Catch the Wind

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"Catch the Wind"
Donovan-Catch the Wind single Holland.jpg
Single by Donovan
from the album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid
B-side Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do? [1]
Released28 February 1965 (UK) [2] [3] [4] [5]
April 1965 (US) [6]
RecordedFebruary 1965
Studio Olympic, London
Genre Folk
Length2:21
Label Pye
Songwriter Donovan Leitch
Producers
Donovan singles chronology
"Catch the Wind"
(1965)		"Colours"
(1965)
Audio
"Catch the Wind" on YouTube

"Catch the Wind" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. [5] Pye Records released "Catch the Wind" backed with "Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?" [1] as Donovan's debut release (Pye 7N.15801) in the United Kingdom on 28 February 1965. [2] [3] [4] [5] The single reached No. 4 in the United Kingdom singles chart. [7] Hickory Records released the single in the United States in April 1965 (Hickory 45-1309), [6] [8] where it reached No. 23 in the United States Billboard Hot 100. [9]

Contents

Recording

The single version of "Catch the Wind" was recorded at Olympic Studios in London. [10] Donovan played guitar and sang on the recording, and was accompanied by nine session musicians: four viola players, four violin players and a string bass player. [10] According to Donovan biographyer Lorne Murdoch, the string arrangement on the single version was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with an arrangement written by Ken Lewis of the Ivy League. [11] He additionally opined that Donovan's commercial recording career commenced with the recording of "Catch The Wind" in February 1965. [11]

Release and reception

In May 1965, Pye Records released a different version of "Catch the Wind" on Donovan's debut LP record album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid (NPL.18117) [12] (retitled Catch the Wind in the US). While the single version featured vocal echo and a string section, the album version lacked those elements and instead featured Donovan playing harmonica.

Cash Box described it as a "medium-paced, folk-styled low-down bluesey romancer," with a Bob Dylan-like vocal. [6] Record World likewise described it as "Dylanesque." [13]

When Epic Records was compiling Donovan's Greatest Hits in 1968, the label was either unable or unwilling to secure the rights to the original recordings of "Catch the Wind" and Donovan's follow-up single, "Colours". Donovan re-recorded both songs for the album, with a full backing band including Big Jim Sullivan playing guitar and Mickie Most producing.

Chart performance

References

  1. 1 2 Lincolnshire Echo staff (1965), p. 8.
  2. 1 2 Cleave, Maureen (1965a), p. 7.
  3. 1 2 Cleave, Maureen (1965b), p. 6.
  4. 1 2 Cleave, Maureen (1965c), p. 5.
  5. 1 2 3 Reynolds, Stanley (1965), p. 14.
  6. 1 2 3 Anon. (17 April 1965). "Newcomer Pick" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 November 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  7. 1 2 "Catch The Wind by Donovan". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Nelson, Gene (1965), p. 194.
  9. 1 2 Anon. (3 July 1965). "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard . p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  10. 1 2 Emery, John (May 1965). "Donovan's Big Influence? It's Not Dylan!" (PDF). Beat Instrumental . No. 5. p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2025– via WorldRadioHistory.
  11. 1 2 Murdoch 2001, p. 4.
  12. ↑ Bucks Examiner staff (1965), p. 8.
  13. ↑ Anon. (17 April 1965). "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World . p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  14. ↑ Kent 2005, p. 93.
  15. ↑ Anon. (10 June 1965). "R.P.M. Play Sheet" (PDF). RPM . p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  16. ↑ Nyman 2005.
  17. ↑ Gogan, Larry. "Catch The Wind". Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original on 15 April 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Catch The Wind" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 3 November 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  19. ↑ Anon. (10 April 1965). "Britain's Best Top 40" (PDF). Disc Weekly . p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  20. ↑ Anon. (3 April 1965). "Pop 50" (PDF). Melody Maker . p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  21. ↑ Anon. (9 April 1965). "NME Top 30" (PDF). New Musical Express . p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 December 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  22. ↑ Anon. (3 July 1965). "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 November 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  23. ↑ Anon. (26 June 1965). "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World . p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 August 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026– via WorldRadioHistory.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 best-selling singles of 1965". Record Retailer . 5 January 1966. p. 11.

Sources

Works cited

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