Donovan - Sunshine Superman

"Sunshine Superman" peaked at #1 in the US and #2 in the UK in 1966, making it Donovan's highest-charting single in both countries.

Mono

The song was only mixed to mono during its chart run in 1966. The hit 45 was mono. The full Sunshine Superman LP was mono, or the dreaded "Electronically re-channeled for stereo". There was no stereo mix of the song until 1969.

The mono version (both 45 and LP) runs 3:15.

The mono version exists on a few CDs, but none sound great.

The best-sounding version I have is on Epic/Legacy's Troubadour (The Definitive Collection 1964-1976) (1992). It runs 3:12 here. It seems like this disc used a stereo playback head for the mono source tape. It'll sound better if you use audio from just one of the two channels. Still, it's better than the three that follow.

The second-best-sounding version I have is on K-Tel's Seems Like Yesterday Vol. V Mid 60's (1990). It's in proper mono, but not quite as clear as Troubador. The fade also starts earlier than Troubador but runs to roughly the same point in the song.

It's in fake stereo on Sony Music Special Products' Rock On U.K. (1995) and Realm Canada's mail-order Greatest Hits Of The '60s Vol. 1 (1995). Avoid both of these.

From a very detailed Discogs page:

On 5 October 1990, Epic Records reissued the US version of Sunshine Superman (Epic EK 26217) in the US on compact disc.
On 24 October 1994, EMI released Four Donovan Originals (EMI 7243 8 30867 2 6) in the UK. Four Donovan Originals is a compact disc box set containing four Donovan albums that were not previously released in the UK. The US version of Sunshine Superman is disc one of that set.
On 7 October 1996, EMI reissued the US version of Sunshine Superman (EMI CDGOLD1066) on compact disc.
On 24 May 2005, EMI reissued the US version of Sunshine Superman (EMI 8735662) on compact disc in the UK with seven bonus tracks.

Stereo

In 1969, three years after the song was a hit, Epic finally mixed it to stereo for the Donovan's Greatest Hits LP, where it runs 4:31. It's a slightly early fade of the full performance. (The mono version has two edits and is an early fade of the full performance.)

Epic released the Greatest Hits album on CD in 1986. (Or possibly 1987. It wasn't on a list of available CDs in June 1986 but did appear on an updated list from Spring 1987.) It runs 4:31. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's Classic Rock Vol. 2 1966 (RE-1 reissue, copyright 1987) - left/right channels are swapped and tail of fade is about 3 beats shorter
• Realm's 3-CD mail-order Summertime Party Pack (2002)

There's another analog transfer on Time-Life's Classic Rock Vol. 2 1966 (original pressings, 1987), which has its left and right channels swapped and is a little muffled compared to GH.

I found the stereo GH version on a few collections released in the 2000 to 2010 time frame, including one on Audio Fidelity, all using different analog transfers. None sound as good as the 1986 release of Donovan's Greatest Hits.

Non-hit edits of the stereo version

There's an edit of the Donovan's Greatest Hits version on Rhino's British Invasion Vol. 5 (1991). It runs 3:29, and has its left and right channels swapped compared to GH. This version deletes 0:57-1:41 and 2:51 to 3:09 of the GH, which matches the edits of the mono version. This version lets the fade run out to the same point as GH (the mono version fades early). This version doesn't exist on record. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Time-Life's History Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 7 The British Invasion 1964-1966 (1993) - tail of fade is shorter by 19 beats
• Rhino's Billboard Top Pop Hits 1966 (1995)
• Time-Life's 2-CD Flower Power Age Of Aquarius (2007)

There's a new analog transfer on Columbia/Epic/Legacy's Pop Music: The Golden Era 1951-1975 (1999). This disc uses the same edits as the Rhino disc, but fades early to 3:17. This version also doesn't exist on record, either. The same analog transfer is used on:

• Epic's multi-disc promo set Epic 50th Anniversary Collection (2003)

There's a version on Epic/Legacy's The Essential (2004) that runs out farther than any other version before or since. It runs 4:39, which is about 8 seconds longer than the version on Donovan's Greatest Hits. I suspect that mastering engineer Vic Anesini may have created a new mix from the multi-tracks to run the length of the full performance. If such a mix existed earlier, I'm sure someone would have unearthed it for a Donovan compilation.

My recommendations

The 1966 hit was in mono (3:15). Go with Epic/Legacy's Troubadour (The Definitive Collection 1964-1976) (1992).

The 1969 Donovan's Greatest Hits version was stereo (4:31). I prefer Epic's Donovan's Greatest Hits (original 1986 CD release).

The above mono (3:15) and stereo (4:31) are the only configurations that were released until the CD era.

If you must own a stereo version that replicates the two edits of the 45 but doesn't fade early and runs out to the end of the GH, go with Rhino's British Invasion Vol. 5 (1991), but swap the left and right channels.

If you must own a stereo version that runs 8 seconds longer than GH, go with Epic/Legacy's The Essential (2004).

Edited by crapfromthepast