So Long, Cavan Grogan

Share your non-Elvis stuff here

User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:42 pm

Wales rockabilly legend Cavan Grogan suddenly passed away last Saturday, February 15. He was 70. He was the vocalist and frontman of Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers since 1970.

We started buying their records in the late 70s, at a time when rockabilly music was really underground stuff. No roots music excuses, no stand-up basses, no glamourous imagery, no damn (visible) tattoos. Just incorruptible, irrepressible love for early rock and roll music, that's all.

Thanks, Cavan. You really inspired us.

I can't help but posting a few of their anthems from the mid-to-late 70s. Please play them real loud.


http://www.crazycavan.com/news.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Cavan_and_the_Rhythm_Rockers



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k11ukzKPg8



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1x-s6SEAcI



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Td3Y8-X9vE



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wkxUXPTrok


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Sat Feb 22, 2020 11:33 pm

Diggin' some cold beers - the classic line-up, mid-to-late 70s :


Cavan a.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


User avatar

Mojo Filter
Posts: 3268
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 4:03 am
Has thanked: 879 times
Been thanked: 814 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mojo Filter » Sun Feb 23, 2020 4:52 am

Super collector Dan Coffey's brother on drums.
she's well acquainted with a touch of the velvet hand, like a lizard on a window pane


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:29 pm

Mojo Filter wrote:Super collector Dan Coffey's brother on drums.


Yes, "Breathless" Dan Coffey, a semi-legendary figure.

Most of the band's repertoire, especially in the early years, was original, but when they included covers they were usually pretty obscure - and not just of rockabilly stuff, but also of R&B.

Great band. There should be a careful reissue of their best work. I guess they have always been taken for granted by certain people, but their contributions to the rockabilly world have been very important.


User avatar

Mojo Filter
Posts: 3268
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 4:03 am
Has thanked: 879 times
Been thanked: 814 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mojo Filter » Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:53 pm

Mister Moon wrote:
Mojo Filter wrote:Super collector Dan Coffey's brother on drums.


Yes, "Breathless" Dan Coffey, a semi-legendary figure.

Most of the band's repertoire, especially in the early years, was original, but when they included covers they were usually pretty obscure - and not just of rockabilly stuff, but also of R&B.

Great band. There should be a careful reissue of their best work. I guess they have always been taken for granted by certain people, but their contributions to the rockabilly world have been very important.

And they went to Breathless Dan for the obscure....
she's well acquainted with a touch of the velvet hand, like a lizard on a window pane


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:14 pm

Mojo Filter wrote:
Mister Moon wrote:
Mojo Filter wrote:Super collector Dan Coffey's brother on drums.


Yes, "Breathless" Dan Coffey, a semi-legendary figure.

Most of the band's repertoire, especially in the early years, was original, but when they included covers they were usually pretty obscure - and not just of rockabilly stuff, but also of R&B.

Great band. There should be a careful reissue of their best work. I guess they have always been taken for granted by certain people, but their contributions to the rockabilly world have been very important.

And they went to Breathless Dan for the obscure....


Well, I guess they had, thanks to Dan, easy access to that unusual material in their everyday lives, so it wasn't exceptional for them to do versions of certain songs.

Here's an example :

Eddie Bond - "Monkey And The Baboon" - 1964
https://www.theelvisforum-phoenix.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3231


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:45 pm

Cavan Feathers Smith 1977.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


User avatar

Mojo Filter
Posts: 3268
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 4:03 am
Has thanked: 879 times
Been thanked: 814 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mojo Filter » Fri Feb 28, 2020 7:45 am

Mister Moon wrote:Cavan Feathers Smith 1977.jpg

Cool.

Not seen this photo before. Thanks
she's well acquainted with a touch of the velvet hand, like a lizard on a window pane


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:01 pm

The band's second album, "Rockability" (Charly, 1976), featured the all-time classic "Stompin' Shoes".

For some reason, this Cavan Grogan original did not seem to reach its full potential as a studio cut, while the live recordings were awesome. The version recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London in 1977 is a well-known example, but this little-known rendition from the previous year is not less impressive.

Shades of Slim Rhodes and Jerry Lee Lewis :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bRN3AFzPCo


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:21 pm

Rare footage from 1991, including an interview, where Cavan mentions Elvis as a strong influence :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygC-ITkMtaA


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:29 pm

And this interview was recorded two months before he passed away. He also mentions Elvis, and the movie "Loving You" (the final lettering is wrong, as Cavan was not born in 1950, but in 1949 - he passed away just a few days before becoming 71 - 18-2-'49/15-2-'20)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQMX-sqxjJ0


User avatar

Topic author
Mister Moon
Posts: 11188
Joined: Thu Dec 24, 2015 7:35 pm
Has thanked: 3142 times
Been thanked: 5627 times

Re: So Long, Cavan Grogan

Postby Mister Moon » Thu Feb 11, 2021 5:17 pm

Just stumbled upon this video. It's lousy quality, but it shows their sense of humour, doing a song they never really did otherwise :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kzzdy7O9U4


Return to “Off Topic”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 3 guests