A Gift from a Flower to a Garden
Encyclopedia
A Gift from a Flower to a Garden is the fifth album
from Scottish
singer-songwriter
Donovan
, and marks the first double album
of his career and one of the first box sets in rock music. It was released in the United States
in December 1967 (Epic Records
L2N 6071 (monaural) / B2N 171 (stereo)) and in the United Kingdom
on April 16, 1968 (Pye Records
NPL 20000 (monaural) / NSPL 20000 (stereo)). In December 1967, Epic Records also released each of the two records from A Gift from a Flower to a Garden as separate albums in the United States. The first record was released as Wear Your Love Like Heaven, and the second record was released as For Little Ones. This was done to allow budgeting for the double album package, which included a folder of the printed lyrics to the second disc with artwork, and a cover featuring an infrared
photo of Donovan by Karl Ferris
who was his and Jimi Hendrix's personal photographer (requiring six colour separations for printing, instead of the usual four separations). The back cover photo was also a shot taken by Ferris in LA during Donovan's and Karl's initiation into Transcendental Meditation
, and depicted Donovan visiting with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
.
album, Donovan focused on releasing hit singles. "Epistle to Dippy
" (essentially an inside-joke/open letter for a childhood friend) hit the top 20 in February 1967 and "There is a Mountain
" (#11 US; #8 UK) followed in August.
Riding high on the success of these singles, Donovan entered the studio in October to record his next album. The double album that resulted from these sessions consisted of one disc of electric pop music
("Wear Your Love Like Heaven") and another of acoustic children's music ("For Little Ones"). The acoustic album allowed Donovan to present a facet of his songwriting that had not been featured on his singles. It also allowed him to show his strength as a guitar
player and performer in a way that he could not when augmented by session musician
s. In fact, Donovan's live performances of the time featured instrumentation and performances more in line with For Little Ones than his hit singles and the first record of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden.
While Mickie Most
produced the single from the album ("Wear Your Love Like Heaven
" b/w "Oh Gosh"), and is credited with the album's production, Donovan actually produced the bulk of the material himself, allowing Most the credit to help sales.
"Mad John's Escape" is a song written for a friend of Donovan's who escaped from a mental health center. The song details Mad John's escape and subsequent adventures.
"Under the Greenwood Tree" was originally written by William Shakespeare
, and set to music by Donovan for the Royal National Theatre
, who planned to use it in a stage production. At the end of the song, Donovan sings "Will you, won't you... join the dance?" in reference to the chorus of "The Lobster Quadrille" in Chapter X of Lewis Carroll
's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
.
"Epistle to Derroll" is dedicated to the banjo player and singer Derroll Adams
, an early influence on Donovan.
In the album's liner notes, Donovan explained his purpose in creating two rather different discs (one for the present generation, and the other for the "dawning generation"), and also denounced the use of drugs. Several of his earlier records had contained both veiled and open references to drug use (particularly marijuana
and LSD
), but since the release of Mellow Yellow
, he had both been arrested and prosecuted for marijuana possession, and had seen people he knew turning to harder drugs (speed
, heroin, cocaine
), and the damage this caused in their lives. Instead, Donovan promoted the use of meditation
and other techniques, in his new songs.
The front cover photo design of Wear Your Love Like Heaven features a Pre-Raphaelite
style infrared photograph of Donovan on the moat in front of Bodiam Castle
by Karl Ferris
who was his and Jimi Hendrix's personal photographer.
The album earned a Gold Record award, for half a million sales, during 1970.
Side 2
Side 2
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
from Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, and marks the first double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
of his career and one of the first box sets in rock music. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in December 1967 (Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
L2N 6071 (monaural) / B2N 171 (stereo)) and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on April 16, 1968 (Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
NPL 20000 (monaural) / NSPL 20000 (stereo)). In December 1967, Epic Records also released each of the two records from A Gift from a Flower to a Garden as separate albums in the United States. The first record was released as Wear Your Love Like Heaven, and the second record was released as For Little Ones. This was done to allow budgeting for the double album package, which included a folder of the printed lyrics to the second disc with artwork, and a cover featuring an infrared
Infrared photography
In infrared photography, the film or image sensor used is sensitive to infrared light. The part of the spectrum used is referred to as near-infrared to distinguish it from far-infrared, which is the domain of thermal imaging. Wavelengths used for photography range from about 700 nm to about...
