Donovan

:For the American soccer player, see Landon Donovan.

The split with Most, and later career

Growing tension between Mickie Most and Donovan came to a head in late 1969 when they argued about the conduct of a recording session in Los Angeles. Most later explained that he had objected to 'hangers-on' in the studio and "a lot of goings-on that I didn't like" and he gave Donovan an ultimatum -- he was paying for the session, he said, and Donovan could either do it his way or take a walk. Donovan declared that he wanted to record with someone else, and their hugely successful partnership came to an abrupt end. They would not work together again until 1973's Cosmic Wheels.

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After the rift, Donovan disappeared, apparently to Greece, re-emerging six months later to begin work on his next LP. The eventual result, which was both titled and credited to Open Road, came out in late 1970 and was a marked departure from his earlier work. Stripping the sound back a rock trio format, he dubbed the sound "Celtic rock"; the album was moderately successful but it marked the start of a gradual decline in his popularity and commercial fortunes, and his concert appearances became increasingly rare from this time forward.

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The largely self-produced children's album H.M.S Donovan was released in 1971 but failed to gain a wide audience. It was followed in early 1973 by his reunion with Mickie Most, the LP Cosmic Wheels; it was to be his last major chart success, reaching the Top 40 in both America and Britain. Later in the year he released Essence To Essence, produced by Andrew Loog Oldham and a live album recorded in Japan, which featured a previously unheard version of Hurdy Gurdy Man that included a verse written by George Harrison.

Related Topics:
1973 - Andrew Loog Oldham

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His later output included the albums 7-Tease (1974) and Slow Down World (1976). The 1978 LP Donovan reunited him for the last time with Mickie Most but fell on deaf ears at the height of the New Wave period. It was followed by Neutronica (1980), Love Is Only Feeling (1981), Lady Of The Stars (1984), and a 1990 live album featuring new performances of his classic songs.

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Sony's definitive 2-CD boxed set Troubadour (1992) did much to restore his reputation, and was followed by the long-overdue 1994 release of Four Donovan Originals, which saw his four classic Epic LPs released on CD in their original form for the first time in the UK. He found a seemingly unlikely ally in famed rap producer and Def Jam label owner Rick Rubin, who was in fact a longtime fan; Rubin financed and produced Donovan's critically acclaimed 1996 album Sutras.

Related Topics:
Rap - Def Jam - Rick Rubin

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Donovan also provided songs for the 1971 movie The Pied Piper, in which he also starred, and for Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1973), Franco Zeffirelli's film about St Francis of Assisi. The title song from the Zeffirelli film provided Donovan with an unexpected publishing windfall in 1974 when it was covered as the B-side of the million-selling U.S. Top 5 hit 'The Lord's Prayer', by Australia's singing nun Sister Janet Mead.

Related Topics:
Franco Zeffirelli - St Francis of Assisi - Sister Janet Mead

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Donovan and Linda have two children, Astrella Celeste and Oriole Nebula, and two children by his 1960s girlfriend Enid Stulberger, who have become actors, his namesake son, Donovan Leitch, Jr., and his daughter, Ione Skye.

Related Topics:
Donovan Leitch, Jr. - Ione Skye

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A new album Beat Cafe has just been released on Appleseed records. It marks a return to the jazzy sound of some of his 60's recordings and features bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Jim Keltner and production by John Chelew (Blind Boys Of Alabama).

Related Topics:
Jim Keltner - Blind Boys Of Alabama

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In November 2003 Donovan was awarded an Honorary degree of Doctor Of Letters from the University of Hertfordshire. He was co-nominated by his old friend and mentor Mac MacLeod.

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In May of 2004, Donovan played "Sunshine Superman" at the pre-wedding concert for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark.

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A tribute album to Donovan, Island of Circles, was released by Nettwerk in 1991.

Related Topics:
Tribute album - Island of Circles - Nettwerk - 1991

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Donovan has also released his early demo tapes 'Sixty Four' and a rerecording of the 'Brother Sun,Sister Moon' soundtrack on iTunes.

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Also a major set of his Mickie Most albums is on release from 9 May 2005.This EMI set has dozens of extra tracks including another song with the Jeff Beck Group. In 2005 his autobiography was published, with the title "The Hurdy Gurdy Man".

Related Topics:
9 May - 2005 - EMI

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