Really Random Donovan question

[joethelion]

Ok - so ... before we start

yes - I mean "that guy" - yes, the one who did "Atlantis"
and is incredibly lame, blah blah blah

but a few of his songs are actually quite good
so anyways....
---------------------------------


Years ago - I was watching the movie "Rules of Attraction" and his song "Colors" soundtracks that scene. But it's not the 'normal' version of the track - it has backing vocals on it...

Some time later - I found out that the version of "Colors" was/is only available on the vinyl copy of "Donovan's Greatest Hits" (http://www.discogs.com/Donovan-Donovans-Greatest-Hits/release/1105864) - as in... it's literally only on the vinyl edition, and wasn't put on the cd release.

Eventually, I was able to score it on vinyl and it turned out that there was a second unique track on it... If memory serves me - it was "Catch the Wind" (all I remember was that it was a slow track - and the version on the cd sounded like it was someone trying to sound like Bob Dylan - like with harmonica, etc etc)

Now here's where I get to my question...

When I went back home to the US to visit family, I had intended on recording my 12"... but I never got the chance.

Can anyone hook me up with "Colors" and "Catch the Wind" off the vinyl version of "Donovan's Greatest Hits"???

For the past few days, I've been trying to find a download, but they're all ripped from the cd and just have the 'normal' versions of the tracks

[stimpee]

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_the_Wind

"Catch the Wind" was the first release by Donovan. It reached #4 in the United Kingdom and #23 in the United States.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_the_Wind#cite_note-0) The single version featured Donovan's vocals with echo and a string section. The song was re-recorded for Donovan's first album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_Bin_Did_and_What%27s_Bin_Hid) without the vocal echo and strings.

[/URL]
When [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Records"]Epic Records (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_the_Wind#cite_note-1) was compiling Donovan's Greatest Hits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donovan%27s_Greatest_Hits), they were either unable or unwilling to secure the rights to the original recordings of "Catch the Wind" and "Colours (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colours_%28Donovan_song%29)". Donovan re-recorded both songs with a full backing band, and these were included on the greatest hits album with session musicians Big Jim Sullivan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Jim_Sullivan) and John Paul Jones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Jones_%28musician%29). The CD release of the album uses the original 1965 album version.

[joethelion]

Right... and it seems that neither re-recorded versions were ever released beyond that initial 12" version of "Greatest Hits"

As on the cd version - they use the original recordings, and not the re-recorded ones

[stimpee]

So hang on, for Catch The Wind theres the single version, an album version for the debut album and theres the one for greatest hits?

[joethelion]

So hang on, for Catch The Wind theres the single version, an album version for the debut album and theres the one for greatest hits?


...as far as I understand it - yes. Well - actually, there's:
Catch the Wind (album version)
Catch the Wind (Mono single version)
Catch the Wind (Single Version w/ Strings)
Catch the Wind (Re-recorded "Greatest Hits" vinyl only version)

plus any live concert recordings...

Although, I'm really not a Donovan expert.

It's been a while since I've listened to either "Catch the Wind" or "Colours" off the Greatest Hits compilation... but from what I recall...

Catch the Wind was similar to the single version with strings, but still slower... and the guitar wasn't as prominent. It didn't sound "Bob Dylan influenced" at all (which I don't think you could say about the other versions)

Colours basically sounded just like the 'normal' version, except it's in stereo and has prominent backing vocals. So like every time he sings "That's the time" there's a few other voices that come up afterwards repeating it. There might've also been some organ or keyboard in the background as well...

and from what I've gleaned through looking for those two "Greatest Hits Vinyl Only Exclusive Tracks" -> most of the 'Donovan community' don't like those versions, and they're not really officially recognized anymore.*

It's just soooo frustrating, b/c it took me a while to find the 12" of Greatest Hits in decent quality (not scratched to hell) - and in the 3 1/2 weeks I was back home visiting family (where all my records are in storage) I couldn't get TEN MINUTES just to record those two tracks onto my laptop!


*Sort of like how Lou Reed doesn't really acknowledge his album before "Transformer" or the Velvet Underground album after "Loaded" (but that's a whole different topic)