Caravan (prog. rock, Canterbury scene, psych. rock)

Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending psychedelic rock and jazz to create a distinctive sound like their contemporaries Soft Machine. Caravan still remains active as a live band in the 21st century.


Genres: Progressive rock, Canterbury scene, psychedelic rock, jazz
Years active: 1968–present (part time)


Caravan were the other half of the Wilde Flowers - the Soft Machine being the other - that originated in Canterbury, Kent. The band itself was originally formed in early 1968 by guitarist/vocalist Pye Hastings, keyboardist Dave Sinclair, bassist/vocalist Richard Sinclair and drummer Richard Coughlan. All four members of Caravan were, at one time or another, in that band. They were a leading exponent of what became known as "the Canterbury sound". 

The band's 1968 self-titled debut was a hybrid of jazz and psychedelia. Things became serious with the second album, "If I Could Do It All Over Again,I'd Do It All Over You" and would mark the start of their classic period. The material was a very original mixture of styles including classical, jazz, and traditional English influences. A milestone in their history. This recipe was used to great success on the next album, "In the Land of Grey and Pink". This album was a perfect blend between simple northern-English pop and complex progressive rock. Quite simply one of the greatest progressive rock classics. The style dominated the next album, "Waterloo Lily", released in May of 1972, which marked a clear step towards jazz. Yet, Richard SINCLAIR's influence was clearly apparent on the first side. "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night" marked another change in the band's sound, this time towards a more streamlined symphonic approach. This album is not a bad album taken by itself, but the classic Canterbury sound stopped here. For a more representative look at Caravan in their prime, check out the preceding three albums. This lineup also recorded the live album "Caravan and the New Symphonia", a live 1973 performance accompanied by a full orchestra.

"Cunning Stunts" (1975) marked the beginning of a series of mediocre releases and lineup changes, eventually leading to the reunion of the original members on "Back to Front". Many different compilations and live albums were released in the intervening twelve years before a new studio album, "Battle of Hastings", which was released in 1995.



Members:

Pye Hastings
Richard Coughlan
Geoffrey Richardson
Jan Schelhaas
Jim Leverton
Simon Bentall
Doug Boyle
Mark Walker

Past members:

Jimmy Hastings
Richard Sinclair
David Sinclair
Steve Miller
Derek Austin
Stuart Evans
John Perry
Mike Wedgwood
Dek Messecar


Caravan (1968):

Fantastic debut album from one of Canterbury scene's finest groups. 

0:00 Place Of My Own
04:02 Ride
07:43 Policeman
09:34 Love Song With Flute
13:43 Cecil Rons
17:48 Magic Man
21:53 Grandma's Lawn
24:19 Where But For Caravan Would I?