Thursday, December 13, 2012

Donovan, Dion and The Doors

My daughter was looking through one of my boxes of albums from times gone by.... and found two by Donovan. She begged and pleaded that I give them to her, but I'm just not ready to let them go. 

It's been over 40 years, Mom! she says.
Yeah, well some things are just hard to give up. Maybe after I finish  these Alphabe-Thursday posts and I've reminisced a while.... maybe then I can pass these old albums on to her. We don't even have a turntable anymore, for crying out loud! But of course, she does -- throw back to the 60s that she is.....

Donovan was a favorite back in the late 60s and I still have a couple of his early albums. Such a sweet voice!



Jennifer Juniper by Donovan

Jennifer Juniper, lives upon the hill
Jennifer Juniper, sitting very still
Is she sleeping? I don't think so
Is she breathing? Yes, very low
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?
Jennifer Juniper, rides a dappled mare
Jennifer Juniper, lilacs in her hair
Is she dreaming? Yes, I think so
Is she pretty? Yes, ever so
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?
I'm thinking of what it would be like if she loved me
How just lately this happy song, it came along
And I like to somehow try and tell you
Jennifer Juniper, hair of golden flax
Jennifer Juniper, longs for what she lacks
Do you like her? Yes, I do, sir
Would you love her? Yes, I would, sir
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?
Jennifer Juniper
Jennifer Juniper
Jennifer Juniper
Jennifer Juniper, vit sur la colline
Jennifer Juniper, assise très tranquille
Dort-elle? Je ne crois pas
Respire-t-elle? Oui, mais tout bas
Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Jenny, mon amour?
Jennifer Juniper
Jennifer Juniper
Jennifer Juniper

And a few years earlier, there was Dion. A total heartthrob. Well, for the early 60s anyway!



Are you familiar with Teenager in Love, The Wanderer, and Runaround Sue? Or how about Abraham, Martin and John?



This is Runaround Sue -- he's singing in some nightclub -- be sure to check out the audience! What faces, and hairstyles!  He was definitely singing to an older crowd than I was! I was in Junior High! His songs were definitely teenager types but I guess he had the younger, and older, ladies as his fans!

Dion was supposed to be on the airplane that crashed and killed Buddy Holly (That'll Be the Day, Peggy Sue), Ritchie Valens (La Bamba) and The Big Bopper (Chantilly Lace). But the $36 fee was too much for him and he decided not to go.  This happened in 1959, just a bit too early for me to remember it -- in fact I really didn't know details until the song American Pie, also called The Day the Music Died, came out in 1971. Even though I knew the songs these guys sang, I didn't know about the accident.


In the late 60s into the 70s there were The Doors -- they were a phenomenal, though controversial, rock band. Jim Morrison died in 1971 but the band continued as a trio until they disbanded in 1973. 



Do you remember when they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and he had admonished them not to sing the word "higher" when they performed Light My Fire -- they, of course, agreed and what do you think happened when they sang it?! 

Of course they not only sang the word "higher" -- they emphasized it. Old Ed wouldn't even shake their hands! Guess he showed them! Well, Ed said they would never appear on his show again -- and they didn't. But it's still talked about today so I guess they are still appearing on his show!!


 
This is Waiting for the Sun


Did you happen to see the movie with Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison? He looks amazingly like Morrison.
That's Meg Ryan as his long-time girlfriend, Pamela.




OK, trick question -- can you tell which is which?



I've got these albums, and others, somewhere, but I can't find the box. 
Maybe my daughter has it!



♥♥♥  Linking my D guys over at Miss Jenny's for Alphabe-Thursday where we are studying the letter D.


Jenny Matlock


♥♥

12 comments:

AWJ said...

Nice trip down memory lane! :) I knew about "American Pie", but didn't know Dion was supposed to be on the plane. And I think Jim Morrison is a little sexier than Val Kilmer. ;)

I'm not able to give my albums away to my daughters... or anyone!

Lola said...

This has brought back so many (almost half-forgotten!) memories! Many thanks!

Great A-Thursday post - as always!

Heather{Our Life In a Click} said...

My husband is the same way about his albums!! I had to beg him to give one to our niece for her birthday (she had gotten a record player). We don't even own a turntable anymore (but I am getting him one for Christmas!). I loved the Doors movie and Val Kilmer in it!

VBR said...

Vinyl is becoming a major collector's item, especially for the music lover who wants to hear the work as it was originally produced.

And, Jeez-a-Loo! Donovan, Dion and the Doors - like the trifecta of dreamy music from a very fun time of life.
And, could Jim Morrison (and his voice) be any more gorgeous?
GREAT D post.

Cathy Kennedy said...

I only remember the groups from the early 60s from my early childhood around the middle of that decade to the end because my aunts & uncles who are 10-15 years older than me would either listen to their albums or the radio. But, you know most of these are classic oldies and they've hung around throughout the years for many generations to enjoy.

Val Kilmer makes an excellent Jim Morrison. I have not see that movie. I love Meg Ryan in just about everything I've seen her in, too. So, I wonder why I haven't heard of this flick?

Really cool 'D' post - fun read, too!

storybeader said...

great music! Very different musicians. I thought of myself as a flower child, and loved Donovan's music. Now Dion, I remember Runaround Sue bec my OB had that 45. And the Doors... too bad about Jim Morrison. Oh, and that's him on the left! {:-D

Memories for Life said...

I like some oldies now and then :) I love the movie La Bamba and remember some of Dion's songs. Of course I know The Doors too...great tunes!

Jim said...

I like your "D" guys, Sarah. Jim Morrison and the Doors was my favorite. I also knew Dion's songs but don't seem to remember Donavon. He msst be too late for me.

Have you watched the Jim Morrison special that plays on PBS every now and then. They had some good thnings about Fire that I hadn't known before.
..

Sandra Tyler said...

OMG my cousin gave me my first Donovan album when I was 7 and I took it in for show and tell. I still adore him. Wonderful creative lyrics that you just don't get today.

Saralyn said...

great post! visiting you from the etsy blog team! great blog :)

www.studiomaisonblog.us

Saralyn

ImagesByCW | OceanDreamIllustration said...

As soon as I read 'Donovan' over at Alphabe- Thursday I had to click on the link. Donovan inspired me as a young teenager to pick up the guitar. Sadly I don't play it anymore, but I'll always remember his songs and sing along on Pandora. The Doors were fantastic, as was Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, actually amazing! Didn't know about the Ed Sullivan show 'incident', because it was way before my time, but it sounds about right - LOL

Stopping by from Alphabe- Thursday - mine for letter 'D' @ ImagesByCW is about 'donner'

Jenny said...

Oh dear.

This just made my crush on Donovan resurface.

I shall have to leave my husband and dash madly across the country trying to find him!

Sigh.

What a delightful link to the letter "D".

A+

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