July 31, 2020 —– Chart #50
Hello Musical Friends,
Another weekend is upon us. Wow, these work from home weeks seem to fly by. Today I am drifting back to 1966 and a hit from Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist Donovan Philips Leitch, otherwise known simply as “Donovan”. Perhaps his best know hit is Mellow Yellow, but I have chosen a different number for today. “Sunshine Superman” is a song written and recorded by Donovan and released in the United States through Epic Records in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it appeared on Donovan’s previous label, Pye Records. The “Sunshine Superman” single was backed with “The Trip” on both the United States and United Kingdom releases. It has been described as “[one of the] classics of the era,” and as “the quintessential bright summer sing along”.
“Sunshine Superman” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and subsequently became the title track of Donovan’s third album, Sunshine Superman. Chart positions were No. 1 (US), and No. 2 (UK). It was Donovan’s only single to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. A different mix of “The Trip” (without harmonica) is also included in the album. It was the first product from the highly successful three-year collaboration between Donovan and producer Mickie Most and is generally considered to be one of the first examples of the musical genre that came to be known as psychedelia. The song features styles of psychedelic pop, folk rock, psychedelic folk, and psychedelic rock. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, later of Led Zeppelin, play on the recording.
Donovan developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music (notably calypso). He has lived in Scotland, Hertfordshire (England), London, California, and since at least 2008 in County Cork, Ireland, with his family. Emerging from the British folk scene, Donovan reached fame in the United Kingdom in early 1965 with live performances on the pop TV series Ready Steady Go!.
His most successful singles were the early UK hits “Catch the Wind”, “Colours” and “Universal Soldier” in 1965, written by Buffy Sainte-Marie. In September 1966 “Sunshine Superman” topped America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week and went to number two in Britain, followed by “Mellow Yellow” at US No. 2 in December 1966, then 1968’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” in the Top 5 in both countries, then “Atlantis”, which reached US No. 7 in May 1969.
He became a friend of pop musicians including Joan Baez, Brian Jones and the Beatles. He taught John Lennon a finger-picking guitar style in 1968 that Lennon employed in “Dear Prudence”, “Julia”, “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” and other songs. Donovan’s commercial fortunes waned after parting with Most in 1969, and he left the industry for a time.
Donovan continued to perform and record sporadically in the 1970s and 1980s. His musical style and hippie image were scorned by critics, especially after punk rock. His performing and recording became sporadic until a revival in the 1990s with the emergence of Britain’s rave scene. He recorded the 1996 album Sutras with producer Rick Rubin and in 2004 made a new album, Beat Cafe. Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.
Here it is, Sunshine Superman:
I can’t explain this one. All I know is that the cat would be in it’s late 50’s or beyond by now:
Keep rockin’,
Stan