OCTOBER

As the clocks go backwards in signalling the end of summer on it’s last day and we are terribly saddened to hear of the death of the wonderful, warm, kind and funny actor Matthew Perry (1969 - 2023)  . . . . .the darkness descends as the witchy season comes upon us and I wanted to share some songs for autumn . . . . . . . . the wolves are running (John Masefield - Box of Delights)

Kate Rusby - introduces Hunter Moon (which we have not long said goodbye to . . . )

Chansons Innocentes II

E. E. Cummings

hist     whist 

little ghostthings 

tip-toe 

twinkle-toe

little twitchy 

witches and tingling 

goblins 

hob-a-nob     hob-a-nob

little hoppy happy 

toad in tweeds 

tweeds 

little itchy mousies

with scuttling 

eyes     rustle and run     and 

hidehidehide 

whisk

whisk     look out for the old woman 

with the wart on her nose 

what she’ll do to yer 

nobody knows

for she knows the devil     ooch 

the devil     ouch 

the devil 

ach     the great

green 

dancing 

devil 

devil

devil 

devil 

     wheeEEE

Donovan

Season Of The Witch

"Season of the Witch" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan from his third studio album, Sunshine Superman (1966). The song is credited to Donovan, although sometime collaborator Shawn Phillips has also claimed authorship. 

"Season of the Witch" was recorded at the CBS studios in Hollywood, California, where most of Sunshine Superman was recorded.  According to Donovan, he and Phillips wanted a "rock-combo sound" for the song and chose some local musicians from the local clubs. They included Lenny Matlin on keyboards, Don Brown on lead electric guitar, Bobby Ray on bass and "Fast" Eddie Hoh on drums. Donovan played the second guitar part, as he explained in his autobiography:

I played a white Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar on "Witch," chunking down on the chord pattern, wailing a chilling chorus. A major seventh with an open G, to D 9th with a G-flat bass (Bert Jansch chord). The riff is pure feel.

In a retrospective song review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer commented: "Few songs so perfectly reflect the dawn of the psychedelic pop era as aptly as Donovan's 'Season of the Witch' ... Both lyrically as well as musically, the languid and trippy contents project a dark foreboding atmosphere [and] a sort of sinister tale of paranoia and the paranormal". John Bush called the song "easily [one of the two] the highlights of the album ... a chugging eve-of-destruction tale"

The pair ultimately collaborated on several songs, including "Season of the Witch", for which Phillips (though uncredited) composed the melody. Phillips also appeared on several of Donovan's albums, including Fairytale (on which Phillips is credited as writer of "Little Tin Soldier"), Sunshine Superman, and Mellow Yellow.[citation needed] Through Donovan, he met The Beatles and contributed backing vocals on "Lovely Rita” . . .from Wiki

Walter de la Mare