Donovan – Sunshine Superman, 60 Years Later | Vinyl Monday

Abby, your videos just get better and better, both in research and production. I love the vintage psychedelic recreations. But please, I beg you, put the plug for your Patreon up front. You deserve many more paying followers. It's only $3.33 a month, people can afford it!

I've told this before, but Laura and I saw Donovan in Dallas in 2016 on a 50th anniversary tour for "Sunshine Superman." We were floored when he introduced some good friends whom he said he'd played with many times and out came Bob and Sally Ackerman, a local husband-and-wife singer/songwriter duo. They did one of their own songs and backed him up on a few of his. They're friends of ours; we've attended Christmas parties at their house; but we had no idea they knew Donovan.

Superman is of Krypton – not Greenland. (Only thing I didn't love about the song when it came out.)

Next week's album, Notorious Byrd Brothers?

Donovan was a troubadour always ready to leap on stage to fill in when a band was late, so many festivals I attended in the late 60's & early 70's would see this Scottish Bard put in extra gigs, often pulling other musicians on stage to form a band. A truly Lovely person with much great music.
His last performance at Glastonbury a few years ago had magic of it's own.

My favourite album of all time (ever , by anyone) is Donovan's "Open Road" . "Rikki Tikki Tavi" is my favourite Donovan song.

You really do do wonderful work Abby.

Donovan has always been one of my favorite musicians. I grew up on his albums. I named my son Jesse Donovan. . . My grandson named his first son Donovan. I have the album "Mellow Yellow" hanging on my wall (signed by Donovan).

I have good reason to defend Donovan. His American debut was the first pop concert I ever attended. And it was my first date. The girl was named Fifi (not kidding!). We had met at Sunday church youth group, and my parents provided the ride to the hall. It was that innocent, and that long ago. The venue was Montclair State Teacher's College in New Jersey – a warmup to his first New York gigs. Just a guy on stage with an acoustic guitar supported by a mediocre sound system. I remember he played Colors, Try For the Sun, Catch the Wind and of course Universal Soldier. That song helped inspire me to resist the draft and the Vietnam war, and to eventually register as a conscientious objector, doing alternate service rather than take up arms. Donovan's message of love and peace has been pivotal in my life.

I’ve always loved Donovan. He’s a great singer, one who can go from the gentlest ballad to full on Blues-wailing. I actually wish he did more rock singing like the de of songs he did with the Jeff Beck Group. When I first heard Nick Drake (in the 90s), I thought he must have been influenced by Donovan.

22:51 A 5000 Spirits episode would be great! I love that album.

That thing about Donovan misspelling your name is hilarious because he had some trouble spelling my mother's name too when he was signing an album for her when we met him at a Beatlefest. (Yes, I'm the Beatlefest person again. Hi) And what makes it even more amusing is that her name is Patricia and if you read his book, you'll see that he apparently dated a girl with that name. Thankfully, when he signed my CD, I didn't ask him to make it out to me. He just signed his name on it and that was that. Ha.

Thank you for giving Donovan the kudos he deserves. Even the great Andrew Hickey had a rare off-day with Donovan and sold him somewhat short, I feel, describing him as a good entertainer but not an artist. At his best, Donovan was an artist up there with anyone.

Fantastic album, I agree the Hurdy Gurdy Man LP is another brilliant one, they are my favourites of his.
What a mess with what happened regarding having so much stuff not released in the UK or as you point out much later and in a very different "revisited" version. Which brings me to a funny anecdote: I remember a review of the CD of Sunshine Superman, as it was originally released, cover and all, in the US… on a 90s issue of Mojo, UK mag. The reviewer complained about the shortened and different tracklist, implying they ruined the "original" British release. In his defence that was common practice with many British albums, beginning with the Beatles but 30 years down the line he should have known better 😉

"I will bring you gold apples and grapes made of rubies
that have shown in the eyes of
the prince of the breeze…"

I want to be on whatever plane of existence he was on!

You should do East/West by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, if you haven't already.

0:25 Ankh symbol. "Walk like an Egyptian" as Susanna Hoffs noticed.

Legend of the girl child Linda- the tune is lovely, the lyrics are magical, the orchestral arrangement is stunning and glorious- it transports you to a utopian never land.

The electric guitar fills on the title track are by Eric Ford rather than J. Page. Page does mythologies a bit.

Sand and Foam