''Sunshine Superman'' is the third album 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 United States on August 26, 1966, but was not released in the UK because of a contractual dispute. In June 1967, a compilation of tracks from this album and the follow-up ''

Mellow Yellow "Mellow Yellow" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. In the US, it reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Outside the US, "Mellow Yellow" peaked at No. 8 in the UK in early 1967. Content The song was ru ...

'' was released as ''Sunshine Superman'' in the UK. Both versions were named after Donovan's hit single released in the US in July 1966. The album was Donovan's most successful, peaking at number 11 in the US and remaining on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top LPs chart for six months. The UK edition peaked at number 25. The tracks from ''Sunshine Superman'' and ''Mellow Yellow'' were not mixed into stereo, with the exception of "Season of the Witch", until the 2011 2-CD deluxe edition issued by UK EMI.

History

Whilst still incorporating

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

, these recordings mark a distinct change in Donovan's music, representing some of the first

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic ...

released. A full rock band backs up Donovan on many of the songs, and the instrumentation had been expanded, being one of the first pop albums extensively to use the

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

and other unique musical instruments. This change is partially the result of working with producer

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 ...

, whose pop sensibilities led to chart hits for many other artists at the time. ''Sunshine Superman'' involves

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

psychedelic folk Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music. Chara ...

psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included " trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...

and

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

styles. The album's lyrical content encompasses Donovan's increasing ability to portray "

Swinging London The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London as its centre. It saw a flourishing in art, mus ...

" and give listeners an insider's look into the mid-sixties pop scene. He was close to

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

and

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

at this time, and he became widely known after " Sunshine Superman" became a chart-topper in the US, and hit number 2 in the UK. Donovan's penchant for name-dropping in songs such as two influenced by his travel to Los Angeles, "The Trip" and "The Fat Angel" (written for

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...

) coupled with his chart success helped elevate him to superstar status. In addition to noting the people in the pop scene, Donovan recorded "Bert's Blues" for his friend and folk music notable

Bert Jansch Herbert Jansch (3 November 1943 – 5 October 2011) was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s as an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter ...

. Contrasting this modern bent was Donovan's fascination with

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

themes in such songs. The title track was also inspired by Brian Jones' girlfriend

Linda Lawrence __NOTOC__ Linda Anne Lawrence (also called Linda Leitch; born Windsor 1946) is the British wife, muse and sometimes collaborator of folk-rock star Donovan Leitch. Donovan wrote his US #1/UK #2 hit song " Sunshine Superman" for her as well as "Le ...

. Several other songs were recorded for ''Sunshine Superman'', but did not make the cut. These include "Museum" (later rerecorded and released on ''

''), "Superlungs My Supergirl" (later rerecorded and released on ''

Barabajagal ''Barabajagal'' is the seventh studio album and eighth album overall from British singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the United States on 11 August 1969 ( Epic Records BN 26481 (stereo)), but was not released in the United Kingdom be ...

'') and "Breezes of Patchulie" (originally called "Darkness of My Night" and released on Donovan's 1964 demo collection ''Sixty Four''). The ''Sunshine Superman'' recordings of these songs were all included on ''Troubadour The Definitive Collection 1964–1976''.

Legacy

In 2017, ''Sunshine Superman'' was ranked the 199th greatest album of the 1960s by ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

''. In the video for the Beatles' " A Day in the Life", a close up of a spinning turntable shows the Epic Records version of ''Sunshine Superman'' playing. The film was shot at the recording sessions for the song, which was included on '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. A cover version of "The Fat Angel" was recorded by

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ac ...

for their 1968 live album ''

Bless Its Pointed Little Head ''Bless Its Pointed Little Head'' is a live album by Jefferson Airplane recorded at both the Fillmore East and West in the fall of 1968 and released in 1969 as RCA Victor LSP-4133. Five songs on the album had not appeared on any of the band's pr ...

''.

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guitar) and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums); they have since gone through several lineup c ...

covered "Three King Fishers" (as "Three Kingfishers") on their 2013 album ''

Last Patrol ''Last Patrol'' is the ninth studio album by American rock band Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guita ...

'', with a live version included on 2014's '' Milking the Stars: A Re-Imagining of Last Patrol''.

