He was born in Battle, East Sussex, England and is remembered by many music lovers and record collectors for his numerous albums and appearances on radio and television during the era following the second world war.
From the 1950s onwards, Chacksfield was one of Britain's most famous orchestra leaders, and his fame spread around the world. Early in his career he was fortunate to have several big sellers in the USA, which firmly established his reputation world-wide.
During his recording career with Decca alone, it is estimated that he sold 20 million copies.
Chacksfield learned to play the piano as a boy and became the deputy organist for the local church. Though his parents discouraged his pursuit of music as a career, he persevered. In the late '30s, when he was in his mid-20s, he was leading small musical bands in Britain. During World War II, he was assigned to the British Army entertainment unit, and after the war he became a regular performer on the BBC.
In 1953, he formed an orchestra he called "The Tunesmiths" and won a contract with Parlophone Records. Within two years, he expanded the group from a traditional big band into an orchestra with strings and released a series of "mood music" albums. His sound was similar to Mantovani and Melachrino. His biggest hits, in both the UK and the US, were "Ebb Tide" and "Limelight."
Chacksfield was also responsible for the musical arrangement of the first ever British entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, "All" by Patricia Bredin in 1957. Only because BBC musical director Eric Robinson insisted on accompanying Bredin to the contest in Frankfurt, Chacksfield did not get the chance to perform as a conductor on this international stage.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Chacksfield recorded a large number of instrumental recordings for Starborne Productions. The recordings were licensed for use by "Easy Listening" radio stations and functional music companies. The vast majority of these recordings were not made commercially available to the general public until 2007 by Starborne Productions.
Caravan
Frank Chacksfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mystery of their fading light
That shines upon our Caravan
Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Across the sands so I may keep
The memory of our Caravan
This is so exciting, you are so inviting
Resting in my arms
You beside me here beneath the blue
My dream of love is coming true
Within our desert Caravan
This is so exciting, you are so inviting
Resting in my arms
Thrill to the magic, the magic of your charms
Night and stars above that shine so bright
The mystery of their fading light
That shines upon our Caravan
That shines upon our Caravan
Oooh
The lyrics of Frank Chacksfield's song Caravan speak of a romantic journey across the desert. The singer and their partner are travelling across the sand in a caravan, accompanied by the shining stars above. The fading light of the stars adds a sense of mystery and wonder to the journey. The singer's partner rests on their shoulder as they travel, and the intimacy of this moment is highlighted by the thrill and magic of their love. The dream of love is finally coming true as they journey together in their desert caravan.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a romantic journey across the desert, with the stars above adding a sense of wonder and enchantment to the experience. The intimacy between the singer and their partner is emphasized by the physical contact they share, and the sense of excitement about their love enhances the magic of the journey. The experience of travelling in a caravan through the desert is made all the more romantic by the beauty of the stars and the sense of awe they inspire.
Line by Line Meaning
Night and stars above that shine so bright
The darkness is illuminated by the brilliance of the stars above
The mystery of their fading light
The enigmatic quality of the stars' light as it dims and disappears
That shines upon our Caravan
The light that illuminates the small traveling group we are part of
Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
You rest upon my shoulder as we quietly journey through the night
Across the sands so I may keep
Through the sands we travel so I can have memories of our journey together
The memory of our Caravan
The recollection of the journey we have taken
This is so exciting, you are so inviting
I am energized by this experience and your presence is attractive to me
Resting in my arms
You find comfort in being close to me
Thrill to the magic, the magic of your charms
You excite me with your charming presence
You beside me here beneath the blue
You are with me here under the open sky
My dream of love is coming true
My wish for love and companionship is becoming a reality
Within our desert Caravan
As part of our group journeying through the desert
That shines upon our Caravan
The stars continue to shine down on our traveling group
Oooh
A vocalization expressing emotion or satisfaction
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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