Caravan’s Thousand Club Reissue: Superb Sound, Room for Improvement
There is a great deal to celebrate about Fontana’s Thousand Club vinyl reissue of Caravan’s For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night. The pressing is superb, Mark Powell’s accompanying essay is excellent, and the idea of giving classic albums a carefully produced, limited vinyl release is one I welcome.
In fact, this is probably the best I have ever heard this album sound.
That makes the presentation choices particularly frustrating. When so much care has gone into the listening experience, I want the packaging and protection to receive the same attention. My observations come from wanting future releases in this series to be as good as they can be.
A classic album, beautifully presented in sound
Originally released in 1973, For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night remains a wonderful example of Caravan’s musical character. For this Thousand Club edition, Fontana specifies an all-analogue cut by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios, with the release limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.
I don’t own an original vinyl pressing, so this isn’t a comparison with a first edition. However, I do own the album on several CD releases, including the large Madfish box set and a smaller Decca collection. It is music I know well.
What struck me here was the warmth in the drums and bass, and the overall feel of the recording. This pressing brings the album to life in a way I found immediately involving.
My copy played beautifully straight out of the sleeve. I didn’t need to clean it before listening, and the playing surfaces were silent. I cannot fault the pressing I received. If your original copy has partied a little too hard over the decades, the sound here gives you a very good reason to consider this edition.
Mark Powell’s essay adds real value
The accompanying essay by Mark Powell is another highlight. It is detailed, informative and gives the album a proper sense of context.
That matters. A reissue should be able to welcome someone discovering an album for the first time, as well as someone who remembers buying it on release. Background about the recording, the band’s activities and the period helps deepen that connection.
Even for me, there were lovely details to discover, including a reference to a venue close to where I grew up. This is the kind of supporting material I enjoy in a good CD booklet, and I’m pleased to see that care carried into a vinyl release.
The card stock also feels luxurious. There are good things happening here, which is why the other details deserve attention.
The packaging choices I would reconsider
The first is the PVC outer sleeve. I appreciate that it has been supplied to protect the album, but it would not be my choice.
On my copy, the smell was particularly strong. I could smell it on the cover, the inner sleeve and the record, and I noticed it on records stored alongside it.
I have discussed concerns about PVC sleeves in previous videos. I cannot predict what this particular sleeve will do over time, but I would personally replace it with a suitable non-PVC outer sleeve. For a collector-focused series, that would be my preference from the outset.
The second point is the absence of a gatefold. This edition comes in a single sleeve, whereas the original gatefold presentation is part of how many collectors know the album.
I don’t know the reasoning or production costs behind that decision. Nevertheless, for a limited edition of a classic album, I would have welcomed the gatefold being recreated. The presentation is part of the pleasure of owning the physical release.
Then there is the inner sleeve. Mark Powell’s essay deserves to be retained, but I would prefer it on a separate insert, with the record housed in a polylined inner sleeve.
Regular viewers will know how strongly I feel about this. A well-made record deserves good protection each time it is taken out and put away. My copy arrived playing perfectly, but a polylined inner would still be a welcome improvement.
Finally, there is dispatch. My cover suffered a split at the top in transit. For mail-order copies, packing the record outside the printed jacket, while keeping it properly protected, could help reduce the risk of that kind of damage.
That becomes particularly relevant when the run is limited. Avoiding damaged sleeves is better for the collector and reduces the need for replacement copies.
Feedback for future Thousand Club releases
I like the Thousand Club concept, and the quality of this pressing gives me every reason to be interested in what comes next.
My suggestions are straightforward: reconsider the PVC outer, include a polylined inner, reproduce the original gatefold where appropriate, and look carefully at how mail-order copies are packed.
I would also encourage labels to ask collectors about these details while releases are being planned. The Now Spinning Magazine community buys physical music. These are the people deciding whether to reach for their wallets, and their feedback can help a good series develop.
For this Caravan release, the musical verdict is enthusiastic. The pressing is fantastic, the sound is involving, and Mark Powell’s essay adds genuine value.
I’ll be changing the outer and inner sleeves on my copy, then enjoying a wonderful rendition of a classic album. I hope future editions bring that same attention to the complete package.
Update: Fontana responds to the packaging observations
Following my review, Andrew at Fontana kindly contacted me to explain that packaging improvements were already underway following feedback from fans about the first Thousand Club releases.
Because production lead times are around six months, those changes could not be incorporated into the Caravan edition. Fontana confirms that the following titles retain the original packaging specification:
- Leaf Hound – Growers of Mushroom
- Camel – The Snow Goose
- Caravan – For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night
- Small Faces – Small Faces
- Marlena Shaw – The Spice of Life
- Tinkerbells Fairydust – Tinkerbells Fairydust
- The Parlour Band – Is a Friend?
Subsequent releases will feature a black polylined inner sleeve, a separate printed insert with sleeve notes and credits, shrinkwrap and a Microtene bag. Announced titles using this revised packaging include Level 42’s self-titled album, Egg’s self-titled album and The Human League’s Crash.
Andrew also explained that the series aims to create distinct collector editions, rather than exact reproductions of the original packaging, with particular emphasis on new liner notes and storytelling. That explains the decision not to reproduce Caravan’s gatefold. My own preference remains to retain that element, but I appreciate understanding the thinking behind it.
These are welcome developments. My observations about the Caravan copy reviewed below still stand, as does my enthusiasm for its superb sound quality. It’s encouraging to see collector feedback informing future releases, and I thank Andrew for taking the time to explain the changes.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
