Single Song Sunday

It is the first Single Song Sunday of the year and one that breaks what up until now had been one of my cardinal rules. There is no Mandatory Reggae Version.

That is not for the lack of trying. This song has been on the list for a long time but I have held off in the hope of finding a MRV but after spending many hours over many months searching I have to concede defeat. I am surprised because there are plenty of reggae versions of other songs by this artist but there you go.

I'm not sure whether to feel ashamed or liberated by this omission, and apologies to the purists out there. But I hope you will agree that with or without a MRV we have a stonking selection.

The song in question is a psychedelic standard, Donovan's "Season Of The Witch". Never released as a single, his original version opened Side 2 of the "Sunshine Superman" album in 1966. It wasn't long before the covers started coming along, one of the first being by Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll & The Trinity, of whom more later. 

It is a song that seems to appeal to TV and film directors. Versions by Richard Thompson, Joan Jett and Lana Del Rey were respectively used in the soundtracks as the TV series "Crossing Jordan" (2003), "The Sons Of Sam" (2021) and the film "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" (2019). 

From Lana we skip on to Luna, whose 1996 version first appeared on a compilation album called "I Shot Andy Warhol" which features "music from or inspired by the motion picture" and was subsequently released as a single. The album features another Donovan cover but as it is Jewel taking on "Sunshine Superman" I think I'll stick to the single.

Next up we have a couple of fairly recent covers from the UK courtesy of folk-rockers Tamesis (2020) and Mr Billy Childish hiding behind one of his many aliases (2022). And we finish off with assorted Americans - Lou Rawls (1969), Cindy Lee Berryhill (1996) and a prolific individual called Jack who styles himself as Telyscopes (2014).

"Season Of The Witch" - Donovan

"Season Of The Witch" - Richard Thompson

"Season Of The Witch" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

"Season Of The Witch" - Lana Del Rey

"Season Of The Witch" - Luna

"Season Of The Witch" - Tamesis

"Season Of The Witch" - The William Loveday Intention

"Season Of The Witch" - Lou Rawls

"Season Of The Witch" - Cindy Lee Berryhill

"Season Of The Witch" - Telyscopes

I mentioned the Julie Driscoll version earlier in the post. With a video this magnificent to go with it I wasn't going to fritter that away on mere audio. Gaze in wonder.