Donovan Best-Of Compilation to Drop Following Rock Hall Induction

March 21, 2012 1:08 PM

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There’s been a number of greatest hits compilations released for psychedelic folkie Donovan through the years, but the Scottish guitarist and singer – or rather, his label, Columbia/Legacy – has a new one in the works this April, just three days after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Donovan, who came to fame stateside in the late 1960s with groovy hits like “Mellow Yellow,” “Sunshine Superman” and “Catch the Wind,” will welcome the release of the two-disc, 36-track “The Essential Donovan” on April 17. In addition to the aforementioned hits, tracks like “Season Of The Witch” and “Atlantis” will be included, as well as four songs previously unreleased in the U.S.

As Donovan fans know, big-name players including Jeff Beck, Paul McCartney (mostly uncredited, but it was rumored that The Beatles picked up a few guitar tricks from Donovan), the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and future Led Zeppelin members backed him on early recordings. (And it seems Zeppelin guitar god Jimmy Page is still backing Donovan up, playing his original parts at a Donovan show last June at London’s Royal Albert Hall.)

As for his big rock Hall induction on April 14, Donovan will be inducted by someone he told Billboard is his “dear friend of recent years” – John Mellencamp – and perform alongside someone in which his influence is fairly obvious – My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James.

He may have come to prominence around the Summer of Love, but let’s just call this the Spring of Donovan.

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