"Caravan" | |
---|---|
Song by Van Morrison | |
from the album Moondance | |
Released | February 1970 |
Recorded | 30 July 1969 |
Studio | Mastertone Studios |
Genre | |
Length | 4:57 |
Label | Warner Bros. Records |
Songwriter(s) | Van Morrison |
Producer(s) | Van Morrison and Lewis Merenstein |
Moondance track listing | |
10 tracks
| |
Official audio | |
"Caravan" (2013 Remaster) on YouTube |
"Caravan" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance . It was a concert highlight for several years and was included as one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now .
It was also performed by Morrison with The Band in the 1978 film by Martin Scorsese entitled The Last Waltz ,which commemorates The Band's last concert appearance together before they stopped touring,on Thanksgiving Day 1976.
"Caravan" was recorded on 30 July 1969 at Mastertone Studios in New York City with Lewis Merenstein as producer. [3]
The theme of the song is about gypsy life and the radio which are both images of harmony. Music critic Johnny Rogan described it as "a romantic portrayal of gypsy life and a testimony to [Morrison's] love of radio." [4] Van Morrison also based the song on real memories while living in a rural house in Woodstock,New York,where the nearest house was far down the road.
He described why he included the reference to radio in the song:
I could hear the radio like it was in the same room. I don't know how to explain it. There was some story about an underground passage under the house I was living in,rumours from kids and stuff and I was beginning to think it was true. How can you hear someone's radio from a mile away,as if it was playing in your own house? So I had to put that into the song,It was a must. [5]
In Rogan's opinion,"Caravan" contains some of Morrison's "most attractive vocal dynamics." [4]
In his book, Songbook ,about his 31 favourite songs,Nick Hornby names "Caravan" from the live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now as the song he wants played at his funeral. He writes that "in the long,vamped passage right before the climax Morrison's band seems to isolate a moment somewhere between life and its aftermath,a big,baroque entrance hall of a place where you can stop and think about everything that has gone before." Then he humorously realizes that this is also the place where Morrison introduces the band and wonders how the mourners will feel about hearing all the unknown people's names being called out as they file out of the funeral,but says "I'm not changing my mind,so there." [6]
"Caravan" was played during a season three episode of The West Wing ("We Killed Yamamoto"). In the "Young Master Carlson" episode in season 1 of WKRP in Cincinnati ,it is the song that Dr. Johnny Fever is playing and singing along to.
Counting Crows appeared in place of the absent Morrison at his 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed the song "Caravan" which was an appearance that first brought the band to public notice.
When asked about his enjoyment performing in The Last Waltz ,Eric Clapton commented that "For me,Muddy [Waters] and Van [Morrison] steal the show. Van doing ["Caravan"] with the leg kicks. Some of the greatest live music you'll ever see." [7]
It was listed as No. 254 on the All Time 885 Greatest Songs compiled in 2004 by WXPN from listener's votes. [8]
"Caravan" was one of the live performances recorded and included on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now . A live version of the song was featured on Morrison's second video Van Morrison:The Concert ,released in 1990. The live version in audio only taken from The Last Waltz was included in Van Morrison's 2007 compilation album, Van Morrison at the Movies –Soundtrack Hits .
The band Counting Crows filled in for Van Morrison at his 1993 induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed "Caravan". [9]
Irish musician Hozier covered “Caravan”as part of “Rave On,Van Morrison”,in celebration of the work of the legendary Irish songwriter,curated by Hot Press magazine,to mark Van's 75th birthday in 2020. [10]
Sir George Ivan MorrisonOBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career spans seven decades.
Moondance is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album Astral Weeks (1968), Morrison moved to upstate New York with his wife and began writing songs for Moondance. There, he met the musicians that would record the album with him at New York City's A & R Studios in August and September 1969.
Tupelo Honey is the fifth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in October 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. Morrison had written all of the songs in Woodstock, New York, before his move to Marin County, California, except for "You're My Woman", which he wrote during the recording sessions. Recording began at the beginning of the second quarter of 1971 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. Morrison moved to the Columbia Studios in May 1971 to complete the album.
Veedon Fleece is the eighth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in October 1974. Morrison recorded the album shortly after his divorce from wife Janet (Planet) Rigsbee. With his broken marriage in the past, Morrison visited Ireland on holiday for new inspiration, arriving on 20 October 1973. While there he wrote, in less than three weeks, the songs included on the album.
His Band and the Street Choir is the fourth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in November 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. Originally titled Virgo's Fool, Street Choir was renamed by Warner Bros. without Morrison's consent. Recording began in early 1970 with a demo session in a small church in Woodstock, New York. Morrison booked the A&R Studios on 46th Street in New York City in the second quarter of 1970 to produce two sessions of songs that were released on His Band and the Street Choir.
It's Too Late to Stop Now is a 1974 live double album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It features performances that were recorded in concerts at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, California, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, and the Rainbow in London, during Morrison's three-month tour with his eleven-piece band, the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, from May to July 1973. Frequently named as one of the best live albums ever, It's Too Late to Stop Now was recorded during what has often been said to be the singer's greatest phase as a live performer.
A Period of Transition is the ninth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1977. It was his first album in two-and-a-half years. At the time of its release it was received with some disappointment by critics and fans: "Most were hoping for a work of primeval vocal aggression that would challenge the emerging élite of Morrison pretenders, whose ranks included Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Phil Lynott, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello." However, the album is still notable for several major compositions, including "Heavy Connection", "Flamingos Fly", "The Eternal Kansas City" and "Cold Wind in August".
Beautiful Vision is the thirteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in February 1982. It continued Morrison's departure from R&B at the time, instead favoring Celtic folk and American jazz in its music. As with many of Morrison's recordings, spirituality is a major theme and some of the songs are based on the teachings of Alice Bailey. Other songs show Morrison's Celtic heritage and reminiscence of his Belfast background.
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"And It Stoned Me" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It is the opening track on his 1970 solo album, Moondance.
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"Listen to the Lion" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his sixth album, Saint Dominic's Preview (1972). Its poetic musings and "bass-led shuffle" lead back to Astral Weeks territory.
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