Caravan are an English rock band from the
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
area, founded by former
Wilde Flowers members
David Sinclair,
Richard Sinclair
Richard Stephen Sinclair (born 6 June 1948) is an English progressive rock bassist, guitarist, and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.
Biography
Born in Canterbury, England, both his father (Dick Sinclair) ...
,
Pye Hastings
Julian Frederick Gordon 'Pye' Hastings (born 21 January 1947 in Tomnavoulin, Banffshire, Scotland) is a British musician. Born in Scotland and raised in Canterbury, Kent, he is the guitarist and vocalist of the Canterbury scene band Caravan and b ...
, and
Richard Coughlan
Richard Coughlan (2 September 1947 – 1 December 2013) was an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist of the Canterbury scene progressive rock band Caravan. He was one of the founding members of Caravan in 1968 and remai ...
in 1968.
The band have never achieved the great commercial success that was widely predicted for them at the beginning of their career, but are nevertheless considered a key part of the
Canterbury scene
The Canterbury scene (or Canterbury sound) was a musical scene centred on the town of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Associated with progressive rock, the term describes a loosely-defined, improvisational styl ...
of
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
acts, blending
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, and
classical influences to create a distinctive sound.
The band were originally based in
Whitstable
Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent adjoining the convergence of the Swale Estuary and the Greater Thames Estuary in southeastern England, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay. The 2011 Census reported a population of 32 ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, near Canterbury, but moved to London when briefly signed to
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...
. After being dropped by Verve, the band signed to
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
, where they released their most critically acclaimed album, ''
In the Land of Grey and Pink'', in 1971. Dave 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.
History
Early career
The group's original members,
David Sinclair,
Richard Sinclair
Richard Stephen Sinclair (born 6 June 1948) is an English progressive rock bassist, guitarist, and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.
Biography
Born in Canterbury, England, both his father (Dick Sinclair) ...
,
Pye Hastings
Julian Frederick Gordon 'Pye' Hastings (born 21 January 1947 in Tomnavoulin, Banffshire, Scotland) is a British musician. Born in Scotland and raised in Canterbury, Kent, he is the guitarist and vocalist of the Canterbury scene band Caravan and b ...
and
Richard Coughlan
Richard Coughlan (2 September 1947 – 1 December 2013) was an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist of the Canterbury scene progressive rock band Caravan. He was one of the founding members of Caravan in 1968 and remai ...
had all been in the Canterbury-based
Wilde Flowers, albeit not at the same time. Richard Sinclair had been an early member, but left in September 1965 to study at college. Hastings had replaced
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...
as the group's singer and Coughlan as drummer in the band when Wyatt, who performed both roles, formed
Soft Machine
Soft Machine are a British rock band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966 by Mike Ratledge (keyboards, 1966–1976), Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals, 1966–1971), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals, 1966–1968) and Daevid Allen (guitar, 1966–196 ...
. David Sinclair joined the group in late 1966, but after future Soft Machine member
Hugh Hopper
Hugh Colin Hopper (29 April 1945 – 7 June 2009) was a British progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and other bands.
Biography
Early career
Starting in ...
left the group in June the following year, they began to run out of momentum and broke up in October 1967.
Coughlan, Hastings and the two Sinclairs subsequently formed Caravan in 1968. "We all had the same goal" recalled Richard Sinclair, "to make our music, write it ourselves, and make a living from it." The band rented a house in
Whitstable
Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent adjoining the convergence of the Swale Estuary and the Greater Thames Estuary in southeastern England, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay. The 2011 Census reported a population of 32 ...
,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
for six months, where they began to write and rehearse new material.
They also borrowed Soft Machine's PA for rehearsals while that band was on tour with
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
in the US, as Caravan did not have enough funds for their own equipment. They were forced to leave in June and ended up living in tents and rehearsing in a local church hall.
By October, they had attracted the interest of music publisher Ian Ralfini,
who signed them to the American record label,
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...
, and became the first British act they signed.
Verve subsequently released the band's debut LP, ''
Caravan'' (1968), later the same year, but a few months later moved out of the UK record business and dropped the band.
After a series of gigs in London, including the
Speakeasy Club
The Speakeasy Club, also known as The Speak, was a club situated at 48 Margaret Street, London, England, and served as a late-night meeting place for the music industry from 1966 to June 1978. The club took its name and theme from the speakeasie ...
