Main content

Donovan (the A-Side)

4 Extra Debut. Donovan talks about his psychedelic revolution inspiring 1966 album, 'Sunshine Superman'. With John Wilson. From 2016.

Donovan talks about his psychedelic revolution inspiring 1966 album Sunshine Superman.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Donovan talks to John Wilson.

Sunshine Superman, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 'ignited the psychedelic revolution virtually single-handedly' when it was released in the summer of 1966.

It was Donovan’s breakthrough third album and a radical departure from his previous work.

Born in Glasgow, Donovan Phillips Leitch grew up listening to his father reading him poetry and his family singing Scots Irish folk music. He began playing guitar when he was 14 and was 18 when he had his first hit, Catch the Wind. A year later he began work on the album that first introduced meditation, Celtic mythology and Flower Power to the world.

Creating a unique fusion of classical, jazz, folk, pop, Celtic, Latin and Indian music, the album veered from the LA-influenced The Trip and The Fat Angel (written for Mama Cass) to the medieval tinged Guinevere and Legend of a Girl Child Linda (written for Brian Jones’ ex-girlfriend Linda Lawrence who became Donovan’s life-long muse and wife). Linda is also the Sunshine Super-Girl of the song Sunshine Superman which topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and featured a young Jimmy Page on lead guitar.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Clare Walker

First broadcast on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 in January 2016.

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Mon 18 Sep 2023 21:00

Broadcasts

  • Mon 11 Jan 2016 23:00
  • Mon 18 Sep 2023 21:00

Eight things we learned from Lily Allen’s Mastertapes

We hear about the breakdown of her marriage, substance abuse… and socks

10 things we learned from Randy Newman’s Mastertapes

The legendary songwriter's interview with John Wilson is fascinating and very funny.

Mastertapes special: Paul McCartney

Mastertapes special: Paul McCartney

Watch a filmed version of Paul McCartney speaking to John Wilson about his career.

Live performances

Watch and listen to exclusive live performances from the Mastertapes recordings.

Radio 4 on Music

Re-releasing music documentaries from the Radio 4 Archive.

Podcast