Donovan in Conversation 

im a 150 year old man and this music reminds me of the good ole days

It's 2021, I am 14 and I'm a fan girl for this man. I wish I could talk to my friends about him and they'd understand my fascination.

There’s something about Donovan that people who usually don’t listen to folk music usually end up loving the hell out of him

Who says "Youth Is Wasted On The Young"??? Donovans' music is Timeless. I first heard him when I was 13, & Im now 72, & STILL a huge fan. Viva Donovan! ❤

HIS SPEAKING VOICE IS SO HYPNOTIC.

He had a magical 60s sound as i remember. Part medieval part folk part psychedelic, very entrancing.

Donovan kept his youthful appearance for so long. Of course, he lived an honest existence, and that will keep one in their prime for years. Such a great guy. Would have loved to have known him and talked music.

Summer of '68 was the magical year for me. I loved his music!

At one time it was, who is better, Donovan or Bob Dylan One is a self absorbed egomaniac in love with his legend, and then there's this guy, who actually did some really good material, and with a voice you can listen to

"Seagulls attacked me when I went on the island. It was lovely. It was beautiful." LOL

I was a a teen in the 80s/90s who had found a few 60s garage bands, VU, Yardbirds, early Stones etc and my beautiful friend Maria who had a 60s look and was soo hip turned me onto Donovan. I can still hear her saying to me "oh I just love Donovan, he's soo Groovy!" Well his music and all the others have stuck on me to this day. Thank You Maria E.

My dad is of Scottish descent and enjoyed Donovan in the 60s. I acquired his 45 of Sunshine Superman as a little girl of 5 and played it on my little red record player. When I saw him for visits over the summer he would sing to me "Jennifer, Juniper." I really enjoyed this interview.

Just turned 60. Loved this music growing up, happy to hear it being discovered by young artists & them giving their spin on it. 😊❤

I love how he integrated the old pagan nature vibe roots into his music. His music transports me to another way of viewing the world. He took that old perspective and layered with psychedelica, such beautiful twist of old and new.

I am a 70 year old Hippy & loved Donovan's music from the 1st. At festivals, if there was a hitch kin the running, some band not turned up, there was Donovan to fill the gap, as he played he pulled others out of the audience to assist. I have seen him play loads of times & each time was a joy. One of the singer/songwriter Troubadours of our times, up there with Bob Dylan & dare I say it Ed Sherrin.

First time I heard Donovan I was 19 and at a friends home, I heard Legend of a Girl Child Linda. I was enthralled by the story and learned all 20 verses. A beautiful song, written without chorus or bridge. Just a poem. Love Donovan since (1966). In Xmas '67 he released Gift From a Flower to a Garden. It's been my favorite album ever since. That was his masterpiece.

Love Donovan's knowledge of the history of music!

i love this man. im 30, and admittedly a bit of a old soul, i love 60s music, and the whole hippie scene, in general. i go walking down the street, playing a gift from a flower to a garden, almost every day. i love that album so much, ots definitely in my top 5.

Wow, what a biography. Only the most talented got record contracts and club work. Back in the early 1960s. Here he gives his accounting of his start. Donovan’s style was evocative of that time when artists were appreciative and hung back to see what would have tell. But even after his original hit, Donovan presented some thing nobody else has. I would rank Him as the holy grail of modern Celtic music, which thanks to Van Morrison got he ball rolling. His Celtic attitude got his Celtic rock where are they now.

I discovered Burt Jancsh only a few years ago. An absolute genius.

This man is great, deserves a lot credit

Listen to Donovan's lyrics and you understand what a beautiful person that he is. I have adored him the 60's. He was astonishing good looking. He keeps getting better.

The very first Donovan song I ever heard was Season Of The Witch when I was around 5, now I’m 13 and listening to his music in math class has become a daily for me

Whoa!Beautiful singing AND speaking voice.

For Little Ones has kindled my childhood for fifty+ years.