, the band were introduced to Terry King, who became the group's first manager.
David Hitchcock, who had been working in the art department of
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
, asked the company's president,
Hugh Mendl
Hugh Rees Christopher Mendl (6 August 1919, London – 7 July 2008) was a British people, British record producer, A&R representative, and manager who worked for Decca Records for over 40 years.
Mendl attended Radley College and then University Co ...
to sign the band.
They began recording their second album, ''
If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
''If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You'' is the second album by Canterbury scene band Caravan, released in September 1970. It was the predecessor to their best-known album '' In the Land of Grey and Pink'' (1971). The album is ...
'' (1970) in September 1969, while continuing to gig on the university circuit, and appearing at festivals alongside
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
,
Yes,
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band active in the late 1960s. They blended rock, jazz and classical music and were keyboardist Keith Emerson's first commercially successful band.
The group was formed in 1967 by Emerson, Lee Jack ...
and
Soft Machine
Soft Machine are a British rock band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966 by Mike Ratledge (keyboards, 1966–1976), Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals, 1966–1971), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals, 1966–1968) and Daevid Allen (guitar, 1966–196 ...
.
Recording ''If I could ...'' continued in February 1970, with the 14-minute track "For Richard", showing the band's contrast in styles and
jazz-rock
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...
influence.
The album was released in August, alongside an appearance at the Plumpton Festival with
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, Chris Judge Smith and the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much commerc ...
, Yes and
Colosseum
The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...
.
The accompanying single "Hello Hello" helped them land an appearance on the TV show ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'', performing the album's title track.
Caravan had started to build a live following by mid-1970, including an appearance at the
Kralingen Pop Festival in the Netherlands to an audience of 250,000 and the 10th
Plumpton Festival. In autumn 1970, Caravan began working on one of their most critically acclaimed albums, ''
In the Land of Grey and Pink'' (1971). The balance of songwriting changed from the previous two albums, with Richard Sinclair taking a more prominent role. His song, "Golf Girl" was originally written about his then girlfriend (and future wife), but the lyrics were rewritten in the final version.
The group decided to follow up "For Richard" with a suite of short sections of songs written by David Sinclair, that the rest of the band worked on and linked together to form a side-long track, "Nine Feet Underground". Although, the track was recorded in five separate stages and spliced together, the band performed the suite live as it was finally presented on the album, and it remained a popular track in their live set.
The album was released in April 1971, and though it did not chart, it has remained in print ever since, and has been remastered for CD several times,
notably a digital remaster in 2011 by
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
's
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosio ...
. "Nine Feet Underground" in particular was a regular fixture on late-night FM radio during the early 1970s.
Despite the critical success of ''In the Land of Grey and Pink'', the group were disappointed by its lack of commercial success, believing that Decca were not promoting the band properly or investing enough money. In August 1971, David Sinclair accepted a job with former Soft Machine drummer
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt (born Robert Wyatt-Ellidge, 28 January 1945) is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, he was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming para ...
's new band,
Matching Mole
Matching Mole were an English progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Robert Wyatt formed the band in October 1971 after he left Soft Machine and recorded his first solo album, '' The End of an Ear'' (4 December 1970). He c ...
. Reflecting on the decision to leave, Sinclair later said "I felt the whole thing was going a bit stagnant ... I wanted to play with other people, but had to accept that with Caravan it was either all or nothing."
Hastings remembers that "Dave's departure was a serious blow."
Line-up changes
The remaining members continued on together and Richard Sinclair invited keyboardist Steve Miller to join the band.
However, it was immediately apparent that the style of the band would be different. Sinclair and Miller wanted to perform more jazz-rock, while Hastings was frustrated that the previous style was being neglected, and that it was "virtually impossible" to get Miller to perform in David Sinclair's style.
The band started recording a new album, ''
Waterloo Lily
''Waterloo Lily'' is the fourth album by Caravan, released in 1972 on the Deram label.
Background
The album cover is detail from "The Tavern Scene" from A Rake's Progress by William Hogarth. The track "The Love in Your Eye" has been featured ...
'' (1972) in late 1971, which was the first use of orchestral instrumentation, arranged by Hastings and his brother, Jimmy, who had guested on previous albums.
The album was released in May 1972, but by this time, musical differences had come to a head, and after a gig with
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
in July, the band split. Richard Sinclair later said, "It didn't quite work with Steve in the band because the music started to go a bit too loose for the way that Pye and Richard Coughlan played."
