Hi all,

Man...The wife and I had a GREAT commute home this evening!
This afternoon, I bought a used CD at BULLMOOSE here in Portland,Maine and we listened to most all the album on my 45 minute drive home. Anybody remember DONOVAN? Well...
I found a used copy of DONOVAN'S GREATEST HITS for about $8.00 (such a deal!) Why is it that you almost never hear Donovan on the oldies station (except for maybe MELLOW YELLOW) but that is about it. Donovan has soooooo many wonderful songs. This CD has a total of 15 songs. Three of the 15 songs I was not familier with but...the remaining 12 songs...WOW...I forgotton how GREAT DONOVAN'S songs are. Aside from MELLOW YELLOW,SUNSHINE SUPERMAN,HURDY GURDY MAN...there were songs that were a blast from the past such as WEAR YOUR LOVE LIKE HEAVEN. Now...I for one would of never known this song by it's title but...once I heard it...it was like...Oh wow...I haven't heard that song in over 30 years...and what a great song!
Also included is THERE IS A MOUNTAIN (remember...First there is a Mountain then there is no Mountain then there is...) way cool!
SEASON OF THE WITCH is also on this CD as well as one of my all time favorits ATLANTIS (remember...."way down below the ocean...where I want to be...she may be"
God...I love that song! Anyway...if you ever have enjoyed Donovan...check out this CD! SixCats!

I'm not over 40 I'm not over 40 I'm not.....................
I have but one Donovan LP-Hurdy Gurdy Man. Super album, I'd recomend it. Very mellow but "trippy" :cool: It always takes me back to places and times I don't have any bussines re-visiting.
I am over 40 I am over 40 I am................................

Be carefull driving or operating heavy machinery while listening :smoke:

Brad

Hi SS,

I think you nailed it...mellow but TRIPPY! Yep...that's how I felt last night! Farm out...Right Arm! Gravy! SixCats!

Another excellent Donovan release is "Peace & Love Songs". It includes many of those same songs as well as some really beautiful obscure ones. "Bert's Blues" being one of his best in my opinion.

Check it out if you get a chance.
mOOn

Peace and love with reverb! Probably Pioneer.

I passed on a Donovan's Greatest Hits LP cause it didn't have "Atlantis." WTF?

Ahhhhhhhh Grasshopper,

you must seek DONOVAN'S Greatest Hits with BONUS TRACTS...

ATLANTIS will be found there!

SixCats!

The bonus tracks are only on CD. They were not on the vinyl release of "Greatest Hits."

I really dig Donovan's music - or at least most of it. He did a few things that were less than desirable. Do you remember "Intergalactic Laxative" which described how astronauts relieve themselves while in zero-gravity? That song dates from about 1974, which was a pretty low period in Donovan's career. Thank goodness he didn't see fit to make it one of the bonus tracks.

I am well over 40, at least chronologically. I still feel 20, even if my gray hair and mirror tell me I'm not!

Hi danj,

Ummmm...thank goodness I missed that low point in Dovovans career. I am only familier with his main stream material. Welcome by the way to AK. SixCats!

Greatest hits albums are ok but its better to get the real deal. Donovan's Lp's are pretty abundant.

Grumpy

Well, I dont hit the big 4-oh until December, and I hope the next 8 months go by reaaaal sloooooow, so I can savor still being 30-something.

Donovan happened to be a special guest last month at the New Jersey BeatlesFest (www.beatlefest.com).

Everyone knows all the great hits by him, so instead I implore you: pick up the somewhat obscure but great, repeat GREAT album by him 'Open Road' from 1970. It was finally released on CD about a year or two ago- I had waited a looong time for that to happen. Or you might be able to find a nice original vinyl copy with lyrics printed inside, if vinyl is more your thing. Either way- that album has THE classic analog sound and I have always enjoyed listening to it. You can keep an eye out on Ebay, such as:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2526468135&category=307

I have VERY good taste in music, so trust me- when I say its good, then it IS good.

By the way, I did see Donovan a few years ago when his Sutras album was released- he was at a Tower Records here in NY City- did an autograph signing session and an in-store Concert- he put on an excellent show- very charismatic performer, I was impressed.

And I was very pleased to be able to say Hi to him (and at the time, mention to him how much I liked the Open Road album and ask when was it going to be released on CD :)

Saw Donovan open up for Yes in Boise...back in about '86 or so. He had the audience rockin'. Half the crowd there had no idea who he was, but I guarantee they remembered the name after they left.

A true talent, much underappreciated.

Revived! Don't forget "Jennifer Juniper"! My greatest hits cd does not include Atlantis either.

