Universal Soldier

Annotation

This EP, Universal Soldier (Pye Records # NEP 24219), includes four Vietnam War songs: "Ballad of a Crystal Man", discussed immediately below, as well as two songs about war in general - "Do You Hear Me Now" from the 1965 album Bert Jansch and "Universal Soldier" by Buffy Sainte-Marie from It's My Way!. Finally, it included Mick Softley's Vietnam War song "The War Drags On" from Songs for Swingin' Survivors.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — European Songs

Donovan, born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, was a popular contemporary folk singer in the 1060s, and into the 70s. He released several war and Vietnam-related songs in the period, featured on this list, including three cover songs in 1965: "Do You Here Me Now", "Universal Soldier", and "The War Drags On". He also had two original compositions: "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (1966), and "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting" (1969). Th is EP, Universal Soldier (Pye Records # NEP 24219), focused entirely on war. It included the "Ballad of a Crystal Man" discussed immediately below, as well as two songs about war in general - "Do You Here Me Now" from the 1965 album Bert Jansch and "Universal Soldier" by Buffy Sainte-Marie from It's My Way!. Finally, it included Mick Softley's Vietnam War song "The War Drags On" from Songs for Swingin' Survivors.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

I've seen the advertisement "It's a good life in todays' modern army" beside photographs of mutilated Vietnamese children (sleeve note, Donovan, Summer 1965)

Notes

Pye Extended Play NEP.24219 (sleeve NEP 24219, monaural), "Recording first published 1965", pink Pye labels, made in England. Side 1: Universal Soldier (Buffy St. Marie), The Ballad of a Crystal Man (Donovan), publisher Southern; Side 2: Do You Hear Me Now (Bert Jansch), The War Drags On (Mick Softley), publishers Pied Piper / Southern. "Produced by Eden-Stephens and Terry Kennedy — An Iver Recording"; © Pye Records Ltd 1965, distributed by Pye Records (Sales) Ltd, A.T.V. House, Gt. Cumberland Place, London W.1. Front cover by Dave Murphy: a collage of toy Guardsmen and a fallen soldier over a pen-and-ink drawing of a gun-carriage and a weeping soldier. Back cover carries a prose-poem by Donovan dated "Summer 1965" — "I've seen the advertisement 'It's a good life in todays' modern army' beside photographs of mutilated Vietnamese children … I've seen the dream of Freedom … a sometimes…

About the artist

born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom Donovan, born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, was a popular contemporary folk singer in the 1960s, and into the 70s. He released several war and Vietnam-related songs in the period, featured on this list, including three cover songs in 1965: "Do You Here Me Now", "Universal Soldier", and "The War Drags On". He also had two original compositions: "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (1966), and "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting" (1969).

Themes

Anti-War

In collections

Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · European Songs