Colours (Donovan song)

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"Colours"
Donovan-Colours single.jpg
Dutch (Pye / Negram) sleeve
Single by Donovan
from the album Fairytale
B-side
  • "To Sing for You" (UK)
  • "Josie" (United States)
Released28 May 1965 (UK)
June 1965 (United States)
Recorded1965
Genre Folk [1]
Length2:44 (Side A)
2:46 ("To Sing For You")
3:29 ("Josie")
Label Pye 7N15866 (UK)
Hickory 45-1324 (United States)
Songwriter(s) Donovan Leitch
Producer(s) Terry Kennedy, Peter Eden, Geoff Stephens
Donovan UKsingles chronology
"Catch the Wind"
(1965)		"Colours"
(1965)		"Turquoise"
(1965)
Donovan USAsingles chronology
"Catch the Wind"
(1965)		"Colours"
(1965)		"Universal Soldier"
(1965)

"Colours" is a song written and recorded by British singer-songwriter Donovan for his second album, Fairytale . [2] "Colours" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 28 May 1965 through Pye Records (Pye 7N 15866) and a few months later in the United States through Hickory Records (Hickory 45-1324). The single was backed with "To Sing for You" on the UK release and "Josie" on the US release. Both B-side selections came from Donovan's first album, What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid (1965).

Contents

Release and reception

Swedish release of "Colours" single. Donovan-Colours single Sweden.jpg
Swedish release of "Colours" single.

Donovan followed up the success of "Catch the Wind" with "Colours", which featured a similar folk style. The single matched the success of "Catch the Wind" in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 4 on the charts. [3] In the United States, "Colours" reached No.61, [4] and marked a decline in the artist's popularity relative to "Catch the Wind". A different mix of the song (without harmonica) was released on his second album Fairytale . Billboard praised the "intriguing lyric and melody." [5] Cash Box described it as a "tender, slow-moving, rhythmic pledge of romantic devotion sold by the songster in his distinctive Bob Dylan-ish style." [6]


For the 1969 Epic Records release Donovan's Greatest Hits , Donovan re-recorded "Catch the Wind" and "Colours" in the studio with Big Jim Sullivan playing guitar, John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards and Clem Cattini on drums, produced by Mickie Most.


The song proved to be quite accessible for more mainstream artists, with covers by Claudine Longet, Percy Faith, Van Dyke Parks, actress Patty Duke, Murray Head, and The Kingston Trio.

Other versions by Donovan

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donovan</span> Scottish musician (born 1946)

Donovan Phillips Leitch, known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965, and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles and albums during the late 1960s. His work became emblematic of the flower power era with its blend of folk, pop, psychedelica, and jazz stylings.

<i>Whats Bin Did and Whats Bin Hid</i> 1965 studio album by Donovan

What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid is the debut album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the UK four days after his nineteenth birthday on 14 May 1965, through Pye Records. Terry Kennedy, Peter Eden, and Geoff Stephens produced the album. The album was released in the US as Catch the Wind on Hickory Records in June 1965. Hickory Records changed the title to match that of Donovan's debut single.

<i>Fairytale</i> (album) 1965 studio album by Donovan

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References

  1. ↑ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "An English Pastoral: Folk Rock". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 299. ISBN   978-0-571-28198-5.
  2. 1 2 "Show 48 – The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 5] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 251.
  5. ↑ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 24 July 1965. p. 14. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 July 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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