This song was used so effectively in the opening scene of "Zodiac" and again at the end of the movie. Just a very creepy kind of vibe to this song that can't be undone once you've seen the film. By itself, it's a gorgeous vocal performance by Donovan.
Great choice, guys.... Other hits worth checking out by him are: "Atlantis", " Sunshine Superman", "There Is A Mountain", " Mellow Yellow", "Jennifer Juniper", " Catch The Wind". "Wear Your Love Like Heaven".
My favorite Donovan song is "Sunshine Superman", so I'm strongly in favor of that being your next song from him. You mentioned that each of the Donovan songs you've heard is different from the others, and "Sunshine Superman" is yet another thing entirely.
It features an Indian influence with the use of a tambura, a gift to Donovan from George Harrison, who also helped write the lyrics. The tambura creates the drone-like sound. Hurdy gurdys have drone strings.
This song was playing while I stood in the draft line 1971 at the Ellicott Square Building in Buffalo NY. When I hear it it brings me right back to that day.
You got it dead on. Donovan was the epitome of hippie cool, psychedelics rule. Fashion trend leader, Maharishi studying and Hammer Claw guitar player. I still listen to his music and I'm 70 years old.
Thank you, Andy & Alex ! This song creeps me out, nostalgically. It is the winter of 1969 in rural Wisconsin, and i am 10 years old and home alone. My parents drove into town, to run Saturday errands. But, they are delayed coming home, till late in the night, due to a bad snowstorm. This song is on AM radio and it scared me, for some reason.
This song was scary as hell in the Zodiac movie. I never thought of it that way before. Another super beautiful sweet Donovan song no one talks about or plays is Jennifer Juniper. I never heard that song before until a few years ago. Excellent.
They used Jennifer Juniper in the movie Election, check it out - great movie. Agree, was creepy as hell in Zodiac. Feel like I've heard it in some other movie as well but I'd have to look it up
Alan Parker on guitar, Clem Cattini on drums, John Paul Jones on bass and was also the musical director, and JPJ has said repeatedly these were the musicians, Allan Holdsworth always said he did not play on this song, Jimmy Page was in Miami, Fl when this was recorded. Alan Parker, folks, Alan Parker.
Yes, except that you can't forget about Donovan Leitch himself. Donovan not only sang on "Hurdy Gurdy Man", he also played the acoustic guitar and the tambura (the latter instrument being a gift he had received from George Harrison in India).
JPJ, 2005: "I would like to confirm that the musicians on the record were as follows: Donovan, acoustic guitar; John Paul Jones, arrangement/musical director and bass guitar; Alan Parker, lead (electric) guitar; Clem Cattini, drums. No other musicians were involved in this session."
@@Cheryworld No, there is no hurdy-gurdy on "Hurdy Gurdy Man". But the hurdy-gurdy does have drone strings (which makes it sound a bit like a dulcimer crossed with a bagpipe), and there is a drone element to this song as well. However, the drone comes from a tambura (an Indian stringed instrument similar to the sitar) rather than a hurdy-gurdy. It was played by Donovan himself, who had received the tambura from George Harrison as a gift. (Harrison wrote a verse for "Hurdy Gurdy Man" that Donovan didn't end up using.) You can clearly hear the tambura at the end of the verses, when Donovan sings "... comes singing songs of love ..." . It's probably one of the two most famous songs in Western popular music that uses a tambura, the other being "Street Fighting Man" by the Rolling Stones (Brian Jones played the tambura on that song).
Donovan was a very influentional on 1960's music. He moved effortlessly between bands of all types in his mystical, selfless, way. He was, and still is a proponent for peace and love. His influence in sixties pop culture cannot be understated. ☯️☮️
What so many who didn’t grow up in this time don’t realize, is how incredible AM radio was in the 60s & 70s ( before FM & album oriented stations took hold) You would hear Frank Sinatra,Cream, The Supremes, The Archies,James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Hendrix, 1910 Fruitgum Co, etc. all one after the other. So at 6 or 7 you would have pop, heavy rock, soul, bubblegum, standards in your 45 singles collection.
