Colours (Donovan song)

"Colours"
Dutch (Pye / Negram) sleeve
Single by Donovan
from the album Fairytale
B-side"To Sing for You"
Released28 May 1965
Recorded5 May 1965
StudioSouthern Music, London
GenreFolk
Length2:44
LabelPye
SongwriterDonovan Leitch
Producers
Donovan UK singles chronology
"Catch the Wind"
(1965) 		"Colours"
(1965) 		"Turquoise"
(1965)
Donovan US singles 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.[1] "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).

Background and composition

Donovan followed up the success of "Catch the Wind" with "Colours", which featured a similar folk style.[2] According to an interview with Record Mirror, Donovan claims he wrote the song "on the spot" during a recording session on 5 May 1965,[3][4] at the Southern Music studios in London.[5] Unlike "Catch The Wind", which featured a string arrangement "Colours" features Donovan playing banjo and the harmonica in addition to acoustic guitar.[6] Former Shadows member Brian Locking guests on the recording, playing bass.[5] As with all of Donovan's material released in 1965,[7] "Colours" was produced by Terry Kennedy, Peter Eden and Geoff Stephens.[5]

Release and reception

"Colours" was released on 28 May 1965 in the UK with the B-side "To Sing For You".[4][8] The single matched the success of "Catch the Wind" in the United Kingdom, reaching No. 4 on the charts.[9] In the United States, "Colours" reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100,[10] 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."[11] 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."[12]

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

  • A live duet with Joan Baez from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival[1] is included on the 1995 compilation Folk Music at Newport, Part 1.
  • The 2002 album Pied Piper features a re-recorded version by Donovan with new lyrics for children.
  • The 2002 film The Rules of Attraction features a re-recorded version by Donovan which would after be used in various television commercials.

Personnel

Personnel according to the liner notes of Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964–1976, unless otherwise noted.[5]

Charts

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b John, Gilliland. "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". UNT Digital Library. Digital.library.unt.edu. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  2. ^ Stanley 2013, p. 299.
  3. ^ Murdoch 2001, pp. 6, 8, 9, 12.
  4. ^ a b Anon. (7 May 1965). "Singles by Presley, Kinks, Who, Donovan" (PDF). New Musical Express. pp. 6–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  5. ^ a b c d Hogg 1992, p. 3.
  6. ^ a b Murdoch 2001, p. 12.
  7. ^ Murdoch 2001, p. 4.
  8. ^ Anon. (15 May 1965). "Donovan Discs" (PDF). Melody Maker. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  9. ^ a b "Colours by Donovan". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Donovan – Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. 24 July 1965. p. 14. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  12. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 July 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  13. ^ Kent 2005, p. 93.
  14. ^ Anon. (31 August 1965). "R.P.M. Play Sheet" (PDF). RPM. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  15. ^ "Donovan – Colours" (in French). Ultratop 50. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  16. ^ Nyman 2005.
  17. ^ "Accès direct à ces Artistes: Dalida, - Joe Dassin, - Michel Delpech, Céline Dion , Jacques Dutronc , Bob Dylan" [Access directly to Artists: Dalida, - Joe Dassin, - Michel Delpech, Céline Dion , Jacques Dutronc , Bob Dylan]. Infodisc. SNEP. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  18. ^ Gogan, Larry. "Colours". Irish Singles Chart. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Colours" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 3 November 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Donovan - Colours" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  21. ^ Hallberg 1993, p. 79.
  22. ^ Hallberg & Henningsson 2012, p. 444.
  23. ^ Anon. (26 June 1965). "Britain's Best Top 40". Disc Weekly. p. 16.
  24. ^ Anon. (19 June 1965). "Pop 50". Melody Maker. p. 2.
  25. ^ Anon. (25 June 1965). "NME Top Thirty" (PDF). New Musical Express. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  26. ^ Anon. (11 September 1965). "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 December 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  27. ^ Anon. (18 September 1965). "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  28. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1965" [Top 100 Annual Review of 1965] (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 13 August 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  29. ^ "Top 100 best-selling singles of 1965". Record Retailer. 5 January 1966. p. 11.

Sources

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