The first version of the song was recorded in Hollywood in 1936 and performed as an instrumental by Barney Bigard and His Jazzopators.

For this recording, which included Ellington and Tizol as performers, the session band leader was Bigard.

[2] The sound of "Caravan" appealed to exotica musicians; Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman and Gordon Jenkins all covered it.

The song is featured prominently in the 2014 film Whiplash as an important plot element.

A horn sample from the Romanian cover version by Fanfare Ciocărlia was used in the song "We No Speak Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool.