# Geoffrey Richardson (musician)

Peter Geoffrey Richardson (born 15 July 1950), is a British viola player and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Caravan, Murray Head and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

## Career

Richardson's father was a semi-pro musician. Richardson himself studied at Winchester School of Art. 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, and 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). In 2011 he released another solo album, Moving Up A Cloud, with Jo Hook, and in 2016 the first album for which he wrote the songs and performed the vocals, The Garden of Love.
As of 2016, Richardson continues to be an active member of Caravan, having toured in 2011 and performed on a cruise with the group in 2015.

## Discography

| Year | Player | Title |
| 1973 | Caravan | For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night |
| 1974 | Caravan | Caravan and the New Symphonia |
| 1974 | Kevin Ayers | The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories |
| 1975 | Caravan | Cunning Stunts |
| 1976 | Caravan | Blind Dog at St. Dunstans |
| 1976 | John G. Perry | Sunset Wading |
| 1977 | Caravan | Better by Far |
| 1977 | Quantum Jump | Barracuda |
| 1977 | Quantum Jump | Mixing |
| 1977 | Ozark Mountain Daredevils | Don't Look Down |
| 1977 | Café Jacques | Round The Back |
| 1978 | Café Jacques | International |
| 1979 | Murray Head | Between Us |
| 1979 | John Glover | Midnight Over England |
| 1980 | Caravan | The Album |
| 1980 | Buzzcocks | Why She's a Girl From The Chainstore |
| 1980 | Bob Weston | Nightlight |
| 1980 | Wildlife | Burning |
| 1980 | Rupert Hine | Immunity |
| 1981 | Murray Head | Voices |
| 1981 | Murray Head | Find the Crowd |
| 1982 | Rupert Hine | Waving Not Drowning |
| 1982 | Murray Head | Shade |
| 1982 | John Greaves | Accident |
| 1982 | Julien Clerc | Femmes, Indicrétions, Blasphéme |
| 1983 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Penguin Cafe Orchestra |
| 1983 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | The Penguin Cafe Orchestra Mini Album |
| 1984 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Broadcasting from Home |
| 1985 | Microdisney | The Clock Comes Down The Stairs |
| 1986 | Murray Head | Restless |
| 1986 | Murray Head | Sooner or Later |
| 1986 | Murray Head | Some People |
| 1987 | Paul Brady | Primitive Dance |
| 1987 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Signs of Life |
| 1988 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | When in Rome |
| 1990 | Thinkman | Hard Hat Zone |
| 1990 | Dubh Chapter | Silence, Cunning & Exile |
| 1990 | Bob Geldof | The Vegetarians of Love |
| 1991 | The Cross | Blue Rock |
| 1991 | BBC Concert Orchestra | 'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe |
| 1991 | Murray Head | Wave |
| 1991 | Renaud | Marchand de cailloux |
| 1991 | Bliss | A Change in the Weather |
| 1992 | Bob Geldof | The Happy Club |
| 1992 | Chris de Burgh | Power of Ten |
| 1993 | Milla Jovovich | The Divine Comedy |
| 1993 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Union Café |
| 1993 | Rachid Taha | Rachid Taha |
| 1993 | Geoffrey Richardson | Viola Mon Amour |
| 1993 | Salif Keita & Steve Hillage | L'Enfant Lion |
| 1994 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Concert Program |
| 1994 | Renaud | A La Belle de Mai |
| 1995 | Caravan | Battle of Hastings |
| 1995 | Murray Head | When You're in Love |
| 1995 | Jim Leverton & Geoffrey Richardson | Follow Your Heart |
| 1995 | Murray Head | Pipe Dreams |
| 1995 | Nina Morato | L'Allumeuse |
| 1995 | John G Perry | Seabird |
| 1995 | Rachid Taha | Olé, Olé |
| 1996 | Caravan | All Over You |
| 1996 | Nick Heyward | Tangled |
| 1996 | Bruno Maman | Aujourd'hui |
| 1996 | Renaud | Paris/Provinces |
| 1997 | Frankie Valentine | Summary of Evidence |
| 1997 | Rachid Taha | Diwan |
| 1997 | Métisse | Singe |
| 1997 | Justin Hayward | The View From The Hill |
| 1997 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Preludes, Airs and Yodels |
| 1998 | Linda McCartney | Wide Prairie |
| 1998 | Wolf Maahn | Album |
| 1998 | Rachid Taha/Khaled/Faudel | 1,2,3 Soleils |
| 1998 | Rachid Taha | Carte Blanche |
| 1998 | Bloem de Ligny | Zink |
| 1999 | Sadia | Pieces |
| 1999 | Nova Nova | La Chanson de Roland |
| 1999 | The Uncalled Four | Rubbed Raw |
| 1999 | Caravan | Surprise Supplies – Live |
| 1999 | Caravan | All Over You Too |
| 1999 | Rachid Taha | Made in Medina |
| 2000 | Kofi Dako | Kologo |
| 2000 | Jim Leverton & Geoffrey Richardson | Poor Man's Rich Man |
| 2000 | Francis Kendall | Goodbye Rambling Man |
| 2000 | Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Simon Jeffes Piano Music |
| 2000 | Various | Miniatures 2 (Music for the Millennium) |
| 2000 | Nova Nova | Plaid |
| 2001 | Howard Jones | Metamorphosis |
| 2002 | Caravan | Live at Fairfield Halls, 1974 |
| 2002 | Mostly Autumn | Catch The Spirit |
| 2002 | Michael Giles | Progress |
| 2003 | Caravan | The Unauthorized Breakfast Item |
| 2003 | Francis Kendall & Geoffrey Richardson | Oh Sister... |
| 2004 | Francis Kendall & Geoffrey Richardson | Estella in Lux |
| 2005 | David Blosse | Pilot Episode |
| 2005 | Julian Whitfield | Christopher |
| 2005 | Jim Leverton | Bright New Way |
| 2005 | The Fat River Band | The Last Great Guitar Heist |
| 2005 | Jim Laslett | Loving Should Be Easy |
| 2006 | Lupen Crook | Accidents Occur Whilst Sleeping |
| 2006 | Jim Leverton & Geoffrey Richardson | The End of the Pier Show |
| 2006 | Paul Roland | Re-animator |
| 2007 | Maestoso | Caterwauling |
| 2007 | Raphael Mead | On The Hill |
| 2007 | Murray Head | Tête à Tête |
| 2007 | Darwin Bay | Pluies Acides |
| 2008 | Murray Head | Rien N'est Ecrit |
| 2008 | Up-C Down-C Left-C Right-C | Embers |
| 2008 | Chris de Burgh | Footsteps |
| 2008 | Renaud | Tournée Rouge Sang (the Rouge Sang live album) |
| 2009 | Renaud | Molly Malone – Balade irlandaise |
| 2009 | Mandalaband | Ancestors |
| 2009 | Amber | Album |
| 2009 | Chris de Burgh | You'll Never Walk Alone |
| 2010 | Raphael Mead | Ruled by the Heart |
| 2010 | Juanes | P.A.R.C.E. |
| 2010 | Murray Head | Live 2009/Collection Live 2009 |
| 2010 | Chris de Burgh | Moonfleet |
| 2011 | Chris de Burgh | Footsteps 2 |
| 2011 | Geoffrey Richardson | Moving Up A Cloud |
| 2011 | Last Knight | Talking to the Moon |
| 2011 | Mattea de Luca | Album |
| 2013 | Caravan | Paradise Filter |
| 2016 | Geoffrey Richardson | The Garden of Love |

## Filmography

* 2015: Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales (DVD)