Donovan in concert from The Paris Theatre in London, on November 18, ,1981 and recorded for BBC Radio 2’s In Concert series.
Widely regarded as one of the primary artists responsible for ushering the mid-1960s into a period of Psychedelia, Donovan arrived on the scene early in 1965 as a Folk Singer/songwriter – his initial hit (in the U.S.) was Catch The Wind, which became huge and immediately made Donovan a household name. It was less than a year later that his abrupt change in direction, while still keeping a foot firmly planted in Folk, started branching out into elements of Jazz, Pop and what was later to be described as Psychedelia – his embrace of Eastern Mysticism hit harmonious chords with Youth Culture of the 60s like a brick and he became one of the faces instantly recognized as one of the key proponents of Psychedelia and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and all things Eastern.
Donovan became a friend of other prominent musicians such as Joan Baez, Brian Jones and the Beatles. He taught John Lennon a finger-picking guitar style in 1968 that Lennon employed in “Dear Prudence“, “Julia“, “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” and other songs. His backing musicians included the Jeff Beck Group and John Bonham, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, who later rose to fame as members of Led Zeppelin. Donovan’s commercial fortunes waned after parting with Most in 1969, and he left the industry for a time.
Donovan continued to perform and record intermittently in the 1970s and 1980s. His musical style and hippie image were scorned by critics, especially after the rise of punk rock. His performing and recording became sporadic until a revival in the 1990s with the emergence of Britain’s rave scene and in 1994, he moved permanently to Ireland where he still lives. In 1996 he recorded the album Sutras with producer Rick Rubin and in 2004 made the album Beat Cafe. Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.
Although this isn’t a concert from the period in question, it’s still filled with recognizable contributions to the 60s music library.
Press Play – light a few sticks of incense and enjoy the weekend, if you can.
