Let's talk about Donovan

And 'Universal Soldier' I'm diggin too.

A friend told me about a recent interview he did for NPR because he has a new album called Beat Cafe coming out. The interview is archived on www.npr.org

http://thm-br1r2.search.vip.scd.yahoo.com/image/85735697

"Kiss me once more / Fill me with song"

I love this guy so much.

prick.

he was pretty good

"Atlantis"/"Barabajagal" could be the best double-sided hit single evah. Paul Macca harmonizes on the A, Jeff Beck burns wire on the B.

Greil Marcus should be forced to write a Donovan book. Season of the Witch is a better listen than Like a Rolling Stone.

Okay, this is going to sound retarded, but I've been hearing the song "Sunshine Superman" all my life and I never realized what it was until this morning. (A next-door neighboor had given me the album with that title in a pile of other used LPs two years ago, and I never got around to listening to it til now. I always knew Donovan did a song with that name; just never associated it with the song that goes "when I make my mind up you're going to be mine" and "Superman and Green Lantern ain't got nothin on me" etc. Not sure who else thought did it; guess I never wondered one way or the other. And never really checked out Donavan much at all, even though the person I'm married to is named after one of his songs. Anyway, the album -- which also has "Season of the Witch," which I've always loved -- is good. A lot better than the Wear Your Love Like Heaven LP, which the same neighbor gave me, but which I thought was boring since Donavan's voice didn't see pretty enough to support its tweeness, even though he's quite possibly inventing the genre.)

Husker Du covered "Sunshine Superman" once, right? Don't think I've ever actually heard that, either.

"Donovan's voice didn't seem pretty enough" I meant. (And "Not sure who else I thought did it." Etc.)

What would you say is the modern equivalent of Donovan? I'm trying to find a song with a similar sounf to Mad John's Escape or the same vibe found on the whole 'gift from a flower...' album but can't think of anything good enough.

rando request, but does anyone have an mp3 of the re-recorded "colours" from 1968-69? it's on the vinyl of his greatest hits, but was replaced with the original version when they put that LP on CD...

Really love Mellow Yellow LP the most, cos a friend did a cover of "Writer in the Sun" that made me seek this one out. I think A Gift From a Flower to a Garden is probably my 2nd favorite just cos there are so many songs and it starts with "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" and just gets more hippy-dippy from there on out. If you're listening to Donovan, you may as well get as hippy-dippy as possible...

There's a Sunshine Superman - The Journey Of Donovan documentary that is the most exhausting thing ever, like 3 hours long, and Donovan either must absolutely LOVE talking about himself, or the editor just didn't feel like throwing anything out. It's a decent way to pass an evening, with lots of funny stories about him doing drugs in the desert and stuff and his friend "Gypsy Dave", but it really is long as hell.

it's on the vinyl of his greatest hits, but was replaced with the original version when they put that LP on CD

this totally annoys me too. I have the Troubadour double-CD (which is GRATE) but yeah it has several songs that I knew from the Greatest Hits in inferior versions, including this one

that doc is okay but it's kinda sad how they couldn't afford/bother to get anybody to talk about Donovan besides... Donovan.

guess the 1968 version is on a recent reish of hurdy gurdy man, but can't find a download (legit or not) of it.

Do you just mean the 4:10 trippy version from Like It Is, as opposed to the earlier folky original? Or is there a third, later version still?

ummm, maybe?
from wiki: When Epic Records was compiling Donovan's Greatest Hits, they were either unable or unwilling to secure the rights to the original recordings of "Catch the Wind" and "Colours". Donovan rerecorded both songs with a full backing band, and the rerecordings were included on the greatest hits album.

The trippy version's one of my favourite songs ever. I'll get it to you now and you can figure out if that's the one you mean.

cool, thanks! basically looking for the non-dylanesque, psych version, yeah.

guess the 1968 version is on a recent reish of hurdy gurdy man, but can't find a download (legit or not) of it.

Take it from me, you're not looking very hard!

The '68 version is on the old/original (80s?) cd of Greatest hits.

you've got to pick up every stitch..

not trying very hard? i googled the hell out of it! anyhoo, clemenza hooked me up! yayyyy!

http://photoserver.ws/files/iyudvfog3h9jzg4gkybc.jpg

THIS RECORD IS AWESOME. The Music Makers is screaming for dance floore treatment.

Man, it had better rule with a bitchin cover like that!

One of the sun city girl dudes recorded Donavan's incoherent ramblings at a club a few years ago and was talking about putting it out on a 7" but i dunno if it ever happened.

Oh yeah Cosmic Wheels is cool!

beatniks are out to make it rich

Creepy Donovan is the best Donovan. Covered by King Crimson too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyxfCQG1t4w

ROFL. We sang "Get Thy Bearings" in church if you can believe it! It is seriously funky with a spiritual theme. I play it all the time now.

My safe word is "Barabajagal"

heh

I had no idea Donovan jumped on the disco bandwagon three years too late. Sadly most of it sounds like bad Bryan Ferry or his usual folky stuff, but this track is kind of a winner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bieyrpNaB-4

i've been obsessed w this dude lately. so much of his stuff i had just never heard, but that's been rectified thanks to spotify. well, the 60s stuff anyway. it doesn't appear that any of his 70s records are on there at all, jumping from '70s Open Road (p dope) to '80's Neutronica (which is...something). anything of interest in those intervening years?

Cosmic Wheels is p good

I see I said that upthread 7 years ago lol

cool. i'll see what i can find on youtube.

My antediluvian baby

Beatniks are out to make it rich

The continent of Atlantis was an island

Now go home and get your shinebox.

Now you’ve been away a long time. I got news for you: I don’t shine shoes no more.

Donovan by Bobbie Gentry. Odd song to choose and it doesn't really work but interesting nonetheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CKgof91goo

Part 1 (posted part 2 on the Zodiac thread):

youtube.com/watch?v=eJW6KtvyvDE

I mangle Bret Easton Ellis's name once or twice, and there was something else I egregiously messed up.

(Donovan's music in To Die For, L.I.E., The Rules of Attraction, and a few other films.)