Queer Music Heritage home

Steven Grossman

"Caravan Tonight"

Steven Grossman's album "Caravan Tonight" (Mercury 702, 1974) is a landmark recording
in gay history, as it was the first released on a major label by an openly gay artist to address gay life.

I have featured Steven's music on my shows for March 2000, Nov 2001, & Feb 2002

[note: many of the images have others "behind" them, if you pass your cursor over them]

     

Recordings

Track Listing - Click to Download

1 Caravan Tonight    3:34
2 Out    3:27
3 Five O'Clock Song    2:27
4 Christopher's Blues    4:08
5 Song for Bonnie    3:33
6 Song to That M&M Man    5:37
7 You Don't Have to Be Ashamed    3:48
8 Many Kinds of Love    3:52
9 Can't...Papa Blues    3:32
10 Circle Nine Times    3:22
11 Dry Dock Dreaming    6:08

Since I put up this tribute section I've gotten SO many requests for information
on where to obtain the album....I recommend eBay and gemm.com for that.
And, no, I've no 'right' to make the downloads available, but I doubt
the powers to be at whoever has control of the actual rights, in some
conglomerate, will ever release the album on CD. So.....

Mercury thought enough of this release to issue it as a "gatefold" album, with the lyrics inside

and, I've got a test pressing of the album...it has a blank label and this sheet attached:

yes, there was a 45 released from the LP...

and, would you believe....the album also came out as an 8-Track tape!

And below, the ad from After Dark Magazine, April 1974...ad was full page high, 2/3rd page width

Recent Recordings

About two months before Steven Grossman died, he recorded a number of tracks which
for the most part remain unreleased. One of them has been remastered and surfaced on
the Various Artists CD "Fruit Cocktail," in 1998. "Buena Vista" was the name of that track.
It was produced by Streeter Music, and can be purchased here. An album of all of the unreleased material has been
the works for several years, but as with many projects like this, it takes money to remaster
the recordings and produce the CD...an effort which unfortunately will likely bring little in
the way of sales; so that has all slowed down the tribute effort.

          

And below, in 2002 Mark Weigle paid tribute to Steven by recording a "duet"
with him on the song "Out," and it's a very striking version. It appeared on
Mark's "Out of the Loop" CD. Find out more at www.MarkWeigle.com

    

A bit of trivia, Twiggy's 1976 self-titled album, also released
on Mercury, contained a cover of the song "Caravan Tonight."
Click to hear it.

Articles & Misc.

      

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