01 The Most Of What Is Least (solo)

02 The Most Of What Is Least

03 Singing The Blues

    (early take, vocal track)

04 Singing The Blues

05 Love Potion No. 9

06 The Loving Of You

07 Traveling Light

08 You're The One

09 There Are No Roads (solo)

10 There Are No Roads

11 Earth Sign Man (remake)

12 A Man In Love

1970's Demos

This collection of recordings often circulates as "7-Tease" outtakes or as "The Country Album" with only vague (or no) recording information provided. Two of the performances from this group, "Black Gal Swing" and "Earthquake View," were legitimately issued by Donovan as bonus tracks on the CD re-issue of "Slow Down World," so can presume they’re from the recording sessions from that LP, and are not really "7-Tease" outtakes. On the other hand, there’s no real proof they’re "Slow Down World" outtakes, either. Another performance, "Still Waters," was released in 2010 on "Ritual Groove" and later on "Lunaria," indicating that Donovan has no hesitation about reaching into his cache of unreleased tapes when the need arises (these three titles are not listed here, since the released recordings are identical to the bootlegs, only in better sound quality). Some of the other songs in this group date back to the early ’70’s. Donovan had been performing "The Loving Of You" as far back as 1972, and "Traveling Light" as early as 1974 (on PBS' "Soundstage" program). "Earth Sign Man" is, of course, a re-recording of the song from 1973’s "Cosmic Wheels" album. The best I can do is throw my hands up and say that these recordings most likely come from sometime in the 1970’s - probably spanning a number of years. They certainly don’t sound at all like his 1980 album "Neutronica".

As for the songs I haven’t mentioned yet, "The Most Of What Is Least" is an early Donovan composition first recorded in 1965 by Marianne Faithfull. Here, we have two versions of it, one much more stripped down than the other. There are also two versions of his cover of the 1950’s hit "Singing The Blues," one taken from the vocal track of the multi-track recording and the other (a different take) a more fleshed out recording. Donovan also recorded a cover of The Clovers’ "Love Potion No. 9" (which he performed live in 1976, suggesting a date for this demo). "You’re The One" edges into middle-of-the-road territory - a far cry from the Donovan of old. "There Are No Roads" is a lovely song that Donovan would re-record in the early ’90’s for the unauthorized "One Night In Time" album and perform in concert during the same period. There are also two versions of this - one acoustic and the other a more finished band track. In what may have been a home demo, Donovan introduces "A Man In Love" as "a country blues," again, suggesting a direction he could have taken with his music that would have been more artistically satisfying than the one he finally chose.

Neutronica

While "Slow Down World" was somewhat of a return to form, and "Donovan" was at least listenable, 1980’s "Neutronica" is, generally speaking, pretty awful. A decade earlier, Donovan’s lyrics had been good enough to publish in a book of poetry ("Dry Songs And Scribbles"). Now, as "Neutronica" begins, he’s devolved into singing about being "shipwrecked on the ocean of love," accompanied by trite, electronic dance music. Worse, on most of "Neutronica," Donovan is more concerned with making political "statements" and spouting ecological diatribes in support of "the new peace movement." "Only To Be Expected," for example, turns 1970's "Saccharin Sue" into an ecological rant, and was reissued on the "Eco~Song" compilation CD in 2019 (a "tribute to Greta Thunberg"). "Comin’ To You," "No Hunger" and "Neutron" are musically vacuous and forgettable (all three were also re-released on "Eco~Song"). "Mee Mee I Love You," co-written with Donovan’s nine year old daughter Astrella, is even worse. Evidently without a political bandwagon to jump on, Donovan has nothing to say at all. Of the next two numbers, "The Heights Of Alma" is a traditional song, while "No Man’s Land" is a cover version of a song by folk singer Eric Bogle. Either is arguably better than any of the original compositions on the album. On "We Are One" (which is included on "Eco~Song" as well) Donovan laments that mankind has progressed past the stone age. "Madrigalinda" is definitely the best original number on the album, a simple, touching love song for his wife. Donovan would re-record the song for his unreleased 1990 "Celtia" album, which finally came out in 2022 as "Gaelia." A minute long instrumental performance of it can also be heard on the 2011 DVD / blu-ray "Sunshine Superman at The Royal Albert Hall," where it plays over the credits. The final number, "Harmony," is a weak closer, to say the least.

