Sunday, May 10, 2009

The "Sunshine Superman" turns 63


Born Donovan Leitch in Glasgow, Scotland, the singer/songwriter known as Donovan has achieved immortality on oldies radio thanks to the popularity of songs like "Mellow Yellow" and "Sunshine Superman." First promoted as Britain's answer to Bob Dylan, Donovan began as a straightforward modernizer of folk music, and then later embraced the flower-powered spirit of hippie mysticism that characterized the mid-'60s. Teaming with producer Mickie Most, Donovan put out a series of increasingly eclectic albums that tapped into the psychedelic spirit of the time before turning heavy and apocalyptic as the '60s drew to a close.

Below is the song "Barabajagal (Love Is Hot)" recorded in May of 1969, on which Donovan is backed by the Jeff Beck Group (Beck on lead guitar, Ronnie Wood on bass, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Micky Waller on drums).

1 comment:

alfred said...

Banana Peel smokin hippie freak!