Lady of the Stars

Infobox Album |
Name = Lady of the Stars
Type = Album
Artist = Donovan


Released = January 1984
Recorded = 1983
Genre = folk
Length = 38:39
Label = RCA (UK)
Allegiance Records (US)
Producer = Donovan Leitch
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gm2zef5khgf5 link]
Last album = "Love Is Only Feeling"
(Germany, 1981)
This album = "Lady of the Stars"
(1984)
Next album ="Rising"
(1990)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =Reissue
Type =studio


Lower caption ="Till I See You Again" Extra album cover 2
Upper caption =Reissue
Type =studio


Lower caption ="Sunshine Superman" (1994)

"Lady of the Stars" is the seventeenth studio album, and nineteenth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the UK (RCA PL 70060) and the US (Allegiance Records AV 437) in January 1984.

History

By 1983, Donovan's albums were receiving little distribution in the UK and none in the US. His popularity had steadily decreased throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, and mainstream record companies were not convinced that Donovan's albums could generate enough record sales to warrant release. Donovan decided that to win over the record companies and reach his American and British fans, he would record new versions of both "Sunshine Superman" and "Season of the Witch" for inclusion on his next album. Both songs were released on the "Sunshine Superman" album in 1966 and "Donovan's Greatest Hits" in 1969. The name recognition of these two songs would give the record companies marketing leverage and guarantee release.

In addition to "Sunshine Superman" and "Season of the Witch", Donovan updated three other songs from his canon. Two of these songs, "Lady of the Stars" (written for Donovan's wife Linda Lawrence) and "Local Boy Chops Wood" (written about Brian Jones) were originally released on "Donovan" in 1977. The other song, "Boy for Every Girl" was released on his 1973 album "Essence to Essence". Donovan also included five new songs and titled the album "Lady of the Stars" for his wife Linda.

Although "Lady of the Stars" was released directly through RCA in the UK, the company did not distribute the album in the US. Allegiance Records did pick up the album, however, and it became the first Donovan album to receive a US release since "Donovan" in 1977.

Guest appearances on this album include Graham Nash, Pete Carr, Jim Horn, Bonnie Bramlett, Wilton Felder, and Dave Mason.

Reissues

"Lady of the Stars" has been the focus of many CD reissues since its original release. The reissues sometimes feature a different track order, and the album has rarely gone under its original title. One of the reissues even has the name "Sunshine Superman", yet has little in common with the 1966 album "Sunshine Superman".

*"Till I See You Again", released in July 1994 (Success 22534CD).
*"Sunshine Superman", released November 29, 1994 (Charly Records CDCD 1206). Shuffled track order. The album cover is from the same photo session as Donovan's 1967 album "Wear Your Love Like Heaven".
*"Golden Hits", (original track order) released February 23, 1996 (Masters Music MACD 61075-2, Holland/Intercontinental Records 1075, US) [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:zux8b5m4nsqa "Golden Hits"] .
*"Sunshine Superman", released June 3, 1997, (Remember Records). Same track order as Charly Records release.
*"Forever Gold", rel. January 18, 2000, St. Clair Records, St. Clair 5818 [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yxj9keptaq70 allmusic.com] "Forever Gold"]
*"Golden Tracks", August 22, 2000 (Cleopatra 852) [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:lg59kextaq7n allmusic.com] "Golden Tracks"]

Track listing

All tracks by Donovan Leitch.

Original album

ide one

#"Lady of the Stars" – 4:37
#"I Love You Baby" – 3:28
#"Bye, Bye Girl" – 3:22
#"Every Reason" – 3:05
#"Season of the Witch" – 5:27

ide two

#"Boy for Every Girl" – 4:39
#"Local Boy Chops Wood" – 3:29
#"Sunshine Superman" – 4:06
#"Living for the Love Light" – 3:44
#"Till I See You Again" – 3:14

References