Caravan by Johnny Mathis

Your daily Johnny Mathis Hit Parade.

WARNING: This is not a sing along with Johnny song. Try it. After Johnny does the long La note at the beginning of the song, he goes right into the first stanza without taking a breath, which is where we enter into the realm of asphyxiation. That's right, you will expire before you finish holding this note.

At first I firmly believed the audio had to be spliced together. Yet, after noting his capability in other songs, I now realize its probably legit.

Johnny has incredible breath capacity and in no song is this demonstrated more than Caravan. You have to attempt to mimic what he does to truly appreciate what an amazing feat this is. And he does it several times throughout the song, including one time where he holds a note for a superhuman length of time and then as he nears the end he sings even HIGHER and LOUDER.

The not-of-this-earth notes he delivers, the voluminous breath capacity, the attractive good looks . . .so much talent packaged in one human being. Just doesn't seem fair.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Caravan
• Johnny
• Mathis

[ipstock]

Cybernautev, may I suggest something in the same line of thought? why don´t you post Bachianas Brasileiras?

As a brazilian, I will appreciate it very much, and for sure it is another gem from our idol.

[cybernautev]

Sorry, ipstock, I don't have that song.

[conyelp]

Cybernautev, This is a great interpretation by Johnny of this song. I did a search to see what album it was on and I found it on his 1957 album titled "Johnny Mathis."

I think the orchestra backing is great too, well done Johnny all the way around. Thanks for the upload.

[cybernautev]

This was on Johnny's first album. Surprisingly, it wasn't a big seller which was probably a major disappointment especially with the fantastic arrangement and performance of Caravan. Most likely no one knew who Johnny was at the time. I think people were spoiled by the high quality of songs and singers back then. Introduced today I believe a song like this would shoot through the roof.

[africanzionflo]

Happy Birthday Johnny.

[cybernautev]

"This is Love" is a great song.  He hits that famous surreal note of his.

[cybernautev]

I'll check into it when I get my system set up for recording.

[conyelp]

(1of4)Cybernautev, I remember hearing this song over the years but only as an instrumenta, I never heard the words until you uploaded this version by Johnny. I also found that the song has been featured in some portions of the following movies and TV episodes -- Alice, Chocolat, The Homecoming, Ocean's Thirteen, the Mad

[conyelp]

(2of4)Men's pilot episode and an episode of The Simpsons to name a few. As you say, maybe the reason the song didn't do well for Johnny when it was first released is because he wasn't that well known. From what I remember about Johnny's early career he had mostly performed as a singer in college and in night clubs in San Francisco, CA

[conyelp]

(3of4)In fact, it was at the Black Hawk nightclub that Helen Noga, co-owner of the club, who first heard him Johnny sing, decided that she wanted to manage his career. She later wrote to New York asking for blank recording contracts to be sent and saying, "Have found phenomenal 19-year old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts."

[conyelp]

(4of4)After Johnny signed them he then had to decide if he was going to the Olympics or to New York to make his first recordings which were released in 1956. So, since the album titled "Johnny Mathis" was released in 1957, your thinking about people not yet knowing who Johnny was is probably why the album didn't sell very well. Johnny sure has made up for it over the years and I'm glad he decided to sing for us instead of becoming an athlete.