photo of Donovan by Karl Ferris
Karl Ferris
Karl Ferris is an English photographer/designer, best known as one of the principal innovators of "psychedelic" photography. A photographer to the “British Rock Elite” - Eric Clapton, Cream, Donovan, The Hollies and Jimi Hendrix - Ferris was invited - as a style consultant and their personal...
who was his and Jimi Hendrix's personal photographer (requiring six colour separations for printing, instead of the usual four separations). The back cover photo was also a shot taken by Ferris in LA during Donovan's and Karl's initiation into Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation refers to the Transcendental Meditation technique, a specific form of mantra meditation, and to the Transcendental Meditation movement, a spiritual movement...
, and depicted Donovan visiting with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
.
History
After recording the Mellow YellowMellow Yellow (album)
Mellow Yellow is the fourth album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the United States in March 1967 Mellow Yellow is the fourth album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the United States in March 1967 Mellow Yellow is the fourth album from...
album, Donovan focused on releasing hit singles. "Epistle to Dippy
Epistle to Dippy
Epistle to Dippy is a song and single by Donovan, released in 1967 only in the USA. It charted in the USA .Musicians featured are Donovan on vocals and acoustic guitar, Jimmy Page on electric guitar, John Cameron on keyboards and arrangement, Danny Thompson on bass and Tony Carr on drums...
" (essentially an inside-joke/open letter for a childhood friend) hit the top 20 in February 1967 and "There is a Mountain
There Is a Mountain
"There is a Mountain" is a song and single by Donovan, released in 1967. It charted in the USA and UK .Featured musicians are Donovan , Tony Carr on percussion, Harold McNair on flute and arrangement and Danny Thompson on bass.Chart positions: # 11 , # 9 , # 11 , # 8 The Allman...
" (#11 US; #8 UK) followed in August.
Riding high on the success of these singles, Donovan entered the studio in October to record his next album. The double album that resulted from these sessions consisted of one disc of electric pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
("Wear Your Love Like Heaven") and another of acoustic children's music ("For Little Ones"). The acoustic album allowed Donovan to present a facet of his songwriting that had not been featured on his singles. It also allowed him to show his strength as a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player and performer in a way that he could not when augmented by session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s. In fact, Donovan's live performances of the time featured instrumentation and performances more in line with For Little Ones than his hit singles and the first record of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden.
While Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
produced the single from the album ("Wear Your Love Like Heaven
Wear Your Love Like Heaven
"Wear Your Love Like Heaven" is a song and US-single by Donovan, released in 1967. It became the opening title of his double album A Gift from a Flower to a Garden...
" b/w "Oh Gosh"), and is credited with the album's production, Donovan actually produced the bulk of the material himself, allowing Most the credit to help sales.
"Mad John's Escape" is a song written for a friend of Donovan's who escaped from a mental health center. The song details Mad John's escape and subsequent adventures.
"Under the Greenwood Tree" was originally written by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, and set to music by Donovan for the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, who planned to use it in a stage production. At the end of the song, Donovan sings "Will you, won't you... join the dance?" in reference to the chorus of "The Lobster Quadrille" in Chapter X of Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
.
"Epistle to Derroll" is dedicated to the banjo player and singer Derroll Adams
Derroll Adams
Derroll Adams was an American folk musician.-Biography:Adams was born Derroll Lewis Thompson in Portland, Oregon. At 16, he served in the Army and later in the Coast Guard. He was a tall, lanky banjo player with a deep voice...
, an early influence on Donovan.
In the album's liner notes, Donovan explained his purpose in creating two rather different discs (one for the present generation, and the other for the "dawning generation"), and also denounced the use of drugs. Several of his earlier records had contained both veiled and open references to drug use (particularly marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
), but since the release of Mellow Yellow
Mellow Yellow
"Mellow Yellow" is a song and single release by Donovan. It reached #2 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. in 1966 and #8 in the UK in early 1967....