Donovan was my first concert.1969 in Memphis. I was age 14 with our church youth group. It was just Donovan with his acoustic guitar, sitting cross legged on a goatskin rug in the middle of the stage, accompanied by an Indian tabla player. It was also the first time I smelled the wonderful aroma of the burning of the devil’s lettuce.
Hurdy Gurdy man was used on the movie soundtrack for ZODIAC in 2007 . I get the feeling that the hurdy gurdy man was someone you didn’t want to meet. It’s a bit creepy and it seemed right at home on the Zodiac soundtrack. Donavan was usually kinda mellow to me but this really rocks.
Donovan was on the famous India trip with the Beatles. His song Jennifer Juniper was written for Pattie Boyd's sister Jennifer, who ended up marrying Mick Fleetwood. While they were in India, Donovan taught Lennon and Harrison how to fingerpick guitar. McCartney watched from afar and then taught himself separately. You can hear John's brand new fingerpicking on the White Album - Julia and Dear Prudence. Then McCartney does a completely different pattern on Blackbird.
Also on that trip to India, George Harrison gave Donovan the tambura that Donovan played on "Hurdy Gurdy Man". Plus, as Donovan was in the midst of writing "Hurdy Gurdy Man" on that trip (the Hurdy Gurdy Man is supposedly Maharishi Mahesh Yogi), Harrison added his own verse to the song: When the truth gets buried deep Beneath the thousand years asleep Time demands a turnaround And once again the truth is found ... that Donovan didn't end up using in the final cut.
@@armadillotoe Saw some unusual pairings. I think a lot of promoters were more businessmen than music guys and to them, they were all "rock bands"...Saw Bob Seger open for KISS. He was on the cusp of breaking big time, but he had been around since the late 60's and was a very meat-and-potatoes no frills kind of act. I always wondered if he was thinking: "Why am I opening for these guys?" But I think there was a Detroit connection...
Donovan wrote the song when he was in India with The Beatles. It was recorded in April of 1968 and went to #5 in the US and #4 in the UK. It has been reported that Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones all played on this song... making it a precursor to the formation of Led Zeppelin.
@@mollymortensen4023 - Donavan wrote in his autobiography that Bonham did play drums on the song. But others say that Bonham did not. It's one of those things where different people have claimed he was there (or he was not there).
A huge THANK YOU!, that is well overdue/years in the making -- I've extolled your virtues in several comments in the past. A new mention; you've re-introduced me to listening to music with headphones. And even my cheaper ones still make a huge difference. You guys are the only time I listen to music WITHOUT any other distractions. Your mentions of what you hear/appreciate from the left and right made me get some. 50+ years ago I rarely had the option to listen with headphones. Now I do with you guys. So I'm listening with "new ears" to music I've loved forever.
This was a hit record with heavy rotation. A groundbreaking record with help from Jimmy Page and the advent of the Marshall guitar amplifier. I met Donovan, a very cool guy.
Sure sounds like Jimmy Page to me and all the musical people we talked with back then, everyone sure thought it sounded like him, despite any dispute on the the several names being floated about. We may never really know...
@@gregsager2062 There are at least three guitarists on this track. Donovan played acoustic, and there is obviously the lead guitar (probably Alan Parker, although Donovan seems to have confused him with Allan Holdsworth), but there is also a rhythm guitar that comes in to accompany the solo. That’s probably Page.
We may indeed never know. A Donovan compilation released in 1992 lists Allan Holdsworth and Jimmy Page as the electric guitar players and John Bonham as one of the drummers. John Paul Jones, who arranged, played bass and booked the session musicians, said that Clem Cattini played the drums and Alan Parker played the electric guitar. In 2013, Donovan remembered Cattini playing drums but wasn't sure whether Bonham did. He said Holdsworth played guitar. Jimmy Page's website lists this song as one on which he played. Engineer Eddie Kramer says Jimmy Page was on it but not Bonham. Later, Donovan said that Page not only played guitar, but that this song was a major influence on the sort of sound that Led Zeppelin would work with later on. Heh...Seems like everybody was just sort of focused on finishing a recording, hoped that it would be popular over the summer, and didn't think that people would still be arguing about who played on it sixty years later.
