traction or notice with a line-up featuring only one original member (Peter Kraemer). There were neither bad feeling nor grudges; a case that is often rare in the music business.
Flash forward to 2012 and one of those blundering into someone from your past stories via social networking systems. My life was very different, older, slightly wiser (MA in History) and more experienced (worked in England with the Fairport Convention/Richard Thompson people, taught History for many years in the US and English in South Korea). Sopwith Camel was tucked away in a corner of my mind as a pleasant past memory. Yet, fortuitously, “The Hump” returned and we now have a most interesting and welcome project for Sopwith Camel is better than ever!
After many emails and telephone conversations the time came to visit Peter Kraemer. What a guy! Ideas, songs, stories, political themes and the history of his many adventures or misadventures in the music business poured out of him in a passionate flood. He is a gracious, creative and highly articulate, talented gentleman. Eventually; as we were having a great time we got down to business. Much of this concerned the pragmatic matters of where to book the band, press photos, setting up web-links and brain-storming on how to proceed. Then we got to the music. It is very, very good! This version of Sopwith Camel has power and punch. Please go to the following link for information on the line-up and a fine essay on Sopwith Camel history by Peter Kraemer.
Describing music requires the use of many adjectives and at times comparisons. The music is unique rock n’ roll, it is very danceable, full of energy, packed with wonderful vignettes about odd characters and incisive social commentaries. There are moments of subtle exotica, fantasias in space-time and some very modern electro-instrumentation as Kraemer plays his many saxophones through synthesizers.
In terms of comparisons (which can be somewhat inaccurate) you will hear the crunchiness of The Mekons, story telling akin to Ray Davies (The Kinks), the Euro-cool of Roxy Music (Bryan Ferry) along with bits of the original San Francisco loopy pop-psychedelic sound of early Sopwith Camel. Mix in some New Order, Laurie Anderson with more story telling as in Lou Reed and you will be getting close to what words cannot perfectly describe.
In his piece, “About the Band” Peter notes that the drummer, Bruce Slesinger (Dead Kennedys), is the, “famous” member of the band. No argument there as Bruce is a great drummer (the other members are Martin Beard on bass, an original member and Mike McKevitt on guitar…. both fine musicians in their own rights) yet Peter Kraemer should be famous. Peter is the main writer, plays all sorts of horns, synthesizers, sings in a unique voice and is basically the creative genius behind this band.
While some groups from the early Motown, English and American rock scenes (who shall remain un-named here) have become parodies of themselves, Sopwith Camel most certainly has not. Beyond the fact that the music is great; public radio stations and oral historians should be falling all over themselves to interview the exuberant, expressive Mr. Kraemer as he has met almost everyone of note (not only in music) during his career, has, “seen it all” and tells the stories in a most engaging manner.
Beyond all this; the important thing is that Sopwith Camel has returned with a bang. This band is vital, plays with a fiery zeal and has something to say about the current state of affairs in America. So, I suggest you do yourselves a musical favor, learn about the band, come out and support them as we accrue gigs (concerts) and discover a Bay Area treasure, reborn. They rock!
Keith Keller
707-573-6820
PS: Another good contact is Mike Somavilla. “The Keeper of the Flame” for SF rock history.
This piece is the work of Keith Keller on behalf on Sopwith Camel and may be used for discussion, publication and promotional reasons with credit to the author and band. KK
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