I met Donavan big fan at a book storein Boston MA.Loved his music big fan as a preteen. Shame people don’t listen to this kind of music in pop. Music business has changed so much.

Great interview with Donovan from 1982. I've been a fan since he first appeared in 1965. "Fairytale" and "What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid" were two of the first three albums I ever bought.

I was just out of Puberty ( 🤔) when I heard a Donovan sing 🎶 a good vocal touch l thought ( the songs rose high on the charts ) . When l heard him playing just a minute ago l heard the Irish in there , ( l am American Italian raised in Brooklyn NYC ) , lo and behold he mentions Scottish Irish Roots. It’s obvious he put forth his values with a interesting combination of songs that are mind opening , audience intuitive , and inviting . He wasn’t Dylan , he is Donovan , he is Great 👍🏼, and helps me know , so can others, as well as myself . Thank You Brother Donovan . 🕵🏻‍♂️❤️🙏🏼👍🏼

Great voice and so cute back then.

An iconic artist whose music has always touched me deeply. Beautiful voice and unique guitar style. I am a classical musician by profession and consider Donovan a HUGE inspiration in my development as a young brat in Boulder!

The Smothers Brothers were great fans of Donovan and really brought him out to the American public.

I have always loved Donovan, used to sit with my dad as he drank cider - wonderful memories

Interesting guy. Intelligent and great vibe coming from him. I knew of Donovan and his music but actually never heard him in an interview. This guy is so fun to listen and hear him talk about himself and his knowledge of music. He has a great sense of the poetic of nature and life.

I love how he talks about the 70s being so "ahead of time". Ohh the good old days. A child of the 90s loves the 70s and the kids of this age like the 90s. I would have never pictured that. But people who like them I hope it's not a fad. That it's truly from the heart. Xx

He’s such a deep and real person wish I was alive to meet him.

My first music star when I was age 12 and I still love him. He had a good influence on me and I always discover something new with him.

what a treasure.

a gentle soul, love Donovan

Donovan taught John Lennon a finger picking style for the guitar that Lennon used on "Julia" and other songs on The White Album and beyond.

Delightful guy, a true rarity

i love him so much

Possibly the most beautiful Scottish man I have ever seen 😍

Wow... what a great interview with a legendary artist!

He’s so gorgeous 😍😍😍 totally my kind of guy

He is a star but his roots are very Celtic, so all of us whatever our background, we can engage in his experience of this life all of us are born into.

Love his accompaniment with the bouzuki.

Good interview. If you want to be in a creative mood listen to any Donovan recording. You can't avoid being inspired.

Donovan even very well spoken in his youth. Very interesting man to listen to.there are a handful of these guys....Iggy pop being another of them

Legend Donovan!

Knew Donovan early 60s,St Albans and Hatfield,introduced him to some great blues stuff,like Chevrolet by Eddie and Lonnie Young. Good days.

Thank you for your contribution. It's an intimate view from Donavan's perspective of a specific time in music and more so in the UK. It's amazing he basically became a success in such a short time period. Without the "paying one's dues" part. He is a special artist to be sure.

Just as important as Clapton , Jagger , Townsend and others who got more attention . His best work includes several really strong albums .

This man has made some beautiful music that has improved my life, but... he is an absolute walloper.

Donovan is a philosopher

What a wonderful interview with Donovan. So much information of how he got his start. ~ He mentioned his first record label "Hickory". I was really into his music with those first three singles on "Hickory", and they are still around my house someplace. He is still one of my all time favorites. I just recently found out my DNA shows I'm 29% Scottish, 9% Irish. ~ Maybe that is why I've always liked him so much. Ha !

Thanks for this, He seems like a really down to earth and grounded guy. :-)

I found Donovan recently from a friend in another country who recommended his music to me. Glad I found him! His music is amazing! I went and listened to as many albums as I could and they never disappoint! So unique and beautiful.

Always enjoyed Donovan's music and his sweet soul. I bought his first album when it came out. Lovely man, Donovan.

