Conference marvin::uk_music

    "In the Land of Grey and Pink" was one of the first LPs I ever
    bought...
    
    "The Canterbury Collection" is a compilation, presumably a best-of,
    covering two LPs (or one CD). If you're short of Caravan's material
    it's probably worth getting. Don't ask me for track listings or
    anything, I don't own it. 

    Rod

    
    I have "Cunning Stunts", but I'm not sure when it came out.  They
    were pretty big at one time in the early-to-mid seventies.
    
    David.
    

    >                                        "When Girls Grow Plump In
    >The Night" etc.)?
                                          
    	Wasn't that called "For girls who grow plump in the night"?

    Other LP's I have are:
    
    Blind Dog At St. Dunstans
    The Album 
    plus another I can't remember.
    
    I think Caravan have split up now. In their prime I thought they
    were the best thing since sliced bread. I have seen them 6 or 7
    times in concert, from Stychfields Hall, Stafford to Fairfields
    Hall, Croydon. I still play "...Grey and Pink" regularly in the
    car. 
    
    Dave

    I own exactly nil of Caravans output, but remember with affection
    Grey and Pink, as well as seeing them play live 2 or 3 times.
    Does anyone remember their line up/line ups - Pye Hastings is the
    only name that springs to mind. I'm also sure there were connections
    between Caravan and other bands like Matching Mole, Hatfield and
    the North etc
    Any memory joggers out there?
    
    Bob 
    

    This is all 'off the top of my head' - I will verify later.
    
    Original line-up:
    Pye Hastings was the guitarist / singer. He stayed with the band
    through all versions.
    
    Dave Sinclair played keyboards on the early stuff, went off to....
    then came back for the last 2 or 3 albums (I think). 
    
    Richard Sinclair (Dave's cousin) played bass. He was replaced by
    somebody Wedgwood later on.
    
    Richard Coughlan played drums - I think he was also permanent.
    
    At some point the Sinclairs left and they became a 5-piece with
    a Dutch keyboards player, Wedgwood on bass, and a violinist (Geoff
    Richardson)
    
    
    BTW There is another LP between "Grey and Pink" and "For Girls..."
    called "Waterloo Lily.
    
    Dave
    

    I remember Caravan - in fact "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd
    Do It All Over You" (1970) was the first rock album I ever bought. And
    I still listen to it quite often. I think the line-up on that album
    was as listed in .-1 
    
    The other Caravan album I've got is "In The Land Of Grey And Pink",
    and I liked Waterloo Lily as well. In my opinion the band went downhill
    after "For Girls Who Grow Plump.....". I've no idea what they are
    doing these days.
    
    As far as the Matching Mole etc connection goes, I recall from the
    depths of my memory (unless it is just my imagination) that one or 
    both Sinclairs was associated with Soft Machine (along with Robert
    Wyatt and Kevin Ayers). Then came Caravan. Kevin Ayers formed his
    own band, with R. Wyatt and people like Lol Coxhill and Mike Oldfield.
    They were very good, if somewhat strange. And I think Matching Mole,
    Hatfield and the North, Gong etc were all associated with the same
    crowd.
    
    Ah, those were the days...
    
    Mike.
    

    AHA! Its all coming back to me 
    
    Dave Sinclair left Caravan to Join Matching Mole with Robert Wyatt
    along with Bill McCormick, bass, and Phil Miller, guitar.
    
    Phil Miller then turned up with Richard Sinclair in Hatfield and
    the North, who also featured Dave Stewart. Jimmy Hastings, Pye's
    cousin I think, was also a kind of 'floating ' member of the Hatfields
    playing sax/flute
    
    This then opens up connections with quite a few other bands/artists
    from this era such as Kevin Ayers, Soft Machine, Gong, Henry Cow,
    Egg and Mike Oldfield
    
    Wasnt Mike Wedgewood at one time bassist for Curved Air?
    
    

    re .10
    No, its not the same Dave Stewart, there are 2 of them!
    The Eurythmics one is David A. Stewart; the ex-Egg, Hatfield and
    the North, National Health (another offshoot featuring Bill Bruford
    on drums - a mighty combo indeed) Dave Stewart used to be in Caravan
    
    Dave, rather than Dave A, it was who had a hit with Its My Party
    And Ill Cry If I Want To - the singer on this was Barbara Gaskin,
    another member of the 'augmented' Hatfields group
    
    Confusing isnt it?
    
    Keep em coming
    
    Bob
     

    EGG! Now that brings back memories. Way back in late 69 or early
    70 I went to a disco (with live band) in the village hall at WING
    (I think it was) near Bletchley (Milton Keynes). Well the group
    performing were EGG. Trouble is whoever booked them obviously didn't
    know the sort of music they played. Danceable it definetly wasn't!
    Weird it was (well everyone there thought so). BUT... they did try
    hard. Nevertheless it must have been one of the band's most frustrating
    gigs!
    
