Remembering Caroline Crawley of Shelleyan Orphan and This Mortal Coil

Shelleyan Orphan

On October 4th, we lost singer Caroline Crawley after a long illness.  She was one of the lead singers of the '80s baroque pop band, Shelleyan Orphan, and, in 1991, she was one of the artists who performed with This Mortal Coil on their album, "Blood".  Since her voice was so important to me growing up, I thought that I would pen a little tribute to her.  She was only 53 years-old.

Although they had been around in the UK for some time, Shelleyan Orphan didn't release an album in the United States until 1988.  I was aware of who they were.  Those of us into alternative music back then kept our eyes on all things British.  I remember a girl that I went to school with who was really into Shelleyan Orphan.  She was kind of a flighty girl, lost in her own imagination all the time, and I remember that Shelleyan Orphan seemed to fit into this.  They were like the Jane Austen of alternative music.

Caroline Crawley really came into my radar in 1991 when Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the prestigious 4AD label asked Caroline to join This Mortal Coil, one of my favorite supergroups, for their album, "Blood".  Caroline's emotional and quavering voice figured prominently on some of the songs like "The Lacemaker".  Since This Mortal Coil is known for doing covers, Caroline performed striking renditions of "Mr. Somewhere" by The Apartments, "Late Night" by Syd Barrett, and "Help Me Lift You Up" by Mary Margaret O'Hara.

Sometime in 1992, I was a newlywed, and my wife and I went to a flea market at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.  One table had a bunch of CDs for sale, and there were several damaged copies of "Helleborine', the 1987 release by Shelleyan Orphan.  I bought three of them for about $2 each, gave two of them away.  Since I didn't have many CDs, this CD became much listened to in my household.  To this day, it reminds me of the early days of my marriage.

Caroline Crawley

The thing that I always loved about it was how free and unfettered it sound, not bound by any traditional conventions of pop music.  An acoustic guitar.  Oboes.  Violins and cellos.  Jem Tayle's falsetto, and Caroline's sweet, tender voice.  Simple and happy songs.  It was the perfect record for newlyweds.  Upon learning of Caroline's passing, I dusted off the album and listened to it again.  It still sounds good after all these years.  My favorites are "Southern Bess (A Field Holler)", "Anatomy of Love", "Jeremiah", and my all-time favorite, "Blue Black Grape".  The songs are sweet and cloying like pollen in the summer.

The world is a poorer place without Caroline Crawley and her voice.  I don't know much about her personally, or what caused her death.  But this sweet voice figured so prominently when I was growing up, it is indelibly a part of me.  I truly mourned when I heard that she had passed.  Of you have never heard of her, please take some time to familiarize yourself with her music before the winds of time erase it.