Sunshine Superman

Infobox Single
Name = Sunshine Superman

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Cover size =
Caption = U.S. picture sleeve
Artist = Donovan
from Album = Sunshine Superman
A-side =
B-side = "The Trip" (Donovan)
Released = July 1966 (US)
December 1966 (UK)
Format = 7"
Recorded = Abbey Road Studios: January 1966
Genre = Psychedelia
Length = 3:15 (Side A)
4:34 (Side B)
Label = Epic 5-10045 (US)
Pye 7N17241 (UK)
Writer = Donovan
Producer = Mickie Most
Certification =
Chronology= Donovan UK
Last single = "Remember the Alamo"
(4/1966, withdrawn)
This single = "Sunshine Superman"
(1966)
Next single = "Mellow Yellow"
(2/1967)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist =Donovan USA
Type =singles
Last album ="To Try for the Sun"
(2/1967)
This album ="Sunshine Superman"
(12/1966)
Next album ="Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)"
(1967) (Pye 7N 17241). The "Sunshine Superman" single was backed with "The Trip" on both the United States and United Kingdom releases.

"Sunshine Superman" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and subsequently became the title track of Donovan's third album, "Sunshine Superman". A different mix of "The Trip" (without harmonica) is also included in the album. It was the first product from the highly successful three-year collaboration between Donovan and producer Mickie Most and is generally considered to be one of the first examples of the musical genre that came to be known as psychedelia.

The lyrics of the song allude not only to Superman, but also to another DC Comics superhero, Green Lantern.

Chart positions were #1 (US), #2 (UK).

Versions

A longer version (4:23) was released on "Donovan's Greatest Hits" (1969)

Personnel

*Donovan - vocals and acoustic guitar
*Jimmy Page and Eric Ford - electric guitars
*John Cameron - keyboards and arrangement
*Spike Healey - bass
*Bobby Orr - drums
*Tony Carr - percussion

Cover versions

The song has been covered by Hüsker Dü on their 1983 album, "Everything Falls Apart", the New York punk band Alice Donut on their debut album "Donut Comes Alive", Canadian folk rock group Spirit of the West on the 1992 Donovan tribute album "Island of Circles," by Jewel, the American singer/songwriter, for the soundtrack of the 1996 film "I Shot Andy Warhol," and originally and infamously by Mel Tormé. It was covered by The Films for the Sound of Superman, a companion album to 2006 film Superman Returns.

In 1997, the song was sampled by Imani Coppola for her single, "Legend of a Cowgirl".

In 2006 the song was used in a TV advertisement for Magners Irish cider.