History of Tony, Caro & John

This site tells the story of the recording band Tony, Caro and John, and the various incarnations that followed, including the gigging / jamming band Forever and Ever. The site contains band history, (auto)biographical details, discography, lyrics, photos, music clips, downloads and lots more.

Our group of musical friends has been together since the early 1970s. The songs are of their time, but they're of our time too, a timeline a bit outside the mainstream of fame, style and the music business. You know those trees in the middle of forests, the ones that may or may not fall? Well, they're us. But art doesn't require the whole world to notice. There are differences of opinion in the band on how much fame and recognition an artist needs, but we're agreed on one thing – a little appreciation goes a long way.

John (bass), Rod (keyboard), Tony (guitar and other things) and sister Julie (voice) spent their childhood in Derby, at the time a Rolls-Royce and Railway town with one bookshop, one record shop and one musical instrument shop. It's a bit more culturally aware now, but back then you just got away - quick. All of us, one way or another, made it down to London. There in the Bright Lights we bumped into Caro of the banana-like melismas and her harp-blowing brother Jonny. Tony, Caro and John recorded the album All On The First Day in 1972 on John's 2-track Ferrograph tape recorder in our tiny flat in Fulham, pressed 99 copies and sold them to friends and at folk clubs. Shortly after, Simon walked through the door with his quantum-leap guitar and all-round musicality.

And that was the band, a slightly bizarre combination of ex-folkies (Tony, Julie, Caro), electronics aficionados (John, Rod) and R & B types (Simon, Jonny), one that has persisted through numerous spin-off bands, the loss of several drummers, onstage electrocutions, and long expatriations to Norway, Holland, Spain and the USA.

We lost John in 2005 but we are still determinedly together, performing and recording in various combinations and with others. We've gained a bit of recognition recently two re-releases of 1972's AOTFD on Shadox (2001) and Gaarden Records (2010), and the release of an archive set "Blue Clouds" (2012) by the Chicago label Drag City in co-operation with Gaarden and Galactic Zoo Records. Several successful young indie bands have shown interest in our work, including Beach House (who covered our track Snowdon Song/Lovelier Girl) and recently Quilt.

We’re still pretty active. In 2018 we did a reunion tour (UK and Germany) to coincide with the latest re-release of AOTFD on Tapete Records, which resulted in the album TCJ live at the Café OTO. We’ve also released a collaborative effort between Simon and Tony entitled The Festival At The End Of The World. We think both projects have turned out quite nicely; have a listen!

Life still flickers in the flames... where sounds of laughter still remain