Caravan - 1st album

It's May 1970 and I'm in Kentish Town, wandering around the back streets trying to find Gillian O'Leary. I *think* I know where she lives - in one of those blocks of flats - but beyond that I don't know where to start. She was a girl who went to Parliament Hill school, which was next door to my school, and we used to meet up on the platform at Gospel Oak station on our way home. I fancied her something rotten so I decided one Saturday that I'd go and try to find her. Needless to say I didn't, so I wandered into Kentish Town library record section.

I don't know what made me pick out this album, I'd never heard of Caravan but something about the sleeve must have grabbed me - actually there were lots of bands that I discovered at Kentish Town library, White Light White Heat was another album that borrowed just because I liked to look of it.

Some people would claim that "Grey and Pink" is their best album but there's far too much filler froth on it for me - only one track on side one (Winter Wine) is any cop really. I reckon the 2nd album is much better - but I digress. The first album is the significant one for me because it's the one that introduced me to Caravan, one of the bands that I saw live probably more than any other in the early 70s.

The first album is a bit naive but it shows a strong hint of what's to come with that distinctly English flavour. No funk or soul references here at all. Instrumentally, of course, it's keyboard-led with lots of strong drums and of course lush bass. In fact Richard Sinclair is one of only four bassists that I can claim *directly* influenced me in that I deliberately copied something I'd heard them do (the others being Dave Pegg, Jack Bruce, Mike Oldfield and Brian Harrison) & I used to play my bass along with Caravan albums in my bedroom. I can't be bothered to say any more - better things to do.

Rotten pic of the sleeve but it's the only one I could find on the Web.