Richard Coughlan
Encyclopedia
Richard Coughlan is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist of the Canterbury scene
progressive rock
band Caravan
. He was one of the founding members of Caravan in 1968 and has remained with the band for its over 35-year existence. Allmusic called Coughlan "one of art rock's longest tenured musicians".
, England. He attended the Frank Hooker school in Canterbury
, where he started playing mouth organ
at the age of ten. Later Coughlan joined the Sea Cadets
where he first played bugle and then marching drums
, moving up the ranks to the position of lead drummer. When he was 16, he acquired his own drum kit and joined a local dance band, although he said they "didn't really do anything but rehearse!"
In 1966, through a friend from the Sea Cadets, Coughlan met up with Hugh Hopper
, the bass guitarist of the Canterbury progressive rock
band The Wilde Flowers. Coughlan began attending their rehearsals and paid particular attention to Robert Wyatt
, the band's drummer. In April 1966, when Wyatt became the lead vocalist, Coughlan joined the group on drums. Later Wyatt left to form Soft Machine
, but Coughlan remained with The Wilde Flowers for another year. When Soft Machine acquired their first record deal, The Wilde Flowers decided to they needed one too, and reconstituted themselves as Caravan
. Coughlan had trained to be a dental technician
, but with the formation of Caravan, he chose to be a professional musician instead.
Caravan's brand of art rock
emphasised Coughlan's drumming, which enabled him to contribute to some of the band's compositions, including the 19/8 time signature
on the "A Hunting We Shall Go/L'Auberge du Sanglier" song suite. The group was active from 1968 to the early 1980s, during which time they recorded ten albums and toured Continental Europe and North America. Then after punk rock
come to the fore, they decided to call it quits, and Coughlan started a second career in the pub
business.
In 1990, Caravan reunited again for a one-off concert for a BBC
radio broadcast. The success of their performance and the sales of its live album prompted the band to reform, although this time on a part-time basis. Over the next decade, Caravan, with Coughlan still at the helm, periodically assembled to record an album or perform at a festival. In between commitments with the band, Coughlan continued his work in the pub business and later went on to run a pub in Faversham
in Canterbury called The Sun Inn. In 2005 Coughlan was diagnosed with "a form of rheumatoid arthritis" and this put a halt to Caravan's live performances.
Canterbury Scene
The Canterbury scene is a term used to loosely describe the group of progressive rock, avant-garde and jazz musicians, many of whom were based around the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Caravan
Caravan (band)
Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
. He was one of the founding members of Caravan in 1968 and has remained with the band for its over 35-year existence. Allmusic called Coughlan "one of art rock's longest tenured musicians".
Biography
Richard Coughlan was born on 2 September 1947 in Herne Bay, KentHerne Bay, Kent
Herne Bay is a seaside town in Kent, South East England, with a population of 35,188. On the south coast of the Thames Estuary, it is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government district...
, England. He attended the Frank Hooker school in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, where he started playing mouth organ
Mouth organ
A mouth organ is a generic term for free reed aerophone with one or more air chambers fitted with a free reed.Though it spans many traditions, it is played universally the same way by the musician placing their lips over a chamber or holes in the instrument, and blowing or sucking air to create a...
at the age of ten. Later Coughlan joined the Sea Cadets
Sea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)
The Sea Cadet Corps is a UK national youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Navy and open to young people between the ages of 10-18 years old. The SCC is the UK's largest Naval Cadet Force with over 30,000 cadets and adult volunteers...
where he first played bugle and then marching drums
Marching percussion
Marching percussion instruments are specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum to a special harness worn by the drummer. The drums are designed and tuned for maximum articulation and projection of sound, as marching activities are almost always outdoors or...
, moving up the ranks to the position of lead drummer. When he was 16, he acquired his own drum kit and joined a local dance band, although he said they "didn't really do anything but rehearse!"
In 1966, through a friend from the Sea Cadets, Coughlan met up with Hugh Hopper
Hugh Hopper
Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:...
, the bass guitarist of the Canterbury progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band The Wilde Flowers. Coughlan began attending their rehearsals and paid particular attention to Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
, the band's drummer. In April 1966, when Wyatt became the lead vocalist, Coughlan joined the group on drums. Later Wyatt left to form Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
, but Coughlan remained with The Wilde Flowers for another year. When Soft Machine acquired their first record deal, The Wilde Flowers decided to they needed one too, and reconstituted themselves as Caravan
Caravan (band)
Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
. Coughlan had trained to be a dental technician
Dental technician
A dental technologist is a member of the dental team who, upon presciption from a dental clinician, constructs custom made restorative and dental appliances.There are four major disciplines within dental technology...
, but with the formation of Caravan, he chose to be a professional musician instead.
Caravan's brand of art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
emphasised Coughlan's drumming, which enabled him to contribute to some of the band's compositions, including the 19/8 time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
on the "A Hunting We Shall Go/L'Auberge du Sanglier" song suite. The group was active from 1968 to the early 1980s, during which time they recorded ten albums and toured Continental Europe and North America. Then after punk rock
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...
come to the fore, they decided to call it quits, and Coughlan started a second career in the pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
business.
In 1990, Caravan reunited again for a one-off concert for a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio broadcast. The success of their performance and the sales of its live album prompted the band to reform, although this time on a part-time basis. Over the next decade, Caravan, with Coughlan still at the helm, periodically assembled to record an album or perform at a festival. In between commitments with the band, Coughlan continued his work in the pub business and later went on to run a pub in Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
in Canterbury called The Sun Inn. In 2005 Coughlan was diagnosed with "a form of rheumatoid arthritis" and this put a halt to Caravan's live performances.