Xhol Caravan
| Xhol Caravan | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Germany |
| Genres | Krautrock |
| Years active | 1967–1972 |
| Labels | CBS Records, Hansa Records, Ohr/Metronome Records |
| Website | www.xhol.de |
| Past members | James Rhodes Ronnie Swinson Tim Belbe Gerhardt Egmont "Öcki" Von Brevern Hansi Fischer Werner Funk Gilbert "Skip" van Wych III Klaus Briest |
Xhol Caravan, known first as Soul Caravan and later as simply Xhol, was one of the first bands participating in the launch of the Krautrock movement in Germany in the late 1960s. Their music draws from varied influences and fuses rhythm and blues and free jazz with a psychedelic rock sensibility.
The band was formed in Wiesbaden, Germany in early 1967 by three men (Tim Belbe on saxophone; Hansi Fischer on saxophone & flute; Klaus Briest on bass guitar) along with three Americans (Gilbert 'Skip' van Wyck on drums and singers James Rhodes and Ronnie Swinson). Early concerts consisted mostly of cover versions of American soul artists, such as Otis Redding and James Brown, but the band soon began to rely almost entirely on its own material.
After adding Werner Funk on guitar, the band's first studio album, Get In High, appeared on the German CBS label in December 1967. It exemplified the band's early soul sound, and featured a remake of the classic American soul tune "Shotgun" along with original compositions that incorporated African-American themes and elements, including "Kerd-I-Wai (African Song)" and "So Much Soul." The live recordings Soul Caravan: Live 1969, Altena 1969, and Xhol 1970 spotlight this R&B sound, while also including improvisational pieces more indicative of the band's later period, stretching in some cases well beyond 25 minutes in length. (The "Freedom Opera," for instance, heard on the 2001 Motherfuckers Live album but recorded in 1968, clocks in at nearly 50 minutes.)
The political disturbances of 1968 were reflected in the band's move towards a more jazzy, psychedelic sound and a change of name to Xhol Caravan. Swinson left the band and returned to the United States at about this time.
Organist Gerhardt Egmont "Öcki" Von Brevern joined at the start of 1969 as the band moved away from soul and towards a more jazzy sound. Rhodes left in August 1969, as did Funk, leaving the band without a guitarist. Van Wych took over vocal duties. The band's second album, Electrip, reflected the move away from R&B, fusing free jazz and psychedelic rock with a satirical, sometimes X-rated sense of humor, as well as studio manipulation of sounds and timbres.
...
Wikipedia