Donovan (musician)
Donovan Phillips Leitch (born May 10, 1946 in Glasgow ) is a British singer-songwriter , guitarist and composer . His best-known songs include Catch the Wind, Universal Soldier , Colors (all 1965), Sunshine Superman , Season of the Witch (1966), Mellow Yellow (1967), Jennifer Juniper, Hurdy Gurdy Man and Atlantis (all 1968).
Life
.jpg)
Donovan was born in Glasgow, Scotland , in 1946 . He made his first appearance in 1964 on the television show Ready Steady Go . He landed his first hit in 1965 with the folk ballad Catch the Wind ; the single reached third place in the British singles charts . Further successes from 1965 brought the songs Colors and Turquoise as well as Universal Soldier , a cover version of the original by the Canadian folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie .
Influenced by Bob Dylan and the British folk scene around guitarists such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourn , Donovan initially played almost exclusively acoustic folk. In 1966 he expanded his musical range by incorporating rock elements into his own compositions . The artistic results of this development are Sunshine Superman , Mellow Yellow , Hey Gyp and Hurdy Gurdy Man . Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones , two later members of the rock band Led Zeppelin, founded in 1968, worked as arrangers and studio musicians in various Donovan's music productions . In 1968 Donovan traveled with the Beatles to Rishikesh in India , where he took part in a meditation course of several weeks given by the guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi . In 1969 he recorded the studio album Barabajagal with the Jeff Beck Group and played the following year at the Isle of Wight Festival .
He then withdrew further and further from the music business. Above all, he reduced his concert tour activity. He ended his collaboration with music producer Mickie Most , worked with the group Open Road and married Linda Lawrence, a former friend of the Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones . In 1971 Donovan starred in the film The Pied Piper and composed the score. In 1972 he composed and sang the soundtrack for the English film version of Brother Sun, Sister Moon . 1973 followed the album Cosmic Wheels with Chris Spedding and Cozy Powell . In the same year he appeared with John Denver on his show and sang the song Only the Blues with him .
In 1985 Donovan took part under the direction of Eddie Hardin together with Tony Ashton , Maggie Bell and John Entwistle in the setting of the children's book Der Wind in den Weiden , which was performed in Freiburg im Breisgau in 1991 . In 1996 Donovan released the solo album Sutras produced by Rick Rubin . In 2002 Donovan had a guest appearance in the episode Deep in the South of the science fiction animated series Futurama . In 2003 he received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Hertfordshire . He was nominated by Mac MacLeod , his old friend and mentor, among others . In 2007 Donovan began planning a Maharishi- inspired university in Scotland : The Invincible Donovan University, where Transcendental Meditation (TM) would become a compulsory part of otherwise conventional curricula. He was supported in the project by film director David Lynch .
In 2009 he was awarded the Order of Arts and Literature by the French government . In 2011, his play Sunshine Superman became the theme song for the eBay commercial Mein Ein für Alles . Donovan now lives in Ireland with his wife, Linda . The couple have two daughters. The children Donovan Leitch and Ione Skye come from Donovan's relationship with the photo model Enid Karl .
reception
The song Atlantis was heard in the films Good Fellas 1990 and The Girl Next Door 2004. In 2001 Donovan re-recorded him with the No Angels for the soundtrack of the film Atlantis: The Secret of the Lost City . Also in 2001 the piece Hurdy Gurdy Man was the title track for the film LIE - Long Island Expressway , in 2007 the same song was used as the title track for the David Fincher movie Zodiac - The Killer Trail and accompanied Walter Bishop's LSD trip in 2010 Fringe episode 9 of fifth season. Hurdy Gurdy Man also became the theme song for the first season series Britannia in 2018 . Season of the Witch became the theme song of the second season. This song was also used in the 1995 film To Die For .
social commitment
In April 2009 he performed at the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace charity concert Change Begins Within at Radio City Music Hall in New York City alongside Paul McCartney , Ringo Starr , Sheryl Crow , Ben Harper , Eddie Vedder and Moby on. With the concert proceeds, the foundation wants to give socially disadvantaged children the opportunity to learn Transcendental Meditation.
