Mellow Yellow!

Donovan - Mellow Yellow live

Dr John sings Donovan . . . . .

 Dr John -  Season of The Witch

Donovan : TURQUOISE | Guess I'm Dumb

• Track Name

  Turquoise 

• Artist

  Donovan

Donovan - Turquoise (1965)

"Perfect music for a Sunday morning."

With my eyes and ears and heart strained to the full 

Dude, it’s Thursday?!! Perfick for them ‘uns too!

 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

 

Song of the Day II - Donovan - The Summer Day Reflecting Song

Donovan - Summer Day Reflecting Song - Zerosounds

as the summer winds to an end here the sun is still shining brightly and the track reflecting song shows Donovan's mystical and attuned beginnings . . . . . 

Donovan is important to me as I have said . . . . . just played this and it is a delightful follow up to Catch The Wind. Enjoy

Sounds we bought when they came out | DONOVAN| CATCH THE WIND | ZEROSOUNDS

Donovan - Catch The Wind EP - 1965 | ZEROSOUNDS

Now continuing the sounds bought when they came out, I bought this as a single and then the Marble Arch (budget) label as an album. I love this title track and it meant a great deal to me as did Donovan in my early teens. Loads of us Brits thought nothing of the media driven rivalry between Bob and Donovan and were shocked when we saw Dylan drawn into it in the film Don’t Look Back. They got on clearly and Donovan was important (he taught finger style to John & Paul when they visited the Maharishi) of course not as important as Bob but that he has his place in Music History is a given. Hey Gyp Dig The Slowness I say!

Can you hear me now?

I think you can!

Donovan Live 1965 (The Big TNT Show)

 Found these clips wondering around t'interwebbie thingie ma whojamaflip and it caused me to check out the source and the video clip featuring Donovan a lifelong hero and  Buffy Sainte-Marie‘s  Universal Soldier was childhood favourite of mine that I learned by rote. Don't think we had this over here when it was first broadcast so it's a little gem . . . . . . . 

November 29, 1965 1. The Universal Soldier 2. Summer Day Reflection Song 3. Bert's Blues 4. Sweet Joy

🌙 Donovan ⭐️

Source : Tribal Gathering

Sailing Homeward

CHILDHOOD IMAGINED - H.M.S. DONOVAN - AQUARIUM DRUNKARD

CHILDHOOD IMAGINED - H.M.S. Donovan at 50 - AQUARIUM DRUNKARD

Lovely article here at the Aquarium Drunkard on the seminal (for Donovan!) album 'HMS Donovan) by  j rooney

Now you may think as does Mooney here that this is a mere children's recording but listen carefully and rediscover your inner child . . . . . . 

DONOVAN – H.M.S. Donovan

(1971, Dawn DNLD 4001; out-of-print vinyl>CD-R>MP3 files @320kbps)

1. The Walrus And The Carpenter

2. Jabberwocky

3. The Seller Of Stars

4. Lost Time

5. The Little White Road

6. The Star

7. Coulter’s Candy

8. The Road

9. Things To Wear

10. The Owl And The Pussycat

11. Homesickness

12. Fishes In Love

13. Mr. Wind

14. Wynken, Blynken, And Nod

15. Celia Of The Seals

16. The Pee Song

17. The Voyage Of The Moon

18. The Unicorn

19. Lord Of The Dance

20. Little Ben

21. Can Ye Dance

22. In An Old Fashioned Picture Book

23. The Song Of The Wandering Aengus

24. A Funny Man

25. Lord Of The Reedy River

26. Henry Martin

27. Queen Mab

28. La Moora

Self Portrait - John Patrick Byrne (the cover artist)

The Song of the Wandering Aengus - W.B.Yeats. / D. Leitch

Mr Wind

Wynken, Blinken and Nod

over blog it! - moicani - article HMS donovan

P.S. as nobody seems to ever mention, the glorious artwork is by John Patrick Byrne the artist and playwright (he wrote the brilliant The Slab boys and a personal favourite 'Tutti Frutti' which made a star of Robbie Coltrane yes, 'Hagrid! in case you wondered, he was also once married to the wonderment that is Tilda Swinton so he must be interesting at the very least, check him out!)

DONOVAN 'Happiness Runs'

 “Happiness runs in a circular motion, Thought is like a little boat upon the sea.

Everybody is a part of everything anyway; You can have everything if you let yourself be.”

- Happiness Runs (Donovan)

Donovan on BBC 'In Concert' 1972

goo goo, goo goo Barabajagal

The Lovin' Spoonful - Henry Thomas! +

 HENRY THOMAS!

The Lovin' Spoonful

Hums of The Lovin' Spoonful

A favourite track and it suited my mood as its sunny and warm for once this year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

and then, like you do, I found this on YouTube. . . . . . . . Dave Bomberg and Johnny accompanying Donovan on 'Travelling Light'

so while we're about it . . . . . . . . 