Hastings and Coughlan decided to continue as Caravan, and the duo recruited
viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
player
Geoffrey Richardson, bassist Stu Evans and keyboardist Derek Austin and toured extensively. This line-up did not release any recordings before Evans was replaced by
John G. Perry
John G. Perry (born 19 January 1947 in Auburn, New York, United States) is a British bass guitarist and singer. He was born in the U.S. to British parents and when he was young, the family moved back to England.
Perry's first band of note was ...
and Dave Sinclair rejoined the group in 1973.
The resulting album ''
For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
''For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night'' is the fifth studio album released by the Canterbury scene band Caravan.
Richard Sinclair and Steve Miller left the band prior to the recording of this album. They were replaced by John G. Perry and ...
'' (1973) was a major critical achievement
and showed that the group could survive the loss of co-vocalist Richard Sinclair. Jimmy Hastings reprised his role as orchestrator along with Martyn Ford and John Bell, while the Soft Machine's
Mike Ratledge
Michael Roland Ratledge (born 6 May 1943) is a British musician. A part of the Canterbury scene, he was a founding member of Soft Machine. He was the last founding member to leave the group, doing so in 1976.
Biography and career
Ratledge was ...
contributed an instrumental piece, "Backwards" as part of a medley. The group followed this with a live album, ''
Caravan and the New Symphonia
''Caravan and the New Symphonia'' is a record by Caravan recorded on 28 October 1973 at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and originally released in 1974 on UK Decca's subsidiary Deram. Bringing the band and The New Symphonia Orchestra together ...
'' (1974), including orchestral arrangements by Ford and conducting by Simon Jeffes.
Perry left after the ''New Symphonia'' and was replaced by
Mike Wedgwood for the album ''
Cunning Stunts'' (1975), which reached the top 50 in the UK and was a minor hit in the US, reaching number 124.
It was the last album released on Decca, which preceded a number of other problems in the band. David Sinclair left after the album was recorded and was replaced by
Jan Schelhaas
Jan Russell Schelhaas (born 11 March 1948) is an English musician, mostly known as the keyboard player from the bands Caravan and Camel.
Biography
Schelhaas was born in Liverpool, where he started his career playing bass for several bands and ...
, with the band's sound becoming more mainstream. The group signed to
Miles Copeland's BTM Records
and recorded ''
Blind Dog at St. Dunstans
''Blind Dog at St. Dunstans'' is the seventh studio album by Canterbury Scene rock band Caravan. It was released in 1976.
This album has a lighter feel than Caravan's previous releases, shifting toward shorter, " poppier" songs. The lighter fee ...
'' (1976) which was another minor album hit, but by this point the group were out of step with the prevailing musical trends, and after a final album, ''
Better by Far
''Better by Far'' is the eighth studio album by Canterbury scene rock band Caravan.
Track listing
All songs composed by Pye Hastings, except where noted.
;Side one
;Side two
Personnel
;Caravan
* Pye Hastings – vocals, guitars
* G ...
'' (1977) on
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
,
the group split.
Later years
![PyeHastingsBC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/PyeHastingsBC.jpg)
Caravan were largely dormant in the 1980s until a 1990 reunion, planned as a one-off for television, reinvigorated their career. The group continued to tour in the early 1990s, before Richard Sinclair left. He was replaced by
Jim Leverton
Jim Leverton (born 1946, Dover, Kent, England) is an English professional musician, with a career spanning nearly fifty years, including as a sidesman to the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Noel Redding, Steve Marriott, Blodwyn Pig and the Canterbur ...
, while Geoffrey Richardson rejoined the band. This version of the group released ''
The Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest ...
'' in 1995.
![Jan Schelhaas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Jan_Schelhaas.jpg)
The group continued to play into the 21st century. They have also achieved steady sales and a fan following with the support of
Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie (born 13 August 1961) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music where, alongside Mark ...
' "Freak Zone" show on
BBC 6 Music.
After performing at
NEARFest
The North East Art Rock Festival, or NEARfest for short, was a multi-day event celebrating the resurgence of progressive and eclectic music in the United States and around the world. The event was held annually in early summer in Bethlehem, Pennsy ...
in 2002, they released ''
The Unauthorized Breakfast Item
''The Unauthorised Breakfast Item'' is the thirteenth studio album by progressive rock band Caravan, released in 2003.
