Cunning Stunts

In 1974, a heavy tour schedule consumed Caravan. John G. Perry left in July and was replaced at producer David Hitchcock’s suggestion by ex-Curved Air bassist Mike Wedgwood. After a switch to Miles Copeland’s BTM agency, the band embarked on their first US tour in September. They entered the studio in early 1975 to record their sixth album, Cunning Stunts. The record kicks off with the proud “The Show of Our Lives” (with Wedgwood on lead vocals), before sliding into “Stuck in a Hole.” Both the latter track and “No Backstage Pass” would be the only compositions from Pye Hastings. Dave Sinclair’s “The Dabsong Conshirtoe” dominates the album’s second side; it’s another great Caravan epic, and the first contribution from Sinclair in nearly four years. Immediately, his sense of melody takes hold, as the Wedgwood-sung “Ben Karrett Rides Again” also attests; the track paces easily through its six sections. “Sneaking Out the Bare Quare” swings a bit, while the finale “All Sorts of Unmentionable Things” ends in grand Caravan tradition, though augmented here by some heavy backing tapes. Known for their ever-too-clever song titles, this album’s title arguably ranks as one of their worst literary inventions. Reportedly, an American band, Aerosmith, had appropriated the original title: Toys In The Attic. After a BBC session in June, Dave Sinclair left the band (again), with Liverpudlian keyboardist Jan Schelhaas replacing him just before the album’s release. It would become the first in the Caravan catalog to enter the charts. In the UK, the album rose to No. 50; while in the US, it would stall out at No. 124. It also marked the end of their longstanding relationship with Decca Records.