Song: Caravan of Love
Artists: Housemartins
Original artists: Isley-Jasper-Isley
This 1985 song was originally a hit for Isley-Jasper-Isley, a splinter group comprising
former members of the Isley Brothers.
It found success in America reaching No 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart although
it only reached 51 on the main Billboard listing. It proved to be the trio’s only big hit
before they went their separate ways three years later.
The a cappella version recorded by British group The Housemartins enjoyed greater
international success, topping the main UK chart in 1986. It was only the second a
cappella song to reach No 1 in the UK. The other being Only You by the Flying Pickets
which we featured elsewhere in this blog
The Housemartins were from Hull, the port city on England’s east coast. They
underwent a few changes of personnel, but singer Paul Heaton was an ever-present.
The group disbanded in 1988 with Heaton and other band member Dave Hemmingway
going on to form the more successful (in my opinion) Beautiful South. A third group
member Norman Cook also went on to enjoy further success after rebranding himself as
Fatboy Slim.
The song featured in an episode of Daryl’s House when Daryl and Friends paid tribute
to guitarist T-Bone Wolk who died in 2010. Wolk was a member of Hall & Oates who I
had the great pleasure of seeing live on a couple of occasions. I commend this version
to you.
