Peter Bardens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Bardens
Bardens with Camel in 1975
Background information
Born	(1945-06-19)19 June 1945 Westminster, London, England
Died	22 January 2002(2002-01-22) (aged 56) Malibu, California, United States
Genres	Progressive rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Keyboards, vocals
Years active	1965–2002
Labels	Transatlantic, Arista, Capitol, Miramar, HTD, Castle Music
Associated acts	Them, Shotgun Express, Camel, Keats, Mirage

Peter Bardens (born June 19, 1945 – died January 22, 2002) was a talented English musician. He was best known as a keyboard player. Peter was also a founding member of the British progressive rock band called Camel.

He played keyboards, sang, and wrote many songs with Andrew Latimer. During his career, Peter Bardens worked with famous musicians like Rod Stewart, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, and Van Morrison. He also released eleven solo albums.

Peter Bardens' Musical Journey

Peter Bardens was born in Westminster, London, England. He grew up in Notting Hill. He first studied fine art. Then he learned to play the piano. Later, he switched to the Hammond organ after hearing Jimmy Smith.

In 1965, Peter briefly joined the band Them. After leaving Them, he started his own band called The Peter B's. They released a single in 1966. This band later became Peter B's Looners.

This group then changed into Shotgun Express. This band played soul music. Famous musicians like Rod Stewart, Peter Green, and Mick Fleetwood were part of it. Mick Fleetwood later said that Peter Bardens helped start his music career.

From 1968 to 1970, Peter formed a band called The Village. They released a single.

In 1970, Peter Bardens recorded his album The Answer. Peter Green played on this album. In 1971, he released another album. It was called Peter Bardens in the UK and Write My Name in the Dust in the US.

Forming Camel and Beyond

Peter Bardens helped form the band Camel in 1972. He was a key part of the band. He left Camel in 1978. After that, he joined Van Morrison's band. He played on Morrison's album Wavelength.

By the late 1970s, Peter started making electronica music. He released the album Heart to Heart in 1979.

Peter also wrote the song "Looking for a Good Time." He worked with Bobby Tench on this song. It was the B-side of the single "Chain Gang" in 1982. Peter also played with the Alan Parsons Project. In 1984, he joined the band Keats. They released an album together.

In 1985, he recorded a single called "Solo" with the band Solo. He also produced a version of the song for Leo Sayer in 1986.

Solo Success and Later Years

Peter Bardens continued to release many solo electronic albums. His album Seen One Earth (1987) was very popular in the United States. The first song from the album, "In Dreams," was a big hit. It was played a lot on rock radio stations in the U.S. and Australia.

In 1988, he released Speed of Light. Mick Fleetwood played on this album. The song "Gold" from this album was released as a single in the U.S. It was also popular on MTV.

He released Water Colours in 1991 and Big Sky in 1994. Also in 1994, he formed the band Mirage. He toured Europe with them. Later, an American version of the band toured in 1996.

Peter Bardens' last concert was in Los Angeles in 2001. This was after he became very ill. Other musicians joined him at this concert. These included Mick Fleetwood, John Mayall, John McVie, Sheila E., and Ben Harper.

Peter Bardens passed away in Malibu in January 2002. He was 56 years old. He is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. After he passed, a double CD was released. It was called Write My Name in the Dust: The Anthology 1963–2002. It included songs from his whole career.

Music Albums

Solo Studio Albums

• 1970 – The Answer
• 1971 – Peter Bardens (also known as Write My Name in the Dust in the U.S.)
• 1976 – Vintage 69
• 1979 – Heart to Heart
• 1987 – Seen One Earth
• 1988 – Speed of Light
• 1991 – Water Colors
• 1993 – Further Than You Know
• 1994 – Big Sky
• 2002 – The Art of Levitation
• 2005 – Write My Name In The Dust: The Anthology 1963–2002

Solo Singles

• 1971 – "Homage to the God of Light"
• 1987 – "In Dreams"
• 1988 – "Gold"
• 1988 – "Whisper in the Wind"
• 1991 – "A Higher Ground"

Studio Albums with Them

• The Angry Young Them (1965)

Studio Albums with Van Morrison

• Wavelength (1978)

Studio Albums with Camel

• Camel (1973)
• Mirage (1974)
• The Snow Goose (1975)
• Moonmadness (1976)
• Rain Dances (1977)
• Breathless (1978)
• The Single Factor (1982) (as a guest musician)

Live Albums with Camel

• Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls Dance Hall (1974)
• A Live Record (1978)
• Pressure Points: Live in Concert (1984)
• On the Road 1972 (1992)
• Gods of Light '73-'75 (2000)

Single with the Band Solo

• "Solo" (1985)

See also

In Spanish: Peter Bardens para niños