Is this undignified, or just Donovan reclaiming the small debt that Bolan owed him?
Visconti-ish strings.
Here he performs "Cosmic Wheel" sitting down a la Tyrannosaurus Rex, stripped of the record's adornments.
Mickie Most produced the Cosmic Wheels album (Most of course wsa Donovan's original producer in the Sixties but by 1973 one of the kings of glamglitter production)
Suzi Quatro supposedly sings back-up on "The Music Maker", although she doesn't sound characteristic - I wouldn't have recognised her.
The album was recorded in the next door studio to the one Alice Cooper did Billion Dollar Babies, and they got Donovan to sing on the title track.
"Maria Magenta" - here Donovan seems to be aping Bryan Ferry a bit.
But then again, he was doing this kind of prissy vocal in 1966....
"Wild Witch Lady" is T. Rex meets Dr John. Bolan-esque vibrato and whoops.
Also seems like a Marc / Electric Warrior style tribute to a "dirty and sweet" young lady.
Now, the genuinely undignified thing Donovan does on this album is "The Intergalactic Laxative"
Personnel
Donovan – guitar, harmonica, design, vocals
Chris Spedding – guitar, strings, bouzouki
Dennis Ball – bass[3]
Clive Chaman – bass
Phil Chen – bass
Cozy Powell – drums
Alan White – drums
John "Rabbit" Bundrick – piano, Moog synthesizer, mellotron
John Cameron - electric piano on "Appearances"
Tony Carr – percussion
Jim Horn – alto saxophone
Bobby Keys – tenor saxophone
Patrick Halling – violin
Jack Emblow – accordion
Leslye Ash – vocals
Valerie Charrington – soprano vocals
Nick Curtis – vocals
Lesley Duncan – vocals on "The Music Makers"
Julie Forsythe – vocals
Leslie Fyson – vocals
John McCarthy – vocals
Suzi Quatro – vocals on "The Music Makers"
Gaynor Stewart – vocals
Jill Utting – soprano vocals
Cary Wilson – vocals
