Colours (Donovan song)

"Colours"
UK (Pye) sleeve
Single by Donovan
from the album Fairytale
B-side	"To Sing for You" (UK) "Josie" (USA)
Released	May 28, 1965 (UK) June 1965 (US)
Format	7"
Recorded	1965
Genre	folk
Length	2:44 (Side A) 2:46 ("To Sing For You") 3:29 ("Josie")
Label	Pye 7N15866 (UK) Hickory 45-1324 (USA)
Writer(s)	Donovan Leitch
Producer	Terry Kennedy, Peter Eden, Geoff Stephens
Donovan UK singles chronology
"Catch the Wind" (1965) "Colours" (1965) "Turquoise" (1965)
Donovan USA singles chronology "Catch the Wind" (1965) "Colours" (1965) "Universal Soldier" (1965)

"Colours" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan.^[1] The "Colours" single was released in the United Kingdom on May 28, 1965 through Pye Records (Pye 7N 15866) and a few months later in the United States through Hickory Records (Hickory 45-1324). The "Colours" single was backed with "To Sing for You" (previously included on What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid) on the United Kingdom release and "Josie" (from What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid) on the United States release.

Swedish release of "Colours" single.

Donovan followed up the success of "Catch the Wind" with "Colours", which featured a similar folk style. The single matched the success of "Catch the Wind" in the United Kingdom, reaching #4 on the charts. In the United States, "Colours" reached #61 and marked a decline in popularity from "Catch the Wind". A different mix of the song (without harmonica) was released on his second album Fairytale.

When Epic Records was compiling Donovan's Greatest Hits, they were either unable or unwilling to secure the rights to the original recordings of "Catch the Wind" and "Colours". Donovan rerecorded both songs with a full backing band, and the rerecordings were included on the greatest hits album.

A live duet with Joan Baez from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival^[1] is included on the 1995 compilation Folk Music at Newport, Part 1. (Baez also included a solo version of "Colours" on her 1965 album Farewell, Angelina.)

In 1968 composer Van Dyke Parks created a (loose) instrumental adaption of this song titled "Donovan's Colours", which was released as a single (credited to George Washington Brown) and on Park's first album Song Cycle, respectively. This version features mostly the original chord progression, albeit in completely different ragtime arrangement.

The song was used in the films Poor Cow (sung by actor Terence Stamp) and The Rules of Attraction as well as in commercials.

External links

• Colours (Single) - Donovan Unofficial Site

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Show 48 - The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 5] : UNT Digital Library