Pied Piper (album)

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Pied Piper
Pied Piper cover
Studio album by Donovan
Released March 19, 2002
Recorded 2001 – 2002
Genre folk
Length 49:09
Label Rhino Records
Donovan Discs
Producer Leib Ostrow
Professional reviews
Donovan chronology
Greatest Hits Live: Vancouver 1986
(2001)		 Pied Piper
(2002)		 Sixty Four
(2004)

Pied Piper is the twentieth studio album, and twenty-fifth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It marks the third album of Donovan's children's music, after the For Little Ones portion of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden and H.M.S. Donovan. Pied Piper was released in both the UK and the US (Rhino 78290) on March 19, 2002.

Contents

[edit] History

After it became apparent that Sutras was going to be the only Donovan album released on Rick Rubin's American Recordings label, Donovan withdrew from releasing new music. His focus shifted to restructuring his business by organizing a website and creating his own record label, Donovan Discs. Donovan also began to write an autobiography and search for studio tapes that were deep in record company archives.

In the meantime, Beat Goes On Records reissued many of Donovan's albums in the UK. Many of these albums had been out of print since their original vinyl release. With the combination of selecting rare albums and utilizing e-commerce, Beat Goes On Records was able to capitalize on these releases by selling them in the US as imports. These releases included two of Donovan's children's albums, For Little Ones (from A Gift from a Flower to a Garden) and H.M.S. Donovan.

In light of these releases, Rhino Records subsidiary Music for Little People contacted Donovan to release another children's album. Donovan recorded new songs and new versions of many of his children's songs for the subsequent album, Pied Piper. The album name and title track both come from the 1972 Jacques Demy film "The Pied Piper" which starred Donovan as the Pied Piper. The album was released in conjunction with Donovan's new label and became the first release by Donovan Discs.

[edit] Album origins of tracks

The following is a list explaining the original releases of each song.

  • "I Love My Shirt" (from Barabajagal, released August 11, 1969)
  • "Happiness Runs" (from Barabajagal)
  • "Sun Magic" (released as "The Sun Is a Very Magic Fellow" on The Hurdy Gurdy Man, released October 1968)
  • "People Call Me Pied Piper" (from the 1972 film "The Pied Piper of Hamelin")
  • "Little Boy in Corduroy" (from A Gift from a Flower to a Garden, released December 1967)
  • "Colours" (from Fairytale, released October 22, 1965)
  • "Jackie Beanstalk" (previously unreleased)
  • "A Funny Man" (from H.M.S. Donovan, released July 1971)
  • "Mandolin Man and His Secret" (from A Gift From A Flower to a Garden)
  • "Nature Friends" (previously unreleased)
  • "Wynken, Blynken and Nod" (from H.M.S. Donovan)
  • "Little Teddy Bear" (previously unreleased)
  • "Voyage of the Moon" (from H.M.S. Donovan)

[edit] Track listing

All tracks by Donovan Leitch, except where noted.

[edit] Original album

  1. "I Love My Shirt" – 3:31
  2. "Happiness Runs" – 4:42
  3. "Sun Magic" – 3:46
  4. "People Call Me Pied Piper" – 4:21
  5. "Little Boy in Corduroy" – 3:39
  6. "Colours" – 3:18
  7. "Jackie Beanstalk" – 6:24
  8. "A Funny Man" (words by Natalie Joan, music by Donovan) – 2:01
  9. "Mandolin Man and His Secret" – 3:50
  10. "Nature Friends" – 1:16
  11. "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" (words by Eugene Field, music by Donovan) – 3:26
  12. "Little Teddy Bear" – 3:00
  13. "Voyage of the Moon" – 5:50