Biography
Whether performing on his own or alongside Bob Gibson, Hamilton Camp formed a vital bridge between the Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger folk tradition of the 1940s and the emerging singer-songwriter movement led by Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, and Phil Ochs during the 1960s. Quicksilver Messenger Service included Camp’s composition “Pride of Man” on a 1967 release, while the Camp/Gibson number “Well, Well, Well” appeared on Simon & Garfunkel’s debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 AM in 1966.
Throughout the early 1960s, Camp and Gibson appeared at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals across the United States. Their most influential recording, At the Gate of Horn, was captured live in 1961 at the renowned Chicago folk venue. Following the duo’s dissolution, Camp pursued a solo career that began with a 1963 concert album taped at the same club. Paths of Victory, issued the following year, contained his original recording of “Pride of Man” together with interpretations of seven Dylan songs, among them the seldom-heard “Guess I’m Doin’ Fine,” “Walkin’ Down the Line,” “Long Time Gone,” and the title track. Produced by Felix Pappalardi, the 1967 album Here’s to You featured contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Earl C. Palmer Jr., Bud Shank, Glen Hardin, Hal Blaine, and Larry Knechtel.
Camp’s accomplishments as a performer were eventually overshadowed by his achievements in acting. Early recognition came through improvisation work with Second City in Chicago and the Committee in San Francisco; he later held recurring roles in the television series He & She in 1967, Too Close for Comfort in 1980, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993. Additional screen credits include the films American Hot Wax (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Eating Raoul (1982), and Dick Tracy (1990), as well as voice roles in the animated features The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1993), Pebble and the Penguin (1995), and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1996).
Originally billed as Bob Camp, he took the name Hamilton in the mid-1960s. Liner notes for Paths of Victory explain that the change occurred after “his soul had an argument with itself and the side that won decided to stop killing itself, to stop singing for release and to start singing for love.”
Throughout the early 1960s, Camp and Gibson appeared at clubs, coffeehouses, and festivals across the United States. Their most influential recording, At the Gate of Horn, was captured live in 1961 at the renowned Chicago folk venue. Following the duo’s dissolution, Camp pursued a solo career that began with a 1963 concert album taped at the same club. Paths of Victory, issued the following year, contained his original recording of “Pride of Man” together with interpretations of seven Dylan songs, among them the seldom-heard “Guess I’m Doin’ Fine,” “Walkin’ Down the Line,” “Long Time Gone,” and the title track. Produced by Felix Pappalardi, the 1967 album Here’s to You featured contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Earl C. Palmer Jr., Bud Shank, Glen Hardin, Hal Blaine, and Larry Knechtel.
Camp’s accomplishments as a performer were eventually overshadowed by his achievements in acting. Early recognition came through improvisation work with Second City in Chicago and the Committee in San Francisco; he later held recurring roles in the television series He & She in 1967, Too Close for Comfort in 1980, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993. Additional screen credits include the films American Hot Wax (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Eating Raoul (1982), and Dick Tracy (1990), as well as voice roles in the animated features The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1993), Pebble and the Penguin (1995), and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1996).
Originally billed as Bob Camp, he took the name Hamilton in the mid-1960s. Liner notes for Paths of Victory explain that the change occurred after “his soul had an argument with itself and the side that won decided to stop killing itself, to stop singing for release and to start singing for love.”
Albums
