Essence To Essence is the eleventh studio album, and thirteenth album overall, from British singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in both the UK and the U.S. in December 1973.
By late 1973, Donovan abandoned the style of glam rock featured on his Cosmic Wheels album earlier that year. Andrew Loog Oldham was brought in (replacing Mickie Most) to co-produce Donovan’s next album, which would highlight the subdued style of his previous work. Many of the songs were released on Live in Japan: Spring Tour 1973, but that album was not released outside Japan.
In a clear sign of Donovan’s waning popularity, Essence to Essence became the third Donovan album after H.M.S. Donovan and earlier Fairytale to fail to reach the top 25 in the U.S. charts. Essence to Essence missed the UK album charts altogether and peaked at #174 in the United States.
On Essence to Essence, Donovan focuses on spirituality and meditative lyrics. The album art features Donovan clothed in white robes, kneeling as in meditation. While the album was derided as a critical failure at the time of its release, many of the songs went on to form a major part of Donovan’s live repertoire throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Tracks
1 Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth (Donovan Leitch) 03:29
2 Lazy Daze (Donovan Leitch) 04:43
3 Life Goes On (Donovan Leitch) 02:38
4 There Is An Ocean (Donovan Leitch) 04:50
5 The Dignity Of Man (Donovan Leitch) 05:19
6 Yellow Star (Donovan Leitch) 03:04
7 The Divine Daze Of Deathless Delight (Donovan Leitch) 03:12
8 Boy For Every Girl (Donovan Leitch) 04:15
9 St Valentine’s Angel (Donovan Leitch) 03:56
10 Life Is A Merry-Go-Round (Donovan Leitch) 03:59
11 Sailing Homeward (Donovan Leitch) 02:59
Musicians
1 Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth
Bass | Carl Radle |
Drums | Jim Gordon |
Guitar | Peter Frampton |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Electric Piano | Nicky Hopkins |
Percussion | Jim Gordon |
Vocals | Donovan |
2 Lazy Daze
Bass | Carl Radle |
Drums | Jim Gordon |
Guitar | Peter Frampton |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Organ | Bobby Whitlock |
Piano | Nicky Hopkins |
Accordion | Jack Emblow |
Harmonica | Donovan |
Percussion | Jim Gordon |
Background Vocals | Bobby Whitlock |
Vocals | Donovan |
3 Life Goes On
Bass | Carl Radle |
Drums | Jim Gordon |
Piano | Nicky Hopkins |
Strings | Andrew Powell |
Percussion | Jim Gordon |
4 There Is An Ocean
Bass | Danny Thompson |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Accordion | Jack Emblow |
Vocals | Donovan |
5 The Dignity Of Man
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums | Russ Kunkel |
Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Piano | Craig Doerge |
Strings | Andrew Powell |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Percussion | Russ Kunkel |
Vocals | Donovan |
6 Yellow Star
Bass | Alan Spenner |
Drums | Denny Seiwell |
Guitar | Henry McCullough |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Clavinet | Jean Roussel |
Percussion | Jim Gordon |
Vocals | Donovan |
7 The Divine Daze Of Deathless Delight
Bass | Paul Ossola |
Drums | Bruce Rowland |
Guitar | Doug Schlink |
Guitar | Neil Hubbard |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Koto | Simon Jeffes |
Flute | Christopher Nicholls |
Strings | Nicky Harrison |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Vocals | Donovan |
8 Boy For Every Girl
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums | Russ Kunkel |
Guitar | Steve Marriott |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Dobro | Danny Kortchmar |
Harpsichord | Craig Doerge |
Piano | Craig Doerge |
Horns | Andrew Powell |
Strings | Andrew Powell |
Percussion | Ray Cooper |
Vocals | Donovan |
9 St Valentine’s Angel
Bass | Paul Ossola |
Drums | Denny Seiwell |
Guitar | Henry McCullough |
Guitar | Doug Schlink |
Acoustic Guitar | Neil Hubbard |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Piano | Jean Roussel |
Strings | Del Newman |
Vocals | Donovan |
10 Life Is A Merry-Go-Round
Bass | Leland Sklar |
Drums | Russ Kunkel |
Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Piano | Craig Doerge |
Horn | Andrew Powell |
Tablas | Jim Gordon |
Percussion | Russ Kunkel |
Vocals | Donovan |
11 Sailing Homeward
Acoustic Guitar | Donovan |
Piano | Carole King |
Strings | Andrew Powell |
Woodwinds | Tom Scott |
Vocals | Donovan |
Liner Notes
Producer – Andrew Loog Oldham, Donovan
Engineer – Bill Lobb, Mike Bobak
Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
Photography By – Tony Evans
Phonographic Copyright (p) – ABKCO Records, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – CBS Records
Made By – CBS Records
Recorded At – Morgan Studios
Mastered At – Sterling Sound