Editing Donovan (section)

===1964–66: Rise to fame===
[[File:Donovan (1965).jpg|thumb|Donovan in 1965]]
Returning to [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]], Donovan spent several months playing in local clubs, absorbing the folk scene around his home in [[St Albans]], learning the [[crosspicking]] guitar technique from local players such as [[Mac MacLeod]] and [[Mick Softley]] and writing his first songs. In 1964, he travelled to [[Manchester]] with [[Gyp Mills|Gypsy Dave]], then spent the summer in [[Torquay]], Devon. In Torquay he stayed with Mac MacLeod and took up [[busking]], studying the guitar and learning [[traditional music|traditional]] folk and blues.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dixon |first=Kevin |url=http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk/2010/07/17/torquays-other-history-the-inspiration-of-folk-superstars-donovan-and-mac-macleod |title=Torquay's other history: the inspiration of folk superstars Donovan and Mac Macleod|publisher=Peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk|date=17 July 2010|access-date=18 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008201625/http://www.peoplesrepublicofsouthdevon.co.uk/2010/07/17/torquays-other-history-the-inspiration-of-folk-superstars-donovan-and-mac-macleod/ |archive-date=8 October 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.macmacleod.co.uk/reviews.html |title=reviews |access-date=2007-09-14 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430165209/http://www.macmacleod.co.uk/reviews.html |archive-date=30 April 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In late 1964, Donovan was offered a management and publishing contract by [[Peter Eden]] and [[Geoff Stephens]] of [[Pye Records]] in London, for which he recorded a 10-track demo tape which included the original of his first single, "[[Catch the Wind]]" and "[[Josie (Donovan song)|Josie]]". The first song revealed the influence of [[Woody Guthrie]] and [[Ramblin' Jack Elliott]], who had also influenced [[Bob Dylan]]. Dylan comparisons followed for some time.<ref name=pc48>{{Gilliland|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19823/m1 |title=Show 48 – The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 5] |access-date=18 May 2011}}</ref> In an interview with [[KFOK-LP|KFOK]] radio in the US on 14 June 2005, MacLeod said: "The press were fond of calling Donovan a Dylan clone as they had both been influenced by the same sources: Ramblin' Jack Elliott, [[Jesse Fuller]], Woody Guthrie and many more."{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}

While recording the demo, Donovan befriended [[Brian Jones]] of [[the Rolling Stones]], who was recording nearby. He had recently met Jones' ex-girlfriend, [[Linda Lawrence]], who is the mother of Jones' son, Julian Brian (Jones) Leitch.<ref name="ReferenceA">Brian Jones: The Making of the Rolling Stones and Sympathy for the Devil: The Birth of the Rolling Stones by [[Paul Trynka]] – and the Death of Brian Jones by Paul Trynka</ref> The on-off romantic relationship that developed over five years was a force in Donovan's career. She influenced Donovan's music but refused to marry him and she moved to the United States for several years in the late 1960s. They met by chance in 1970 and married soon after. Donovan had other relationships – one of which resulted in the birth of his first two children, [[Donovan Leitch (actor)|Donovan Leitch]] and [[Ione Skye]], both of whom became actors.
[[File:Donovan and Casey Kasem 1965.jpg|thumb|Donovan being interviewed by [[Casey Kasem]], 1965]]
====Donovan and Dylan====
During Bob Dylan's trip to the UK in the spring of 1965, the British music press were making comparisons of the two singer-songwriters which they presented as a rivalry. This prompted [[The Rolling Stones]] guitarist Brian Jones to say,

{{blockquote|We've been watching Donovan too. He isn't too bad a singer but his stuff sounds like Dylan's. His 'Catch The Wind' sounds like 'Chimes of Freedom'. He's got a song, 'Hey Tangerine Eyes' and it sounds like Dylan's 'Mr. Tambourine Man'.<ref>Rolling Stones off The Record", Mark Paytress, p.&nbsp;90</ref>}}

Donovan is the undercurrent In [[D. A. Pennebaker]]'s film ''[[Dont Look Back]]'' documenting Dylan's tour. Near the start of the film, Dylan opens a newspaper and exclaims, "Donovan? Who is this Donovan?" and [[Alan Price]] from [[The Animals]] spurred the rivalry on by telling Dylan that Donovan is a better guitar player, but that he had only been around for three months. Throughout the film Donovan's name is seen next to Dylan's on newspaper headlines and on posters in the background, and Dylan and his friends refer to him consistently.