Greatest hits albums are ok but its better to get the real deal. Donovan's Lp's are pretty abundant.

Grumpy

Quite true, and they are much better-sounding than the CDs. But good clean yellow Epic monos are not that easy to find, and some of the stereos are rechanneled.

I have most of his stuff on vinyl, and he is in the normal rotation, Great stuff got his first album in 65 and still have it!
Regards,
Jim

Ah, yes, Donovan. Hazy memories of youth...:smoke:

Seriously, I always liked some of his stuff. He was one of the "big" names years ago; strange that he doesn't get a bit more airplay these days. His music (performance style) may sound a bit more "dated" these days than some of his contemporaries' stuff, but it's still good. :music:

As for "Season of the Witch", I like the version on the "Super Session" LP better, even though Donovan actually wrote the song.

I'm 42 and if I hadn't spent a lot of time with my 11 years older brother's record collection then Donovan and a bunch of my favorites would have been way before my time. When I was in school the other kids listened to Michael Jackson and Def Leppard.

hehe, one of the first Cd's I bought.

And for a little trivia, who was Donavan's session guitar player who soon after rose to great fame?

umm... jimmy page?
i know he was a big fan of Donovan and played on sunshine superman.

"Intergalactic Laxative".....now THERE is a great name for a band!

Sunshine Superman and Universal Soldier are great picks.

There's another thread going on this, cool! I think Jimmy Page played lead on the song Hurdy Gurdy Man. I know on one of the "Live" compilations Donovan gets the crowd psyched up with a brief story of how George Harrison wrote an additional verse for the song and of course sings it in. Probably took place while in India with the Maharissi. Just a great performer that certainly defined the times in another way that Dylan did. When I want to feel mellow (not yellow), whimsical, or just light and happy, Donovan foots the bill.

Footnote: I vaguely recall that there is a recording at the Newport Folk festival with Donovan and Joan Baez deuting 'Colours" "Yellow is the color of my true love's hair
In the morning when we rise...." Flashback ...Newport Festival, early 70's the last one they held for a long while at the grounds. Dionne Warwick on stage and due to the previous years with the incorp of large rock bands there, and it having turned into a rock fest, crowd got rowdy thinking they could again crash the gates and get in free. Before we knew it we were tear gassed running thru back yards. The irony is we had tickets, just got there late!! Ahhh the memories.

I have an EEC import of a Best Of that is mostly live if not all. I paid about $6 10 years ago from a cutout bin at an old Strawberries. It's a DoublePlay Best of with all the songs you want and using a picture from the original Sunshine Superman with his little hat and schoolboy look. Plenty of stories in between about the Beatles and Him meditating with the maharishi in India.

What is amazing about this disk is the sonics. It is as live as could be and he sounds right there in front of you.

Anyone else have this version?

Never heard it. I wonder if it was since ever repackaged under another title. Got me curions

Oh yes. I remember Donovan. Ummmhuh.:smoke:

Dave

My brother used to play with the Bluerunners (rock/zydeco/alt band on Island, Rounder, & indie labels) & they played a early 90s NY gig that shared billing with Donovan. (fairly sure about the timeline... could be mistaken)

Later that night as we were gathered together on the roof of our bungalow, under the tropical Indian stars,
we brought out the guitars and I started to write this song. It went like this:

OO-OO-OO,
OO-OO-OO.

And George Harrison he turned to me and he said:
"I could write a verse for that song, Donovan."
And he did, but I never recorded it!
But would you like to hear that long lost verse of George?

YEAH!

Okay, George wrote, I love George, he said this:

WHEN THE TRUTH GETS BURIED DEEP
BENEATH THE THOUSAND YEARS OF SLEEP
TIME DEMANDS A TURN AROUND
AND ONCE AGAIN THE TRUTH IS FOUND.

Yeah, George!

AWAKENING THE HURDY GURDY MAN
WHO COMES SINGING SONGS OF LOVE.
THEN WHEN THE HURDY GURDY MAN
THEY COME SINGING SONGS OF LOVE.

Paul McCartney sings background vocals on Mellow Yellow. "They call me Mellow Yellow - that's right."

Donovan performed on the local public radio program a few years ago. Sounded good as ever, and seemed like a very nice guy, too.

Seems he has really been a big influence on music for someone you don't hear a lot about. I was looking through some old blues music videos on YouTube and came up with this spot where he was on a tv show with Pete Seger hosting and him and Reverend Gary Davis performing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIvUjexgvak

Very interesting, looks like from the 50's.

Here is the first part of that show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_90D1RzApts

Sixcats - Thanks for posting this thread as I had no Donovan in my collection and thanks to you I know have his Greatest Hits on vinyl. Good flash back

For the best sounding Donovan CD ... I highly recommend ... Storyteller (http://www.amazon.com/Storyteller-Donovan/dp/B0000DD76Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223904553&sr=1-1) ... here's the track list ...

