The Caravans were a group from Britain, England. They hailed from the sleepy village of Colchester, along with The Pink Floyds and The Soft Machines, and soon the country was a' rockin' to the Swingin' Colchester Sound, which was like the U.K. version of the Bosstown Sound, only a couple of years later. The Caravans eschewed the vulgarity of the electric guitar, and were famous for sitting in comfy armchairs for gigs, being served cups of tea by "fags", who were not what you're thinking at all but well-turned-out young boys from good families taking part in an ancient English ritual ... oh.
Their signature extended melodic excursions quickly attracted a fanbase of pimply schoolboys and middle-class hippies. The Colchester Sound was like a gentleman's club, a place you went for a smoke and a snooze.That's not to say the Colchester Sound was undemanding - both "The Softies" and "The Pinks" (as they were affectionately known by fans) could put out some pretty scary head-bending music - but The Caravans' comfort zone was alway agreeable melody, something a chap could whistle whilst pruning the roses.This stuff is swell. Unique (until James Hatfield And The Norths came along), idiosyncratic, sometimes beautiful, with that trademark touch of Colchester whimsy, it's played at the annual Isle O' Foam© Croquet Club World Series, and goes down swell with cucumber sandwiches and/or a gigantic fucking spliff.
Put on your cricket whites and struggle with that deckchair! The first three albums with the (actually rather bloody good) bonus tracks are yours for the asking!
ReplyDeleteSimply state what you think of when you lie back and think of England ...
A neighbor, Jon Cleary. From England, but the baddest man playing NO rnb today.
DeleteFirst Responder Docart setting the bar pretty high here ...
ReplyDeleteDon't even know who's in the team mate
ReplyDeleteYou're a diamond geezer!
ReplyDeleteCharles Hawtrey.
ReplyDeleteFor those that don't know, Charles Hawtrey was the English Cary Grant, often co-starred with Barbara Windsor, the English Marilyn Monroe.
DeleteAnd here I thought that Charles Hawtrey was the singer for the Deaf-Aids. Learn somethin new every day on this sceptered Isle.
DeleteWhen I think of England I think of the Kinks, Clash and Pistols telling me what a terrible place it is and why I should never, ever go there. Also the Pythons, the Bonzos, football hooligans, PBS in general and yes Sherlock Holmes.
ReplyDeleteThey're caftantastic!
ReplyDelete- Dr. Zhivago Feelgood
Old maids bicycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist
ReplyDeleteHere ya go, pals!
ReplyDeleteMe: Emma Peel, E-Type Jag
ReplyDeleteMs. Peel, please and thank you. Also, was there a British version of Ann Margaret? Emma doesn't count as she was in a class of her own (pant, pant). (Ed. pair of pants)
DeleteWhen I lie back, before I can think of England, I fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteThe Caravans are great (and so bloody English), but I really like James Hatfield And The Norths, sort of a supergroup of the Colchester scene, Halfway 'tween heavens and Earths is all over Youtubes.
Many thanks, Mr. III. Loves me the Caravans.
ReplyDeleteColchester, burned down in 60 AD, barely restored since. I didn't know the Caravans were from there, I spent years 11-18 there guest of the boarding wing of the grammar school. The only pop folk I knew of from there were Rod & Caroline, 3 singles, one crap appearance on RSG, and Twink of Pink Fairies not very Caravan-ish. When I think of England it's Priti bloody Patel that lurches to mind.
ReplyDeleteOh Farq, you deceiver you, I didn't think you'd confuse me and Colchester with its parvenu imitator Kanterberg. Caravan known of by me but never knowingly heard.
ReplyDeleteA lovely Battle -oops, sorry- Batch Of Hastings, indeed. Thinking of England, here goes : Ye Nuns, Half Man Half Biscuit, anyone? And feast yourselves on some Jaffa cakes if you so wish. Any chaps & lasses playing Medway-based rock'n'beat (Toe-Rag, Bill 'Childish' Hamper, countless co-participants --I tend to file them under 'Happy Hamper Horror'). Believe I should mention Lenny Helsing as well. That'll do for now...enough of this jolly banter!
ReplyDeleteI think of 1066.
ReplyDeletePimms Number One, and the Duckworth-Lewis Method. Wishin' I had a gigantic... and I'm fresh out of cucumbers, too, dammit.
ReplyDeletePamela Barnes Wentworth, the Cambridge cutie
ReplyDeletePeople eating small bags of chips, which of course they call crisps.
ReplyDeleteForgive me that I don't get the joke, but Caravan were a Canterbury band; not Colchester. I assume you deliberately made the 'mistake', but I am not sure why. Perhaps you could explain for the thick amongst us - after all I was born in THE NORTH!
ReplyDeleteNot getting a joke is no crime, Bill, but explaining one is.
DeleteI think of Waterloo (Station) Lily which seems to be missing from this post. Martin Newell lives in Colchester if you can believe him.
ReplyDeleteMartin Newell also claims to be buried at Stonehenge with Jimi Hendrix.
Delete"Lily" and "Plump" held for later. After that, I lost interest.
I'd like to add that, as I recall BITD, I saw Caravan play an event at Stockton University in NJ and they were delightful. They opened for Renaissance, who were also great, but Annie Haslam was a cunt after the show, dismissive of fans who wished her and the band well, etc.
ReplyDelete