Get ready for a banger. The hardest rock tune from this versatile artist. Props also to Jimmy Page on guitar and John Bonham on drums shortly before Led Zeppelin came on the scene.
John Paul Jones played bass and booked the session, and he says Clem Cattini played drums and Alan Holdsworth played guitar. Donovan said the same thing in his autobiography.
Great 60's psychedelic songscape guys! And to show yet another side of Mr. Lietch, 'Wear Your Love Like Heaven' should definitely be the next Donovan entry! Ciao!
Love this song, it takes me back and drops me off onto that free-ride flashback that my parents always warned me about, and I always waited for. Well, here is all wrapped up nicely with a bow from Donovan. Sunshine Superman is another Donovan song that you have to check out but perhaps on your own time when you can add a little chemical or organic romance to your experience. Donovan enhanced the psychedelic era with his music and his vocal vibrato (tremolo).
Donovan is unique. Made some terrific albums in the 1970s and beyond after many people had long forgotten him. Check out 7-TEASE. "Atlantis" is a Donovan classic -- like "Hey Jude," It's an opening followed by a long outro that is one of the all-time greats.
I'm going to be 65 this year. I remember when he was making his way. It's amazing to come back to him and, yes, it's trippy stuff, but also real, because it is! Great reaction guys. Love your insights.
All of Donovan’s hits are worth checking out. So his whole Greatest Hits album is definitely worth your time. And yes very often his sound and style changes drastically from track to track. Arguably one of the best songwriters of all time, and was hailed as one of the many “next Bob Dylans” back in the day.
@@michaelcapewell4811 Correct. Poor Alan Parker, who sometimes gets overlooked by people who think that Page played on "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and sometimes gets crowded out by Allen Holdsworth instead. Some people also state that Page played on "Season of the Witch" as well, which he didn't. Page *did* play on "Sunshine Superman", as one of the two electric guitarists on the song (Eric Ford being the other). If you were to ask Jimmy Page, he'd tell you that he played on at least three-quarters of the songs that were recorded in London during the 1960s. He was a great producer, songwriter, and guitarist, but he's also incredibly self-aggrandizing.
I've enjoyed every song by Donovan for decades, and just found out that a Hurdy Gurdy is a medieval wheel-string instrument! Donovan is such an underrated talent.
An often overlooked bit of Donovan brilliance is Sunny Goodge Street. Great 1960’s jazz-influenced trippiness. Some of the best heady lyrics you’ll ever hear.
Donovan opened for Yes at a concert I saw in 1977. Although I was familiar with his music, I wasn't expecting much from him live. I was quite surprised at how good he and his band were! They did a great set, and I think I recall a little bit longer version of Hurdy Gurdy Man, which I enjoyed, as I always thought the studio version should have been a bit longer.
My 4th & last comment. In 1959 I was 14yrs old. To escape the family for some alone time, I used to go to our garage where I had a chair and a small radio. It was there late that summer when I first heard Ray sing What'd I Say Parts 1 and 2. I was blown away and became a devoted from that day til now. There are too many other songs that deserve recommendation by him. So choose from choices listed by other fans. Over and out.
_Hurdy Gurdy Man_ is an A+ for me. Drums like an ocean wave crashing, guitar wailing like a sea monster, folk metal at its finest. My vote for next tune: **Sunshine Superman**
Hurdy Gurdy Man is such a great vibe. You can just play this on repeat and let it soak in fully. Also Hurdy Gurdys were smaller hand cranked music boxes on wheels or stands. Think old cartoons with a hurdy gurdy man and a monkey who would collect money from the audience while he played.
Guys thank you for finally hitting this, I'm fairly sure I was down in the comments requesting this one since the first Donovan song your ever hit! Definitely my favourite of his, with Season of the Witch pulling up not too far behind. Highly recommend you follow that instinct to hit an album one day.
This song is 100% 60s. Every element of it oozes 60s. Nothing in it distracts my mind from going back to those times and losing myself in how it felt then (I was 13-14 then).
Donovan began as an acoustic, folk artist. When he "went electric," his fans turned on him . Dylan, eventually, came to his defense before he went electric, himself. I've loved this song since I was a small child.