Donovan finally appears in the second half of the film, along with [[Derroll Adams]], in Dylan's suite at the [[Savoy Hotel]] despite Donovan's management refusing to allow journalists to be present, saying they did not want "any stunt on the lines of the disciple meeting the messiah".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sabotage.demon.co.uk/donovan/art/1.htm#mm5/5/65 |title=Melody Maker |date=5 May 1965 |publisher=Sabotage.demon.co.uk |access-date=18 May 2011 |archive-date=15 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515020058/http://www.sabotage.demon.co.uk/donovan/art/1.htm#mm5/5/65 |url-status=dead }}</ref> According to Pennebaker, Dylan told him not to film the encounter, and Donovan played a song that sounded just like "[[Mr. Tambourine Man]]" but with different words. When confronted with lifting his tune, Donovan said that he thought it was an old folk song.<ref name="Marcus, 2011">{{citation|last1=Marcus |first1=Greil |title=Greil Marcus interviews D.A. Pennebaker about filming Bob Dylan|date=2011|publisher=New Video's Docurama Films}}</ref> Once the camera rolled, Donovan plays his song "To Sing For You" and then asks Dylan to play "[[It's All Over Now, Baby Blue|Baby Blue]]". Dylan later told ''[[Melody Maker]]'': "He played some songs to me.&nbsp;... I like him.&nbsp;... He's a nice guy." ''Melody Maker'' noted that Dylan had mentioned Donovan in his song "[[Talkin' World War III Blues|Talking World War Three Blues]]" and that the crowd had jeered, to which Dylan had responded backstage: "I didn't mean to put the guy down in my songs. I just did it for a joke, that's all."

In an interview for the BBC in 2001 to mark Dylan's 60th birthday, Donovan acknowledged Dylan as an influence early in his career while distancing himself from "Dylan clone" allegations:

{{blockquote|The one who really taught us to play and learn all the traditional songs was [[Martin Carthy]] – who incidentally was contacted by Dylan when Bob first came to the UK. Bob was influenced, as all American folk artists are, by the [[Celtic music]] of Ireland, Scotland and England. But in 1962 we folk Brits were also being influenced by some folk Blues and the American folk-exponents of our Celtic Heritage&nbsp;... Dylan appeared after [[Woody Guthrie|Woody]] [Guthrie], [[Pete Seeger|Pete]] [Seeger] and [[Joan Baez|Joanie]] [Baez] had conquered our hearts, and he sounded like a cowboy at first but I knew where he got his stuff – it was Woody at first, then it was [[Jack Kerouac]] and the stream-of-consciousness poetry which moved him along. But when I heard '[[Blowin' in the Wind]]' it was the clarion call to the new generation – and we artists were encouraged to be as brave in writing our thoughts in music&nbsp;... We were not captured by his influence, we were encouraged to mimic him – and remember every British band from the [[Rolling Stones|Stones]] to the [[Beatles]] were copying note for note, lick for lick, all the American pop and blues artists – this is the way young artists learn. There's no shame in mimicking a hero or two – it flexes the creative muscles and tones the quality of our composition and technique. It was not only Dylan who influenced us – for me he was a spearhead into protest, and we all had a go at his style. I sounded like him for five minutes – others made a career of his sound. Like troubadours, Bob and I can write about any facet of the human condition. To be compared was natural, but I am not a copyist.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1347199.stm |title=Donovan remembers Dylan |last=Anon |date=23 May 2001 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=7 November 2009}}</ref>}}