"Neutronica" was only originally released in several European countries and Australia. The rest of the world, it seems, had better sense. A CD version was issued by Burning Airlines in 2001. This offered seven bonus tracks - live versions of "Heights Of Alma" and "Universal Soldier" (from the BBC broadcast of Donovan's Cambridge concert, August 1st, 1981), and three solo demos - "Only To Be Expected" (bootlegged, along with a false start, on "There Are No Roads"), another diatribe called "Split Wood Not Atoms" and an early version of "Madrigalinda," this time with string accompaniment. The CD concludes with an alternate and longer version of "Shipwreck" and, finally, a shorter, a cappella version of "We Are One" (listed as "Fair Thee Well" on the CD). "Neutronica" was re-released by Donovan Discs on CD with the original LP cover art shown here (unlike the Burning Airlines CD, which substituted a generic photo of Donovan in concert), but minus the bonus tracks on the earlier disc, making that the more desirable of the two.

01 Shipwreck

02 Only To Be Expected

03 Comin’ To You

04 No Hunder

05 Neutron

06 Mee Mee I Love You

07 The Heights Of Alma

08 No Man’s Land (Eric Bogle)

09 We Are One

10 Madrigalinda

11 Harmony

Bonus Tracks on Burning Airlines CD:

12 The Heights Of Alma (live) (traditional)

13 Universal Soldier (live) (Buffy Sainte-Marie)

14 Only To Be Expected (acoustic)

15 Split Wood Not Atoms

16 Shipwreck (alternate mix)

17 Madrigalinda (alternate version)

18 We Are One (a cappella)

All songs written by Donovan unless otherwise indicated.

Love Is Only Feeling - Demos

These performances (as well as a few others from later in the 1980's which are covered on page 14) were included on the internet bootleg "Bold Young Bugger," which seems to be another one of those fan-made compilations that gathered together tracks recorded at various times. The three songs there featuring violinist Nigel Kennedy were clearly recorded later, since the two didn’t even meet until the end of the decade, while a handful of others ("Lay Down Lassie," "Half Moon Bay" and "Lady Of The Flowers") are unfinished versions of songs from the 1981 "Love Is Only Feeling" LP (initially only released in Germany and Australia). The rest of the numbers could also be demos for "Love Is Only Feeling," or they could have been recorded afterwards. "Half Moon Bay" is a reworking of "Corsica," which was demo’d in 1971 (see "Buried Treasures 1971"). "Lay Down Lassie" is a different song than "Lassie Lay Down," which Donovan performed on the "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" in March, 1969.  

Whatever the recording date was, the good news is that most of these vocal/guitar demos are excellent - certainly superior to almost all of Donovan’s 1970’s work. He seems to have rediscovered himself here, and is once again writing interesting melodies and lyrics. Even the three songs which reappear on "Love Is Only Feeling" work better as demos, without the overdubs and overproduction heard on the released album. Sadly, most of these songs would never be heard again, although an alternate take of "The White Gold Ring" was released digitally on "What's A Girl" in 2025. In addition, we have a later, full recording of "Lady Euphoria" that also remains unreleased. The good news is that Donovan's muse was back! The bad news is that these demos were left unreleased, and few people would have known it.

01 Dance The Dance

02 Lay Down Lassie *

03 Half Moon Bay (aka Corsica) *

04 Lady Euphoria

05 Darling I Love You

06 Lady Of The Flowers *

07 The Bold Young Bugger

08 The Girl Who Used to Live Here

09 The White Gold Ring

* These songs (but not necessarily the same performances of them) appear on the "Love Is Only Feeling" LP.

