Fairytale (album)
| Fairytale | ||||
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| Studio album by Donovan | ||||
| Released |
22 October 1965 November 1965 (US) | |||
| Recorded | September 1965, Peer Music, Denmark Street, London | |||
| Genre | Folk music | |||
| Length | 35:17 | |||
| Label |
Pye NPL 18128 Hickory LPM 127 (US) | |||
| Producer | Peter Eden, Geoff Stephens, Terry Kennedy | |||
| Donovan chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fairytale | ||||
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Fairytale is the second album from British singer-songwriter Donovan. It was first released in the UK on 22 October 1965 through Pye Records (catalog number NPL 18128). The US version of Fairytale was released by Hickory Records (catalog number LPM 127 [monaural] / LPS 127 [stereo]) in November 1965 with a slightly different set of songs. Peter Eden and Geoff Stephens produced the album.
History
Fairytale finds Donovan evolving his styles further towards British folk, especially on songs such as "Summer Day Reflection Song" and "Jersey Thursday". "Sunny Goodge Street" foreshadows the jazzy feel and descriptions of life in urban London that Donovan would continue to explore over the next two years. Like his previous album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid, Fairytale primarily features Donovan singing and playing mouth harp and acoustic guitar. Shawn Phillips is playing the extra twelve-string guitar.
For release in the US, Hickory Records added a cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier" and removed a cover of Bert Jansch's "Oh Deed I Do". Donovan's recording of "Universal Soldier" was released in the US as a single the previous September, and was achieving some chart success.
"To Try For The Sun" was covered by Lindsey Buckingham on his 2006 album "Under The Skin".
Reissues
- In January 1969, Fairytale was reissued in an edited form (Marble Arch Records MAL 867) in the UK. "Colours" and "The Little Tin Soldier" were both removed from the album.
- In February 1991, Castle Records reissued the UK version of Fairytale on compact disc (Castle CLACD226) in the UK.
- In 1996, Sequel Records reissued the US version of Fairytale on compact disc (Sequel 1004-2). The CD features seven bonus tracks. The first bonus track is a cover of Bert Jansch's "Oh Deed I Do". On the original US version of Fairytale "Oh Deed I Do" was cut and a cover of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier" was added. The next three songs ("Do You Hear Me Now", "The War Drags On" and "The Ballad of a Crystal Man") are from Donovan's 1965 EP Universal Soldier. "Turquoise" and "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" were originally released as Donovan's third UK single on 30 October 1965. The last bonus track is the single version of "Colours".
- On 19 February 2002, Sanctuary Records reissued the original UK version of Fairytale on compact disc. The CD features six bonus tracks. The first four bonus tracks were originally released 15 August 1965 in the UK on Donovan's Universal Soldier EP. That EP featured a different take of "The Ballad of a Crystal Man". The last two bonus tracks are both sides of Donovan's third single "Turquoise"/"Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" released 30 October 1965 in the UK.
- On 22 February 2005, Silverline Records reissued the original UK version of Fairytale on DualDisc. The DualDisc has an identical track listing to the 2002 Sanctuary Records reissue.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   Original album |
| Allmusic | 2002 reissue |
| Allmusic | 2005 reissue |
Track listing
Original album (UK)
Side 1
- "Colours" (Donovan Leitch) – 2:11
- "To Try for the Sun" (Leitch) – 3:36
- "Sunny Goodge Street" (Leitch) – 2:55
- "Oh Deed I Do" (Bert Jansch) – 2:00
- "Circus of Sour" (Paul Bernath) – 1:50
- "The Summer Day Reflection Song" (Leitch) – 2:11
Side 2
- "Candy Man" (traditional; arranged by Leitch) – 3:25
- "Jersey Thursday" (Leitch) – 2:13
- "Belated Forgiveness Plea" (Leitch) – 2:54
- "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" (Leitch) – 3:50
- "The Little Tin Soldier" (Shawn Phillips) – 3:02
- "The Ballad of Geraldine" (Leitch) – 4:38
1965 Hickory Records version (US)
Side 1
- "Universal Soldier" (Buffy Sainte-Marie) – 2:16
- "To Try for the Sun" (Leitch) – 3:36
- "Sunny Goodge Street" (Leitch) – 2:55
- "Colours" (Leitch) – 2:44
- "Circus of Sour" (Bernath) – 1:50
- "Summer Day Reflection Song" (Leitch) – 2:11
Side 2
- "Candy Man" (traditional; arranged by Leitch) – 3:25
- "Jersey Thursday" (Leitch) – 2:13
- "Belated Forgiveness Plea" (Leitch) – 2:54
- "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" (Leitch) – 3:50
- "The Little Tin Soldier" (Phillips) – 3:02
- "The Ballad of Geraldine" (Leitch) – 4:38
1996 Sequel Records version (US)
Tracklisting as on the 1965 Hickory Records version plus the following bonus tracks:
- "Oh Deed I Do" (Jansch) – 2:08
- "Do You Hear Me Now" (Jansch) – 1:51
- "The War Drags On" (Mick Softley) – 3:44
- "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" (Leitch) – 3:18
- "Turquoise" (Leitch) – 3:34
- "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" (Leitch) – 3:13
- "Colours" (Leitch) – 2:46
2002 Sanctuary Records/Castle Records version
Tracklisting as on the original UK version plus the following bonus tracks:
- "Universal Soldier" (Sainte-Marie) – 2:15
- "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" (Leitch) – 3:19
- "The War Drags On" (Softley) – 3:44
- "Do You Hear Me Now" (Jansch) – 1:50
- "Turquoise" (Leitch) – 3:31
- "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" (Leitch) – 3:08
Personnel
- Skip Alan (Alan Skipper) – drums
- Donovan – banjo, guitar, harmonica, vocals
- Peter Eden – producer
- Ren Grevatt – liner notes
- Terry Kennedy – producer
- Brian Locking – bass
- Harold McNair – flute
- Shawn Phillips – guitar, 12 string guitar
References
External links
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