- (This page is about the British band. For the Thai band of the same name, see Caravan(2)).
Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan in 1968. The band have not achieved much commercial success, but are considered a key part of the Canterbury scene, blending psychedelic rock, jazz and classical influences to create a distinctive sound.
The band were originally based in Whitstable, Kent, near Canterbury, but moved to London when briefly signed to Verve Records. After being dropped by Verve, the band signed to Decca Records, where they released their most critically acclaimed album, In the Land of Grey and Pink in 1971. David Sinclair left after the album's release and the group split up the following year. Hastings and Coughlan added new members, notably viola player Geoffrey Richardson, continuing on before splitting in 1978.
The band reformed several times in the following decades, and Caravan still remain active as a live band in the 21st century, despite Coughlan's death in December 2013.
Links To Peel[]
Peel discovered Caravan in the late 60's, around the same time as their Canterbury contemporaries Soft Machine and Kevin Ayers, although they did not release their first LP until late 1968. He invited the band to do their first session in December 1968, which was broadcast on 5th January 1969. They became Top Gear regulars, recording ten sessions for Peel's shows, and he introduced them at several gigs during 1968 and 1969. Robert Wyatt namechecked them in his lyrics for Soft Machine's 1969 session track "The Moon In June", a song about the pleasures of recording Top Gear sessions, recommending the show "to all our mates like Kevin, Caravan and the old Pink Floyd."
Their last session was broadcast in 1977, just when punk was starting to dominate the alternative scene and infiltrate Peel's playlists. Caravan then disappeared from his playlists until 2001, when he played a track originally recorded for the band's 1975 Peel session from a CD compilation of their BBC recordings. This indicated that he still had some regard for their music.
Sessions[]
Session tracks are available on the following: Ether Way (1998, CD, Hux), Green Bottles For Marjorie (The Lost BBC Sessions) (2002, CD, BBC Music), The Show Of Our Lives: Live At The BBC 1968-1975 (2007, 2xCD, Deram) and The World Is Yours - An Anthology 1968-1976 (2010, 4xCD Compilation Boxset, Deram)
For Richard - Caravan (John Peel's session)
1. Recorded: 1968-12-31. Broadcast: 05 January 1969. Repeated: 16 February 1969
- Green Bottles For Marjorie / A Place Of My Own / Feeling Reeling And Squealing / Ride
2. Recorded: Unknown, Broadcast: 11 October 1970
- Hello Hello / If I Could... / And I Wish I Were Stoned/Don't Worry / For Richard
3. Recorded: 1970-11-02. Broadcast: 14 November 1970. Repeated: 06 February 1971
- Golf Girl / For Richard / Hello Hello
4. Recorded at the Paris Theatre: 1971-05-06. Broadcast: 16 May 1971. Repeated: 19 June 1971
- Nine Feet Underground / In The Land Of Grey and Pink / Feelin', Reelin', Squealin'
5. Recorded: 1972-04-11. Broadcast: 02 May 1972. Repeated: 04 July 1972
- Waterloo Lily / Love In Your Eye / The World Is Yours
6. Recorded: 1973-08-20. Broadcast: 30 August 1973. Repeated: 20 September 1973
- Head Loss / Memory Lain Hugh / L'Auberge Du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Pengola / Backwards
7. Recorded: 1974-02-07. Broadcast: 14 February 1974. Repeated: 28 March 1974
- Love In Your Eye / Virgin On The Ridiculous / Mirror For The Day / For Richard
8. Recorded: 1975-06-26. Broadcast: 03 July 1975. Repeated: 28 October 1975
- The Show Of Our Lives / Stuck In A Hole / Dabsong Conshirto
9. Recorded: 1976-05-06. Broadcast: 12 May 1976. Repeated: 28 June 1976
- All The Way / A Very Smelly Grubby Little Oik / Bobbing Wide / Come On Back / Grubby Little Oik (Reprise)
10. Recorded: 1977-05-02. Broadcast: 10 May 1977. Repeated: 30 May 1977, 27 July 1977
- Behind You / The Last Unicorn / Better By Far / Nightmare
Live[]
1. Recorded: unknown. Broadcast: 11 October 1970.
- Hello Hello
- If I Could...
- And I Wish I Were Stoned/Don't Worry
- For Richard
2. Recorded: 1971-05-06. Broadcast: 16 May 1971.
- In The Land Of Grey And Pink
- Nine Feet Underground
- Feeling, Thrilling & Squeeling
Other Shows Played[]
Caravan - Place of My Own
- 1968
- 22 December 1968: Place Of My Own (single) Verve [Folkways/Forecast] VS
- 1969
- 02 March 1969: Magic Man (album - Caravan) Verve Forecast SVLP 6011
- 23 March 1969: Policeman (album - Caravan) Verve Forecast SVLP 6011
- 1970
- 12 September 1970: With An Ear To The Ground You Can Make It / Martinian / Only Cox / Reprise (LP – If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You) Decca
- 1971
- 06 February 1971: unknown (sourced from David Cavanagh's Good Night And Good Riddance book)
- 1972
- 06 June 1972: Waterloo Lily (LP - Waterloo Lily) Deram
- 1973
- 02 August 1973: 'As I Feel I Die / Medley: With An Ear To The Ground You Can Make It - Martinian - Only Cox - Reprise (LP-If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You)' (Decca)
- 16 October 1973: C'Thlu Thlu (album - For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night) Deram SDL-R 12
- 30 October 1973: Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss (album - For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night) Deram SDL-R 12
- 1976
- 13 July 1976: All The Way (With John Wayne's Single-Handed Liberation Of Paris) (7" - All The Way / Chiefs And Indians) BTM
- 1977
- 19 January 1977: Can't Be Long Now/Francoise/For Richard/Warlock (2xLP - Canterbury Tales (The Best Of Caravan)) Decca (short clip & it is not certain whether this comes from this show)
- 30 August 1977: Nightmare (album - Better By Far) Arista SPARTY 1008
- 22 September 1977: Man In My Car (album - Better By Far) Arista SPARTY 1008
- 2001
- 23 January 2001: Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) (LP - In The Land Of Grey And Pink) Deram
- 10 May 2001: The Show Of Our Lives (LP - Ether Way The Peel Sessions 1975-1977) Hux Records