Progressive rock legends Caravan continue to create new music with their new album It’s None Of Your Business to be released on CD on the 8th October 2021 and as a vinyl LP on the 8th November, through Madfish Music.
Ahead of that the band has just released a video for ‘If I Was To Fly’ from the album, and you can lose and watch it right here at RAMzine.
It’s None Of Your Business is Caravan’s first album since 2013’s Paradise Filter and features nine new songs plus one instrumental track influenced, to a degree, by the events and restrictions placed on society over the past 18 months.
Not only one of the doyens of progressive rock, Caravan is most affectionately renowned as part of the Canterbury scene. Formed in 1968 the band blending rock, jazz, folk and classical influences into a warm and distinctive sound
Founder member Pye Hastings (guitar/vocals) remains as Caravan’s guiding light and primary songwriter. Geoffrey Richardson (viola, mandolin, guitar) first played with Caravan between 1972 and 1981 and returned to the fold in 1995. Their previous 14 studio albums and numerous live recordings have seen them attract a large and faithful following and Caravan toured regularly until the restrictions of the covid pandemic.
Their extensive career is celebrated in a lavish 37-disc box set, entitled Who Do You Think We Are, that has just been released on Madfish.
New record It’s None Of Your Business was recorded, as restrictions allowed, “in the old-fashioned way” between 24th June and 4th July 2021 at Rimshot Studio, Bredgar near Sittingbourne. “Sitting round in a circle having eye to eye contact, a large sound room was required,” remarked Pye Hastings.
“I much prefer this method because you can bounce ideas off each other as they occur, and voice encouragement when the whole thing begins to click – And it is much more rewarding to be able to throw insults at each other in person rather than down a telephone line or via email. This is something we are all very experienced at, believe me!”
Alongside Hastings and Richardson are Jan Schelhaas (keyboards) and Mark Walker (drums), with Lee Pomeroy (ELO, Rick Wakeman and Take That) guesting as bass player, following the departure of Jim Leverton, while longtime contributor Jimmy Hastings has also guested on flute.
A togetherness characterises It’s None Of Your Business with Caravan’s trademark warmth and humour and, also, a sensitivity reflecting the times that we are living in. Sitting among Caravan’s typically whimsical tales ‘Down From London’ and ‘If I Was To Fly’ sit the heartfelt and poignant ‘Spare A Thought’ and ‘’Every Precious Little Thing, songs that looks forward to a return to normality.’
“’Spare A Thought’ is a song that I hope will jog people to remember those unfortunate people caught up in the pandemic,” Hastings explained. “‘All those people who denied’ refers to the idiots who don’t follow the scientific advice. I get angry about that and the line ‘Sure are interesting times’ refers to an old Chinese saying: ‘May you live in interesting times’.
“Lyrics can sometimes be my Achilles Heel, trying to find anything meaningful to write about. But sitting in front of a blank screen with a pandemic raging all around, it was hard not to be influenced by the dreadful events going on. The lockdown certainly focused the mind when it came to writing the lyrics.”
Featuring a cover and artwork created by renowned illustrator Bob Venables, It’s None Of Your Business full track listing is: ‘Down From London’, ‘Wishing You Were Here’, ‘It’s None Of Your Business’, ‘Ready Or Not’, ‘Spare A Thought’, ‘Every Precious Little Thing’, ‘If I Was To Fly’, ‘I’ll Reach Out For You’, ‘There Is You’ and ‘Luna’s Tuna’. The album was produced, engineered and mastered by Julian Hastings with assistant engineer Mike Thorne.
Caravan’s It’s None of Your Business can be pre-ordered by clicking here.
The band has a UK tour scheduled for October 2021 and tours abroad, for overseas tours to Japan, Canada and South America are currently being negotiated as covid regulations change. The UK tour dates are listed below.
CARAVAN LIVE
Wednesday 6th October – Basingstoke, The Haymarket
Thursday 7th October – Islington, The Union Chapel
Friday 8th October – Gloucester, Gloucester Guildhall
Saturday 9th October – Brighton/Hove, The Old Market
Thursday 14th October – Chester, The Live Rooms
Friday 15th October – Leeds, The Bridenwell
Saturday 16th October – Bury, The Met
Sunday 17th October – Wolverhampton, The Robin 2 (Bilston)
Thursday 21st October – Bury St Edmunds, The Apex
Friday 22nd October – Newcastle, The Cluny
Saturday 23rd October – Glasgow, Òran Mór
Wednesday 27th October – Bristol, The Fleece
Thursday 28th October – Exeter, The Phoenix
Friday 29th October – Dover, The Booking Hall
