Epic released Donovan's fifth album, an ambitious 2-disc set entitled A Gift from a Flower to a Garden, one of the first rock music boxed sets, and only the third pop-rock double album ever released. It was split thematically into two halves. The first record, subtitled "Wear Your Love Like Heaven", was written for the people of his generation that would one day be parents; the second, subtitled "For Little Ones", was a collection of songs Donovan had written especially for the coming generation. Worried that it might be a poor seller, Epic boss Clive Davis insisted that the albums be split and sold separately in the USA, but his fears were unfounded - although it took some time, the boxed set sold steadily, eventually peaking at #19 on US album chart and achieving gold record status in the US in early 1970.

The psychedelic and mystical overtones of the work were unmistakable -- the front cover (photographed at Bodiam Castle) featured an infra-red photograph by psychedelic album cover photographer Karl Ferris of Donovan dressed in a robe holding flowers and peacock feathers, while the back cover photo by Ferris showed him holding hands with Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Surprisingly, the liner notes included an appeal from Donovan for young people to give up the use of all drugsa decidedly 'un-hip' stance for a rock musician at the height of the Summer of Love. Donovan's early public disavowal of drugs was no doubt motivated in part by his drug bust, but Donovan was (and remains) strongly opposed to hard drugs a belief that was no doubt reinforced by the rapid physical and mental decline of his friend Brian Jones.

Large View