Sopwith Camel (band)

Sopwith Camel was an American psychedelic pop and jazz-influenced rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. They are generally recognized as the first San Francisco band to get a recording contract with a major label and to have a charting hit song.

The band's original lineup consisted of Peter Kraemer (vocals, guitar), Terry MacNeil (keyboards, vocals), William Sievers (bass), Norman Mayell (drums, percussion), and Martin Beard (guitar, vocals, trombone). Their sound was characterized by quirky arrangements, often featuring trombone and calliope-like keyboard sounds, coupled with whimsical lyrics.

Sopwith Camel's most notable song was "Hello Hello," released in 1967. It reached the Billboard Top 30 and helped popularize the San Francisco sound nationally. The band released their debut album, Sopwith Camel, in 1967.

Despite the success of "Hello Hello," the band struggled to maintain momentum and disbanded in 1968. They briefly reunited in the early 1970s and released a second album, The Miraculous Hump Returns from the Moon, in 1973. The reunion was short-lived, and the band subsequently dissolved again. While they never achieved mainstream success beyond "Hello Hello," Sopwith Camel remains a notable act in the history of San Francisco psychedelic rock for their unique sound and pioneering role in bringing the genre to a wider audience.