When Donovan put out his third album Sunshine Superman, the sound was largely a radical departure from what had come before. The finger picked folk ballads were still present, but they rested alongside swirling colourful giants of psychedelia and pop. Amongst these more rocking numbers was the song Season of the Witch. The song meditated on identity, the selling out of beatnik counter culture, paranoia and of course, Witches.
And it's good! That is it's good when you ignore Donovan's ridiculous Jeeves via David Bowie vocal performance. If you're happy living life at a six out of ten, then maybe you should just embrace this version.
But wait! Did you know Donovan recorded an alternate version of the song years later that's only appeared on a single UK-only greatest hits album? And that it's better in just about every way? You didn't? Well let's have a listen.
You can hear the shift from the opening notes. Gone are the semi-acoustic echoes, replaced with snaking whips of icy electric guitar. The drums (especially on those choruses) pound like a sorcery induced heart attack. The new backing vocals scream like a choir of witches. Donovan growls and pounces upon every word like a cat eviscerating an army of mice.
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