====Collaboration with Mickie Most====
In late 1965, Donovan split with his original management and signed with [[Ashley Kozak]], who was working for [[Brian Epstein]]'s [[NEMS Enterprises]]. Kozak introduced Donovan to American businessman [[Allen Klein]] (later manager of the Rolling Stones and, in their final months, [[the Beatles]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/allen-klein/|title=Allen Klein|date=25 March 2008|website=The Beatles Bible}}</ref> Klein in turn introduced Donovan to producer [[Mickie Most]],<ref name="classicbands">{{cite web|url=http://www.classicbands.com/donovan.html |title=Donovan |last=Anon |work=www.classicbands.com |access-date=7 November 2009}}</ref> who had chart-topping productions with [[the Animals]], [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]] and [[Herman's Hermits]]. Most produced all Donovan's recordings during this period, although Donovan said in his autobiography that some recordings were self-produced, with little input from Most. Their collaboration produced successful singles and albums, recorded with London session players including [[Big Jim Sullivan]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Guitarist Big Jim Sullivan dies|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19820424|work=BBC News|access-date=23 February 2013|date=3 October 2012}}</ref> [[Jack Bruce]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Jack Bruce Discography – 1963–2010 |url=http://www.jackbruce.com/2008/Music/complete_discography.htm |publisher=www.jackbruce.com |access-date=23 February 2013}}</ref> [[Danny Thompson]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Donovan With Danny Thompson – Discography |url=http://www.45cat.com/artist/donovan-with-danny-thompson/all |publisher=www.45cat.com |access-date=23 February 2013}}</ref> and future [[Led Zeppelin]] members [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] and [[Jimmy Page]].<ref name=lz>{{cite web|title=Season of the Witch |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/season-of-the-witch-mt0010623319 |publisher=www.allmusic.com |access-date=23 February 2013}}</ref>

Many of Donovan's late 1960s recordings featured musicians including his key musical collaborator [[John Cameron (musician)|John Cameron]] on piano, Danny Thompson (from [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]]) or [[Spike Heatley]] on upright bass, Tony Carr on drums and [[conga]]s and [[Harold McNair]] on saxophone and flute. Carr's conga style and McNair's flute playing are a feature of many recordings. Cameron, McNair and Carr also accompanied Donovan on several concert tours and can be heard on his 1968 live album ''[[Donovan in Concert (1968 album)|Donovan in Concert]]''.

====''Sunshine Superman''====
[[File:Donovan 4.jpg|thumb|Donovan performing in [[Finnish Broadcasting Company]]'s television program ''Ohimennen'' in June 1966.]]
By 1966, Donovan had shed the Dylan/Guthrie influences and become one of the first British pop musicians to adopt [[flower power]]. He immersed himself in jazz, [[blues]], [[Eastern world|Eastern]] music and the new generation of [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]]-era [[West Coast of the United States|US West Coast]] bands such as [[Jefferson Airplane]] and [[the Grateful Dead]]. He was entering his most creative phase as a songwriter and recording artist, working with Mickie Most and with arranger, musician and jazz fan [[John Cameron (musician)|John Cameron]]. Their first collaboration was ''[[Sunshine Superman (album)|Sunshine Superman]]'', one of the first [[psychedelic pop]] records.<ref name="classicbands"/>

Donovan's rise stalled in December 1965 when ''Billboard'' broke news of the impending production deal between Klein, Most and Donovan, and then reported that Donovan was to sign with [[Epic Records]] in the US. Despite Kozak's denials, [[Pye Records]] dropped the single and a contract dispute ensued, because Pye had a US licensing arrangement with [[Warner Bros. Records]]. As a result, the UK release of the ''Sunshine Superman'' LP was delayed for months, robbing it of the impact it would have had. Another outcome was that the UK and US versions of this and later albums differed – three of his Epic LPs were not released in the UK and ''Sunshine Superman'' was issued in a different form in each country. Several tracks on his late 1960s Epic (US) LPs were not released in the UK for many years. The legal dispute continued into early 1966. During the hiatus, Donovan holidayed in Greece, where he wrote "Writer in the Sun",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hit-channel.com/interview-donovan/68376 |title=Interview: Donovan |publisher=Hit-channel.com |date=20 June 2014 |access-date=19 August 2015}}</ref> inspired by rumours that his recording career was over. He toured the US and appeared on episode 23 of [[Pete Seeger]]'s television show ''[[Rainbow Quest]]'' in 1966 with [[Shawn Phillips]] and [[Rev. Gary Davis]]. After his return to London, he developed his friendship with [[Paul McCartney]] and contributed the line "sky of blue and sea of green" to "[[Yellow Submarine (song)|Yellow Submarine]]".

