Donovan - "Atlantis"

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JonUrban

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Via a strange set of coincidences, I listened to the Donovan track "Atlantis" in my car off my iPod yesterday.

When I got my iPod (a 64Gb old fashioned iPod) I filled it with a ton of stuff off my CDs, including many tracks off of compilation CDs I've accumulated over the CD era. Individual tracks that once in the iPod I never thought to listen to. Well, it just so happened I had Howard Stern on the other morning and they were playing an interview he did earlier in the year with Donovan which was quite interesting BTW, but later in the day I checked the car iPod and played a few Donovan tracks that probably came from the "History of British Rock" CD set from the '80s.

So, getting to the point, the track "Atlantis" (you know the one that starts out with spoken word, and the song is really just a chorus over and over) sounds quite amazing via the Dolby Surround option in the car! The spoken word sounds pure center with the guitar sort of in the rears, and when the chorus starts, there is clearly a surround effect, with certain voices and instruments coming from specific locations. At least it seems like that in the car.

Maybe this weekend I will take that track through the Surround Master into the PC and see how it looks and sounds. In the meantime, if this interests you, check it out. Sometimes stereo sounds like stereo through the Dolby Pro-Logic in the car. And other times, like this, it's pretty impressive.

:phones
 
Up to that point, "Atlantis" was probably the most elaborate production Donovan--and his producer, Mickie Most--had been involved with. I'll have to pull out my old BARABAJAGAL Lp to get a sense of what the surround might be like.

Interestingly, although an A-side in late '68 in the UK, in the US Epic opted to go with "Lalena" for an A-side while saving "Atlantis" for a B-side, coupled with the anti-war number "To Susan On the West Coast Waiting" which did Ok business, but was too laid back to be a big hit. Then, after "Atlantis" garnered some random airplay nationwide, Epic pressed a special DJ single and it became a top ten hit here (it really should have been the A in the first place).

Years later, I bought a collection of promo 45's from a New Hampshire DJ who was getting into CD's (silly boy!) and decided to unload a lot of his 45 vinyl (he kept a lot of his albums, though, including some choice stuff I'm still looking for). I was thumbing through the stuff (all minty) and he had the double-sided Epic promo of "Atlantis" (noted above). He looked at it and said, "I liked the song, but the PD (program director) said "It's too damn long!" so we didn't play it very much. Same with "Oh Happy Day" (Edwin Hawkins Singers, same year, '69)." That was a real complaint--45 length--not only with AM radio stations, but with jukebox operators, too. What bothered them was that "Atlantis" didn't have a special DJ edit (probably because the artist didn't want one), so some stations faded it early, as I remember.

As for iPod's, my wife has one, and she's insisting I get one too. I'm still holdin' out....

ED :)
 
For those who may not be aware, BARABAJAGAL features the Jeff Beck Group. Atlantis is NOT with the Jeff Beck Group.

A few years ago, my Daughter and I met Donovan. A beautiful spirit. He was kind enough to autograph many of my CD's, including the UK-only children's album HMS Donovan. He was most impressed that I had a copy.
 
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