DONOVAN 

- Gift From a Flower to a Garden -

I bought this album for my brother for his birthday and whilst a hippy style statement the flower to a garden aspect said a lot of what I felt about him. 
If I was a hippy 'flower' child then he was a garden . . . . . I thought of him as a tree and thought he towered beside me like an oak and could never be taken away from me and those that loved him. I was wrong and saw him struggle and wrestle the cancer that killed him over thirty years ago now harder than I have seen anyone battle anything . . . . . . . . the strongest, kindest, most peaceful man I ever knew

 . . . . . . miss you every day Steve

On this day in music history: April 16, 1968 - “A Gift From A Flower To A Garden”, the fifth album by Donovan is released (US release is in December 1967). Produced by Mickie Most, it is recorded at Pye Studios in London circa 1967. Originally released as two separate albums titled “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” and “For Little Ones”, it is one of the first rock albums to be issued as a box set. The songs on “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” are electric based pop songs, while “For Little Ones” are acoustic based children’s songs. The set is lavishly packaged with a full color booklet including photos and printed lyrics, “A Gift From A Flower To A Garden” peaks at number thirteen on the UK album chart, number nineteen on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

Help support the Behind The Grooves music blog with a donation by clicking on the link at: PayPal.Me/jharris1228

DONOVAN 

Fairy Tale

Nice posting about and of Donovan lately over at Rockasteria or 'Plain & Fancy' if you prefer 

Donovan - Fairy Tale 1965 (Plain & Fancy)

Tracks 1. Colours (Donovan Leitch) - 2:44 2. To Try For The Sun (Donovan Leitch) - 3:41 3. Sunny Goodge Street (Donovan Leitch) - 2:56 4. Oh Deed I Do (Bert Jansch) - 2:09 5. Circus Of Sour (Paul Bernath) - 1:53 6. The Summer Day Reflection Song (Donovan Leitch) - 2:16 7. Candy Man (Traditional; Arranged by Donovan Leitch) - 3:30 8. Jersey Thursday (Donovan Leitch) - 2:15 9. Belated Forgiveness Plea (Donovan Leitch) - 2:58 10.The Ballad Of A Crystal Man (Donovan Leitch) - 3:55 11.The Little Tin Soldier (Shawn Phillips) - 3:02 12.The Ballad Of Geraldine (Donovan Leitch) - 4:41 13.Universal Soldier (Buffy Sainte-Marie) - 2:15 14.The Ballad Of A Crystal Man (Donovan Leitch) - 3:18 15.The War Drags On (Mike Softley) - 3:44 16.Do You Hear Me Now (Bert Jansch) - 1:50 17.Turquoise (Donovan Leitch) - 3:31 18.Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness) (Donovan Leitch) - 3:12 
  

Musicians *Donovan - Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals *Skip Alan (Alan Skipper) - Drums *Brian Locking - Bass Guitar *Harold McNair - Flute *Shawn Phillips - Guitar, Twelve String Guitar

I always enjoy reading the texts with the postings at Rockesteria and this is no exception but I don't agree with the thesis and I hold that Dylan v. Donovan was nothing but a media construct that Dylan was aware of and the two artists clearly respected each other and ever since such journalistic constructs even today with the Britpop argument between Oasis and the Gallagher brothers and Damon Albarn from Blur was stupid and an invention. Rivalries such as this are media driven by journeymen hacks with little else to do if they cannot understand what is being sung and written about. Mind you it is worth noting the text here is written by Nick Bornholt back in 67 so we forgive him. Hindsight is a wonderful thing . . . . although curiously the notes refer to his first album 'Catch the Wind' or 'What's Bin Did . . . . .' rather than the featured 2nd album here 'Fairy Tales' which came out later in the year

I bought 'What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid' when it came out and always loved that album and loved Dylan too and still do from 'The Times  . . . . .' onward. I didn't always enjoy everything the two artists did (God bothering vulnerability from Dylan left me cold) but boy do I appreciate that the music world has plenty enough room for both

The one who really taught us to play and learn all the traditional songs was Martin Carthy – who incidentally was contacted by Dylan when Bob first came to the UK. Bob was influenced, as all American folk artists are, by the Celtic music of Ireland, Scotland and England. But in 1962 we folk Brits were also being influenced by some folk Blues and the American folk-exponents of our Celtic Heritage ... Dylan appeared after Woody [Guthrie], Pete [Seeger] and Joanie [Baez] had conquered our hearts, and he sounded like a cowboy at first but I knew where he got his stuff – it was Woody at first, then it was Jack Kerouac and the stream-of-consciousness poetry which moved him along. But when I heard 'Blowin' in the Wind' it was the clarion call to the new generation – and we artists were encouraged to be as brave in writing our thoughts in music ... We were not captured by his influence, we were encouraged to mimic him – and remember every British band from the Stones to the Beatles were copying note for note, lick for lick, all the American pop and blues artists – this is the way young artists learn. There's no shame in mimicking a hero or two – it flexes the creative muscles and tones the quality of our composition and technique. It was not only Dylan who influenced us – for me he was a spearhead into protest, and we all had a go at his style. I sounded like him for five minutes – others made a career of his sound. Like troubadours, Bob and I can write about any facet of the human condition. To be compared was natural, but I am not a copyist.^{[18] Donovan Leitch}