Track listing
All songs by Pye Hastings, except "Nowhere to Hide" (Dave Sinclair), "Linders Field" (Doug Boyle) and "For Rich ...
'' album in 2003, where David Sinclair was replaced by a returning Jan Schelhaas. An archive collection of BBC sessions from 1968 to 1975, ''
The Show of Our Lives'' was released in 2007.
In 2010, Pye Hastings announced that the band had resumed activity in anticipation of a one-off concert recording at
Metropolis Studios
Metropolis Studios is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton.Donald Brackett It is located in the Powerhouse, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High Ro ...
for ITV, which took place in December 2010. New material was written for a debut performance and the band was joined by Mark Walker on drums and percussion, as Richard Coughlan, whilst still a member of the band, was too ill to tour with the group.
The DVD of this gig was released in May 2011 and the recording was shown on ITV as part of the Legends series.
In January 2013, the band completed a successful UK tour to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the album ''
For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
''For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night'' is the fifth studio album released by the Canterbury scene band Caravan.
Richard Sinclair and Steve Miller left the band prior to the recording of this album. They were replaced by John G. Perry and ...
'' (1973). This was followed later in the year by the announcement of a new album, ''
Paradise Filter
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
'' (2013). The album was funded by a
PledgeMusic
PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...
campaign, scheduled for release on 24 February 2014. Hastings declared "now you can be part of the whole process by pledging to support this project".
On 1 December 2013, founding member Coughlan died, having been in poor health for some years.
His funeral took place in Canterbury on 20 December. A statement from the band stated "his unique style of playing and wonderful character will be sorely missed."
Caravan headlined the Rites of Spring festival (RoSfest) festival in Pennsylvania, USA from 2–4 May 2014.
In 2021, Jim Leverton left the band to return his R&B roots. His replacement is
Lee Pomeroy
Lee Pomeroy is an English musician, best known for performing bass guitar and backing vocals with several artists, including Jeff Lynne's ELO, Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, Take That, Steve Hackett, and Chris Braide. He ...
.
Musical style
Caravan are considered a key example of the
Canterbury scene
The Canterbury scene (or Canterbury sound) was a musical scene centred on the town of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Associated with progressive rock, the term describes a loosely-defined, improvisational styl ...
genre.
Their records generally indicate a jazz influence, and the group's lyrics have been described as whimsical and very "English", particularly during Richard Sinclair's tenure in the band. Following Sinclair's departure, the musical direction has been predominantly led by Pye Hastings, who preferred a softer
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
approach. Though the group share a common history with
Soft Machine
Soft Machine are a British rock band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966 by Mike Ratledge (keyboards, 1966–1976), Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals, 1966–1971), Kevin Ayers (bass, guitar, vocals, 1966–1968) and Daevid Allen (guitar, 1966–196 ...
, they have been considered more melodic and closer to folk music and frequently displaying a sense of humour. The group were predominantly album-oriented, but Hastings believes the group recorded enough straightforward pop that could have been hit singles if the record company had taken sufficient interest.
Instrumentally, David Sinclair's fuzztone
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
sound is a key ingredient of the early Caravan albums,
and his playing is the dominant instrument on them. His musical palette subsequently expanded to include
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s. Jimmy Hastings' woodwind playing and orchestral arrangements have also been a regular feature in the band's music since its inception.
Personnel
Members
;Current members
*
Pye Hastings
Julian Frederick Gordon 'Pye' Hastings (born 21 January 1947 in Tomnavoulin, Banffshire, Scotland) is a British musician. Born in Scotland and raised in Canterbury, Kent, he is the guitarist and vocalist of the Canterbury scene band Caravan and b ...
– guitar, vocals, bass
*
Geoffrey Richardson – guitar, viola, flute, violin, cello, clarinet, mandolin, vocals
*
Jan Schelhaas
Jan Russell Schelhaas (born 11 March 1948) is an English musician, mostly known as the keyboard player from the bands Caravan and Camel.
Biography
Schelhaas was born in Liverpool, where he started his career playing bass for several bands and ...
– keyboards, backing vocals
* Mark Walker – drums, percussion
*
Lee Pomeroy
Lee Pomeroy is an English musician, best known for performing bass guitar and backing vocals with several artists, including Jeff Lynne's ELO, Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, Take That, Steve Hackett, and Chris Braide. He ...