Donovan was a folk singer who, like a lot of us, turned on in the 60's & became more psycadelic, his early music is great, some caustic protest songs among them. I may have mentioned before but he is a real troubadour, at many festivals in the U.K. he would step in to fill a gap, if a band was delayed, making an impromptu band out of people he spotted in the audience. A really genuine guy & well loved. For more hippy sounds try " Sunshine Superman" which starts "Sunshine came softly through my window today, could have tripped out easy but, I've changed my ways."
Hurdy Gurdy man was written in India when Donovan was there with the Beatles. One verse on the song was written by George Harrison, but that verse wasnt on the singles version on the song. More interesting things about this song. John Paul Jones played bass. Jimmy Page, guitar, and John Bonham was credited with percussion.Thats 3/4th of the, first named, New Yardbirds, which then became Led Zeppelin.
The original first time listener song "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan should be Hit. Sunshine Superman worked for the Kids, as their "first time listener song" from Donovan back in 1966. It still should work for you Boy's today. Cheers from the Rock and Roll Past!
Trippin' out now. Remembering dropping by my older hippie brother's crash pad, and the smells (!) of dope, females, indian food . . . strong sense memories.
Donovan was a good friend of The Beatles and taught guitar picking techniques they used on later albums. One song you should hit, which wasn’t one of his big hits, is The Trip. Excellent song.
Epistle To Dippy is another Donovan goodie. And as for him not trying to be cool, I’ve always enjoyed this lyrical bit as to “whether to be hip, or skip along quite merrily.” “Elevator to the brain hotel,” y’all!
Donovan could do that tremolo effect naturally while singing and that's crazy. There are live videos on youtube showing this. I always thought this song had tremolo on the vocals, but it might be more diaphragm than studio?
There is a Donovan spectrum, from folk "try to catch the wind " to this! Thanks to the commenter who pointed out that was Jimmy Paige and Jon Bonham on the track. Should have known. For reasons totally arbitrary, I am a huge fan of "Sunshine Superman", just makes me feel good.
Thanks, guys!! Please give a listen to another couple of wonderful Donovan songs: 'First There is a Mountain' and 'Wear Your Love Like Heaven' album tracks. Both are completely different than the ones that you've reacted too already. Enjoy!! ☺
And as any good music fan knows "First There Is A Mountain" was turned into the 45 minute live version "Mountain Jam" by the Allman Brothers Band from the Fillmore East days.
"First there is a mountain then there is no mountain then there is" is a Zen experience. (cue the disappearing mountain in the surreal rangeland series "Outer Range")
Wrong, that's a myth. John Paul Jones is on it though (he did the arranging on this whole album) but Page and Bonham are absolutely not on it and it doesn't even sound like either of them. Page was in The Yardbirds at this point, he wasn't doing session work.
@michaelcapewell4811 I have Donovan's Greatest Hits right here. It lists Alan Holdsworth and Jimmy Page on electric guitar, John Paul Jones on bass and John Bonham and Clem Clatini on drums.
@@michaelritter8951 The liner notes of that compilation album are incorrect. Page and Bonham did *not* play on "Hurdy Gurdy Man". Jones booked the "Hurdy Gurdy Man" session for producer Mickie Most, which means that he also booked the musicians who played on it. And he categorically denies that any of his future Led Zeppelin bandmates were there.
It’s worth your while to explore the actual album. A great deal of what he did was unintentionally ahead of its time, from the proto Trip Hop of “Get Thy Bearings” with its loping drum beat and looped sax riff, to the almost electronic pulse of “Tangier”. Most of the songs were written during the infamous “Spiritual” retreat in India with the Maharishi, The Beatles, their birds, Mia Farrow and her sister, and Ganesha knows who else, and the influence of traditional Indian music on Donovan’s writing style expresses itself in his use of drones, whether instrumentally or with his voice: the way he almost monosyllabically sings the opening lyrics on “Peregrine” elongating the vowels is a perfect example. You also do get his more Twee, Hippy Dippy side with “Jennifer Juniper” and “Entertaining Of A Shy Girl” but that has its charms too
@@michaelcapewell4811 from Billboard: "Page was a session musician for Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan's third album, Sunshine Superman, playing five tracks including “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” “Teen Angel” and “The Trip.”
