Turquoise (song)
Encyclopedia
"Turquoise" is a song written and recorded by Scottish
singer-songwriter
Donovan
. The "Turquoise" single was released in the United Kingdom on October 30, 1965 through Pye Records
(Pye 7N 15984) and charted to #30. The "Turquoise" single was backed with "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)
" and only released in the United Kingdom. "Turquoise" was released as the b-side on "To Try for the Sun
" in the United States.
"Turquoise" marked a significant drop-off in Donovan's chart success by only reaching #30 in the British charts, compared to the top 10 successes of "Catch the Wind
", "Colours", and "Universal Soldier
". While those previous singles have appeared in various formats throughout Donovan's catalog, live versions and re-recordings of "Turquoise" are conspicuously absent.
The relative lack of success in the United Kingdom most likely caused Hickory Records to select "You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond" as Donovan's next single in the United States. Hickory Records later released "Turquoise" as the b-side to "To Try for the Sun
" and made it the opening track to their 1966 compilation The Real Donovan
. The 45 was one of the records in John Lennon's jukebox.
The song was written about Donovan's friend Joan Baez
, with whom he claimed he was in love. Baez recorded a version of the song in 1967 (album: Joan
).
The lyric begins:
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...
. The "Turquoise" single was released in the United Kingdom on October 30, 1965 through 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...
(Pye 7N 15984) and charted to #30. The "Turquoise" single was backed with "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)
Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)
"Hey Gyp " is a song by Donovan. The name "Gyp" refers to his friend Gyp Mills. It has been covered by Eric Burdon and The Animals and The Soul Survivors. It has also been covered by The Belfast Gypsies, Keith Shields, and the Truth....
" and only released in the United Kingdom. "Turquoise" was released as the b-side on "To Try for the Sun
To Try for the Sun
"To Try for the Sun" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. The "To Try for the Sun" single was backed with "Turquoise" and released in the United States in January 1966 through Hickory Records ....
" in the United States.
"Turquoise" marked a significant drop-off in Donovan's chart success by only reaching #30 in the British charts, compared to the top 10 successes of "Catch the Wind
Catch the Wind (song)
"Catch the Wind" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on March 12, 1965 through Pye Records and a few months later in the United States through Hickory Records...
", "Colours", and "Universal Soldier
Universal Soldier (song)
"Universal Soldier" is a song written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. The song was originally released on Sainte-Marie's debut album It's My Way! in 1964. "Universal Soldier" was not a popular hit at the time of its release, but it did garner attention within the...
". While those previous singles have appeared in various formats throughout Donovan's catalog, live versions and re-recordings of "Turquoise" are conspicuously absent.
The relative lack of success in the United Kingdom most likely caused Hickory Records to select "You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond" as Donovan's next single in the United States. Hickory Records later released "Turquoise" as the b-side to "To Try for the Sun
To Try for the Sun
"To Try for the Sun" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. The "To Try for the Sun" single was backed with "Turquoise" and released in the United States in January 1966 through Hickory Records ....
" and made it the opening track to their 1966 compilation The Real Donovan
The Real Donovan
The Real Donovan is the first compilation album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the U.S. in September 1966.-History:...
. The 45 was one of the records in John Lennon's jukebox.
The song was written about Donovan's friend Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, with whom he claimed he was in love. Baez recorded a version of the song in 1967 (album: Joan
Joan (album)
Joan was a 1967 album by Joan Baez. Having exhausted the standard voice/guitar folksong format by 1967, Baez collaborated with composer Peter Schickele , on an album of orchestrated covers of mostly then-current pop and rock and roll songs...
).
The lyric begins:
- “Your smile beams like sunlight
- On a gull’s wing; and the leaves
- Dance and play after you;
- Take my hand and hold it
- As you would a flower;
- Take care with my heart, Oh darling:
- She’s made of glass.”