An exclusive interview with singer-songwriter Donovan (Maryhill, Scotland, 1949). Donovan Leitch spoke with LARB earlier this year, at a stop on his ongoing “Retrospective/Sunshine Superman” 50th-anniversary world tour. He discusses folk music, “the bohemian manifesto of free speech” of the Beats, and using psychedelia (his groundbreaking 1966 album Sunshine Superman is one of the earliest examples of the genre) to introduce Celtic themes and jazz into pop radio. He also explains the deep meaning of his songs “Season of the Witch,” “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” and “Sunshine Superman,” and the ongoing relevance of the current live renditions of “Universal Soldier” and “Isle of Islay.” Donovan’s spiritual journey as a longtime follower of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation (TM) is also discussed. (9:45 mins.)
The post LARB Voices: Donovan appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.