''Cosmic Wheels'' is the tenth studio album, and eleventh album overall, by British singer-songwriter
Donovan
Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...
. It was released in both the UK (Epic SEPC 65450) and the US (Epic KE 32156) in March 1973.
History
After the introspection of fatherhood and family life contained in the songs of ''HMS Donovan'', Donovan turned his attention to popular music again in 1972. It had been three years since "
Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...
" entered the top 10. Since that time, Donovan had released a mildly successful album with band
Open Road and a solo children's album that failed to make the charts in the UK and did not even see a release in the US.
In hopes of fomenting success, Donovan brought in
Mickie Most
Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), known as Mickie Most, was an English record producer behind scores of hit singles for acts such as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, the Nashville Teens, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate ...
to share the producer duties on his next album. The ''Cosmic Wheels'' sessions were recorded in
Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios (founded as Morgan Sound Studios) was an independent recording studio in Willesden in northwest London. Founded in 1967, the studio was the location for recordings by such notable artists as Jethro Tull, the Kinks, Paul McCartney, ...
in London, England. In the UK at that time,
glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
ruled the top of the charts, defined by bands and artists such as
T. Rex,
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
, and
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
among others. Several of these bands and artists claimed Donovan as a key influence in their music. This praise coupled with the chart success of the genre likely had great influence on the musical direction ''Cosmic Wheels'' would take.
While Donovan was recording ''Cosmic Wheels'',
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
were recording their 1973 album ''
Billion Dollar Babies
''Billion Dollar Babies'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released on February 25, 1973, by Warner Bros. Records. The album became the best selling Alice Cooper record at the time of its release, hit number one on th ...
'' in the same studio. Alice Cooper guitarist
Michael Bruce suggested asking Donovan to sing co-lead on the title track with
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...
himself. Donovan agreed, and the resulting song helped propel ''
Billion Dollar Babies
''Billion Dollar Babies'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released on February 25, 1973, by Warner Bros. Records. The album became the best selling Alice Cooper record at the time of its release, hit number one on th ...
'' to No. 1 in the US.
''Cosmic Wheels'' reached the top 20 in both the US and UK, enjoying the same chart success as many of Donovan's previous albums. By 1973 the music business had shifted to promoting album-oriented rock, relegating singles to less promotion and fewer sales. An edited form of "I Like You" reached No. 66 in the U.S. and became the last charting single Donovan has had to date.
Reissues
* On August 15, 1994,
Epic
Epic commonly refers to:
* Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation
* Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements
Epic or EPIC may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
's Rewind Records label reissued ''Cosmic Wheels'' (Epic/Rewind 477378 2) on CD in the UK.
* On February 23, 2004,
Diablo Records released ''Cosmic Wheels/Essence to Essence'' (DIAB8051) in the UK on CD. This compilation includes all of ''Cosmic Wheels'' and all of ''Essence to Essence'' on one disc.
* "Cosmic Wheels" is the third release of THE SEVENTIES COLLECTION as Digital Download on iTunes. The digital release of the original 1973 album "Cosmic Wheels" was on August 19, 2010.
Track listing
All tracks by Donovan Leitch.
Side one
# "Cosmic Wheels" – 4:00
# "Earth Sign Man" – 3:55
# "Sleep" – 3:45
# "Maria Magenta" – 2:10
# "Wild Witch Lady" – 4:20
Side two
# "The Music Makers" – 4:25
# "The Intergalactic Laxative" – 2:50
# "I Like You" – 5:10
# "Only the Blues" – 3:10
# "Appearances" – 3:36
* Note: "Sleep" is incorrectly listed as 4:45 on both the album centre label and the album insert. This is an error by 1 minute: the correct time is 3:45.
Personnel
* Donovan – guitar, harmonica, design, vocals
*
Chris Spedding
Christopher John Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944) is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his st ...
– guitar, strings, bouzouki
* Dennis Ball – bass
[ Name misspelled as "Dennis Wall"]
*
Clive Chaman
Clive Chaman (born 5 September 1949) is a UK-based bass guitarist and session musician, born in Trinidad and Tobago.
After appearing on Ram John Holder's 1969 ''London Blues'' album, Chaman became a member of the second Jeff Beck Group in 197 ...
– bass
*
Phil Chen
Phillip David Chen (21 October 1946 – 14 December 2021) was a Jamaican bassist. He was one of England's most utilized session bassists during the 1970s and 1980s, including Jeff Beck, and the Rod Stewart band from 1977 to 1980, but is prob ...
– bass
*
Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English rock drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Robert Plant, ...
– drums
*
Alan White – drums
*
John "Rabbit" Bundrick
John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948 in Houston, Texas) is an American–English rock keyboardist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roge ...
– piano, Moog synthesizer, mellotron
*
John Cameron - electric piano on "Appearances"
* Tony Carr – percussion
*
Jim Horn
James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician.
Biography
Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for f ...
– alto saxophone
*
Bobby Keys
Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed with other musicians as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Ni ...
– tenor saxophone
* Patrick Halling – violin
*
Jack Emblow
Jack Alexander Emblow (born 27 June 1930) is a British jazz accordionist who is best known for his musical work accompanying the Cliff Adams Singers on BBC Radio.
Biography
Emblow was born on 27 June 1930 in Lincoln, England. His father sang a ...
– accordion
* Leslye Ash – vocals
* Valerie Charrington – soprano vocals
* Nick Curtis – vocals
*
Lesley Duncan
Lesley Cox (née Duncan; 12 August 1943 – 12 March 2010) was an English singer-songwriter, best known for her work during the 1970s. She received much airplay on British radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, but never achieved ...
– vocals on "The Music Makers"
* Julie Forsythe – vocals
* Leslie Fyson – vocals
* John McCarthy – vocals
*
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer, bass guitarist, songwriter, and actress. In the 1970s, she scored a string of hit singles that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, reaching No. 1 in th ...
– vocals on "The Music Makers"
* Gaynor Stewart – vocals
* Jill Utting – soprano vocals
* Cary Wilson – vocals
;Technical
*Mike Bobak – engineer
*
John Kosh
John Kosh, known simply as Kosh, is an English art director, album cover designer, graphic artist, and documentary producer/director. He was born in London, England and rose to prominence in the mid-1960s while designing for the Royal Ballet a ...
– design
*Tony Evans – photography
References
External links
''Cosmic Wheels'' – Donovan Unofficial SiteDonovan official website
{{Authority control
Donovan albums
1973 albums
Epic Records albums
Albums produced by Mickie Most
Albums recorded at Morgan Sound Studios