Richard Coughlan, drummer and founding member of prog-rock legends Caravan, has died at age 66. The percussionist, who had been suffering health problems in recent years, passed away last Sunday, December 1st. He is survived by daughter, Beth, and wife, Sue.
”It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that Richard Coughlan passed away,” the band wrote in a Facebook post. “May he Rest in Peace.”
Coughlan’s first major band was The Wilde Flowers (also featuring Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers), a seminal progressive rock outfit that ultimately helped spawn the quirky Canterbury scene of the late ’60s. The ’70s brought a series of classic albums from Canterbury outfits like Camel, Soft Machine, Hatfield and the North, National Health, and Gong all — but Caravan may very well be the most influential: 1971’s In the Land of Grey and Pink and (my personal favorite) 1973’s For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night are two masterpieces of the era, showcasing the band’s unique blend of art-rock, jazz-fusion, tongue-in-cheek pop, and psychedelia.
Below are two Caravan classics — one live and one studio. Coughlan’s jazzy, intricate (but never bombastic) drumming is a crucial element in the band’s style.
