Among the most beloved purveyors of the "Canterbury Sound" - that particular strand of psychedelic British rock - is the boundary-pushing ensemble, Caravan. The band was formed in Canterbury in 1968 (from the remnants of the soul group The Wilde Flowers) and at various times included Pye Hastings on guitar and vocals, Richard Sinclair on bass guitar and vocals, Dave Sinclair on keyboards, and Richard Coughlan on drums. By the following year, the band had secured a contract with Decca and were recording their first long-player for the imprint, If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All For You.
If I Could... makes up the first disc of UMC's monumental new box set that celebrate the Canterbury heroes: The Decca/Deram Years (An Anthology) 1970-1975. Due out tomorrow, September 6, the 9-CD set presents their complete studio work on the Decca and Deram labels. These include their aforementioned label debut, plus In the Land of Grey and Pink (1971), Waterloo Lily (1972), For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night (1973), the live effort Caravan & The New Symphonia (1974), and Cunning Stunts (1975). Each studio album is supplemented with bonus tracks, including rare demos, outtakes, instrumental versions, early versions, alternate mixes, and more.
In addition to the studio material, The Decca/Deram Years also features two live sets: Live at the Fairfield Halls, 1974 and a two-disc compendium of radio recordings entitled The Show of Our Lives: Live at the BBC, 1970-1975.
Altogether, The Decca/Deram Years (An Anthology) 1970-1975 promises to be a comprehensive collection that collates an era, complete with deluxe packaging. Each album is presented in a gatefold digipak featuring original album art. These sleeves are enclosed in a luxurious slipcase that's accompanied by a 44-page essay that details the life and art of the definitive Canterbury Sound group.
So take a trip back in time with Caravan and UMC... The Decca/Deram Years (An Anthology) 1970-1975 is due this Friday, September 6 and you can place your orders with the links below!
Caravan, The Decca/Deram Years (An Anthology) 1970-1975 (UMC, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
CD 1: If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
- If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You
- And I Wish I Were Stoned / Don't Worry
- As I Feel I Die
- With an Ear to the Ground / You Can Make It / Martinian / Only Cox / Reprise
- Hello Hello
- Asforteri
- Can't Be Long Now / Françoise / For Richard / Warlock
- Limits
- A Day in the Life of Maurice Haylett
- Why? (And I wish I were Stoned)
- Clipping the 8t (hello hello)
- As I Feel I Die
CD 2: In The Land Of Grey And Pink
- Golf Girl
- Winter Wine
- Love to Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly)
- In the Land of Grey and Pink
- Nine Feet Underground
- I don't know its name (Alias The Word)
- Aristocracy
- It's likely to have a name next week
- Group Girl
- Disassociation/100% Proof
CD 3: Waterloo Lily
- Waterloo Lily
- Nothing at All / It's Coming Soon / Nothing at All (Reprise)
- Songs and Signs
- Aristocracy
- The Love in Your Eye / To Catch Me a Brother / Subsultus / Debouchement / Tilbury Kecks
- The World is Yours
- Pye's June thing
- Ferdinand
- Looking left, looking right / Pye's Loop
CD 4: For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night
- Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss
- Hoedown
- Surprise, Surprise
- C'thlu Thlu
- The Dog, The Dog, He's at It Again
- Be All Right / Chance of a Lifetime
- L'Auberge du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Pengola / Backwards / A 8. Hunting We Shall Go (reprise
- Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss
- No! (Be Alright ) / Waffle (Chance of a lifetime)
- He Who Smelt it Dealt it (Memory Lain, Hugh)
- Surprise, surprise
- Derek's Long Thing
CD 5: Caravan & The New Symphonia
- Introduction by Alan Black / Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss
- The Dog, The Dog, He's at it again
- Hoedown
- Introduction / Virgin On The Ridiculous
- The Love in Your Eye
- Mirror for the Day
- Virgin on the Ridiculous
- For Richard
- A Hunting We Shall Go
CD 6: Cunning Stunts
- The Show of Our Lives
- Stuck in a Hole
- Lover
- No Backstage Pass
- Welcome the Day
- The Dabsong Conshirtoe
- Fear and Loathing in Tollington Park Rag
- Stuck in a Hole
- Keeping back my love
CD 7: Live At The Fairfield Halls, 1974
- Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss
- Virgin On The Ridiculous
- Be Alright / Chance Of A Lifetime
- The Love In Your Eye
- L'Auberge Du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Pengola / Backwards / A Hunting We Shall Go (Reprise)
- The Dog, The Dog, He's At It Again
- For Richard
- Hoedown
CD 8 The Show Of Our Lives: Live At The BBC 1970-1975 Pt.1
- If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You"
- Hello, Hello
- As I Feel I Die
- Love to Love You
- Love Song Without Flute\
- In The Land of Grey and Pink
- Nine Feet Underground
- Feelin' Reelin' Squealin
- A Huntin' We Shall Go
- Waffle Part One: Be Alright / Chance of a Lifetime
CD 9: The Show Of Our Lives: Live At The BBC 1970-1975 Pt.2
- Memory Lain Hugh
- Headloss
- The Love in Your Eye
- Mirror for the Day
- Virgin on the Ridiculous
- For Richard
- The Dabsong Conshirto
- Stuck in a Hole
- The Show of our Lives
Phil says
It’s a shame that they haven’t licensed / included their eponymous debut album which was originally released on Verve. The last edition contained both mono and stereo mixes. It is I believe still available for completists.
Phil Cohen says
Must be an artist decision. Verve, DERAM & British Decca are all owned by Universal Music.