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.
― xhuxk, Saturday, 7 February 2009 16:28 (4 years ago) Permalink
"Donovan's voice didn't seem pretty enough" I meant. (And "Not sure who else I thought did it." Etc.)
― xhuxk, Saturday, 7 February 2009 16:58 (4 years ago) Permalink
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.
― Moka, Wednesday, 29 July 2009 05:39 (3 years ago) Permalink
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...
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
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.
― Telephoneface (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
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
― i hate it when rats eat my bushels (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
that doc is okay but it's kinda sad how they couldn't afford/bother to get anybody to talk about Donovan besides... Donovan.
― i hate it when rats eat my bushels (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
guess the 1968 version is on a recent reish of hurdy gurdy man, but can't find a download (legit or not) of it.
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
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?
― clemenza, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
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.
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
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.
― clemenza, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:55 (1 year ago) Permalink
cool, thanks! basically looking for the non-dylanesque, psych version, yeah.
― tylerw, Thursday, 14 July 2011 16:57 (1 year ago) Permalink
Take it from me, you're not looking very hard!
― R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Friday, 15 July 2011 12:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
The '68 version is on the old/original (80s?) cd of Greatest hits.
― Mucho! Macho! Honcho!: Turn Off The Dark (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 15 July 2011 13:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
you've got to pick up every stitch..
― steady yachting (Pillbox), Friday, 15 July 2011 13:14 (1 year ago) Permalink
not trying very hard? i googled the hell out of it! anyhoo, clemenza hooked me up! yayyyy!
― tylerw, Friday, 15 July 2011 15:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
THIS RECORD IS AWESOME. The Music Makers is screaming for dance floore treatment.
― puerile fantasies (Matt P), Tuesday, 23 August 2011 20:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
Man, it had better rule with a bitchin cover like that!
― 50000000 elves (blank), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 00:39 (1 year ago) Permalink
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.
― 50000000 elves (blank), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 00:42 (1 year ago) Permalink
Oh yeah Cosmic Wheels is cool!
― The actor that played Jesus made some odd choices. (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 04:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
beatniks are out to make it rich
― picture jean rollin (Pillbox), Sunday, 15 April 2012 05:54 (1 year ago) Permalink
Creepy Donovan is the best Donovan. Covered by King Crimson too:
― B-Boy Bualadh Bos (ecuador_with_a_c), Sunday, 15 April 2012 11:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
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.
― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Bulgarian Tourist Chamber (Mount Cleaners), Sunday, 15 April 2012 13:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
He was inducted into the HoF last night by John Mellencamp. Struck me as pretty random, but apparently John's a massive Donovan fan.
― Dancing with Mr. T (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 15 April 2012 13:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
oh man I'd like to hear this
I try to avoid telling my donovan story online because I'm a nice fucking guy but he's a piece of fucking work imo
― same old song and placenta (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 15 April 2012 19:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
oh go on
― Number None, Sunday, 15 April 2012 23:57 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yeah, come on man.
BTW Donovan is so awesome on "Billion Dollar Babies." Kinda wish he and Alice had recorded a whole album.
― nobody gives a shit about the githzerai (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Monday, 16 April 2012 03:20 (1 year ago) Permalink
it is very easy to imagine donovan being a complete dipshit irlhe did make some amazing music for a brief period of time
― buzza, Monday, 16 April 2012 03:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
Bass on "Get Thy Bearings" is one of Danny Thompson's finest moments. As is "Sunny Goodge St"
― bham, Monday, 16 April 2012 08:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
it is very easy to imagine donovan being a complete dipshit irl
In fact he's a monumental egomaniac who claims to have invented and inspired every musical genre from 1965 onwards
― Charles Kennedy Jumped Up, He Called 'Oh No'. (Tom D.), Monday, 16 April 2012 11:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
HMS Donovan is a great album. I'd put it up there with the best of ISB.
I don't understand any comparison of the two Ds. It always comes up due to that movie but come on... Apples and oranges. Both have their merits and both have put some dreary shit on tape too.
― Lil' Kim Philby (Call the Cops), Monday, 16 April 2012 12:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
agree that they're very different animals.
Dylan is the highly superior animal tho lol
― Jilly Boel and the Eltones (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 16 April 2012 17:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
SO good.
"Open Road" fans out there? Has a fun ramshackle live feel to it, which is super cool after all the fussy (but brilliant) Mickie Most stuff.Find that I go back to this one even more than the rest.
― mr.raffles, Saturday, 20 October 2012 03:06 (7 months ago) Permalink
I don't remember that one - Cosmic Wheels is the cutoff point with him for me
― Force Boxman (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 22 October 2012 16:10 (7 months ago) Permalink