territory: U.S.
release date: December 1967 ???
label: Epic Records
catalogue number(s):

duration: 59.24 ???
producer(s): Mickie Most
comment: Donovan's 5th studio album

Side 1

1. Wear Your Love Like Heaven (Version I) (2.26)
2. Mad John's Escape (2.16)
3. Skip-a-long Sam (2.23)
4. Sun (3.13)
5. There was a Time (1.59)

1. Oh Gosh (1.42)
2. Little Boy in Corduroy (2.33)
3. Under the Greenwood Tree (1.53)
   [words by William Shakespeare/music by Donovan Leitch]

   The Land of Doesn't Have to be (2.32)

   Someone Singing (2.44)

1. Song of the Naturalist's Wife (2.50)
2. The Enchanted Gypsy (3.15)
3. Voyage into the Golden Screen (3.10)
4. Isle of Islay (Version I) (2.20)
5. The Mandolin Man and his Secret (3.28)
6. Lay of the Last Tinker (1.45)

1. The Tinker and the Crab (2.50)
2. Widow with Shawl (A Portrait) (Version I) (2.57)
3. The Lullaby of Spring (Version I) (3.22)
4. The Magpie (1.26)
5. Starfish-on-the-toast (2.38)
6. Epistle to Derroll (5.42)

Timings are from the inside of the U.K. issue box and any subsequent observations may only be relevant to the U.K. issue of the album.

Commentary

A masterpiece, considered by many to be Donovan's finest hour.

The double album comes in a dark blue two-pieced box. The front cover has a lilac cover with a multi-coloured picture of Donovan standing on the coast amongst the rushes, adorned in livery, clutching at a bouquet of peacock feathers. On the inside of the front box are the lyrics to the first album printed on a light green background, and a poem from Donovan: Oh, what a Dawn Youth is Rising to.

From this we learn the meaning of the title of the album. The `gift' is the album, more specifically the message of love intertwined between the lines of the songs and melody. Donovan himself is the `flower' and is presenting his latest work to all the other flowers - the people of the world - who make up the `garden'.

The inside of the back box has a murky green-brown background and a picture of Donovan sitting in a boat on a lilly covered river. Around the photograph are drawings of children playing and the title `For Little Ones'. The back of the set has another photo, this time of Donovan and the Maharishi sitting, holding hands. The caption reads: `His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the Author'.

Included inside is an orange folder containing twelve inserts for the twelve songs on the second record. Each is a slightly different colour and has the lyrics with a drawing illustrating the song. Every one is a beautiful interpretation of Don's poetry. You can see them in miniature form here.

The illustrations are by Mick Taylor and Sheena McCall and the photographic design is by Karl Ferris, all under the art direction of Sid Maurer. Ashley Kozak served as executive producer.

(2-LP, black or navy blue box set separate halves or with taped hinge; with 12 inserts in folder)

Errors

• the U.K. record label incorrectly implies that Under the Greenwood Tree is composed entirely by Donovan but the words are by William Shakespeare

Discrepancies

• the U.K. record label lists Someone Singing as Someone's Singing

Details for Collectors

Blue box set in separate halves with lyric inserts
Light blue label with black text
Pye Records logo

First record: NPL 20000/1
Side 1: NPL 20000-A
  runout groove on my copy: NPL20000A-1*G   and   KT   and   I
Side 2: NPL 20000-B
  runout groove on my copy: NPL20000B-1*G   and   KT   and   R   and 1
  (with the last two diametrically opposite each other)
Second record: NPL 20000/2
Side 1: NPL 20000-C
  runout groove on my copy: NSPL 20000C-1*G (with the S totally scribbled out)   and   KT   and   O   and   2
  (with the last two diametrically opposite each other)
Side 2: NPL 20000-D
  runout groove on my copy: NPL 20000D-1*G   and   KT   and   U   and   1
  (with the last two diametrically opposite each other)

A Gift from a Flower to a Garden (BGO re-issue)

territory: U.K.
release date: June 1993 ???
label: Beat Goes On Records
catalogue number(s):

duration: 60:10 ???
producer(s): Mickie Most
comment: re-issue of Donovan's 5th studio album

Track Listing

1. Wear Your Love Like Heaven (2:26)
2. Mad John's Escape (2:16)
3. Skip-a-long Sam (2:23)
4. Sun (3:14)
5. There was a Time (1:59)
6. Oh Gosh (1:52)
7. Little Boy in Corduroy (2:34)
8. Under the Greenwood Tree (1:55)
   [words by William Shakespeare/music by Donovan Leitch]

   The Land of Doesn't Have to be (2:33)

   Someone Singing (2:44)

   Song of the Naturalist's Wife (2:52)

   The Enchanted Gypsy (3:19)

   Voyage into the Golden Screen (3:13)

   Isle of Islay (2:21)

   The Mandolin Man and his Secret (3:30)

   Lay of the Last Tinker (1:47)

   The Tinker and the Crab (2:52)

   Widow with Shawl (A Portrait) (2:59)

   The Lullaby of Spring (3:24)

   The Magpie (1:29)

   Starfish-on-the-toast (2:43)

   Epistle to Derroll (5:45)

Commentary

The re-release of this album was a excellent idea but it strangely had to be left to re-issue label, Beat Goes On, to do the job.

The new artwork, created by CLE at St. Ives, Cambridgeshire is a good effort and they have tried to preserve the original flavour. Comparing the multi- coloured photographs of the original and this re-issue is a disappointment though. The CD booklet looks flat and dull. I suppose they were not prepared to put the money in for a `cult' release.

The liner notes are top notch. John Tobler conducted a new interview with Donovan about the album, as well as including a little piece about Don's rise to fame (read them here ). Donovan also adds a new scribbling to the package: A Message From Donovan.

The lyrics are also present in the booklet, as too are the original illustrations for the second album. However, the drawings cannot be truly appreciated at such a small size.

I would like to see another re-issue - a 3 CD box set with proper reproductions, mono and stereo versions of the album and another disc of out- takes.

Discrepancies

• the back cover of the CD lists Someone Singing as Someone's Singing
• the Maharishi photo has the caption cropped off the original, presumably because the text could not be read when scaled down

Details for Collectors

Silver disc
The plastic tray on the original re-issue is opaque and the bit that shows through when the case is closed has vertical lines running down it. Later pressings didn't have this special tray - they just had the normal transparent one.

Matrix writings on my copy: DISCTRONICS   and   S BGOCD 194 01
(there is a 5 on the plastic inside of the disc)