Despite a title that suggests, to the uninitiated, a mocking comedy sketch by Chris Morris, this box of delights comprising Donovan Leitch’s late 60s output, is a glorious snapshot in time. No other British singer did as much to merge folk sensibilities with mainstream pop, and the results are here across 90 remastered tracks.
Ostensibly a collection of five full albums, plus a disc of period B-sides and bonus tracks (where we find the Patchouli song of the title), it represents a prolific output of material that struck a chord with traditionalists and teenyboppers alike. 1966’s Sunshine Superman was the eye-opening calling card, where leftfield psychedelia rubbed shoulders with whimsical folk. The following year’s Mellow Yellow broadened the canvas further to include sassy brass and Beat-style poetry.
1968’s The Hurdy Gurdy Man dabbled in drug references while producer Mickie Most added heavier rock hues, but 1969’s Barabajagal arguably suffered from being too scattergun. Most intriguing, though, is A Gift From A Flower To A Garden, the 1968 double set that could be the work of two artists, Donovan dividing himself between fey folkie and earthy bluesman.
by Terry Staunton
Tracks
Disc 1
Sunshine Superman 1966
1. Sunshine Superman - 3:16
2. Legend Of A Girl Child Linda - 6:54
3. Three Kingfishers - 3:18
4. Ferris Wheel - 4:15
5. Bert's Blues - 4:00
6. Season Of The Witch - 4:58
7. The Trip - 4:38
8. Guinevere - 3:42
9. The Fat Angel - 4:14
10.Celeste - 4:13
Mellow Yellow 1967
11.Mellow Yellow - 3:44
12.Writer In The Snow - 4:31
13.Sand And Foam - 3:21
14.The Observation - 2:25
15.Bleak City Woman - 2:26
16.House Of Jansch - 2:46
17.Young Girl Blues - 3:48
18.Museum - 2:58
19.Hampstead Incident - 4:44
20.Sunny South Kensington - 3:50
All songs by Donovan Leitch
Disc 2
The Hurdy Gurdy Man 1968
1. Hurdy Gurdy Man - 3:18
2. Peregrine - 3:39
3. The Entertaining Of A Shy Girl - 1:43
4. As I Recall It - 2:10
5. Get Thy Bearings - 2:54
6. Hi It's Been A Long Time - 2:39
7. West Indian Lady - 2:19
8. Jennifer Juniper - 2:43
9. The River Song - 2:17
10.Tangier - 4:14
11.A Sunny Day - 1:58
12.The Sun Is A Very Magic Fellow - 2:48
13.Teas - 2:41
14.Jennifer Juniper (Italian Version) - 2:43
Barabajagal 1968
15.Barabajagal - 3:26
16.Superlungs My Supergirl - 2:50
17.Where Is She - 2:49
18.Happiness Runs - 3:28
19.I Love My Shirt - 3:19
20.The Love Song - 3:16
21.To Susan On The West Coast Waiting - 3:14
22.Atlantis - 5:01
23.Trudi - 2:25
24.Pamela Jo - 4:27
25.A Poor Man's Sunshine (Nativity) - 5:17
All compositions by Donovan Leitch
Bonus Track 14
Track 25 From The Barabajagal Sessions
Disc 3
A Gift From A Flower To A Garden 1967
1. Wear Your Love Like Heaven - 2:30
2. Mad John's Escape - 2:24
3. Skip-A-Long Sam - 2:30
4. Sun - 3:21
5. There Was A Time - 2:06
6. Oh Gosh - 1:52
7. Little Boy In Corduroy - 2:38
8. Under The Greenwood Tree - 2:00
9. The Land Of Doesn't Have To Be - 2:33
10.Someone Singing - 3:09
11.Song Of The Naturalists Wife - 2:48
12.The Enchanted Gypsy - 3:23
13.Voyage Into The Golden Screen - 3:18
14.Isle Of Islay - 2:25
15.The Mandolin Man And His Secret - 3:36
16.Lay Of The Last Tinker - 1:55
17.The Tinker And The Crab - 2:56
18.Widow With Shawl (A Portrait) - 3:04
19.The Lullaby Of Spring - 3:29
20.The Magpie - 1:33
21.Starfish On-The-Toast - 2:49
22.Epistle To Derroll - 5:47
Words and Music by Donovan Leitch
1. Breezes Of Patchuli - 4:36
2. Museum (First Version) - 2:53
3. Superlungs (First Version) - 3:17
4. The Land Of Doesn't Have To Be - 2:43
5. Sunshine Superman (Original Longer Stereo Version) - 4:44
6. Epistle To Dippy - 3:12
7. Preachin' Love - 2:41
8. Good Time - 1:55
9. There Is A Mountain - 2:36
10.Superlungs (Second Version) - 3:17
11.Epistle To Dippy (Alternative Arrangment) - 3:13
12.Teen Angel - 2:18
13.Poor Cow - 2:58
14.Lalena - 2:55
15.Aye My Love - 2:08
16.What A Beautiful Creature You Are - 2:45
17.Colours - 4:19
18.Catch The Wind - 5:05
19.The Stromberg Twins - 4:41
20.Snakeskin - 2:41
21.Lauretta's Cousin Laurinda - 4:18
22.The Swan (Lord Of The Reedy River) - 3:10
23.New Years Resolution (Donovan's Celtic Jam) - 3:15
All titles by Donovan Leitch
Tracks 1-5 "Sunshine Superman" Associated Recordings
Tracks 6-11 "Mellow Yellow" Associated Recordings
Tracks 12-16 "Hurdy Gurdy Man" Associated Recordings
Tracks 17-21 "Barabajagal" Associated Recordings
Track 22 "Hurdy Gurdy Man" Associated Recording
Track 23 "Barabajagal" Associated Recording
Musicians
*Donovan - Vocals, Guitar, Organ, Harmonica, Whistling
*Bobby Ray - Bass Guitar
*Eddie Hoh - Drums
*Shawn Phillips - Sitar
*Jimmy Page - Electric Guitar
*Eric Ford - Electric Guitar
*John Cameron - Keyboards, Arrangement
*Spike Healey - Bass Guitar
*Bobby Orr - Drums
*Tony Carr - Percussion, Bells, Congas, Finger Cymbals
*John Paul Jones - Bass Guitar
*Danny Thompson - Bass Guitar
*Spike Heatley - Bass Guitar
*Phil Seamon - Drums
*John Mclaughlin - Rhythm Guitar
*Joe Moretti - Rhythm Guitar
*Danny Moss - Saxophone
*Ronnie Ross - Saxophone
*Big Jim Sullivan - Electric Guitar
*Eric Ford - Electric Guitar
*Shawn Phillips - Sitar
*Pat Halling - Violin
*Harold Mcnair - Flute
*Eric Leese - Electric Guitar
*Cliff Barton - Bass Guitar
*Jack Bruce - Bass Guitar
*Ken Baldock - Double Bass
*Mike O'Neill - Keyboards
*Keith Webb - Drums
*Mike Carr - Vibraphone
*"Candy" John Carr - Congas
*John Bonham - Percussion
*Clem Cattini - Drums
*Jeff Beck - Guitar
*Madeline Bell - Backing Vocals
*Ronnie Wood - Guitar
*Lesley Duncan - Backing Vocals
*Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
*Alan Hawkshaw - Piano
*Nicky Hopkins - Keyboards
*Rod Stewart - Backing Vocals
*James Kehn - Percussion, Drums
*Gabriel Mekler - Keyboards
1965 Donovan - Fairytale (2001 expanded deluxe edition)
