B-side "Preachin' Love" Format 7" single Label Epic 5-10127 (USA) | Released Feb 1967 (USA) Genre Baroque pop | |
Recorded December 1966, Abbey Road Studios, London, England | ||
Epistle to Dippy is a song and single by Donovan, released in 1967 and only in the USA. It charted in the USA (Billboard: No.19).
Musicians featured are Donovan on vocals and acoustic guitar, Jimmy Page on electric guitar, John Cameron on keyboards and arrangement, Danny Thompson on bass, and Tony Carr on drums. Strings were provided by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Written in the form of an open letter to an old school friend, the song had a strong pacifist message in addition to its florid psychedelic imagery. The real "Dippy" was, at the time, serving in the British Army in Malaysia. According to Brian Hogg, who wrote the liner notes for the Donovan boxed set, Troubadour, Dippy heard the song, contacted Donovan and left the army as a result.
Chart positions were: # 19 (USA Billboard), # 10 (USA Cashbox), # 10 (USA Record World)