The Christian Underground Encyclopedia

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====== Dan Donovan ======

Alternative Rock / Folk Rock / Garage Rock\\
Fenland, England, United Kingdom

Dan Donovan is a British singer, songwriter, and guitar player. Born in 1960 to a Welsh preacher, he produces music which uses metaphor extensively to draw on spiritual themes.

Donovan's music career began around 1980 singing and played bass for a band called Sword with heavy riffs like Black Sabbath. He then left his hometown to join a pop post punk band called [[The Reps]] around 1983 or 1984. The Reps toured the United Kingdom playing in schools and Christian festivals. They also played a few festivals with [[The 77s]]. Around 1986, Donovan formed a band called [[Back to Jordan]] which recorded one EP and one album. Back to Jordan mostly played around the London club scene and the yearly Greenbelt Festival. Donovan got tired of band politics, so after Back to Jordan he went solo. But at first he didn't want the name "The Dan Donovan Band," so he called the new project [[Tribe of Dan]]. Tribe of Dan is described on the [[King Kool]] website as "cult greb goth outfit" and elsewhere as "swamp rock". The band split after recording only one studio album, and their US label folded shortly after their first release. Following this event he released albums independently, and his sound shifted toward an acoustic feel.

Donovan has also been involved with bands such as [[The Swamp Cranks]] and [[King Kool]]. King Kool is described as baseless blues - the band features Donovan and a drummer, but no bassist. The original drummer was Matt Middleton, who had worked with Donovan in several bands, including [[Tribe of Dan]]. Currently, Donovan is recording music under The Dan The D.

===== Discography =====

| 1993 | Dan Donovan | Trashbone Thang | [[Sticky Music]] |
| 1995 | Dan Donovan | Dust Shaker |
| 199? | Dan Donovan | [[https://christiantapeunderground.wordpress.com/2019/09/13/dan-donovan-root/|Root]] |
| 1998 | Dan Donovan | The Leaven Dell |
| 2000 | Dan Donovan | The Hex The Ghears |
| 2003 | Dan Donovan | Ga-rage |
| 2016 | Dan Donovan | 12_12 Acoustic Sessions |
| 2018 | The Dan The D | Mojave Session EP |
| 2019 | The Dan The D | Mojo Del Rancho |

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==== Trashbone Thang ====

1993 [[Sticky Music]] (GUM24CD)

Dan Donovan - Vocals, guitar, bass, sounds [Mellow Moothie, Creaks, Moans’n’ Rattling And a Snach of Key Poking]

Matt Middleton - Drums, percussion\\
Steve Butler - Keyboards\\
Dot Reid - Keyboards\\
David Birss - Blues Harp\\
Charlie Irvine - Sounds [Water Breath Native Whale’n’Noise Loading Thang]\\
Drew McCulloch - Tambourine

  - Moonchile (3:58)
  - Big Enough ... Baby (4:29)
  - Broken and Bleeding (4:34)
  - Tangletown (5:03)
  - Sweet Crush (5:01)
  - Dancing Bear (4:09)
  - Rats Rule the Roost (3:34)
  - Driftin' (6:41)
  - Please Don't Lose Me Now (4:38)
  - So Dance (4:06)
  - Dangerous Moose (4:13)

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==== Dust Shaker ====

1995 Independent

  - Chant (0:28)
  - Cooking Pot (3:51)
  - Pretty Thing You (4:32)
  - Snakes Alive (6:13)
  - Snakes Sequel (0:35)
  - Groovy Garden (4:51)
  - Flower (3:54)
  - Land of Nether (4:41)
  - Bulldog Blood (5:55)
  - Broose Again (4:05)
  - Fragile Flame (6:42)
  - Arms of Clare (5:12)
  - The Song of the Jabbermoose (2:48)
  - Shook Up (5:47)

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==== Root ====

199? Independent

  - Pretty Thing You
  - Broose Again
  - No Bad Dog
  - Arms of Clare
  - Things Jus' Is
  - Fragile Flame
  - Wild Eyed
  - Moments Like These

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==== The Leaven Dell ====

1998 Independent

  - The Leaven Dell (1:58)
  - Things Jus'is (3:51)
  - Send in the Poets (4:32)
  - Wild Eyed (3:34)
  - Tick Tock Tim (5:40)
  - Baby Boo (2:48)
  - A Healing (3:23)
  - Jinx of Job (4:44)
  - Fingertips (5:07)
  - Pushing Up the Rainbows (4:52)
  - To Fly (3:40)
  - What Is It? (1:57)

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==== The Hex The Ghears ====

2000 Independent

  - Sassy Punk (3:44)
  - No One There (5:15)
  - Froot to Boot (2:17)
  - In Your Arms (3:13)
  - Kiss the Star (4:09)
  - Who Are We (4:53)
  - Little Red Jag (3:41)
  - Shiny King (4:33)
  - Holy Bull (3:18)
  - Bombay Mix (2:04)
  - Moments Like These (6:16)
  - So I Trust (7:51)

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==== Ga-rage ====

2003 Independent

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==== 12_12 Acoustic Sessions ====

2016 Independent

  - Root It Bag It (4:44)
  - No Bad Dog (5:18)
  - Skin Teeth (3:24v
  - Blind Lead the Blind (5:14)
  - Dirdy Day (3:14)
  - Boot Beautiful (4:05)
  - Tic Tock Tim (5:07)
  - So Dance (4:47)
  - The Voice (4:45)
  - I Love (4:56)
  - Fragile Flame (6:58)
  - Sassy Punk (4:10)

The 12 songs from Donovan's 12 albums re-recorded in 2015 is a retrospective project with gritty blues, folk renditions from his back catalogue.

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==== Mojave Sessions EP ====

2018 Independent

  - Do Do Do It (2:34)
  - Baby Bomb (3:44)
  - Do Do Do It (acoustic) (2:28)
  - Baby Bomb (acoustic) (4:02)

(note that this ep is no longer available except at a few streaming music sites)

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==== Mojo Del Rancho ====

2019 Independent

(upcoming release scheduled for October 2019 - this will be the complete recorded session of Donovan's time in the Mojave Desert)

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===== Links =====

  * [[http://www.dandonovan-muso.com|Dan Donovan's Official Music Website]]
  * [[https://dandonovan.bandcamp.com|Dan Donovan BandCamp]]