1. Catch the Wind
2. Colours
3. Universal Soldier
4. Josie
5. Sunny Goodge Street
6. Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)
7. Turquoise
8. You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond
9. To Try for the Sun
10. To Sing for You
11. Sunshine Superman
12. Mellow Yellow
13. Hurdy Gurdy Man
14. Atlantis

I passed on a Donovan's Greatest Hits LP cause it didn't have "Atlantis." WTF?

Never heard of this track "Atlantis"
Seek, and I shall find.

Thanks Bluelake, that's what I was referring to but couldn't recall the details!! Age you know. As an aside, I was in Newbury Comics store yesterday poking around and the manager walks by holding up 6 fingers. I ask, "What's that about?" "Well, used to be we had 2 bins, then 4 bins, now 6 bins or LPs, and growing." Got a chuckle as I always hit th ebins on the way out looking for what's reissued. Anyway, in the DVD section they had "Sunshine Superman" a 3 hr docu/history/? of Donovan that I presumed is new. Anyone see it? Looked interesting, didnt recognize the name of the producer. I'll bet great footage!!

I really dig Donovan's music - or at least most of it. He did a few things that were less than desirable. Do you remember "Intergalactic Laxative" which described how astronauts relieve themselves while in zero-gravity?

What was he thinking? Non-fiction subject matter such as this could have only been properly addressed by Frank Zappa. Please refer to the Illinois Enema Bandid for a prime example.

Later that night as we were gathered together on the roof of our bungalow, under the tropical Indian stars,
we brought out the guitars and I started to write this song. It went like this:

OO-OO-OO,
OO-OO-OO.

And George Harrison he turned to me and he said:
"I could write a verse for that song, Donovan."
And he did, but I never recorded it!
But would you like to hear that long lost verse of George?

YEAH!

Okay, George wrote, I love George, he said this:

WHEN THE TRUTH GETS BURIED DEEP
BENEATH THE THOUSAND YEARS OF SLEEP
TIME DEMANDS A TURN AROUND
AND ONCE AGAIN THE TRUTH IS FOUND.

Yeah, George!

AWAKENING THE HURDY GURDY MAN
WHO COMES SINGING SONGS OF LOVE.
THEN WHEN THE HURDY GURDY MAN
THEY COME SINGING SONGS OF LOVE.

Awesome! That is really great.

I get most of my Donovan love from the Troubador box set- nice audio quality and good variety. I'm especially fond of Barabajagal.

Never heard of this track "Atlantis"
Seek, and I shall find.

Way down below the ocean
Way down below the sea, she made me......

I have one of his albums, can't recall the name, but some of the tracks it has is Atlantis, Pamela Jo, I love my Shirt, ect... I have to dig it up and give it a listen! I love Donovan!

Bump ... this is a fantastic sounding CD.

The Epic Legacy remastered release from 3/99.

Mellow Yellow
Colours
Hurdy Gurdy Man
Catch The Wind
Lalena
Epistle To Dippy (Single Version)
Sunshine Superman
There Is A Mountain
Jennifer Juniper
Wear Your Love Like Heaven
Season Of The Witch
Atlantis
To Susan On The West Coast Waiting (Single Version)
Barabajagal (Single Version)
Riki Tiki Tavi

Not only do I remember all of them, I used to work in radio and got to play them as they were released. Yeah way over 40. LOL.

Every time I hear "Atlantis" now, it is inextrically linked to that scene in "Goodfellas" where Billy Batts is murdered...

Another of many flashbacks to the 60's. :yes: Once in a while I'll hear one of his tunes on the oldies station.

I had forgotten all about that song 'Barabajagal', recorded with the Jeff Beck group, no less...................

Greatest hits albums are ok but its better to get the real deal. Donovan's Lp's are pretty abundant.

Grumpy

:yes:

I'm 42 and if I hadn't spent a lot of time with my 11 years older brother's record collection then Donovan and a bunch of my favorites would have been way before my time. When I was in school the other kids listened to Michael Jackson and Def Leppard.

Hey, I am 41 and never listened to him. I think this thread should have read over 50.

my friend started to sing his praises and yeah buddy, he's right. good musician with excellent ideas. i also recently snagged his GH on vinyl and will be looking for the proper ones now.

I've been thinking about getting Donovan's Greatest Hits and Alice's Resturaunt now for about 6 months!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for reminding me!!

Donovan is just so naturally great. Just so real.

And he showed John Lennon how to play that style of guitar playing!