The Cravats
Encyclopedia
The Cravats are a punk rock
band
originally from Redditch
, England
, founded in 1977 by Robin Dallaway (vocals, guitar) and The Shend (bass, vocals). Further members were Svor Naan (real name Richard London) (saxophone) and Dave Bennett (drums).
The first single
from the Cravats was the self-financed "Gordon", released in 1978. On 31 July 1979 they recorded
their first session for the John Peel
show on BBC Radio 1
. Soon after they received a recording contract
with Small Wonder Records
. Three further Peel Sessions followed on 6 October 1980, 18 August 1981 and 15 November 1982.
The band had a rest in 1982, with Dallaway and The Shend forming The Very Things
, as well as DCL Lococmotive and The Babymen.
The Cravats original members The Shend and Svor Naan put together a 'live ensemble' for the Rebellion Punk Festival in August 2009/2010.The Cravats live ensemble have continued to play live with gigs in Dublin, London and a further appearance at Rebellion in August 2011. They will also be performing at the Incubate Festival
in Tilburg, Holland in September and are special Guests of Steve Ignorant (Crass) at the final 'Last Supper' show on November 19th at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.
A CD reissue of their first LP, 'The Cravats In Toytown' is planned for October 2011 which will be accompanied by a CD featuring a complete remoulding of the original 'In Toytown' 8 track masters by Penny Rimbaud (Crass).
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
originally from Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, founded in 1977 by Robin Dallaway (vocals, guitar) and The Shend (bass, vocals). Further members were Svor Naan (real name Richard London) (saxophone) and Dave Bennett (drums).
The first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the Cravats was the self-financed "Gordon", released in 1978. On 31 July 1979 they recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their first session for the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
show on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Soon after they received a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Small Wonder Records
Small Wonder Records
Small Wonder Records was a UK independent record label owned and managed by Pete Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17, east London...
. Three further Peel Sessions followed on 6 October 1980, 18 August 1981 and 15 November 1982.
The band had a rest in 1982, with Dallaway and The Shend forming The Very Things
The Very Things
The Very Things were a Dadaist post punk band from Redditch, Worcestershire, England, formed in 1983 and active until 1988.-History:When The Cravats split up in 1982, guitarist Robin Raymond The Very Things were a Dadaist post punk band from Redditch, Worcestershire, England, formed in 1983 and...
, as well as DCL Lococmotive and The Babymen.
The Cravats original members The Shend and Svor Naan put together a 'live ensemble' for the Rebellion Punk Festival in August 2009/2010.The Cravats live ensemble have continued to play live with gigs in Dublin, London and a further appearance at Rebellion in August 2011. They will also be performing at the Incubate Festival
Incubate (festival)
Incubate is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Tilburg, the Netherlands. On June 16, the festival changed it name into Incubate after a request by the Austin, US based festival SXSW to change its name. Between 2005 and 2008 the festival was called ZXZW....
in Tilburg, Holland in September and are special Guests of Steve Ignorant (Crass) at the final 'Last Supper' show on November 19th at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.
A CD reissue of their first LP, 'The Cravats In Toytown' is planned for October 2011 which will be accompanied by a CD featuring a complete remoulding of the original 'In Toytown' 8 track masters by Penny Rimbaud (Crass).
Singles
- "Gordon"/"Situations Vacant"(September 1978,Cravats,7",CH 004,Small Wonder stamped on some copies)
- "Burning Bridges"/"I Hate The Universe"/"The End"(June 1979, Small Wonder, 7", SMALL 15)
- "Precinct"/"Who's In Here With Me"(August 1980, Small Wonder, 7" SMALL 24) #3 9
- "Firemen"/"A Flux in 3D: Divide"(March, 1981,Split Flexi Disc,Issued free with Dutch magazine Vinyl)
- "You're Driving Me"/"I Am The Dreg"(March 1981, Small Wonder, 7", SMALL 25)
- "Off The Beach"/"And The Sun Shone"(November 1981, Small Wonder, 7", SMALL 26)
- "Terminus"/"Little Yellow Froggy"(February 1982, Glass Records, 7", GLASS 021)
- "Rub Me Out"/"When Will We Fall"(July 1982, Crass Records, 7", 221984/4) #15
- "In The Land Of The Giants"(February 1986, Reflex, 12", 12RE 10) #44
- "Seance"(with Paul Hartnoll
) (2006, Caroline True Records)
Albums
- The Cravats In Toytown (October 1980, Small Wonder, CRAVAT 1) #19
- The Colossal Tunes Out (1986, Corpus Christi, CHRIST IT'S 8)
- "The Cravats - In the Land of the Giants" (November 2006, Overground Records, OVER 112VP)