Donovan ‎– HMS Donovan

Donovan – HMS Donovan

Donovan’s HMS Donovan is one of the most unusual and enchanting releases in the Scottish singer-songwriter’s catalogue. Originally issued in the UK in July 1971 on Dawn Records, this ambitious double album steps away from the psychedelic pop of Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow to explore children’s songs, traditional folk, nursery rhymes and literary poetry through Donovan’s unmistakable melodic sensibility.

Conceived as a musical world for young listeners, the album draws on an extraordinary range of writers and traditions. Lewis Carroll’s fantastical language inspires “The Walrus And The Carpenter” and “Jabberwocky”, while Edward Lear’s much-loved nonsense verse appears in “The Owl And The Pussycat”. Elsewhere, Donovan turns to W. B. Yeats for “The Song Of Wandering Aengus”, bringing a more contemplative, folkloric atmosphere to this wonderfully eclectic collection.

Musically, HMS Donovan is rooted largely in acoustic folk, with delicate guitar arrangements, gentle vocal performances and occasional instrumental touches that let the songs breathe. Its charm lies in the contrast between playful, sometimes mischievous material and passages of genuine beauty and melancholy. “The Seller Of Stars”, “The Voyage Of The Moon” and “Lord Of The Reedy River” reveal Donovan’s gift for creating vivid musical settings, while “Celia Of The Seals” stands out as one of the album’s most memorable original songs.

The record also revisits folk traditions and familiar melodies, including “Coulter’s Candy” and “Lord Of The Dance”. Rather than treating children’s music as a lesser form, Donovan approaches the project with imagination and care, creating a record that can appeal just as readily to adult listeners drawn to British folk, psychedelic folk and the more whimsical corners of the late-1960s and early-1970s singer-songwriter tradition.

Recorded across several years, from 1968 to 1971, HMS Donovan reflects a personal period in the artist’s life as he prepared for fatherhood. Its elaborate original sleeve artwork, designed by John Patrick Byrne, complements the album’s literary and fantastical themes. The record was not released in the United States at the time, helping to give the original UK double LP a particular place among Donovan collectors.

For fans of Donovan’s acoustic work, British folk, poetic songwriting and adventurous 1970s albums, HMS Donovan is a rewarding discovery: a gentle, imaginative musical voyage that captures an artist following his own creative instincts.

Tracklist

Side A

• A1. The Walrus And The Carpenter – 8:34

• A2. Jabberwocky – 2:38

• A3. The Seller Of Stars – 2:58

• A4. Lost Time – 2:30

• A5. The Little White Road – 2:40

• A6. The Star – 1:38

Side B

• B1. Coulter's Candy – 1:41

• B2. The Road – 1:00

• B3. Things To Wear – 1:05

• B4. The Owl And The Pussycat – 2:21

• B5. Homesickness – 2:28

• B6. Fishes In Love – 1:00

• B7. Mr. Wind – 2:39

• B8. Wynken, Blynken And Nod – 2:17

Side C

• C1. Celia Of The Seals – 3:00

• C2. The Pee Song – 2:06

• C3. The Voyage Of The Moon – 5:14

• C4. The Unicorn – 0:50

• C5. Lord Of The Dance – 3:36

• C6. Little Ben – 1:39

• C7. Can Ye Dance – 1:29

Side D

• D1. In An Old-Fashioned Picture Book – 3:10

• D2. The Song Of Wandering Aengus – 4:41

• D3. A Funny Man – 1:40

• D4. Lord Of The Reedy River – 1:33

• D5. Henry Martin – 5:08

• D6. Queen Mab – 2:15

• D7. La Moora – 2:20