Sunshine Superman
by Donovan

A true beauty of a psychedelic album, showcasing plenty of sitar and even classical elements like on 'Legend of a Girl Called Linda'. 'Season of the Witch' is a true psychedelic classic, often referred to as one of one of the most highly regarded psychedelic classics of the sixties. I particularly like the use of sitar and tabla on tracks like '3 King Fishers' which reminds me of the Beatles 'Norwegian Wood'. A Classic album from start to finish. (Edited)

From TheDude85 06/10/2021 20:44 | #270527 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

My release varies significantly from the version featured on BEA. At the time of it's original release there was a label dispute between Donovan's US label and Donovan's UK Label. Donovan's UK label, Pye Records, released the version I have on hand in 1967 and called it "Sunshine Superman", however, Pye Records combined portions of two US releases - the "Sunshine Superman" LP and the "Mellow Yellow" LP to form the track list of Pye Records (Cat#: Pye NPL 18181) (or re-released in 1990 as BGOCD68).
The Track List for Pye NPL 18181:
01) Sunshine Superman
02) Legend Of A Girl Child Linda
03) The Observation
04) Guinevere
05) Celeste
06) Writer In The Sun
07) Season Of The Witch
08) Hampstead Incident
09) Sand And Foam
10) Young Girl Blues
11) Three Kingfishers
12) Bert's Blues


The Front Cover Image is vastly different as well. The Barcode for the album I have on hand is: (5 017261 200686).

Authenticated on discogs.com (Edited)

best songs: Season Of The Witch, Sunshine Superman, The Trip, Ferris Wheel, Celeste

it's strange how this album isnt anywhere near the top 5 of 1966 where it should stand, probably the most innovative rock album of 1966, even moreso than the Beatles or the Mothers Of Invention,
nobody did psych rock to the degree that Sunshine Superman did that year (Edited)

"Sunshine Superman" was Donovan's first "Electric" album, first released in late 1966. Although producer's Micky Most has been givin much credit for creating Donovan's "new progressive" sound, there had actually been signs on his previous album "Fairytale", that he would be exploring new styles and sounds on forthcoming records. The great song and slightly jazzy "Sunny Goodge Street" would have fitted nicely into the concept of both "Sunshine Superman" and the follow-up album "Mellow Yellow"

When the album was released "Sunshine Superman" had already been a huge hit on the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic; with its great bass intro hook. On many tracks though, Donovan's folk background still shines through. Some songs are still very folkish, featuring only Donovan and his acoustic guitar, but with additional classical instruments like woodwinds, violins and harpsichord.

Other songs are highly inspired by Indian music featuring both tabla and sitar. Among those the beautiful "Guinevere" and "Fat Angel" are clear favourites. On "Bert's Blues" Donovan combines elements from both jazz and and classical music, creating an almost avantgardish new fusion.

Quite outstanding is the classic "Season of the Witch", which has been covered by various other artists; Donovan at his heaviest! The majestic "Celeste", which closed the original album is another highlight. (Edited)

A superb album, a classic of the time that still sounds fantastic today. Donovan is at his peak here, especially on the sublime title track, one of the great songs of the sixties in a decade that is full of amazing tunes. Still, there are plenty of other treasures to discover here. Ferris wheel, season of the witch, and, legend of a girl child Linda, are all great, as well as, superlungs, which is a bonus track on the CD. In a decade that had The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dylan, and, Hendrix, it's understandable that some acts may get slightly forgotten, Donovan, is one of them. Do yourself a favour if you don't own this LP, Sunshine superman, is a great record, a classic. (Edited)