Crazy Cavan 'n' the Rhythm Rockers (also known as Crazy Cavan and the Rhythm Rockers, Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers, Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers) were a Welsh
rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
band associated with the
Teddy Boy
The Teddy Boys or Teds were a mainly British youth subculture of the mid 1950s to mid 1960s who were interested in rock and roll and R&B music, wearing clothes partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, which Savil ...
scene. The band formed in 1970, and were still actively touring and recording before frontman Cavan Grogan's death in 2020.
The band appeared in the 1980 film
''Blue Suede Shoes'', which detailed the revival of 1950s
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
music scene at the time.
History
The first incarnation of the band was formed in
Newport,
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
, in 1964 by Cavan Grogan (vocals),
Lyndon Needs (lead guitar) and Terry Walley (rhythm guitar) under the name "Screamin' Count Dracula and the Vampires".
[
In 1968, joined by Brian Thomas (piano) and Don Kinsella (bass), they took the name "The Sundogs" which they borrowed from ]Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...
who was known as "Moondog" and combined it with their taste for Sun Records
Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny C ...
, a record label whose releases which they used to buy at that time. Then in 1970, with the addition of Mike Coffey (drums), they took the name "Crazy Cavan 'n' the Rhythm Rockers", a name which has endured.[ "History"]
''Crazycavan.com''; retrieved 16 February 2020.
In 1973, the band formed its own record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
, Crazy Rhythm Records (named after their own description of their music) and released their debut single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "Teddy Boy Boogie" (backed with "Bop Little Baby"). In 1975, they released their first album ''Crazy Rhythm'' on the Dutch Rockhouse label. In 1976, they signed with Charly Records
Charly Records is a British record label that specialises in reissued material.
Among the labels whose original releases are reissued by Charly are Vee-Jay, Sun, Immediate, BYG, Tomato, and Fania.
History
Charly Records was founded in Franc ...
in the UK, and released their second album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''Rockability''.
''Crazycavan.com''. Retrieved 16 February 2020 He left three children and three grandchildren.
Discography
LPs
CDs
Contemporary influences
*
Zombie Ghost Train
Zombie Ghost Train (sometimes seen as ZGT) were an Australian rock band located in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The band formed with Stu Arkoff (guitars and vocals), Azzy T (drums), and Captain Reckless (bass and backing vocals). In 2007, Azzy T lef ...
included a
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of "Teddy Boy Boogie", on their ''
Dealing The Death Card
Zombie Ghost Train (sometimes seen as ZGT) were an Australian rock band located in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The band formed with Stu Arkoff (guitars and vocals), Azzy T (drums), and Captain Reckless (bass and backing vocals). In 2007, Azzy T lef ...
'' album.
*Singer Sparky Phillips from
Demented Are Go
Demented Are Go (DAG aka Demented Are Go!) are a Welsh psychobilly band that was formed around 1982 in Cardiff, Wales. They were one of the earliest in the initial wave of bands to mix punk rock with rockabilly, and as a result, are conside ...
recorded with
Hillbilly Moon Explosion
Hillbilly Moon Explosion is a European rockabilly band founded in Switzerland 1998. The group is known for a versatile mix of rock and roll, jump blues, swing, country, roots rock and surf music elements.
History
Hillbilly Moon Explosion orig ...
a version of "Teddy Boy Flick Knife Rock'n'Roll", on the album ''The Sparky Sessions''. He has previously stated that he was influenced by Crazy Cavan in his early days.
*
Klingonz
Klingonz are an Irish psychobilly band formed in 1988, in Dublin. Their original line-up had Titch doing lead vocals, Doyley on guitar, Strangy playing double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by ...
covered "Trouble Trouble" on their ''Still Stompin'' album.
Further reading
*
References
External links
Crazycavan.comCrazy Cavan Fan Club
*
*
{{Authority control
Rockabilly music groups
Welsh rock music groups
Musical groups established in 1970
Musical groups disestablished in 2020
British rock and roll music groups