Blind Dog at St. Dunstans

Untitled

Canterbury Scene rock band Caravan released Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's in 1976, their 7th studio album.

This album has a lighter feel than Caravan's previous releases, shifting toward shorter 'poppier' songs. This is in part because Pye Hastings became the major force on the album, writing and singing on 8 out of 9 songs and also because Jan Schelhaas replaced Dave Sinclair on keyboards, moving away from lengthy organ-based instrumentals toward piano and synthesizer.

This new-style sound brought varying reviews. It contains ‘’excellent sophisticated pop music’’ according to Calx - The Canterbury Web Site' and it was rated 3.4 out of 5 by the public in the Prog Archives. However, Allmusic.com described it as "'A major turn for the worse'" and the album was detrimental to Caravan's career.

Album Cover and title

The cover art and title bring together several elements relating to Canterbury.

St Dunstan was Archbishop of Canterbury and patron saint of the blind, after whom a home for the blind was named. The title comes from a Noel Coward explanation to a child for why one dog had mounted another: one dog was blind and the other was pushing him to St. Dunstan's. At the end of the song Jack and Jill can be heard two speaking voices amongst dogs barking:

First voice: "What are those two doggies dog doing over there?" Second voice "Well, the doggie in front is blind and his friend behind is pushing him all the way to St Dunstan's"

The album cover shows St. Dunstan’s Street leading to the old West Gate in Canterbury. Members of Caravan used to frequent the pubs near the St Dunstan area. The cover notes gives special thanks to Noel Coward.

Track listing

All Songs composed by Pye Hastings, except track 2, composed by Mike Wedgwood.

Side one

No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Here Am I"	Pye Hastings	6:19
2.	"Chiefs and Indians"	Mike Wedgewood	5:13
3.	"A Very Smelly, Grubby Little Oik"	Pye Hastings	4:15
4.	"Bobbing Wide"	Pye Hastings	1:13
5.	"Come on Back"	Pye Hastings	4:50
6.	"Oik (reprise)"	Pye Hastings	2:26

Side two

No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Jack and Jill"	Pye Hastings	6:26
2.	"Can You Hear Me?"	Pye Hastings	6:17
3.	"All the Way (with John Wayne's single-handed liberation of Paris)"	Pye Hastings	9:03

Personnel

Band members

• Pye Hastings – electric and acoustic guitar, vocals
• Richard Coughlan – drum kit, drums
• Jan Schelhaas – keyboards
• Mike Wedgwood – bass guitar, congas, vocals
• Geoffery Richardson – viola, electric guitar, Western concert flute, flute, night-shift whistle

Other personnel

• Jimmy Hastings – flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet
• David Hitchcock – producer
• Chanter Sisters - backing vocalist, backing vocals

Credits

Lead vocals on all songs by Pye Hastings, except track 2, by Mike Wedgewood.

Here Am I - lead guitar - P Hastings Chiefs and Indians - lead guitar - Richardson Bobbing Wide - flutes - Richardson Come On Back - lead guitar & flute - Richardson; tenor sax and clarinet - J Hastings Oik (reprise) - lead guitar & flute - Richardson; tenor sax and clarinet - J Hastings Jack and Jill - lead guitar - P Hastings All the Way (with John Wayne's single-handed liberation of Paris) - flute, alto sax - J Hastings

Live recordings

Surprise Supplies (later renamed Here Am I) is a live album featuring all the 'Blind Dog at St. Dunstan's' songs, except for Jack and Jill, recorded at a concert of 4 May 1976.

The next day, 5 May, Caravan played on the John Peel show for BBC radio, recordings of this show appear on the 1998 release 'Ether Way: BBC Sessions, 1975-1977', these are : All The Way, A Very Smelly Grubby Little Oik / Bobbing Wide / Come On Back / Grubby Oik Reprise.

External links

"Calyx, the Canterbury website". Retrieved 2007-07-15.

Eric, Grey. "Where But For Caravan Would I? No. 6" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-07-15.

Eric, Grey. "Where But For Caravan Would I? No. 16" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2007-07-15.

Sleeve notes: CD, Blind Dog at St Dunstan's