- bass, backing vocals
;Former members
*
Richard Coughlan
Richard Coughlan (2 September 1947 – 1 December 2013) was an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist of the Canterbury scene progressive rock band Caravan. He was one of the founding members of Caravan in 1968 and remai ...
– drums, percussion
*
Richard Sinclair
Richard Stephen Sinclair (born 6 June 1948) is an English progressive rock bassist, guitarist, and vocalist who has been a member of several bands of the Canterbury scene.
Biography
Born in Canterbury, England, both his father (Dick Sinclair) ...
– bass, vocals, guitar
*
Dave Sinclair
David Sinclair (born 24 November 1947) is a British keyboardist (organ, piano, harpsichord, electric piano, Mellotron, Davolisint, etc.) associated with the psychedelia/progressive rock Canterbury Scene since the late 1960s. He became famous ...
– keyboards, vocals
* Stuart Evans – bass
*
John G. Perry
John G. Perry (born 19 January 1947 in Auburn, New York, United States) is a British bass guitarist and singer. He was born in the U.S. to British parents and when he was young, the family moved back to England.
Perry's first band of note was ...
– bass, vocals, percussion
*
Mike Wedgwood – bass, vocals, congas, synthesizers
* Dek Messecar – bass, backing vocals
*
Doug Boyle
Doug Boyle (born 6 September 1962, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England) is an English guitarist and composer, best known for his work with Robert Plant, Nigel Kennedy and later incarnations of Caravan.
Boyle's first major break was playing in Rob ...
– guitar
* Simon Bentall – percussion
*
Jimmy Hastings
James Brian Gordon Hastings (born 12 May 1938) is a British musician associated with the Canterbury scene who plays saxophones, flute and clarinet.
Hastings was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He has played with his brother Pye Hastings in Caravan, ...
– flute, saxophone
*
Jim Leverton
Jim Leverton (born 1946, Dover, Kent, England) is an English professional musician, with a career spanning nearly fifty years, including as a sidesman to the Jimi Hendrix Experience's Noel Redding, Steve Marriott, Blodwyn Pig and the Canterbur ...
– bass, vocals
Lineups
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Caravan'' (1968)
* ''
If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
''If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You'' is the second album by Canterbury scene band Caravan, released in September 1970. It was the predecessor to their best-known album '' In the Land of Grey and Pink'' (1971). The album is ...
'' (1970)
* ''
In the Land of Grey and Pink'' (1971)
* ''
Waterloo Lily
''Waterloo Lily'' is the fourth album by Caravan, released in 1972 on the Deram label.
Background
The album cover is detail from "The Tavern Scene" from A Rake's Progress by William Hogarth. The track "The Love in Your Eye" has been featured ...
'' (1972)
* ''
For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
''For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night'' is the fifth studio album released by the Canterbury scene band Caravan.
Richard Sinclair and Steve Miller left the band prior to the recording of this album. They were replaced by John G. Perry and ...
'' (1973)
* ''
Cunning Stunts'' (1975)
* ''
Blind Dog at St. Dunstans
''Blind Dog at St. Dunstans'' is the seventh studio album by Canterbury Scene rock band Caravan. It was released in 1976.
This album has a lighter feel than Caravan's previous releases, shifting toward shorter, " poppier" songs. The lighter fee ...
'' (1976)
* ''
Better by Far
''Better by Far'' is the eighth studio album by Canterbury scene rock band Caravan.
Track listing
All songs composed by Pye Hastings, except where noted.
;Side one
;Side two
Personnel
;Caravan
* Pye Hastings – vocals, guitars
* G ...
'' (1977)
* ''
The Album'' (1980)
* ''
Back to Front'' (1982)
* ''
Cool Water'' (1994)
* ''
The Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conquest ...
'' (1995)
* ''
The Unauthorized Breakfast Item
''The Unauthorised Breakfast Item'' is the thirteenth studio album by progressive rock band Caravan, released in 2003.
Track listing
All songs by Pye Hastings, except "Nowhere to Hide" (Dave Sinclair), "Linders Field" (Doug Boyle) and "For Rich ...
'' (2003)
* ''Paradise Filter'' (2013)
* ''It’s None of Your Business'' (2021)
Live albums
* ''
Caravan and the New Symphonia
''Caravan and the New Symphonia'' is a record by Caravan recorded on 28 October 1973 at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and originally released in 1974 on UK Decca's subsidiary Deram. Bringing the band and The New Symphonia Orchestra together ...