Discography
- Catch the Wind (1965)
- What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid (1965)
- Fairy Tale (1965)
- The Universal Soldier (EP, 1965)
- Sunshine Superman (1966)
- Mellow Yellow (1967)
-
A Gift from a Flower to a Garden (1967)
- Wear Your Love Like Heaven (1967)
- For Little Ones (1967)
- Donovan in Concert (live) (1968)
- The Hurdy Gurdy Man (1968)
- Barabajagal (1969)
- Open Road (1970)
- HMS Donovan (1971)
- Cosmic Wheels (1973)
- Live in Japan: Spring Tour 1973 (Japan, 1973)
- Essence to Essence (1973)
- 7-tease (1975)
- Slow Down World (1976)
- Donovan (1977)
- Neutronica (1980)
- Love Is Only Feeling (Germany, 1981)
- Lady of the Stars (1984)
- Donovan Rising (live) (1990)
- 25 Years In Concert (live) (1991)
- Troubadour, The Definitive Collection 1964–1976 (1992)
- The Children of Lir (Ireland, 1994)
- Sutras (1996)
- Rising Again (expanded, 2001)
- The Pied Piper (2002)
- Sixty Four (2002) (recordings from 1964)
- Beat Café (2004)
-
Brother Sun, Sister Moon (2004)
(Re-recording of the out of print soundtrack for Brother Sun, Sister Moon , only released through iTunes Store ) - Ritual Groove (2010)
- Retrospective (2015)
- The Living Crystal Faery Realm (2017)
- To Sing for You (2018)
Chart placements
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1965 | What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid |
DE33 (1 week) DE |
- | - |
UK3 (16 weeks) UK |
US30 (23 weeks) US |
First published: May 14, 1965
US title: Catch the Wind |
| Fairytale |
DE16 (4 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK20 (2 weeks) UK |
US85 (13 weeks) US |
First published: October 22, 1965
|
|
| 1966 | Sunshine Superman | - | - | - |
UK25 (7 weeks) UK |
US11 (29 weeks) US |
First published: September 1966
|
| 1967 | Mellow Yellow | - | - | - | - |
US14 (21 weeks) US |
First published: March 24, 1967
|
| A Gift from a Flower to a Garden | - | - | - |
UK13 (14 weeks) UK |
US19th  (22 weeks)US |
First release: December 7, 1967
double album from Wear Your Love Like Heaven and For Little Ones ; Sales: + 500,000 |
|
| Wear Your Love Like Heaven | - | - | - | - |
US60 (15 weeks) US |
First published: December 1967
|
|
| For little ones | - | - | - | - |
US185 (3 weeks) US |
First published: December 1967
|
|
| 1968 | The Hurdy Gurdy Man | - | - | - | - |
US20 (20 weeks) US |
First published: October 1968
|
| 1969 | Barabajagal | - | - | - | - |
US23 (24 weeks) US |
First published: August 11, 1969
|
| 1970 | Open Road | - | - | - |
UK30 (4 weeks) UK |
US16 (19 weeks) US |
First published: July 1970
|
| 1973 | Cosmic Wheels | - | - | - |
UK15 (12 weeks) UK |
US25 (20 weeks) US |
First published: March 1973
|
| Essence to Essence | - | - | - | - |
US174 (5 weeks) US |
First published: December 1973
|
|
| 1974 | 7 tease | - | - | - | - |
US135 (6 weeks) US |
First published: November 1974
|
| 1976 | Slow Down World | - | - | - | - |
US174 (3 weeks) US |
First published: May 1976
|
| 1977 | Donovan |
DE32 (1 week) DE |
- | - | - | - |
First published: August 1977
|
hatched gray : no chart data available for this year
Live albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1968 | Donovan in concert |
DE36 (3 weeks) DE |
- | - | - |
US18 (31 weeks) US |
First published: August 1968
|
hatched gray : no chart data available for this year
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1966 | The Real Donovan | - | - | - | - |
US96 (7 weeks) US |
First published: September 1966
|
| 1967 | Universal Soldier | - | - | - |
UK5 (18 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: September 1967
|
| 1968 | Like It Is, Was And Evermore Shall Be | - | - | - | - |
US177 (4 weeks) US |
First published: April 1968
|
| 1969 | Donovan's Greatest Hits |
DE39 (1 week) DE |
- | - | - |
US4th  (56 weeks)US |
First published: January 1969
Sales: + 1,050,000 |
| The best of Donovan | - | - | - | - |
US135 (7 weeks) US |
First published: November 1969
|
|
| 1970 | Donovan P. Leitch | - | - | - | - |
US128 (8 weeks) US |
First published: October 1970
|
| 2006 | The best of - Sunshine Superman | - | - | - |
UK47  (4 weeks)UK |
- |
First published: August 2006
Sales: + 60,000 |
hatched gray : no chart data available for this year
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1965 | Catch the Wind What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid |
- | - | - |
UK4 (13 weeks) UK |
US23 (10 weeks) US |
First published: March 12, 1965
|
| Colors Fairytale |
- | - | - |
UK4 (12 weeks) UK |
US61 (7 weeks) US |
First published: May 28, 1965
|
|
| Universal Soldier |
- | - | - | - |
US53 (7 weeks) US |
First published: August 13, 1965
|
|
| Turquoise The Real Donovan |
- | - | - |
UK30 (6 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: October 29, 1965
|
|
| 1966 | Sunshine Superman Sunshine Superman |
DE7 (5 weeks) DE |
- | - |
UK2 (11 weeks) UK |
US1 (13 weeks) US |
First published: July 1966
|