I just showed this song to my son and he was blown away his name is shaman. He got pumped! I don’t know who wouldn’t feel absolutely inspired by this song but I wish those people all the love that it would take to turn their numbness to feeling . This kind of art is as magical as the Rubiayat of Omar Khayyam. I can’t remember the last time I showed someone a song on RU-vid and they got goosebumps. If music be the fruit of love please play on don! More magic indeed

There's a haunting video of Sunny South Kensington with period film clips. I can watch it about everyday.

Fantastic interview.

I just love Donovan songs and they are favorites to my girlfriend when I occasionally hug the guitar.

That was great!

A lot of people probably dont recognise that the interviewer is B.A Robinson a very funny guy who had hits from 79 to 82 with "Bang bang" "Kool in the kaftan" "to be or not to be" "flight 19" "hold me" with Maggie Bell in the UK Charts and he was from scotland too

Brilliant video

The "protestant side with the celts and the Hairy Legs!" AHhaha. Just today my mind quoted the "I want you to cheer like protestants" from the Quiet man film, didnt even make sense. I thought ah, a protestant shame I got someones paint bottles on my brothers floor tom he left behind (cautiously) but still. He deserves to be cherished forever. This should have more than 8,600 views undoubtedly. Donovan bought his first guitar for 2.10 pounds pshhh.

Donovan lived on St Vincent Street at the same time Billy Connolly lived on Dover Street, the two are parallel and it’s possible if they were close together that they knew each other.

Fascinating discussion

Very articulate, and knowledgeable man. He looks like my nephew and late brother in law who were of Scottish descent.

....did you know this is the guy who tried to teach Paul how to play guitar....but he couldn't because Paul couldn't sit down...but he still wrote blackbird out of gratitude...thanks Donny

I am Military dependent but I sang Donovan cannot recall I knew a guy that would jump a train from.TX to Cali he got bored

It's hard to place Donovan in the sphere of popular music without talking about Bob Dylan. They're both out of the Woody Guthrie school of folk activism. You can include Don MacLean in there if you want. But Donovan had a bit more of the love bead 1960s caste in his style from the others which made him one of the icons of the period.

donovan is awesome he could rock and do medieval songs just like led zeppelin lol he made billion dollar babies one of alice cooper's best songs

"Cool in the Kaftan, love and peace man"

Donovan has the ability to peck out the bad notes. He conceptualized trance for all of the beet nicks.

jai guru dev❤️

The real Frodo.

What a lovely interview. It's actually rare to see Don that relaxed, and talking about such an interesting range of stuff. I've loved his music from the beginning, but, bless him, he can be a bit of a poser and very self-promotional in interviews.

Damn, we was quite the looker 😍

You're not Dylan you're DONAVAN Yeah!!!

Although I love "Catch The Wind" I am glad he got away from the Dylan sound and developed his own sound and style, Brilliant song writer.

1982!

I love Donovan he’s a beatnik/hippie legend, pure soul and musical genius overall and completely overlooked. Ignorant fools compare him to Dylan but In my opinion it’s comparing apples to oranges Donovan’s a psychedelic legend where as bob is a folk legend so the comparison wears thin

Another great band from around Hatfield/St Albans - The Zombies

❣

READY STEADY GO

I just heard Donovan’s song written to David Crosby. When and why was it written.

Greetings from Clan Johnston in the USA!

When was the interview? It certainly wasn't 2017!

‘Scotland is the last wilderness of Europe’

All this time I didn’t know he was Scottish

I think I heard Donovan say he went to Southend. Did I correctly?

What year was this?

Vegetarian for years , even vegan a true hippie x

QUITE AMAZING...INDEED

What year was this interview conducted?

Does anyone know what song he’s singing in the beginning?

Who thinks BA Robertson could be Colin Robertson's dad? There are some striking similarities.

Donovan?

Such an interesting unrated artist, I wonder where he is in 2020.