Season of the Witch (song)

"Season of the Witch" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan released in September 1966 on his third American album, Sunshine Superman. The song is credited to Donovan, although sometime collaborator Shawn Phillips has also claimed authorship.[4] Because of a dispute with Donovan's record company, a UK edition with the song was not released until June 1967.

"Season of the Witch"
Song by Donovan
from the album Sunshine Superman
Released25 September 1966 (1966-09-25)
RecordedSeptember 1966
StudioColumbia, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length4:56
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Donovan
Producer(s)Mickie Most

Several artists have recorded their own renditions, including Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and the Trinity (1967, Open); Al Kooper with Steve Stills (1968, Super Session); Vanilla Fudge (1968, Renaissance); Dr. John with the Blues Brothers Band (1998, Blues Brothers 2000); Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2004; Naked) and Lana Del Rey (2019, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark soundtrack). The song also features in the soundtrack of the 2010 action comedy film The Other Guys directed by Adam McKay.

Composition and recording

"Season of the Witch" was recorded at the CBS studios in Hollywood, California, where most of Sunshine Superman was recorded.[5] According to Donovan, he and Phillips wanted a "rock-combo sound" for the song and chose some local musicians from the local clubs.[5] They included Lenny Maitlin on keyboards, Don Brown on lead electric guitar, Bobby Ray on bass and "Fast" Eddie Hoh on drums.[5] Donovan played the second guitar part, as he explained in his autobiography:

I played a white Fender Telecaster Electric Guitar on "Witch," chunking down on the chord pattern, wailing a chilling chorus. A major seventh with an open G, to D 9th with a G-flat bass (Bert Jansch chord). The riff is pure feel.[5]

Donovan does not mention the involvement of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. At the time, the two future Led Zeppelin members were popular London session musicians and played on other Donovan sessions, including in 1968 for "Hurdy Gurdy Man". However, their exact contributions, if any, to "Season of the Witch" are unknown.[6]

Critical reception

In a song review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer commented: "Few songs so perfectly reflect the dawn of the psychedelic pop era as aptly as Donovan's 'Season of the Witch' ... Both lyrically as well as musically, the languid and trippy contents project a dark foreboding atmosphere [and] a sort of sinister tale of paranoia and the paranormal".[6] John Bush called the song "easily [one of the two] the highlights of the album ... a chugging eve-of-destruction tale".[7]

Lana Del Rey version
"Season of the Witch"
Promotional single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark OST
ReleasedAugust 9, 2019 (2019-08-09)
Format
Recorded2019
Length4:09
Label
Songwriter(s)Donovan
Lana Del Rey promotional singles chronology
"Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind"
(2017)		 "Season of the Witch"
(2019)		 "Looking for America"
(2019)

On August 9, 2019, American singer Lana Del Rey released a cover of the song for the film, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), which plays during the film's end credits. (Conversely, the original version by Donovan plays during the film's opening credits.)

Background

On August 5, CBS Films and Entertainment One announced that the Guillermo del Toro film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark would featured a cover of "Seasons of the Witch" by Lana Del Rey.[8] The song was featured in the first official trailer for the film. The following day, August 6, Del Rey presented del Toro with his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and teased the song on her social media.[9][10][11] Del Rey's version of the song was released for digital download and streaming on August 9, the same day at the film's premiere and the same day she released the political single, "Looking for America".[12][13]

While talking about his choice to have Del Rey sing the theme for the film, del Toro stated "I have admired Lana’s music for a while now and felt in my gut that she would run with 'Season of the Witch' – that she would use her alchemy to transform it. She is a great artist and has been an amazing partner with us in this adventure. It is an honor for me to have met her.”[14]

Reception

Mirko Parlevliet of Vital Thrills praised the pairing of Del Rey's sound and the film's vintage aesthetic.[15] Savannah Sicurella of Paste stated "Del Rey managed to capture the prickly, macabre feeling of the popular Alvin Schwartz stories on which the film was based."[16]

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
France Downloads (SNEP)[17] 134
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[18] 81
US Rock Songs (Billboard)[19] 23
US Digital Songs (Billboard)[20] 36

References
  1. O'Brien, Timothy J.; Ensminger, David (April 2, 2013). Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' Hopkins. University of Texas Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-292-75302-0.
  2. Rolling Stone staff (November 8, 2001). Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Touchstone. p. 276. ISBN 978-0-7432-0120-9.
  3. "The 200 Best Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork. p. 4. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. Evans, Rush (July 25, 2012). "Follow the Ever-Changing Ballad of Shawn Phillips". Goldmine.
  5. Leitch, Donovan (2007). The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man. St. Martin's Press. pp. 133–135. ISBN 978-0312364342.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  6. Planer, Lindsay. "Donovan: 'Season of the Witch' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2020.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  7. Bush, John. "Donovan: Sunshine Superman [US] – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2020.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  8. "Lana Del Rey Covers 'Season of the Witch' in New 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' Trailer". Movieweb. August 5, 2019.
  9. "Lana Del Rey Releases "Looking For America" and "Season of the Witch": Listen". www.msn.com.
  10. "Del Toro gets Hollywood star, urges immigrants to reject fear". news.yahoo.com.
  11. Clarke, Patrick (August 5, 2019). "Lana Del Rey to present Guillermo Del Toro with his star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame". NME.
  12. "Lana Del Rey Releases Two New Songs: Listen". August 9, 2019.
  13. "Lana Del Rey Gets Witchy with Donovan Cover for Guillermo del Toro Film". Variety. August 5, 2019.
  14. Shaffer, Claire; Shaffer, Claire (August 5, 2019). "Hear Lana Del Rey Cover Donovan's 'Season of the Witch' in 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' Trailer".
  15. "Lana Del Rey Sings Season of the Witch for Scary Stories Movie". August 5, 2019.
  16. Sicurella, Savannah (August 5, 2019). "Hear Lana Del Rey Cover "Season of the Witch" in New Scary Stories Trailer". Paste.
  17. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés" (in French). SNEP. August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  18. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  19. "Lana Del Rey Chart History - Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  20. "Digital Song Sales August 24 2019". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
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