Cosmic Wheels
Encyclopedia
Cosmic Wheels is the tenth studio album
, and eleventh album overall, from Scottish
singer-songwriter
Donovan
. It was released in both the UK
(Epic SEPC 65450) and the US
(Epic KE 32156) in March 1973.
In hopes of fomenting success, Donovan brought in Mickie Most
to share the producer duties on his next album. The Cosmic Wheels sessions were recorded in Morgan Studios
in London
, England
. In the UK at that time, glam rock
ruled the top of the charts, defined by bands and artists such as T. Rex
, Alice Cooper
, and David Bowie
among others. Several of these bands and artists claimed Donovan as a key influence in their music. This praise coupled with the chart success of the genre likely had great influence on the musical direction Cosmic Wheels would take.
While Donovan was recording Cosmic Wheels, Alice Cooper
was recording their 1973 album Billion Dollar Babies
in the same studio. Alice Cooper guitarist Michael Owen Bruce
suggested asking Donovan to sing co-lead on the title track with Vincent Damon Furnier (who later took the name Alice Cooper for himself). Donovan agreed, and the resulting song helped propel Billion Dollar Babies
to #1 in the US.
Cosmic Wheels reached the top 20 in both the US and UK, enjoying the same chart success as many of Donovan's previous albums. By 1973 the music business had shifted to promoting album-oriented rock, relegating singles to less promotion and fewer sales. An edited form of "I Like You" reached #66 in the U.S. and became the last charting single Donovan would have.
All tracks by Donovan Leitch.
Side one
Side two
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, and eleventh album overall, from Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
. It was released in both the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(Epic SEPC 65450) and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Epic KE 32156) in March 1973.
History
After the introspection of fatherhood and family life contained in the songs of H.M.S. Donovan, Donovan turned his attention to popular music again in 1972. It had been three years since "Atlantis" entered the top 10. Since that time, Donovan had released a mildly successful album with band Open Road and a solo children's album that failed to make the charts in the UK and did not even see a release in the US.In hopes of fomenting success, Donovan brought in Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
to share the producer duties on his next album. The Cosmic Wheels sessions were recorded in Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios, also known as Morgan Sound Studios, were recording studios in Willesden, North London. The studios were notable for many recordings of the 1960s and 1970s by many British bands and artists such as Ten Years After, Yes, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joan Armatrading, Cat...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the UK at that time, glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
ruled the top of the charts, defined by bands and artists such as T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
among others. Several of these bands and artists claimed Donovan as a key influence in their music. This praise coupled with the chart success of the genre likely had great influence on the musical direction Cosmic Wheels would take.
While Donovan was recording Cosmic Wheels, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
was recording their 1973 album Billion Dollar Babies
Billion Dollar Babies
Billion Dollar Babies is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Alice Cooper, released in 1973. The album became the best selling Alice Cooper record at the time of its release, hit number one on the album charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and went on to be...
in the same studio. Alice Cooper guitarist Michael Owen Bruce
Michael Owen Bruce
Michael Bruce is a US rock musician. He was a guitarist, keyboard player and backing vocalist for the original Alice Cooper group .Bruce co-wrote many of the hit songs with some or all of the other members of the band...
suggested asking Donovan to sing co-lead on the title track with Vincent Damon Furnier (who later took the name Alice Cooper for himself). Donovan agreed, and the resulting song helped propel Billion Dollar Babies
Billion Dollar Babies
Billion Dollar Babies is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Alice Cooper, released in 1973. The album became the best selling Alice Cooper record at the time of its release, hit number one on the album charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and went on to be...
to #1 in the US.
Cosmic Wheels reached the top 20 in both the US and UK, enjoying the same chart success as many of Donovan's previous albums. By 1973 the music business had shifted to promoting album-oriented rock, relegating singles to less promotion and fewer sales. An edited form of "I Like You" reached #66 in the U.S. and became the last charting single Donovan would have.
Reissues
- On August 15, 1994, EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
's Rewind Records label reissued Cosmic Wheels (Epic/Rewind 477378 2) on CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in the UK. - On February 23, 2004, Diablo Records released Cosmic Wheels/Essence to Essence (DIAB8051) in the UK on CD. This compilation includes all of Cosmic Wheels and all of Essence to Essence on one disc.
- "Comic Wheels" is the third release of THE SEVENTIES COLLECTION as Digital Download on iTunes. The digital release of the original 1973 album "Cosmic Wheels" will be August 19, 2010.
Track listing
Side one
- "Cosmic Wheels" – 4:02
- "Earth Sign Man" – 3:56
- "Sleep" – 3:48
- "Maria Magenta" – 2:12
- "Wild Witch Lady" – 4:27
Side two
- "The Music Makers" – 4:28
- "The Intergalactic Laxative" – 2:49
- "I Like You" – 5:18
- "Only the Blues" – 3:13
- "Appearances" – 3:44
Personnel
- Leslye Ash – Vocals
- John "Rabbit" Bundrick – Keyboards
- Tony Carr – Percussion
- Valerie Carrington – Vocals
- Clive Chaman – Bass
- Phil Chen – Bass
- Nick Curtis – Vocals
- Donovan – Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
- Lesley Duncan – Vocals
- Jack Emblow – Accordion
- Julie Forsythe – Vocals
- Leslie Fyson – Vocals
- Peter Halling – Violin
- Jim Horn – Saxophone
- Bobby Keys – Saxophone
- John McCarthy – Vocals
- Cozy Powell – Drums
- Suzi Quatro – Vocals
- Chris Spedding – Guitar
- Gaynor Stewart – Vocals
- Jill Utting – Vocals
- Dennis Ball (Misspelled as "Dennis Wall") – Bass
- Alan White – Drums
- Cary Wilson – Vocals