Caravan of Love - Isley-Jasper-Isley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0TOPvCaX2M

While "The Highways of my Life" may have been Chris Jasper "greatest hit" with the Isley Brothers, his finest hour - the one that he will be remembered for - is without doubt "Caravan of Love".

In 1984 the three "youngsters" in the Isley Brothers, Ernie and Marvin Isley and brother-in-law Chris Jasper, left the band to form offshoot group Isley-Jasper-Isley. They split up three years later, with Ernie and Marvin returning to the Brother Ship in 1989, the original trio having been reduced to one following O'Kelly's death and Rudolph's subsequent departure. Isley-Jasper-Isley recorded three albums the most famous track from which by far is "Caravan of Love", made internationally famous by the English rock group the Housemartins.

Chris Jasper was a devoted Christian, as were the Housemartins, and the Christian message of love drives "Caravan of Love" from start to finish, while it's lyrics are broad enough to be universal without a specific religious context. A bit like the way Christmas has developed. I know of many people from non-Christian backgrounds who celebrate Christmas, buying their children presents, writing to Santa Claus, having a Christmas tree in their front room and sitting round the table for a family Christmas dinner, who have never for a moment of their lives considered themselves Christians. A universal message of love, peace and family is what they are celebrating. The Housemartins' version, although it doesn't mention Christmas, was number one in the UK the week before Christmas in 1986, and definitely felt like a Yuletide song at the time.

The Isley-Jasper-Isley track isn't as good as the Housemartins' cover, with its spine-tingling a cappella harmonies, but Chris Jasper's Philly-style soulful vocal elevates the original and runs it close.

Another John Hegley poem:

Christmas with the brother-in-law (oh what fun)

the two clip-on earrings slip from our Christmas cracker

you can have them John

my brother-in-law quips

I slip into the earrings

how do I look then handsome?

I lie to him

all right John very sexy take them off

trying to sound normal in his torn Christmas hat

that is sat around his neck

you're not a woman he reminds me

how do you explain these then?

I reply ripping open my shirt and squirting my nipples at him

shall I take these off too?

Don't spoil Christmas John

my mother interrupts.

© John Hegley

A reminder that one of the most common, but least talked about, regular happenings over the Christmas period is the family argument. For some, Christmas does entail an element of Tom Lehrer's "National Brotherhood Week" which urges you to:

"Step up and shake the hand

of someone you can't stand -

you can tolerate them if you try."

Maybe this is the real message of Christmas. Toleration.

And, like the proverbial dog, not just Christmas, but the whole year round.