Catch the Wind

"Catch the Wind" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan.[1]

"Catch the Wind"
Single by Donovan
from the album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid
B-side	"Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?"
Released	12 March 1965 (UK) 1965 (US)
Recorded	March 1965
Genre	Folk
Length	2:21 (Side A) 2:57 (Side B)
Label	Pye 7N15801 (UK) Hickory 45-1309 (US)
Songwriter(s)	Donovan
Producer(s)	Terry Kennedy, Peter Eden, Geoff Stephens
Donovan singles chronology
"Catch the Wind" (1965) "Colours" (1965)

Background

It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on 12 March 1965 through Pye Records (Pye 7N 15801) and a few months later in the United States through Hickory Records (Hickory 45-1309). The single was backed with "Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?" on both the United Kingdom and United States releases.

When Epic Records was compiling Donovan's Greatest Hits in 1968, the label was either unable or unwilling to secure the rights to the original recordings of "Catch the Wind" and Donovan's follow-up single, "Colours". Donovan re-recorded both songs for the album, with a full backing band including Big Jim Sullivan playing guitar and Mickie Most producing.

Chart Performance

"Catch the Wind" was the first release by Donovan. It reached No. 4 in the United Kingdom singles chart,[2] and No. 23 in the United States Billboard Hot 100.[3] The single version featured Donovan's vocals with echo and a string section. The song was re-recorded for Donovan's first album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid, without the vocal echo and strings and with a harmonica solo added.

Cover versions

• Johnny Rivers from "Johnny Rivers Rocks The Folk" (1965)
• Chet Atkins from "More of That Guitar Country" (1965)
• Melinda Marx (1965) in Vee Jay Records
• Eero Jussi and the Boys recorded it as "Tuuli Kuiskaa Vain" in Finnish (1965)
• Reinhard Mey recorded a German version, "Geh und fang den Wind" (1965) [4] The translation was done by Joe Menke.
• Paul Revere & the Raiders from Just Like Us! (1966)
• The Blues Project from Live at The Cafe Au Go Go (1966)
• Cher from "Chér" (1966)
• Siluete from "Tvoj Rođendan" (1966)
• The Castiles (1967)
• Glen Campbell from "Gentle on My Mind" (1967)
• Peter Fonda on the Chisa label, as the B-side to his version of Gram Parsons' "November Night" (1967)
• Claudine Longet from "Colours" (1968)
• Dottie West from "What I'm Cut Out to Be" (1968)
• Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs from "Nashville Airplane" (1968)
• The Lettermen from "Traces/Memories" (1969)
• Eartha Kitt from "Sentimental Eartha" (1970)[5]
• Timothy Barclay as a (1970) single
• We Five (1970) on the album Catch the Wind. This version was released as a single in 1971.[6]
• Buck Owens from "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1971)[7]
• Sammy Hagar from Sammy Hagar (1977)
• Vern Gosdin from Never My Love (1978)
• Susanna Hoffs from Susanna Hoffs (1994) and also appeared on the UK CD single for the song "All I Want".[8]
• Four to the Bar from "Another Son" (1995)
• The Irish Descendants frpm "Gypsies and Lovers" (1995)
• Arjen Anthony Lucassen from Strange Hobby (1997)
• Judith Durham from "Mona Lisas" (1996)
• Donnie Munro from On the West Side (1999)
• Katey Sagal from "Room" (2004)
• The Spill Canvas from "Denial Feels So Good" (2007)
• Liane Carroll from "Slow Down" (2007)
• Jimmy LaFave from "Cimarron Manifesto" (2007)
• Adam Bomb and the WMD's from "Live from Tehran" (2009)
• Rickie Lee Jones from "Devil You Know" (2012)
• Tommy Keene (2013) from "Excitement at Your Feet"
• Joan Baez and Mimi Fariña recorded a duet which appeared on the "Generations of Folk" series (Volume 3, Classic Harmonies) (2016)
• John Waite on his album "Wooden Heart" (2017)
• Bonnie Tyler from The Best Is Yet to Come (2021)

Miscellaneous uses in the media

• In 1985, the TV show Miami Vice used the song at the beginning of the episode "Golden Triangle (Part II)".
• In 1989, the TV show, The Wonder Years used the song at the end of the episode "Brightwing".
• In 1992, the movie The Efficiency Expert used the song.
• In 2001, the TV show "Heartbeat" used the song in the show "Old Masters" (season 11, episode 5)
• In 2002, the TV show Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (series 3, episode 1) used the song during a scene at a hypnosis conference in Las Vegas.
• In 2005, the TV show Cold Case used the song at the end of the episode "A Perfect Day".
• In 2006, the TV show Alias used the song at the end of the episode "No Hard Feelings".
• In 2006, the movie Flicka used the song.
• In 2007, GE Ecomagination used the song in a television commercial promoting their achievements in wind power.
• In 2009, thatgamecompany used the song in a promotional advertisement for the PlayStation Network title Flower.
• In 2009, MassMutual used the song in a personal financial services commercials.
• In 2009, the movie The Invention of Lying used nearly the entire song following the scene in which the protagonist's mother dies.
• In 2009, the movie Charlie and Boots used the song in the final scene, in which the two protagonists fish together.
• In 2011, the TV show Parenthood used the song at the end of the 8 November episode, "In-Between".
• In 2015, the TV show Catastrophe used the song at the end of the "Episode 4".

References

1. "secondhandsongs.com". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
2. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
3. Daffyd Rees and Luke Crampton, Rock Stars Encyclopedia (New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1999), 309.
4. "Rainer May – Geh und fang den Wind (Catch The Wind)". YouTube. 2 January 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
5. "Catch the Wind / Hurdy Gurdy Man – Eartha Kitt". Earthakittfanclub.com. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
6. We Five, "Catch the Wind" single release Retrieved 12 July 2014
7. "Recording: Catch the Wind – Buck Owens". Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
8. "The Susanna Hoffs Discography". Archived from the original on 25 December 2001. Retrieved 2 October 2018.

External links

• Catch The Wind (Single) – Donovan Unofficial Site
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics