"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of the Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.
| "Caravan of Love" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Isley-Jasper-Isley | |
| from the album Caravan of Love | |
| B-side | "I Can't Get over Losin' You" |
| Released | 1985 |
| Recorded | East Orange, New Jersey, 1985 |
| Genre | R&B, soul |
| Length | 5:42 |
| Label | Epic |
| Songwriter(s) | Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper and Marvin Isley |
| Producer(s) | Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper and Marvin Isley |
Original Isley-Jasper-Isley version
editAfter breaking away from the family group, the group (notably Chris Jasper) wrote and produced this single, which was Jasper's interpolation intending to reach audiences by presenting Christian beliefs in his music. The song became the trio's biggest hit going to number 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and number 51 on the Billboard pop chart in 1985;[1] it would be their only prominent hit before they splintered into solo careers in 1988. The music video was filmed on-location in New York City.
Personnel
edit- Chris Jasper: Keyboards, lead vocals, piano, production
- Ernie Isley: Guitar, backing vocals, production
- Marvin Isley: Bass, backing vocals, production
Track listings
edit7" vinyl single
editSide one
- "Caravan of Love" – 4:15
Side two
- "I Can't Get over Losin' You" – 4:05
12" vinyl single
editSide one
- "Caravan of Love" – 5:43
Side two
- "I Can't Get over Losin' You" – 4:05
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 51 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks[2] | 1 |
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
| Dutch Top 40[3] | 21 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary[2] | 16 |
The Housemartins version
edit| "Caravan of Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Housemartins | ||||
| B-side | "When I First Met Jesus" | |||
| Released | November 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Genre | A cappella | |||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label | Go! Discs | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper and Marvin Isley | |||
| Producer(s) | John Williams | |||
| The Housemartins singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
British indie band the Housemartins released "Caravan of Love" in November 1986. The a cappella song was a success, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart on 16 December 1986 (only the second a cappella recording to do so, after "Only You" by the Flying Pickets in 1983), before being denied the Christmas number one single by a posthumous re-release of Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite".[4] The song was an international hit reaching the top 3 in several countries, including no.1 in Ireland and Sweden. It is included on the Housemartins' greatest hits compilation Now That's What I Call Quite Good.
Track listings
edit7-inch vinyl single
Side one
- "Caravan of Love" – 3:40
Side two
- "When I First Met Jesus" – 2:46
12-inch vinyl single
Side one
- "Caravan of Love"
- "We Shall Not Be Moved"
Side two
- "When I First Met Jesus"
- "So Much in Love"
- "Heaven Help Us All (Sermonette)"
Weekly charts
edit| Chart (1986–1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian (Kent Music Report)[5] | 24 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] | 7 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 5 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[8] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] | 3 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 2 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[12] | 2 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[13] | 4 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 1 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 2 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK)[17] | 2 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] | 58 |
| European Top 100 Singles (Music & Media)[19] | 38 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[20] | 40 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] | 24 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] | 13 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] | 19 |
| West Germany (Official German Charts)[24] | 16 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[25] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other versions
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2018) |
- In 2003, Australian born Irish singer Johnny Logan recorded the song on his album, We All Need Love.
- In 2004, German pop group Preluders covered the song on their album, Prelude to History.
- British pop singer Pixie Lott released a charity version of the song in November 2014, as the lead single from her first hits collection, Platinum Pixie: Hits. The song charted at number 129 on the UK Singles Chart.[26]
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 279.
- ^ a b c "Billboard charts at Allmusic". Retrieved November 22, 2008.
- ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 8, 1986". Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 469. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 142. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Housemartins". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Housemartins" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love". VG-lista. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Housemartins – Caravan of Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Housemartins: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Housemartins – Caravan of Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1987" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. December 26, 1987. p. 34. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987". Dutch Charts Portal (in Dutch). Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "END OF YEAR CHARTS 1987". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1987". Swiss Chart Portals (in German). Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ "British single certifications – Housemartins – Caravan of Love". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "Chart Log UK" (TXT). Zobbel.de. Retrieved 31 March 2022.