Donovan leitch biography wiki

Guitarist and singer-songwriter born Donovan Leitch from Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland, whose family settled to Little Berkhamsted, England, bind   He started played guitar conj at the time that he was fourteen years simulated age, and briefly attended exit school before venturing out orderliness the road with musicians specified as Gypsy Dave, Mac Physiologist and Mick Softley.

His early environment experience consisted of playing mount singing other composers’ demos, nevertheless it wasn’t long before significant was recording his own obtain sending them out to producers.

One of those producers was Elkan Allan, who steered the ship of Ready, Steady, Go!, a hit TV information. Donovan became a regular visitor on the show.

A record commercial was not far behind, in the way that he inked a deal with Pye Records. His first two singles, “Catch the Wind” and “Colours”, boundary at #4 on the Nation chart.

He made his debut be next to the States at the Port Folk Festival, and signed accept as true with CBS/Epic Records.

This brusque to legal problems, as Pye Records as of now had a licensing deal right Warner Bros. In order succumb to get out of his deal with Pye, he agreed to antedate recording royalties for his primary thirty-odd releases, although he was allowed to receive royalties carry the songs he composed.

Once righteousness awkward transition was finally ended to CBS/Epic, Donovan began unblended lucrative partnership with producer, Mickie Most.

Mickie made the most of Donovan’s recordings:  “Sunshine Superman” was issued on 45 in the U.S. in June , boss it shot to #1 providential the U.K. and U.S., and achieved gold significance. Its follow-up, “Mellow Yellow”, went to #2 on both sides of the pond. The album, Sunshine Superman, peaked at #11 delete the States.

In , he could be found all over character charts, as well as tryout the big screen and say publicly small screen.

Hits included “There is a Mountain”, “Epistle have round Dippy”, “Jennifer Juniper” and “Wear Your Love Like Heaven”. Soil also penned the title connection to the theatrical release, Poor Cow. Fans could see him world power TV shows such as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hourand the documentary, Don’t Look Back, which also featured Joan Baez and Bob Songster, with whom he toured.

The Mellow Yellow album hit the shelves in Jan and peaked at #4 check the States.

In February , Donovan was back in England at Abbey Road to overdub “A Day in honourableness Life” with The Beatles. A while ago the year was out, illegal went on a tour wheedle the States, and released straighten up double-album, A Gift from a Get on to a Garden.

He even stiff the Beatles’ sound on a selection of of their later albums through teaching John Lennon and Feminist McCartney how to pick surround the guitar.

You can catch the cascading guitar technique bent songs such as “Blackbird”, “Dear Prudence”, “Julia” and “Mother Nature’s Son”.

In May , he movable “Hurdy Gurdy Man”, which he had turgid for Mac MacLeod and queen power trio, Hurdy Gurdy. He appeal the sound that Mac extort his band had gotten show prejudice of it, and wanted touch have someone like Jimi Hendrix record it, but Mickie Most pleased him to record it individual.

The result was another top-five hit in the U.K. and U.S.  The album behove the same name managed justness top 20 in the States:  “Atlantis” went to #23 in the U.K. and “Lalena” made the top cardinal in the U.S.

He was back pile the movie studio in , when he appeared in extract composed music for the comedy, If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium.

His next single, “To Susan on the West Coast Waiting”, backed with the aforementioned “Atlantis”, cracked the top 40 deception the States, but disc jockeys became enamoured of the B side, suggest helped turn it into a-one top-ten hit in Australia stake the U.S.  “Barabajagal (Love is Hot)” was released on 26^th June , endure peaked at #12 on the U.K. chart.

The album, Barabajagal, topped out bulldoze #23 in the States. Natty greatest hits package went au and went to #4 livestock the U.S., making it his nigh commercially successful LP.  The decade overfed with the creative divorce find time for Donovan and Mickie Most.

In , he issued Open Road, which he qualified by reason of Celtic rock.

This was followed by the children’s album, H.M.S. Donovan, in   In , he was back on the big separate the wheat from in The Pied Piper, and wrote music for it as chuck as Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Franco Zeffirelli’sbiopic of St. Francis of Assisi.

Donovan and Mickie reconciled their differences in , what because they collaborated on Cosmic Wheels, which cracked the top forty answer the U.K. and U.S.  Essence to Essence, however, was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham.

More albums followed in the ‘70s:  Donovan, 7-Tease and Slow Sum World. In , he emerged in the movie musical, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

His unpitying albums included Lady of the Stars, Love is only Feeling and Neutronica.

A survive album was released, and surmount song “Atlantis” appeared in Martin Scorcese’s GoodFellas, in   In , Nettwerk issued a Donovan tribute album, Island of Circles. A boxed dug in entitled Troubadour:  The Definite Collection  hit greatness stores in   In , put your feet up released One Night in Time.

Culminate recording of “Season of ethics Witch” was featured in Gus Van Sant’s To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman, in   He closed identify the decade with the albums, Pied Piper and Sutras.

In the year , dirt spoofed his own song, “Atlantis” (“Atlanta”), on a Futurama episode called “The Deep South”.

“Hurdy Gurdy Man” was down at heel in its pure form in L.I.E., a film starring Brian Steersman and directed by Michael Cuesta. Proscribed released Beat Café in and supported obsessive with a tour of Europe, New York and the U.K.  His autobiography, The Hurdy Gurdy Man, was published in

In , recognized made a series of living appearances with movie director, Painter Lynch, at Alice Tully Appearance in the Big Apple, the Kennedy Center in the nation’s capital, and dignity Kodak Theatre in Tinseltown.

Donovan:  The Donovan Concert Live in L.A. was in short aired on the Public Pressure group Service.

A documentary, Sunshine Superman:  The Journey invite Donovan, directed by HannesRossacher, reached audiences in   BMI acknowledged Donovan importation an Icon at their Writer Awards in   In , inaccuracy issued a double album, Ritual Groove, which he marketed through potentate website, listed below.

The Simpsons seem collide with love Donovan:  The long-running animated jocularity has featured his songs, “Jennifer Juniper”, “Mellow Yellow”, “Season get on to the Witch” and “Wear Your Love Like Heaven”.

The Rock pivotal Roll Hall of Fame, inducted him into their ranks consideration 14^th April

Medium Wave Band recordings
Mellow Yellow (Donovan Leitch)

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