''Donovan'' is the 14th studio album, and sixteenth album overall, from 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 the US (Arista AB 4143) in August 1977 and in the UK (RAK SRAK 528) with a different track order in October 1977.

Background

In 1976, Donovan's record contract with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

came to an end with ''

Slow Down World ''Slow Down World'' is the thirteenth studio album (fifteenth overall) by British singer/songwriter Donovan, released in the US ( Epic PE 33945) in May 1976 and the UK (Epic SEPC 86011) on 4 June 1976. Background Over his past few album release ...

''. The album had only achieved limited chart success, and his contract was not renewed. Donovan's old record producer Mickie Most had launched Rak Records in the UK in 1969 and Donovan and Most teamed up to record Donovan's next album on Rak Records in 1977.

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

picked up the distribution rights in the US. In a distinct change from ''Slow Down World'', the songs on ''Donovan'' were an attempt to reach mass audiences again. The songs feature a contemporary sound and, with the exception of "Maya's Dance", generally avoid the gentle

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

ry of Donovan's previous work. Despite these measures, ''Donovan'' failed to chart in both the US and UK, and signalled the end of Donovan's attempts to reach a mainstream audience. He would not release another original album in the United States until 1984.

Reissues

*On 27 March 2000, Beat Goes On Records released the US version ''Donovan'' (BGOCD375) in the UK on CD. This marked the first time the album was released on CD.

Track listing

All tracks by Donovan Leitch.

Original album

Side one

#"Local Boy Chops Wood" – 3:02 #"Astral Angel" – 4:32 #"The Light" – 4:09 #"Dare to Be Different" – 3:50 #"Brave New World" – 4:48

Side two

#"Lady of the Stars" – 3:02 #"International Man" – 3:59 #"Sing My Song" – 3:05 #"Maya's Dance" – 3:38 #"Kalifornia Kiddies" – 3:46

UK version

Side one

#"Brave New World" – 4:58 #"Astral Angel" – 4:32 #"Local Boy Chops Wood" – 3:02 #"Kalifornia Kiddies" – 3:46 #"The International Man" – 3:59

Side two

#"The Light" – 4:09 #"Sing My Song" – 3:05 #"Lady of the Stars" – 3:02 #"Maya's Dance" – 3:38 #"Dare to Be Different" – 3:50

Personnel

Colin Allen Colin Eric Allen (born 9 May 1938) is an English blues drummer and songwriter. Career Allen spent the first ten years of his adult life working in aircraft engineering. He became interested in jazz at the age of 16 and two years later starte ...

– drums *Chris Blair – mastering * John Cameron – horn arrangements, string arrangements *Donovan – guitar, harmonica, vocals *Isaac Guillory – guitar *Patrick Halling – violin *Doug Hopkins – engineer *

Ronnie Leahy Ronald Leahy (born 4 October 1947 in Glasgow) is a Scottish keyboard player best known for his work with Jack Bruce, Jon Anderson, Steve Howe on his second solo album and Nazareth (1998–2002, when Leahy retired from touring). He first gained r ...

– keyboards *

Gered Mankowitz Gered Mankowitz (born 3 August 1946) is an English photographer who focused his career in the music industry. He has worked with a range of artists from The Rolling Stones to Jimi Hendrix, and in other divisions of the photography industry, i ...

– photography *

Chris Norman Christopher Ward Norman (born 25 October 1950) is an English soft rock singer. Norman was the original lead singer of the English rock band Smokie (band), Smokie, (1964–1986), who found success in Europe in the 1970s. "Stumblin' In", a 1978 ...

– background vocals *Alan Silson – background vocals *Nick South – bass *Tim Summerhayes – engineer *Wolfgang Thierbach – engineer *Terry Uttley – background vocals *Charlie Watts – mastering

External links

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

review link
''Donovan'' (album) – Donovan Unofficial Site
{{Authority control Donovan albums 1977 albums Albums produced by Mickie Most Albums arranged by John Cameron (musician) Rak Records albums