Track listing

Original album (US)

2005 EMI Reissued CD Version

The UK version

Due to the contractual dispute between Pye Records and Epic Records, Donovan's releases were held back in the UK throughout 1966 and early 1967. During this time, Donovan released ''Sunshine Superman'' and ''

'' in the US. To catch up to the Epic Records schedule in America, Pye Records compiled a cross-section of both albums and titled it ''Sunshine Superman''. It was released in the UK (Pye NPL 18181) in June 1967 and reached #25 in the British charts. Side one #"Sunshine Superman" #"Legend of a Girl Child Linda" #"''The Observation''" #"Guinevere" #"Celeste" #"''Writer in the Sun''" Side two #"Season of the Witch" #"''Hampstead Incident''" #"''Sand and Foam''" #"''Young Girl Blues''" #"Three Kingfishers" #"Bert's Blues" :(Titles ''in italics'' are from ''Mellow Yellow'')

Reissues

*On 5 October 1990, Epic Records reissued the US version of ''Sunshine Superman'' (Epic EK 26217) in the US on compact disc. *On 24 October 1994,

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

released ''Four Donovan Originals'' (EMI 7243 8 30867 2 6) in the UK. ''Four Donovan Originals'' is a compact disc

box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

containing four Donovan albums that were not previously released in the UK. The US version of ''Sunshine Superman'' is disc one of that set. *On 7 October 1996, EMI reissued the US version of ''Sunshine Superman'' (EMI CDGOLD1066) on compact disc. *On 12 March 1998, Beat Goes On Records reissued the UK version of ''Sunshine Superman'' (BG0CD 68) in the UK on compact disc. *On 24 May 2005, EMI reissued the US version of ''Sunshine Superman'' (EMI 8735662) on compact disc in the UK with seven bonus tracks. *On 1 October 2018, The state51 Conspiracy reissued ''Sunshine Superman'' (CON223LP) in the UK and Ireland on LP.

The 2011 UK Stereo reissue

In mid-2011, UK EMI issued a 2-CD set containing the entire US album in stereo for the first time. Disc one (All stereo, tracks 1-10 US album plus bonus tracks) #"Sunshine Superman" - 3:19 #"Legend of a Girl Child Linda" - 6:52 #"Three Kingfishers" - 3:19 #"Ferris Wheel" - 4:13 #"Bert's Blues" - 3:59 #"Season of the Witch" - 4:58 #"The Trip" - 4:38 #"Guinevere" - 3:44 #"The Fat Angel" - 4:16 #"Celeste" - 4:13 #"Breezes of Patchuli" - 4:39 #"Museum" (First version) - 2:53 #"Superlungs" (First version) - 4:14 #"The Land of Doesn't Have to Be" - 2:43 #"Sunny South Kensington" - 3:57 #"Epistle to Dippy" (Early alternative arrangement) - 3:19 #"Writer in the Sun" - 4:33 #"Hampstead Incident" - 4:51 #"Sunshine Superman" - 4:42 Disc two (All mono, 1-12 UK album plus bonus tracks) #"Sunshine Superman" - 3:17 #"Legend of a Girl Child Linda" - 6:54 #"The Observation" - 2:25 #"Guinevere" - 3:42 #"Celeste" - 4:12 #"Writer in the Sun" - 4:31 #"Season of the Witch" - 4:59 #"Hampstead Incident" - 4:44 #"Sand and Foam" - 3:21 #"Young Girl Blues" - 3:48 #"Three Kingfishers" - 3:18 #"Bert's Blues" - 4:03 #"Ferris Wheel" - 4:15 #"The Trip" - 4:38 #"The Fat Angel" - 4:11

Personnel

* Donovan – vocals, guitar, organ * Bobby Ray – bass guitar *

Eddie Hoh Edward Hoh (October 16, 1944 – November 7, 2015) was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and se ...

– drums *

Shawn Phillips Shawn Phillips (born February 3, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s. His work is rooted in folk rock but straddles other genres, including jazz fusion and funk. Phillips has reco ...

–

On "Sunshine Superman" and other tracks recorded in England: * Donovan – vocals, acoustic guitar *

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

, Eric Ford – electric guitar * John Cameron – keyboards, arrangement *

Spike Heatley Brian John Heatley (17 February 1933 – 10 November 2021), better known as Spike Heatley, was a British jazz double bassist. Early life Heatley was born in Muswell Hill, North London in February 1933. Career He appeared with Vic Ash's sextet ...

– bass guitar *

Bobby Orr Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time. Orr used his ice skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the pos ...

– drums * Tony Carr – percussion

References

External links

''Sunshine Superman''
(

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) at

Radio3Net Radio 3 net is the former ''Radio România Tineret'' (or Radio 3). More than 20,000 albums are stored on Radio 3 net. A few of the prominent features available on the website are "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Mus ...

(streamed copy where licensed) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sunshine Superman (Album) 1966 albums Donovan albums Albums produced by Mickie Most Epic Records albums