The many faces of "Caravan"

While I was looking for a song of the week, I realized that I have a lot of versions of Caravan, and that they are all awesome in their own way.

We'll start out with what I feel is the gold standard for Caravan, the version by Metropolitan-area-smitten bachelor pad jazz guru Gordon Jenkins. I first heard this version when it appeared in the first season of Mad Men.



For personal use.

Here is a beatnik-tastic version from Italy in the 60's. I actually have two identical versions of this song. One by Primo Canale off the Dusty Fingers comp, and one by Puccia Roelens, from a nice Italian soundtrack comp called Phase 6. If anyone knows who actually did the song, or if they are actually two different, nearly identical versions, let me know.


Enjoy at a later date.

Here is a version done by kings of the instrumental The Ventures, from a live performance in Japan:


Save it for later.

Funky drummer Bernard Purdie's take on it:


Enjoy it later too.