Donovan Phillips Leitch was born on the 10th of May 1946 in Glasgow (Scotland). He contracted polio as a child. The disease and treatment left him walking with a limp. Finally his family moved to the new town of Hatfield, Hertfordshire (England). Donovan enrolled art school but was dropped out soon.
Then he started touring through the country to perform folk music in 1964. In late 1964 he signed his first record contract with PYE records. He first recorded a 10-track demo tape. During the recordings he met Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones. Donovan was dating Brian's ex girlfriend Linda Lawrence. She would become a big inspiration for his music but at that time she didn't want to marry before she left the United States at the end of the 60's. "Catch the Wind" was his first hit released in 1965 (UK #3 / US #23). Followed by "Colours" (UK #64 NL #8) and "Universal Soldier" (#9 NL). However, the singer had been accused of copying Bob Dylan's look and musical style. Therefore, he tried to move away from his folk roots into psychedelic rock. "Sunny Goodge Street" from his second album "Fairytale" already pointed in a new direction. |
| Single cover of "The Universal Soldier" |
In late 1965 Donovan was introduced to producer Mickie Most who would produce most of his 60's albums. In 1966 Donovan became the first UK artist to adopt flower power. Working with Mickie Most and with arranger, musician and jazz fan John Cameron meant the beginning of his rise to fame. The release of the album "Sunshine Superman" was full of troubles. PYE records had a deal with Warner Brothers to release his work contracted under PYE records but in the US this delayed the release when his new manager Allen Klein signed Epic Records that would publish Donovan's work in the United States. PYE decided to not release any new work outside the United States out of protest. Outside the US Donovan was still contracted under PYE. As a result different versions of the new album were released in the US and elsewhere. Although folk elements were still prominent, the album showed increasing influence of jazz, American west coast psychedelia and folk rock. The single "Sunshine Superman" moved to #1 in the US and #2 in both the UK and the Netherlands. In August the album was released in the US reaching #11. On 10 June 1966 Donovan became the first high-profile British pop star to be arrested for possession of cannabis.
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| Donovan in 1966 |
The UK version of "Sunshine Superman" was not released for another nine months. This would become a compilation of tracks from the US albums "Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow" reaching #25 in the UK. In any case the disputes have been settled again. "Mellow Yellow" was the next album in the US released under Epic Records reaching #14 in the US but remained unreleased in the UK an some tracks were on the UK version of "Sunshine Superman". The single "Mellow Yellow" reached #2 in the US, #8 in the UK and #12 in the Netherlands.
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| Donovan and Linda |
"Sunshine Superman" was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios, The song "Sunshine Superman" is about the break-up between Donovan and Linda Lawrence. "Bert's Blues" and "House of Jansch" were a tribute to Donovan's friend and also a folk artist: Bert Jansch, "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" had come to him in a dream, where he had seen himself composing it and is of course also about Linda Lawrence. "The Trip" had been written in Hollywood, as Donovan and a friend looked over the Sunset Strip from their guest house while on an acid trip. "Superlungs" referred to marijuana use but was shelved an finally re-recorded 1969's "Barabajagal" because it was a sensitive topic. "Guinevere" had been inspired by The Lady of the Land of Faery in Celtic mythology, along with medieval imagery of King Arthur's court. Fat Angel" referred to singer Mama Cass of The Mamas & the Papas. "Young Girl Blues" was recorded in January 1966 and recounts his then-girlfriend Linda Lawrence's disillusionment as a model in Los Angeles. "Sand And Foam" describes a trip he took that April to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico with his friend Gypsy Dave.
Donovan is also the adoptive father of Lawrence's and Brian Jones's son, Julian Brian (Jones) Leitch. Commercial fortunes were over after parting with Most in 1969, He continued to release albums in the 70's and then he left the music industry for a time. "Mellow Yellow" would later become famous for the movies of the Minions.
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| Original album cover (US) |
Sunshine Superman (US-1966)
Sunshine Superman / Legend of a Girl Child Linda / Three King Fishers / Ferris Wheel / Bert's Blues / Season of the Witch / The Trip / Guinevere / The Fat Angel / Celeste
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| Original album cover |
Mellow Yellow (US-1967)
Mellow Yellow / Writer in the Sun / Sand and Foam / The Observation / Bleak City Woman / House of Jansch / Young Girl Blues / Museum / Hampstead Incident / Sunny South Kensington
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| Original album cover |
Sunshine Superman (UK-1967)
Sunshine Superman / Legend of a Girl Child Linda / The Observation / Guinevere / Celeste / Writer in the Sun / Season of the Witch / Hampstead Incident / Sand and Foam / Young Girl Blues / Three Kingfishers / Bert's Blues
AUDIO/VIDEO
Mellow Yellow
Sunshine Superman
Three King Fishers
Writer In The Sun