Sunshine Superman
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| “Sunshine Superman” | |||||
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U.S. picture sleeve
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| Single by Donovan from the album Sunshine Superman |
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| B-side | "The Trip" (Donovan) | ||||
| Released | July 1966 (US) December 1966 (UK) |
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| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | Abbey Road Studios: January 1966 | ||||
| Genre | Psychedelia | ||||
| Length | 3:15 (Side A) 4:34 (Side B) |
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| Label | Epic 5-10045 (US) Pye 7N17241 (UK) |
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| Writer(s) | Donovan | ||||
| Producer | Mickie Most | ||||
| Donovan UK chronology | |||||
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| Donovan USA chronology | |||||
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"Sunshine Superman" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. The "Sunshine Superman" single was released in the United States through Epic Records (Epic 5-10045) in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it appeared on Donovan's previous label, Pye Records (Pye 7N 17241). The "Sunshine Superman" single was backed with "The Trip" on both the United States and United Kingdom releases.
"Sunshine Superman" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and subsequently became the title track of Donovan's third album, Sunshine Superman. A different mix of "The Trip" (without harmonica) is also included in the album. It was the first product from the highly successful three-year collaboration between Donovan and producer Mickie Most and is generally considered to be one of the first examples of the musical genre that came to be known as psychedelia.
The lyrics of the song allude not only to Superman, but also to another DC Comics superhero, Green Lantern.
Chart positions were #1 (US), #2 (UK).
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[edit] Versions
A longer version (4:23) was released on Donovan's Greatest Hits (1969)
[edit] Personnel
- Donovan - vocals and acoustic guitar
- Jimmy Page and Eric Ford - electric guitars
- John Cameron - keyboards and arrangement
- Spike Healey - bass
- Bobby Orr - drums
- Tony Carr - percussion
[edit] Cover versions
The song has been covered by Hüsker Dü on their 1983 album, Everything Falls Apart, the New York punk band Alice Donut on their debut album Donut Comes Alive, Canadian folk rock group Spirit of the West on the 1992 Donovan tribute album Island of Circles, by Jewel, the American singer/songwriter, for the soundtrack of the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol, and originally and infamously by Mel Tormé.
In 1997, the song was sampled by Imani Coppola for her single, "Legend of a Cowgirl".
In 2006 the song was used in a TV advertisement for Magners Irish cider.
| Preceded by "Summer in the City" by The Lovin' Spoonful |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single September 3, 1966 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes |
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[edit] Trivia
This song was featured in a '60's TimeLife CD compilation.
