Blind Dog At St. Dunstans

With new keyboardist Jan Schelhaas, Caravan-now consisting of Schelhaas, Pye Hastings, Richard Coughlan, Geoffrey Richardson and Mike Wedgwood-signed to Miles Copeland’s BTM label and entered the studio with David Hitchcock to record their seventh studio album, Blind Dog At St. Dunstans. The title is a nod to the once Archbishop of Canterbury-named charity for blind veterans. In perfect Caravan fashion, the lively “Here Am I” opens the album, followed by the Wedgwood-sung “Chiefs and Indians.” Both are potent rockers, filled with infectious melody, rich vocal harmonies and exceptional execution by the band. Though marked as individual tracks, the next set of songs, from “A Very Smelly, Grubby Little Oik” through to “Oik (Reprise),” work as the “big piece” of Caravan music on the album. Hastings voice is as pleasant as ever, and even Jimmy Hastings adds some horns to the light-hearted stomper “Come on Back.” Guided by Wedgwood’s bass, “Jack and Jill” attempts at a funk groove but mostly fails, while “Can You Hear Me?” suffers from Schelhaas’s busy keyboards. The closing track “All the Way” is lighthearted but also lightweight. Despite a strong opening, the album fades by the end. Remarkably, it sold well enough, again rising to No. 53 in the UK charts. Wedgwood then quit the band for a solo career, with Dek Messecar replacing him. Lineup changes would cause further upheaval, including the return and departure (again) of both Sinclairs! Nonetheless, Caravan went on to record a few more albums for Arista and Terry King’s Kingdom label, well into the early 80s—though, with each release, they went in an increasingly less interesting direction.