Love Is Only Feeling

"Lady Of The Flowers" was part of Donovan’s live set in 1981, and can be heard on the Croydon and Paris Theatre shows I talk about below. "Lover O Lover," a decent but hardly outstanding track, was re-recorded for 1990’s unreleased "Celtia" album (most of which was released as "Gaelia" in 2022) and again for 2004’s "Beat Café." "The Actor," a fairly mediocre number, was also performed live. Donovan also performed "The Hills Of Tuscany" (which sounds like a traditional song, but isn’t) in concert. "She" is a good song, and would ultimately provide the title for Donovan’s second book of poetry in 1996. The forgettable "Johnny Tuff" is another song with traditional overtones, and was another one that Donovan would perform live. "Love Is Only Feeling" is a retitled version of "Someone Singing," which was originally recorded for "A Gift From A Flower To A Garden." This time Donovan is accompanied by his pre-teen daughter Astrella. Presumably Donovan thought this was cute. Others will find it cringe-worthy. The album ends with "Marjorie Margarine," which isn’t a terrible song even if it is saddled with another one of those alliterative titles Donovan was so fond of.

Donovan also sings backup vocals on Kate Bush’s cover of "Lord Of The Reedy River," released on a single (EMI 5201) in the UK in June, 1981.

01 Lady Of The Flowers

02 Lover O Lover

03 The Actor

04 Half Moon Bay (aka Corsica)

05 The Hills Of Tuscany

06 Lay Down Lassie

07 She

08 Johnny Tuff

09 Love Is Only Feeling (aka Someone Singing)

10 Marjorie Margarine

All songs written by Donovan.

Live On The BBC, 1981 (and more...)

For some reason, The BBC recorded multiple Donovan concerts in 1981. The first of these, issued on a BBC transcription LP as "In Concert - 265" but identified in the accompanying literature (and by host Brian Matthew on the disc itself) as Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London, contained 13 songs. The second concert, issued on a BBC transcription LP as "The Cambridge Folk Festival," contained 16 songs. This was re-broadcast on February 17th, 2017 on BBC Radio 6. The thing is, seven of the "Cambridge" performances are the same as the ones heard on the "Croydon" LP. "Jennifer Juniper" and "Universal Soldier" are on both transcription LPs, but are different performances. Just to add to the confusion, five of the six tracks on the live "Donovan Rising Again" CD that I've attributed to this time period are unique - but "Catch The Wind" is the same performance as "Cambridge" / "Croydon." Good grief.

As I mentioned above, "The Heights Of Alma" and "Universal Soldier" from the Cambridge broadcast were issued as bonus tracks on the "Neutronica" CD.

In addition to these shows, the BBC recorded Donovan in concert specifically for broadcast on BBC Radio 2 at the Paris Theatre in London on November 14th, 1981 at the end of his UK tour (these performances aren't listed here because they weren't issued on vinyl, as far as I can tell). This concert was re-broadcast on January 11th, 2025 on BBC Radio 2. None of this duplicates the BBC transcription discs above, since those were recorded concerts and this was taped specifically for radio broadcast.

Finally, Donovan performed at "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball" in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on September 9th-12th, 1981 (the exact date for Donovan's two performances is unknown). The songs from this, "Universal Soldier" and "Catch The Wind" were released on "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball - The Music" in 1982.

Cambridge Folk Festival, August 1, 1981

BBC Transcription Services LP

(150212/3-S)

(performances which duplicate Croydon are not listed)

01 Josie

02 Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)

03 Universal Soldier

04 The Heights Of Alma

05 Johnny Tuff

06 Only The Blues

07 Hurdy Gurdy Man

08 Sunny Goodge Street

09 Jennifer Juniper

Drury Lane, London, Sept. 9-12, 1981

"The Secret Policeman's Other Ball"

01 Universal Soldier

02 Catch The Wind

Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London, October, 1981

BBC Transcription Services LP

(149740/1-S)

01 Sunshine Superman

02 Jennifer Juniper

03 Lay Down Lassie

04 Lalena

05 Lady Of The Flowers

06 Catch The Wind

07 The Hills Of Tuscany

08 Universal Soldier

09 There Is A Mountain

10 Hurdy Gurdy Man

11 Colours

12 Season Of The Witch

13 Mellow Yellow

Unknown Venue / Unknown Date

(from the "Donovan Rising Again" CD)

(See notes about this CD on page 9)

01 Josie

02 Mellow Yellow

03 Colours

04 Season Of The Witch

05 Happiness Runs