The group Caravan appeared in 1968 from the pre-existing band The Wilde Flowers. It was established in 1964. The group included David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. The band's music combined different sounds and directions, such as psychedelic, rock and jazz.
Hastings was the basis on which an improved model of the quartet was created. Trying to make a leap in development and achieve new successful contracts with the studios, the Caravan group began to organize small tours to win new fans.
The first steps of the guys from the Caravan group
At first, the guys did not have their own leadership and manager. Everything changed after their performance in a London club in 1968. More precisely, after the disruption of the concert, the guys thought about returning to Canterbury.
By chance, the head of MGM, Ian Ralfini, heard about them, who listened to the compositions and was pleasantly surprised. They agreed that the guys would record an impressive strong album. And Ian organizes everything for concerts.
But gradually the team no longer had enough money to live in the expensive capital. It was decided to return to their hometown and perform there until something good “turns up”.
Debut work of musicians
The first album was recorded in 1968 thanks to producer Tony Cox, whose main composition was Place of My Own. Listeners liked the impressive voice of vocalist Hastings. David created music that is easily recognizable and charismatic. At the same time, brothers were involved in the recording, who were fluent in flute and saxophone.
The release of this record was well received by the public and the media. But to consolidate the result, it was necessary to advertise this event. And due to the lack of a competent manager, the popularity of the quartet quickly decreased. In 1969, MGM closed its offices in England, leaving the band without a further contract.
Lucky case
But the musicians were lucky, the manager Terry King drew attention to them, who provided them with a long contract with Decca Records. And a year later they recorded a successful and impressive CD If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You. The main composition of this record was Can't Be Long Now Francoise for Richard Warlock, which became their hallmark for some time.
Now the Caravan group has begun to actively develop, it has become popular in Europe. Tours, trips, performances, concerts began. The musicians also recorded the third disc In the Land of Gray and Pink. In it, the main composition was Nine Feet Underground.
Decline in the popularity of the group Caravan
After the release of the albums, the group went on a large-scale tour. But there were no more creative heights that the musicians conquered. Richard Sinclair said that the team began to "fade away", as the participants gave all their strength not only to the creativity and development of the musical troupe, but also to their own families.
Popularity was no longer so necessary and desirable, then various problems and quarrels arose. David was the first to leave the band in search of something more, then he appeared in various bands.
Since he played the organ, which created a certain atmosphere for the sound of all the melodies, the group lost its charm and distinctiveness. He was replaced and the fourth record was released, which was not recognized by either the "fans" or the press. Relationships within the team have not improved. Steve Miller left the squad and replaced David.
Hastings and Coughlan did not lose hope and tried to recreate the group. This was followed by a series of successive musicians, vocalists and organizers. The Australian tour failed due to lack of organization and the musicians returned to England.
Pye Hastings persuaded David to come back. The next album For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night was recorded very quickly, which was warmly welcomed by the old fans of the band's work. Long-awaited and successful, it became a commemoration of the return of the former charm and style of the guys. The most successful single was Chance of a Lifetime, as if there had been no changes in recent years.
Producer David Hitchcock arranged for the band to perform at the Drury Lane Theater with the London Orchestra. It took place in October 1973. Nothing new sounded, but the most popular and favorite hits of that period were performed. Recordings of the concert were included in the sixth album of the group Cunning Stunts.
American tour
In August 1974, the contract with the manager Terry King ended, the musicians signed an agreement with the BTM association. And Caravan went on their first US tour for nine weeks. The musicians were very successful mainly due to the talents and skills of Jeff Richardson. He was the organizer and host of their show.
In 1975 Dave left the group again. Producer David Hitchcock has been replaced. And the new released record Blind Dogat St. Dunstans failed to achieve its former success. In 1976, the compilation Canterbury Tales / The Best of was released. The ensemble went on tour with old hits and new compositions.
The return of the former composition
In 1980, Terry King set up his own recording studio, Kingdom Records. In it, after long negotiations, the Caravan group in full first composition recorded the tenth disc. But after a few concerts, the group broke up, and each took up his own career. The musicians later were going to record another full-length album again, but only a disc with live recordings turned out.
Creativity group Caravan was very diverse. Sometimes the participants did not understand in which direction they would develop. Their music was very complex, intense and rich. Perhaps that is why there was no such wide coverage of the audience, not everyone liked this kind of music. The most memorable was the band's second album, If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You, which subsequently received platinum status and was sold in significant numbers.
