| Sunshine Superman | ||||
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| Studio album by Donovan | ||||
| Released | September 1966 | |||
| Recorded | January – May 1966 Columbia Recording Studios, Hollywood EMI Studios, London |
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| Genre | Folk rock, psychedelic rock | |||
| Length | 42:59 | |||
| Label | Epic LN24217 (Mono)/ BN26217 (Stereo) | |||
| Producer | Mickie Most | |||
| Donovan chronology | ||||
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| UK version (1967) | ||||
Sunshine Superman is the third album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the US in September 1966,[1] but was not released in the UK because of a contractual dispute. In June 1967, a compilation of the Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow albums was released as Sunshine Superman in the UK. Sunshine Superman was named after Donovan's hit single[2] released the previous July. (Most of the tracks from this and the Mellow Yellow albums were not mixed into stereo, with the exception of those marked + below, until the 2011 2-CD deluxe edition issued by UK EMI).
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These recordings mark a distinct change in Donovan's music, representing some of the first psychedelia released. A full rock band backs up Donovan on many of the songs, and the instrumentation has been expanded to include sitar and other unique musical instruments. This change is partially the result of working with producer Mickie Most, whose pop sensibilities led to chart hits for many other artists at the time.
Donovan's lyrics began to encompass his increasing ability to portray "Swinging London" and give listeners an insider's look into the mid-sixties pop scene. He was known to be close to The Beatles and Brian Jones at this time, and he became widely known after "Sunshine Superman" became a chart-topper in the US,[2] and hit #2 in the UK. Donovan's penchant for name-dropping in songs such as two influenced by his travel to Los Angeles,[2] "The Trip" and "The Fat Angel" (written for Mama Cass) 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.
Contrasting this modern bent was Donovan's fascination with medieval themes in such songs as "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" (written for Brian Jones' girlfriend Linda Lawrence) and "Guinevere". The rich descriptions of colour and environment that Donovan developed in individual songs on Fairytale were now evident throughout his writing.
Several other songs were recorded for Sunshine Superman, but did not make the cut. These include "Museum" (later rerecorded and released on Mellow Yellow), "Superlungs My Supergirl" (later rerecorded and released on Barabajagal) 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.
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 for their 1968 live album Bless Its Pointed Little Head.
On "Sunshine Superman":
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | Original album |
| Allmusic | 2005 reissue |
| Allmusic | link (UK version) |
All tracks by Donovan Leitch.
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 Mellow Yellow 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.
In mid 2011, UK EMI issued a 2-CD set (plus Bonus Disc) containing the entire US album in stereo for the first time.
(All stereo, tracks 1-10 US album plus bonus tracks)
(All mono, 1-12 UK album plus bonus tracks)
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