, he had both been arrested and prosecuted for marijuana possession, and had seen people he knew turning to harder drugs (speed
Speed (disambiguation)
Speed is the rate of motion, change, or activity.Speed may also refer to:*Luck, good fortunePersons named Speed:* Speed In media, leisure and culture:* Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky...
, heroin, cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
), and the damage this caused in their lives. Instead, Donovan promoted the use of meditation
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation refers to the Transcendental Meditation technique, a specific form of mantra meditation, and to the Transcendental Meditation movement, a spiritual movement...
and other techniques, in his new songs.
The front cover photo design of Wear Your Love Like Heaven features a Pre-Raphaelite
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...
style infrared photograph of Donovan on the moat in front of Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle
Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War...
by Karl Ferris
Karl Ferris
Karl Ferris is an English photographer/designer, best known as one of the principal innovators of "psychedelic" photography. A photographer to the “British Rock Elite” - Eric Clapton, Cream, Donovan, The Hollies and Jimi Hendrix - Ferris was invited - as a style consultant and their personal...
who was his and Jimi Hendrix's personal photographer.
The album earned a Gold Record award, for half a million sales, during 1970.
Reissues
- On May 3, 1999, Beat Goes On Records reissued A Gift from a Flower to a Garden on compact discCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in the UK. - On September 12, 2000, Collector's Choice Music reissued A Gift from a Flower to a Garden on compact disc in the U.S.
- On January 16, 2001, Collectables RecordsCollectables RecordsCollectables is a reissue record label founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene was previously associated with New York City's Times Square Record Shop, Philadelphia's Record Museum retail chain, and the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels....
released Mellow Yellow/Wear Your Love Like Heaven (Collectables 6644), which contained all of Mellow Yellow and the Wear Your Love Like Heaven portion of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden.
"Wear Your Love Like Heaven" (album 1)
Side 1- "Wear Your Love Like HeavenWear Your Love Like Heaven"Wear Your Love Like Heaven" is a song and US-single by Donovan, released in 1967. It became the opening title of his double album A Gift from a Flower to a Garden...
" – 2:27 - "Mad John's Escape" – 2:20
- "Skip-a-long Sam" – 2:26
- "Sun" – 3:17
- "There Was a Time" – 2:02
Side 2
- "Oh Gosh" – 1:48
- "Little Boy in Corduroy" – 2:34
- "Under the Greenwood Tree" (words by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, music by Donovan Leitch) – 1:58 - "The Land of Doesn't Have to Be" – 2:30
- "Someone Singing" – 3:07
"For Little Ones" (album 2)
Side 1- "Song of the Naturalist's Wife" – 2:47
- "The Enchanted Gypsy" – 3:21
- "Voyage into the Golden Screen" – 3:15
- "Isle of Islay" – 2:24
- "The Mandolin Man and His Secret" – 3:35
- "Lay of the Last Tinker" – 1:49
Side 2
- "The Tinker and the Crab" – 2:55
- "Widow with Shawl (A Portrait)" – 3:02
- "The Lullaby of Spring" – 3:27
- "The Magpie" – 1:31
- "Starfish-on-the-Toast" – 2:45
- "Epistle to Derroll" – 5:44
Release history
| Region | Date | Title | Label | Format | Catalog-Nr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 12/1967 | A Gift from a Flower to a Garden | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
mono Monaural Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path... LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
L2N6071 |
| USA | 12/1967 | A Gift from a Flower to a Garden | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
stereo LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
B2N171 |
| UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
April 16, 1968 | A Gift from a Flower to a Garden | Pye Pye Records Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man... |
mono LP | NPL20000 |
| UK United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
April 16, 1968 | A Gift from a Flower to a Garden | Pye Pye Records Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man... |
stereo LP | NSPL 20000 |
| USA | Wear Your Love Like Heaven | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
monaural LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
LN 24349 | |
| USA | Wear Your Love Like Heaven | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
stereo LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
BN 26349 (stereo) | |
| USA | For Little Ones | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
monaural LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
LN24350 | |
| USA | For Little Ones | Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
stereo LP Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... |
BN26350 (stereo) | |