'' (1974)
* ''
BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert
''BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert'' is a series of recordings of the BBC Radio 1 concert series ''BBC Radio 1 Live''. The albums are licensed to Windsong International.
Albums
* '' BBC Radio 1 Live: Steve Hillage Live in Concert''
* ''BBC Radio 1 ...
'' (1991)
* ''Live in Holland: Back on the Tracks'' (1998)
* ''Live 1990'' (1992)
* ''
Songs for Oblivion Fishermen'' (compilation of BBC recordings, 1998)
* ''
Ether Way
''Ether Way: BBC Sessions 1975-77'' is a live album by the progressive rock band Caravan released 1998.
Track listing
# "The Show of Our Lives" (John Murphy, Dave Sinclair) – 4:54
# "Stuck in a Hole" (Pye Hastings) – 3:15
# "The Dabsong Co ...
'' (compilation of BBC recordings, 1998)
* ''
The Show of Our Lives'' (compilation of BBC recordings, 1998)
* ''
Live: Canterbury Comes to London'' (1999)
* ''
Surprise Supplies'' (1999)
* ''Bedrock in Concert'' (2002)
* ''
Green Bottles for Marjorie: The Lost BBC Sessions'' (compilation of BBC recordings, 2002)
* ''
Live at the Fairfield Halls, 1974
''Live at the Fairfield Halls, 1974'' is a live album by Caravan (band), Caravan. It remained unreleased in the UK until 2002, though most of the set was issued as a double album, double vinyl LP in France and Germany called ''The Best of Carava ...
'' (2002)
* ''A Night's Tale'' (2003)
* ''Nowhere to Hide'' (2003)
* ''With Strings Attached'' (2003)
* ''Live UK Tour 1975'' (recorded at the
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...
) (2003)
* ''
The Show of Our Lives – Caravan at the BBC 1968–1975'' (compilation of BBC recordings, 2007)
* ''A Hunting We Shall Go: Live In 1974'' (2008)
* ''Caravan - Recorded Live in Concert at Metropolis Studios, London'' (CD/DVD, 2012)
Compilations
* ''Canterbury Tales'' (1977)
* ''The Show of Our Lives'' (1981)
* ''Songs and Signs'' (1991)
* ''
The Best of Caravan – Canterbury Tales'' (1994 - expanded reissue of 1977 version)
* ''All Over You'' (1997)
* ''
Travelling Man'' (1998)
* ''Headloss'' (1999)
* ''
All Over You...Too'' (2000)
* ''Traveling Ways: The HTD Anthology'' (2000)
* ''Where but for Caravan Would I?'' (2000)
* ''The World Is Yours'' (4-CD Box Set, 2010)
* ''Back Catalogue Songs'' (2013)
* ''Who Do You Think We Are'' (2021) (35 cd + DVD and Bluray Disc Boxset)
UK Singles
* "Place of My Own"
(1969)
* "If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You"
(1970)
* "Love to Love You"
(1971)
* "Stuck in a Hole"
(1975)
* "All the Way"
(1976)
* "Better by Far"
(1977)
* "Heartbreaker"
(1980)
* "Keepin' Up de Fences"
(1980)
Filmography
* 2002: ''A Night's Tale - Live in the USA'' (CD/DVD)
* 2003: ''A Knight in London'' (DVD)
* 2004: ''The Ultimate Anthology'' (DVD)
* 2005: ''The 35th Anniversary Concert'' (DVD)
* 2011: ''Filmed Live at Metropolis Studios'' (DVD)
* 2012: ''Recorded Live in Concert at Metropolis Studios, London'' (CD/DVD)
* 2014: ''Caravan Live at RoSFEST, Gettysburg, USA'' (DVD)
* 2015: ''Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales'' (DVD)
* 2015: ''Access All Areas'' (CD/DVD)
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Official WebsiteOfficial European WebsiteCaravan biography, discography and album reviews, credits & releasesat
AllMusic.com
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
Caravan discography and album releases & creditsat
Discogs.com
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the l ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caravan
Arista Records artists
Canterbury scene
Decca Records artists
Deram Records artists
English progressive rock groups
Progressive pop groups
Transatlantic Records artists