By Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan released his 1966 hit titled Mellow Yellow. The song hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States but only reached number 8 in the United Kingdom.
Donovan was born Donovan Phillips Leitch and he was known for his eclectic style, which combined various different types of music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
Donovan had some interesting connections to the Beatles. On the Mellow Yellow soundtrack, you can hear Paul McCartney as a background reveler. It was rumored that Paul McCartney was the one who whispered “quite rightly” on the track, but this was false since it was actually Donovan’s voice. McCartney played bass guitar on the recording, but was not credited on the album. However, Donovan and Paul McCartney were friends and collaborators. Donovan was credited with helping with some of the lyrics on the Yellow Submarine.
Donovan was credited in teaching John Lennon with a guitar technique called finger-picking. Lennon used this technique on several of his recordings.
In Mellow Yellow, Donovan’s lyrics state, “I’m just mad about saffron.” Saffron is a yellow colored spice which is often confused with turmeric. Turmeric is a spice that comes from a rhizome or root. Saffron is produced from a flower from a different plant than turmeric.
