Bohemian Rhapsody

Original flower child Donovan Leitch sprang to fame as “Britain’s answer to Bob Dylan” in the ‘60s. The Don talks Led Zepp, Fab Four and good vibrations

You mention you didn’t enjoy school in your autobiography. How badly were you bullied?

Let’s just say I received the usual treatment of a boy with a limp and a superior intelligence.

How much of an influence was Colin Wilson on you?

I read Colin’s The Outsider, and my angst as a western rebel/outsider was clarified.

Before becoming a household name you used to tour the country as a musician accompanied by your friend Gypsy Dave. So, how many miles did you clock up on your travels and what was your mode of transport?

Whose counting? Thumbing all the way!

How hurt were you when Bob Dylan sang ’It's All Over Now, Baby Blue’ to you?

I wasn’t hurt. On the contrary, I was very pleased. He and I had exchanged songs. I sang him ‘To Sing For You’. Watch the DVD again. Everybody missed what really happened.

If you were the Prince of Flower Power, who was the king?

Buddha.

What led you to believe yourself and John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were reincarnated Celtic bards?

The power of our songs to move millions and our Irish grannies.

At a Hollywood Bowl gig you and the 20,000 crowd stopped the rain from coming down for the duration of the performance. How do you explain that rationally?

20,000 vibrating the same thought.

What else can you remember about your arrest for marijuana in 1966 other then “hanging naked off the back of a policeman”?

It was hashish and I covered it in detail in my book out this May in paperback.

George Harrison was the first to contact you after your arrest. What did he say?

“Are you OK?”

You visited India with the Beatles for spiritual reasons. How would you begin to describe Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s aura?

Radiating.

What part did you play in the recording of ‘The Yellow Submarine’?

I wrote one half-stanza, but didn’t go to the session. I didn’t sing on the record.

“Donovan fathered Led Zeppelin”. Discuss.

The emergence of the Celtic rock sound of British, Irish , Scots and Welsh musicians and songwriters was in part heralded by my single ‘The Hurdy Gurdy Man’. I never said I created Led Zepp, only that Page and John Paul Jones and I played on it. Oh, and I coined the phrase “Celtic rock’ to describe our Euro/Celt sound which we rediscovered.

Why did you drop out from the music scene in 1970?

The mission was complete, the Bohemian Manifesto had invaded and conquered popular culture once again.

What does the Bohemian Manifesto mean to you?

What a society atrophies into dogma and self-destructive patterns, Bohemians gather in groups to search for the cure. They invade the culture with art and the message of the true inner reality, bringing back meditation to the tribe.

What are your recollections of meeting Shaun Ryder for the first time?

A fan invited me to The Hacienda. Eventually we went. Happy Mondays were the Rolling Stones of the ‘80s. I had some wonderful experiences with Shaun, celebrations and family times.

How would you describe him as a son-in-law?

No marriage happened but Shaun fathered a lovely young daughter who is a real hip chick named Sean

What was it like working with Rick Rubin on your 1996 album, Sutras?

Masterful. We meditated a lot.

What does living in Ireland do for you from a spiritual angle?

Pagan am I as ever and spirit pervades the magical isle of soul.

What’s it been like working with your daughter Astrelle Celeste who’s supporting you for the first time on your forthcoming Jazz Café shows?

Astrella is so much like me, soothing with her mellifluous sound. It’s great working with Astrella.

What can fans expect from these performances?

Me acoustic, and concert bass player Alec Dankworth. Telling tales from my book and the hits unplugged.

What’s only kinky the first time?

Everything.

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