Occupation(s) Musician, composer Years active 1972–present | Name Geoffrey Richardson Role Instrumentalist | |
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Birth name Peter Geoffrey Richardson Born 15 July 1950 (age 74) ( 1950-07-15 ) Albums Viola Mon Amour, For Girls Who Grow Plump in t, Caravan and the New Sym, Music from the Penguin, Preludes Airs and Yodels: A Similar People Pye Hastings, Jim Leverton, Richard Coughlan, Jan Schelhaas, Dave Sinclair | ||
Peter Geoffrey Richardson (born 15 July 1950 in Hinckley, Leicestershire), is a viola player and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Caravan, Murray Head and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.
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Career
Ex art student Richardson joined Spirogyra in 1972, but the band broke up shortly after and he joined Caravan on viola. In the mid-1970s, he diversified into session work, including with Kevin Ayers, Café Jacques, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Buzzcocks. He left Caravan in 1978, but returned in 1980, playing on The Album.
Later in his career, he toured with Murray Head, Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Bob Geldof. He has also recorded with Murray Head, including Between Us (1979), Innocence (1993) and Pipe Dreams (1996). He released a solo album, Viola Mon Amour, in 1993, followed by three albums with fellow Caravan band member Jim Leverton, Follow Your Heart (1995), Poor Man's Rich Man (2000) and The End of The Pier Show (2006).
Since 2011 Richardson has been a member of Kent-based band Rocky and the Natives with Jim Leverton and Andy Newmark. He continues to be an active member of Caravan having completed a short tour with them in 2011.