Happy Birthday to Donovan
A True Visionary Who Makes Happiness Run
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the legendary singer-songwriter and guitarist Donovan Leitch.
He started as a folkie and excelled into a full-out British Invasion pop star—a trailblazer who fused pop with calpyso, Celtic, folk, jazz, psychedelica, and world music while selling millions of records + steering studio sessions with backing musicians such as Jeff Beck, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney, Graham Nash, and Jimmy Page. Donovan is also a master of fingerstyle guitar, and his influence and fan appeal have outlasted critics and shifting public tastes.
Here’s my wired-up cover of his song “Changes” with drumming by Jason Souza (of the metal band Soldier; track recorded at Tom Mallon’s in San Francisco). The lyrics cite challenges and changes that can bring a man down, but by faith and discernment we rise above, brave through, and learn and grow from it. When Donovan wrote the song for his 1970 OPEN ROAD album, he was transitioning from stardom and big production to create a touchstone collection of songs about the down side of materialism and a yearning for simpler times. He foretold a sober yet edifying spirit for the future.
Some think the chorus hook in this Donovan song informed David Bowie’s song “Changes” (which came just months later), but we all know change is inevitable. Meanwhile, HB Dono and thank you for making happiness run.
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