By spring 1966, the American contract problems had been resolved and Donovan signed a $100,000 deal with Epic Records. Donovan and Most went to [[CBS Studio Building|CBS Studios]] in Los Angeles, where they recorded tracks for an LP, much composed during the preceding year. Although folk elements were prominent, the album showed increasing influence of [[jazz]], American west coast [[psychedelia]] and [[folk rock]] – especially [[the Byrds]]. The LP sessions were completed in May and "[[Sunshine Superman (song)|Sunshine Superman]]" was released in the US as a single in June. It was a success, selling 800,000 in six weeks and reaching No. 1. It went on to sell over one million and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book |first=Joseph |last=Murrells |year=1978 |title=The Book of Golden Discs |edition=2nd |publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/204 204] |isbn=0-214-20512-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/204 }}</ref> The LP followed in August, preceded by orders of 250,000 copies, reached No. 11 on the US [[Billboard 200|album chart]] and sold over half a million.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/>

The US version of the ''[[Sunshine Superman (album)|Sunshine Superman]]'' album features instruments including acoustic bass, [[sitar]], saxophone, tablas and congas, harpsichord, strings and oboe. Highlights include the swinging "[[The Fat Angel]]", which Donovan's book confirms was written for [[Cass Elliot]] of [[the Mamas & the Papas]]. The song is notable for naming the Jefferson Airplane before they became known internationally and before [[Grace Slick]] joined. Other tracks include "Bert's Blues" (a tribute to [[Bert Jansch]]), "Guinevere" and "Legend of a Girl Child Linda", a track featuring voice, acoustic guitar and a small orchestra for over six minutes.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Hurdy Gurdy Man |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PVsIp2DSuQMC&pg=PA164 |access-date=19 February 2013|isbn = 9780099487036|author1 = Donovan|last2 = Leitch|first2 = Donovan|year = 2006| publisher=Arrow }}</ref>

The album also features the sitar, which was played by American folk-rock singer [[Shawn Phillips]]. Donovan met Phillips in London in 1965 and he became a friend and early collaborator, playing acoustic guitar and sitar on recordings including ''Sunshine Superman'' as well as accompanying Donovan at concerts and on Pete Seeger's TV show. Creatively, Phillips served as a silent partner in the gestation of many of Donovan's songs from the era, with the singer later acknowledging that Phillips primarily composed "[[Season of the Witch (song)|Season of the Witch]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goldminemag.com/article/follow-the-ever-changing-ballad-of-singer-songwriter-shawn-phillips |title=Follow the ever-changing ballad of Shawn Phillips |date=25 July 2012}}</ref> Several songs including the title track had a harder edge. The driving, jazzy "The Trip", named after a Los Angeles club name, chronicled an [[LSD]] [[Psychedelic experience|trip]] during his time in L.A. and is loaded with references to his sojourn on the West Coast, and names Dylan and Baez. The third "heavy" song was "Season of the Witch".{{citation needed|date=February 2016}} Recorded with American and British session players, it features Donovan's first recorded performance on electric guitar. The song was covered by [[Julie Driscoll]], [[Brian Auger and the Trinity]] on their first LP in 1967 and [[Al Kooper]] and [[Stephen Stills]] recorded an 11-minute version on the 1968 album, ''[[Super Session]]''. Donovan's version is also in the closing sequence of the [[Gus Van Sant]] film, ''[[To Die For]]''. {{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

Because of earlier contractual problems, the UK version of ''Sunshine Superman'' LP was not released for another nine months. This was a compilation of tracks from the US albums ''[[Sunshine Superman (album)|Sunshine Superman]]'' and ''[[Mellow Yellow (album)|Mellow Yellow]]''. Donovan did not choose the tracks.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

====Mellow Yellow====
[[File:Royal Albert Hall, London - Nov 2012.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The [[Royal Albert Hall]], London]]
On 24 October 1966, Epic released the single "[[Mellow Yellow]]", arranged by [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] and purportedly featuring [[Paul McCartney]] on backing vocals, but not in the chorus.<ref name="classicbands"/> In his autobiography Donovan explained "electrical banana" was a reference to a "yellow-coloured vibrator".<ref>Donovan, ''Donovan in Concert'', released on Atlantic July 1968, re-issued on BGO February 2002. ASIN B0000011LU.</ref> The song became Donovan's signature tune in the US and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the Cash Box chart, and it earned a gold record award for sales of more than one million in the US.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/>

Through the first half of 1967, Donovan worked on a double-album studio project, which he produced. In January he gave a concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] accompanied by a ballerina who danced during a 12-minute performance of "Golden Apples". On 14 January, [[NME|New Musical Express]] reported he was to write incidental music for a [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] production of ''[[As You Like It]]'', but this did not come to fruition. His version of "[[Under the Greenwood Tree]]" did appear on "[[A Gift from a Flower to a Garden]]".