Enjoy it is worth checking out this from 1965

Well I'm not sure if this is embarrassing . . . . . . I don't think I like this track as much as I did when it came out but cared more for his folkie roots 'Catch The Wind' etc but the electric Donovan did come up with some great stuff . . . . ('Season Of The Witch' which I still like to play . . . ) Mellow Yellow began to cloy somewhat and 'Sunshine Superman' began to shake my faith but only after a while and when it came out I dug it so much I bought the single . . . . . 

On this day in music history: September 3, 1966 - “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1 week. Written by Donovan Leitch, it is the biggest US chart single for the Scottish born singer, songwriter and musician. Starting his career off by singing Dylanesque folk songs like his first hit single “Catch The Wind”, Donovan’s songwriting begins to evolve and move in new directions. “Sunshine Superman” is inspired partially by Leitch’s future wife Linda Lawrence, who had previously dated Rolling Stone Brian Jones. Wary of becoming involved with another musician, and the often unpredictable lifestyle it brings, she breaks off the relationship. Not willing to let her go easily, Donovan puts his feelings about winning her back into the song, expressed in the repeated refrain “‘Cause I made my mind up you’re going to be mine…”. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London in January of 1966, “Sunshine Superman” also features future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones playing guitar and bass respectively. The record marks a major turning point in Donovan’s career, which sees him moving away from his earlier folk oriented material that led the young singer/songwriter to be compared to Bob Dylan by the British press. The two actually meet in 1965 during Dylan’s now legendary tour of the UK captured in the documentary film “Don’t Look Back” and become friends. His first release on Epic Records (his previous records were released by Nashville, TN based indie Hickory Records in the US) in July of 1966, it quickly takes off. Entering the Hot 100 at #90 on July 30, 1966, it streaks to the top of the chart five weeks later. The UK release of the single is delayed until December of that year, due to a contractual dispute between Donovan and his British label Pye Records. “Sunshine Superman is a major hit there as well, peaking at #2 on the UK singles chart.

Yeah you know it! I bought this box set when it came out and curiously it  was probably the end of my Donovan period (who you calling an ole Hippie!?) I think my brother Steve ended up with this as he seemed to really like it cos I can't find it now but hey . . . . . it was a product of it's time and whereas the earlier stuff has stayed with me this period not so much . . . . . 

It's still groovy though . . . . . 

On this day in music history: April 16, 1968 - “A Gift From A Flower To A Garden”, the fifth album by Donovan is released (US release is in December 1967). Produced by Mickie Most, it is recorded at Pye Studios in London circa 1967. Originally released as two separate albums titled “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” and “For Little Ones”, it is one of the first rock albums to be issued as a box set. The songs on “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” are electric based pop songs, while “For Little Ones” are acoustic based children’s songs. The set is lavishly packaged with a full color booklet including photos and printed lyrics, “A Gift From A Flower To A Garden” peaks at number thirteen on the UK album chart, number nineteen on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

for Halloween 



a favourite song, although first heard by me by the supergroup (so called) of Stephen Stills, Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield 'Super Session' of '68

2,634 plays

swappers:

For me to love you now

Would be the sweetest thing, it would make me sing

Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Now here's another classic and Donovan meant a great deal to me growing up. I bought the first album out on Marble Arch and it was a part of my burgeoning teenage angst and all. He was, if you like, our own Dylan but that was largely a rivalry stirred by the media. They got on when they met and despite what was evidenced in the Pennebaker classic film of Bob's joking about the matter in 'Don't Look Back' showing his awareness of the rivalry he would have been totally amused by such blatant commercial invention and I think you can see it. Donovan could finger pick, play the harmonica and he was aware of the protest movement (The Little Tin Soldier) rather as the Donovan website maintains both were fans of the same sources and the same cultural emerging global events

Donovan was oddly compared to Bob Dylan when it was Woody Guthrie that both Donovan and Dylan emulated at the time. The true similarity between them is that they are Poets of the highest Order.

 I bought the first three albums but curiously he left me around the time of Sunshine Superman which I found forced and a tad hokey if you get my drift. Not quite the real deal somehow but I did buy my brother, Steve, Gift From a Flower to a Garden box set and there we left it. This however is a love song like no other and I still like it

1,345 plays