    Richard

    Im really dredging the depths here (I do this all from memory, having
    very few records by these bands) but....
    Wasnt another member of Egg Ken Pustelnik, who made the leap from
    this kind of clever/strange/adventurous music to the more driving
    blues/rock of The Groundhogs, who featured the guitar histrionics
    of Tony 'T.S' McPhee?
    This thing could be bigger than all of us....
    Any more info?
    
    Bob

.11>    Dave, rather than Dave A, it was who had a hit with Its My Party
.11>    And Ill Cry If I Want To - the singer on this was Barbara Gaskin,
.11>    another member of the 'augmented' Hatfields group

    He had two singles out around that time (early 80s). The above was the
    second. The earlier one was a version of "What becomes of the
    broken-hearted?". 
    
    It was terrific! It was melancholic, almost ominous: I liked it more
    than the original. Is it still available? I was too stupid to buy it at
    the time. 

    Rod

    There is some good discussion of Caravan, Canterbury groups and
    their offshoots in the RECORDS conference in Topic 331 "Canterbury
    Tales".
    
    Press KP7 to add the conference to your Notebook.
    

    - Dave    

Caravan.. Canterbury Collection is a very weak compilation of Mid-to-Late
Material. Tyr and get the 1st LP entitled CARAVAN -it is a like v.early
Pink Floyd  crossed with Land of Grey and Pink. I spent 4 years trying to
get a copy, but understand that there has been a recent re-issue. They
partially reformed into a group called Hatfield and The North, which also
had elements of Egg (Dave Stewart) and Matching Mole.

    RE:13
           I don't think Ken Pustelnik played with EGG, although a guy
    called Clive Brooks replaced him in the Groundhogs after the "Who
    Will Save The World?-The Mighty Groundhogs" album in 1971 or
    thereabouts. Afterwards, Mr.McPhee (much underated in my book)
    soldiered on into numerous incarnations of the Groundhogs to this
    day. Still worth seeing - a good night out.
    
    
    
    

    Can anyone tell me anything about the availability of Caravan
    recordings on CD?  I think I saw one called THE CANTERBURY COLLECTION
    quite recently, but what about CUNNING STUNTS, IN THE LAND OF GREY
    AND PINK, FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT etc.?
    
    Dougie_who's_making_this_enquiry_on_behalf_of_a_U.S._collector ;-)    

    For Anyone who is insterested CARAVAN are playing live on 18th Nov
    at the Brixton Fridge.
    
    
    Rob 
    
    

    Regarding note149.16,
    
    I also tried years (6!!) to get a copy of the 1st LP "CARAVAN". In the
    end a friendly record shop in Bath ordered a Dutch re-release for me.
    I think it is by far the best & most exciting of Caravan's LPs, and I
    agree that it sounds just like early Pink Floyd mixed with grey & Pink
    (but also..."If I could do it again")
    
    As far as I know all the Caravan LPs are now available on CD with the
    exception of (...Sod's Law)...the first LP, and also "Back to Front"
    which I remember as a pretty mediocre late-period LP, but with one
    brilliant track called "Back to Herne Bay".
    
    There is also a cd of Caravan in BBC concert (on "Strage fruit" label)
    I've not heard it, but the track line-up sounds good.
    
    (why is it that record companies often omit the best, when re-issuing
    on cd? It is only within the last month that "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" by
    Zappa & the Mothers was re-issued?)
    
    Alex
    

    Wow, could this vintage note use revisiting...:-)
    
    Way back in February (what is it now, June?), I ordered "If I Could Do
    It All Over Again,..." from abroad (I live in the U.S., where nary a
    single Caravan CD is available domestically), and I STILL haven't
    gotten it, nor a refund. Just a few days ago I sent a letter to the 
    importer asking them to take action. I do hope the CD comes through
    after all. 
    
    What, are this band's earlier albums cursed? 
    
    And I have not heard of their first LP being available on CD anywhere, 
    either. 

    Wow, speak and ye shall find! :-) The CD showed up yesterday. 
    
    I don't think it's as good as "In the Land of Grey and Pink," but I do
    like some tracks a lot; "Hello, Hello" comes to mind.
    
    
     

    In the UK, you can now get all the Caravan albums on CD (except of
    course for the 1st), plus a couple of new ones with a reformed Caravan
    (1990) and new solo albums(1992/3) with some of the original line-up
    members (including Jimmy Hastings {flute} who now looks pretty aged).
    
    Vaguely connected (Canterbury scene): You can also get the entire Soft
    Machine catalogue on CD. 

    Any more details of the Soft Machine releases, label etc?
    
    Chris.
    

    
    Heres one to add to the Caravan list - Live 90
    
    Recorded for TV,its on Coda Records and has live versions of their
    classics,inc.Nine Feet Underground,Winter Wine,For Richard etc..
    
    It`s pretty good alhough a bit rough at the edges in places.
    
    Well worth adding to your collection,I found it in Tower
    Records,Glasgow if anyones interested.
    
    			Cheers,
    				Tom.

    I'm Lookin for A Resent Release from Kevin Ayers called"Live with
    Guitar."  I can't find it on CD here in The_States.
    
       Crazy_Al