The Sounds of Summer- Day 37 of 95- “Sunshine Superman” Donovan. Donovan’s biggest hit- and only #1 from the summer of 1966- always makes me think of summer. Appearing on the album by the way are future members of Led Zeppelin- Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

From songfacts-

Donovan was good friends with The Beatles, and they were both making very innovative and trippy music at the time. Donovan’s producer Mickie Most told him not to play the Sunshine Superman album to Paul McCartney under any circumstances, because he knew McCartney would be tempted to do something similar.

Donovan recalled to Uncut magazine: “My arse was being sued by Pye after Sunshine Superman so , my masterwork, sat on the shelves for seven months. If you date it, it was at least a year and a half before Sgt Pepper and I remember Mickie saying to me, ‘Don’t play it to McCartney’ but of course everybody was sharing with everyone else and nicking from each other.”

“I played it to McCartney anyway,” he continued. “But they were already there, anyway, and George Martin was doing something similar with The Beatles, working out arrangements from ideas they had in their heads. George Martin was The Beatles’ guy and John Cameron was my guy and they both had an appreciation of jazz which was key.”

Originally, the “Sunshine Superman” single was subtitled “For John And Paul,” a reference to Lennon and McCartney.