In March Epic released the ''[[Mellow Yellow (album)|Mellow Yellow]]'' LP (not released in the UK), which reached No. 14 in the US album charts, plus a non-album single, "[[Epistle to Dippy]]", a Top 20 hit in the US. Written as an open letter to a school friend, the song had a pacifist message as well as psychedelic imagery. The real "Dippy" was in the [[British Army]] in Malaysia. According to Brian Hogg, who wrote the liner notes for the Donovan boxed set ''[[Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964–1976|Troubadour]]'', Dippy heard the song, contacted Donovan and left the army. On 9 February 1967, Donovan was among guests invited by the Beatles to Abbey Road Studios for the orchestral overdub for "[[A Day in the Life]]", the finale to ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Day in the Life:One Family, the Beautiful People, and the End of the Sixties|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OfMWwVXsl0EC&pg=PT78 |access-date=20 February 2013|isbn = 9780786748006|last1 = Greenfield|first1 = Robert|date = 17 June 2009| publisher=Hachette Books }}</ref>

====Arrest====
On 10{{nbsp}}June 1966,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hitchens |first1=Peter |author1-link=Peter Hitchens |title=The War We Never Fought: The British Establishment's Surrender to Drugs |date=2012 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-4411-7331-7 |page=102 |url=https://archive.org/details/warweneverfought0000hitc |url-access=registration |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Donovan became the first high-profile British pop star to be arrested for possession of [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]].<ref name="Hurdy Gurdy Man"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Shea |first1=Stuart |last2=Rodriguez |first2=Robert |title=Fab Four FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Beatles{{nbsp}}... and More! |date=2007 |publisher=[[Hal Leonard]] |location=New York City |page=67 |isbn=978-1-4234-2138-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/fabfourfaqeveryt0000shea/ |url-access=registration |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Donovan's drug use was mostly restricted to cannabis, with occasional use of [[LSD]] and [[mescaline]].{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} His LSD use is thought to be referenced indirectly in some of his lyrics.<ref name="Hurdy Gurdy Man"/> Public attention was drawn to his marijuana use by the TV documentary ''A Boy Called Donovan'' in early 1966, which showed the singer and friends smoking cannabis at a party thrown by the film crew. Donovan's arrest proved to be the first in a long series involving the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In early 1967, Donovan was subject of an exposé in the ''[[News of the World]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Pop Music and the Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N-ViwZnnR3oC&q=donovan+1967+news+of+the+world&pg=PA117 |access-date=19 February 2013|isbn = 9781566399661|last1 = Jones|first1 = Steve|year = 2002| publisher=Temple University Press }}</ref>

According to Donovan, the article was based on an interview by an ex-girlfriend of his friend Gypsy Dave. The article was the first in a three-part series, ''Drugs & Pop Stars – Facts That Will Shock You.'' It was quickly shown some claims were false. A ''News of the World'' reporter claimed to have spent an evening with [[Mick Jagger]], who allegedly discussed his drug use and offered drugs to companions. He had mistaken Brian Jones for Jagger, and Jagger sued the newspaper for libel. Among other supposed revelations were claims that Donovan and stars including members of [[The Who]], [[Cream (band)|Cream]], [[The Rolling Stones]] and [[The Moody Blues]] regularly smoked marijuana, used other drugs and held parties where the recently banned hallucinogen LSD was used, specifically naming the Who's [[Pete Townshend]] and Cream's [[Ginger Baker]].

It emerged later that the ''News of the World'' reporters were passing information to the police. In the late 1990s, ''The Guardian'' said ''News of the World'' reporters had alerted police to the party at [[Keith Richards]]'s home, which was raided on 12 February 1967. Although Donovan's was not as sensational as the later arrests of Jagger and Richards, he was refused entry to the US until late 1967. He could not appear at the [[Monterey Pop Festival|Monterey International Pop Festival]] in June that year.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Season of "Season of the Witch"|date=16 May 2012 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/05/season-of-the-witch.html|publisher=www.newyorker.com|access-date=19 February 2013}}</ref>