| Mellow Yellow Mellow Yellow |
DE16 (6 weeks) DE |
AT12 (8 weeks) AT |
- |
UK8 (8 weeks) UK |
US2 (12 weeks)US |
First published: October 1966
Sales: + 1,000,000 |
|
| 1967 | Epistle to Dippy Donovan's Greatest Hits |
- |
AT19 (4 weeks) AT |
- | - |
US19 (7 weeks) US |
First published: March 1967
|
| There Is a Mountain Donovan's Greatest Hits |
- | - | - |
UK8 (11 weeks) UK |
US11 (9 weeks) US |
First published: September 1967
|
|
| Wear Your Love Like Heaven A Gift from a Flower to a Garden |
- | - | - | - |
US23 (7 weeks) US |
First published: December 1967
|
|
| 1968 | Jennifer Juniper The Hurdy Gurdy Man |
DE13 (5 weeks) DE |
AT10 (12 weeks) AT |
- |
UK5 (11 weeks) UK |
US26 (9 weeks) US |
First published: February 13, 1968
|
| Hurdy Gurdy Man The Hurdy Gurdy Man |
DE11 (6 weeks) DE |
AT20 (4 weeks) AT |
CH5 (5 weeks) CH |
UK4 (10 weeks) UK |
US5 (12 weeks) US |
First published: May 24, 1968
|
|
| Lalena Donovan's greatest hits |
- | - | - | - |
US33 (6 weeks) US |
First published: October 1968
|
|
| Atlantis Barabajagal |
DE2 (7 weeks) DE |
AT4 (16 weeks) AT |
CH1 (15 weeks) CH |
UK23 (8 weeks) UK |
US7 (13 weeks) US |
First published: November 22, 1968
|
|
| 1969 | To Susan on the West Coast Waiting Barabajagal |
- | - | - | - |
US35 (6 weeks) US |
First published: January 17, 1969
|
| Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love Is Hot) Barabajagal |
- |
AT17 (4 weeks) AT |
- |
UK12 (9 weeks) UK |
US36 (7 weeks) US |
First published: July 1969
with the Jeff Beck Group |
|
| 1970 | Riki Tiki Tavi Open Road |
- | - | - | - |
US55 (8 weeks) US |
First published: September 1970
|
| 1971 | Celia of the Seals HMS Donovan |
- | - | - | - |
US84 (3 weeks) US |
First published: February 1971
|
| 1973 | I Like You Cosmic Wheels |
- |
AT5 (12 weeks) AT |
- | - |
US66 (8 weeks) US |
First published: April 6, 1973
|
| 1989 | Sunshine Superman (1989) |
- | - | - |
UK100 (1 week) UK |
- |
First published: August 1989
|
| 2001 | When the Angels Sing / Atlantis Elle'ments / Now ... Us! |
DE5 (13 weeks)DE |
AT5 (14 weeks)AT |
CH16 (12 weeks) CH |
- | - |
First published: November 19, 2001
Sales: + 270,000; with No Angels |
hatched gray : no chart data available for this year
Awards for music sales
|
Note: Awards in countries from the chart tables or chart boxes can be found in these.
|
Country / RegionAwards for Mu-sik-ver-käu-fe (country / region, awards, sales, sources) |
silver |
gold |
platinum
|
Sales | swell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Germany (BVMI)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | 250,000 | musikindustrie.de |
 Canada (MC)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | 50,000 | musiccanada.com |
|
Austria (IFPI)
|
- |
gold1
|
- | 20,000 | ifpi.at |
|
United States (RIAA)
|
- |
2 × gold2
|
platinum1
|
2,500,000 | riaa.com |
|
United Kingdom (BPI)
|
silver1
|
- | - | 60,000 | bpi.co.uk |
| A total of |
silver1
|
5 × gold5
|
platinum1
|
||
Filmography (selection)
- 1969: This is how we travel and this is how we love (If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium)
- 1972: The Pied Piper
- 1989: 84 Charlie Mopic (84C MoPic)
- 2000: Futurama (episode 2x16, voice)
Remarks
- ↑ A Gift from a Flower to a Garden was released as a double album in a cassette. The two LPs were also available individually under the titles Wear Your Love Like Heaven (LP 1) and For Little Ones (LP 2).
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Donovan at Discogs
- Donovan at AllMusic (English)
- Works by Donovan in the catalog of the German National Library
- Donovan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ BBC shows 1973 ( Memento from October 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Amit Roy: Mini Santiniketan, Scotland-style . The Telegraph, Calcutta, November 26, 2007.
-
^ Ian Youngs: Singer Donovan gets French medal. BBC News , January 19, 2009.
Donovan plans world tour with new album. ( Memento from March 16, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) dpa article in the Schwäbische Zeitung , January 19, 2009. -
↑ Bill Trott: McCartney and Starr reunite in NYC for meditation ( Memento of April 8, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Reuters , April 5, 2009.
Steve Marinucci: Paul, Ringo, Donovan and Mike Love promote TM at the Lynch Foundation press conference: the transcripts. ( Memento of July 30, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) Transcript of the press conference, examiner.com, April 3, 2009
David Lynch Foundation Presents Change Begins Within Benefit Concert. Last.fm , April 4, 2009. - ↑ a b c d Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Donovan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Leitch, Donovan Philip (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish singer-songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 10, 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Glasgow , Scotland |