Sunshine Superman is the third album

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 Donovan. It was released in the United States in September 1966. but was not released in the United Kingdom because of a contractual dispute. In June 1967, a compilation of the Sunshine Superman and 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....

albums was released as Sunshine Superman in the UK. Sunshine Superman was named after Donovan's hit single 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.)

History

These recordings mark a distinct change in Donovan's music, representing some of the first psychedelia

Psychedelic music

Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...

 released. A full rock band backs up Donovan on many of the songs, and the instrumentation has been expanded to include sitar

Sitar

The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...

 and other unique musical instruments. This change is partially the result of working with producer 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....

, 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

Swinging London

Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...

" and give listeners an insider's look into the mid-sixties pop scene. He was known to be close to The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 and Brian Jones

Brian Jones

Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....

 at this time, and he became widely known after "Sunshine Superman

Sunshine Superman

"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 in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it...

" became a chart-topper in the US, and hit #2 in the UK. Donovan's penchant for name-dropping in songs such as two influenced by his travel to Los Angeles, "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

Bert Jansch

Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...

.

Contrasting this modern bent was Donovan's fascination with medieval

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 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

Fairytale (album)

Fairytale is the second album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was first released in the United Kingdom on October 22, 1965 through Pye Records . The U.S. version of Fairytale was released by Hickory Records in November 1965 with a slightly different set of songs...

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

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....

), "Superlungs My Supergirl" (later rerecorded and released on Barabajagal

Barabajagal

"Barabajagal" is a song by Donovan released by Donovan in 1969. It was later used as title track to the album Barabajagal. The instrumentation is provided by the Jeff Beck Group....

) 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 Day in the Life

"A Day in the Life" is a song by The Beatles, the final track on the group's 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the song comprises distinct segments written independently by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with orchestral additions...

", 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

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...

.

A cover version of "The Fat Angel" was recorded, appropriately, by Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....

 for their 1968 live album Bless Its Pointed Little Head

Bless Its Pointed Little Head

Bless Its Pointed Little Head is a live album by Jefferson Airplane recorded at both the Fillmore East and West in the fall of 1968 and released in 1969. Five songs on the album had not appeared on any of the band's previous studio recordings. The songs that did appear on previous albums, however,...

.

Personnel

• Donovan - vocals and acoustic guitar
• Bobby Ray - bass -
• "Fast" Eddy Hoh - drums
• Shawn Phillips
  Shawn Phillips
  Shawn Phillips is a folk-rock musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s.Phillips has recorded twenty albums and worked with musicians including Donovan, Paul Buckmaster, J. Peter Robinson, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bernie Taupin, and many others...
  
   - sitar
  Sitar
  The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
  
  

On "Sunshine Superman":

• Donovan - vocals and acoustic guitar
• Jimmy Page
  Jimmy Page
  James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
  
   and Eric Ford - electric guitars
• John Cameron
  John Cameron (musician)
  John Cameron is a British composer, arranger, conductor and musician. He is well-known for his many film, TV and stage credits, and for his contributions to 'pop' recordings, notably those by Donovan, Cilla Black and the group Hot Chocolate...
  
   - keyboards and arrangement
• Spike Healey - bass
• Bobby Orr - drums
• Tony Carr - percussion

Side one

1. "Sunshine Superman
   Sunshine Superman
   "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 in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it...
   
   " (single edit) – 3:15
2. "Legend of a Girl Child Linda" – 6:50
3. "Three King Fishers" – 3:16
4. "Ferris Wheel" – 4:12
5. "Bert's Blues" – 4:00

Side two

1. "Season of the Witch" – 4:56 +
2. "The Trip" – 4:34
3. "Guinevere" – 3:41
4. "The Fat Angel" – 4:11
5. "Celeste" – 4:08

2005 EMI version (UK) bonus tracks

11. "Breezes of Patchulie" – 4:35
12. "Museum
    Museum (song)
    Museum is a song by Donovan, that was covered by Herman's Hermits. Their version peaked at #39 in the US in September 1967 but failed to chart in the UK....
    
    " – 2:52
13. "Superlungs" – 3:17
14. "Land of Doesn't Have to Be" – 2:42
15. "Sunshine Superman" – 4:44 +
16. "Good Trip" – 1:37
17. "House of Jansch" – 3:47

The UK version

Due to the contractual dispute between Pye Records and Epic Records, Donovan's releases were held back in the United Kingdom throughout 1966 and early 1967. During this time, Donovan released Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow

Mellow 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...

in the United States. 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

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...

 (Pye NPL 18181) in June 1967 and reached #25 in the British charts.

Side one

1. "Sunshine Superman"
2. "Legend of a Girl Child Linda"
3. "The Observation"
4. "Guinevere"
5. "Celeste"
6. "Writer in the Sun"

Side two

1. "Season of the Witch"
2. "Hampstead Incident"
3. "Sand and Foam"
4. "Young Girl Blues"
5. "Three Kingfishers"
6. "Bert's Blues"

Reissues

• On 5 October 1990, Epic Records reissued the US version of Sunshine Superman (Epic EK 26217) in the US on compact disc.
• On 24 October 1994, EMI
  EMI
  The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
  
   released Four Donovan Originals (EMI 7243 8 30867 2 6) in the UK. Four Donovan Originals is a compact disc box set containing four Donovan albums that were not previously released in the UK. The US version of Sunshine Superman is disc one of that set.
• On 7 October 1996, EMI reissued the US version of Sunshine Superman (EMI CDGOLD1066) on compact disc.
• On 12 March 1998, Beat Goes On Records reissued the UK version of Sunshine Superman (BG0CD 68) in the UK on compact disc.
• On 24 May 2005, EMI reissued the US version of Sunshine Superman (EMI 8735662) on compact disc in the UK with seven bonus tracks.

The 2011 UK Stereo reissue

In mid 2011, UK EMI issued a 2-CD set (plus Bonus Disc) containing the entire US album in stereo for the first time.

Disc one

(all stereo, tracks 1-10 US album plus bonus tracks)

1. Sunshine Superman 3:19
2. Legend To A Girl Child Linda 6:52
3. Three Kingfishers 3:19
4. Ferris Wheel 4:13
5. Bert's Blues 3:59
6. Season Of The Witch 4:58
7. The Trip 4:38
8. Guinevere 3:44
9. The Fat Angel 4:16
10. Celeste 4:13
11. Breezes Of Patchuli 4:39
12. Museum (1st version) 2:53
13. Superlungs (1st version) 4:14
14. The Land Of Doesn't Have to Be 2:43
15. Sunny South Kensington 3:57
16. Epistle To Dippy (early alternative arrangement) 3:19
17. Writer In The Sun 4:33
18. Hampstead Incident 4:51
19. Sunshine Superman 4:42

Disc two

(all mono, 1-12 UK album plus bonus tracks)

1. Sunshine Superman 3:17
2. Legend To A Girl Child Linda 6:54
3. The Observation 2:25
4. Guinevere 3:42
5. Celeste 4:12
6. Writer In The Sun 4:31
7. Season Of The Witch 4:59
8. Hampstead Incident 4:44
9. Sand And Foam 3:21
10. Young Girl Blues 3:48
11. Three Kingfishers 3:18
12. Bert's Blues 4:03
13. Ferris Wheel 4:15
14. The Trip 4:38
15. The Fat Angel 4:11

Bonus disc

1. Breezes Of Patchulie – (Original vocal)
2. Superlungs (First Version)
3. Good Trip (Demo)
4. House Of Jansch
5. The Trip (single version)

External links

• Sunshine Superman - Donovan Unofficial Site