Song:Catch The Wind
Album:Donovan's Greatest Hits
Despite the endless comparisons to Bob Dylan, Donovan Leitch's music is probably closer to the kind of flower power stuff that would follow in the late 60s. Catch The Wind was his first big hit. He was born May 10, 1946 in Glasgow, Scotland and grew up outside London. He performed in local clubs and signed with Pye Records in 1964. Catch The Wind was his first single in 1964. Pye licensed it to Hickory Records in the US. It reached #4 on the UK charts and #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. The comparisons to Dylan began immediately and they actually met in May 1965 as documented in the film Don't Look Back. According to Dylan, there was no rivalry. It was also in 1965 that Donovan met producer Mickie Most and left Pye for Epic Records. Most produced The Animals and others and he helped Donovan reach the mainstream. The 1966 song Sunshine Superman was his only number one hit in the US and was very influential on the Flower Power of the late 60s. A 1966 marijuana bust stalled his career briefly but Donovan remained very popular until he split with Most in 1969. This Epic/Legacy comp is the perfect introfor beginners. This 1999 expanded edition includes the original version of Catch The Wind as released on Hickory Records. Other comps may have Donovan's rerecording of the song that he did for Epic. Beware! Donovan has recorded occasionally over the years without much commercial success and supposedly he is working on a new album. His son Donovan Leitch Jr. and daughter Ione Skye are both actors. Here's Donovan performing Catch The Wind on the BBC 1968.
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