Hurdy Gurdy Man

Last updated
"Hurdy Gurdy Man"
Hurdy Gurdy Man.png
Single by Donovan
from the album The Hurdy Gurdy Man
B-side "Teen Angel"
ReleasedMay 1968
Recorded3 April 1968
Studio CBS, London [1]
Genre
Length3:15
Label Pye
Songwriter(s) Donovan
Producer(s) Mickie Most
Donovan UKsingles chronology
"Jennifer Juniper"
(1968)		"Hurdy Gurdy Man"
(1968)		"Atlantis"
(1968)
Donovan USsingles chronology
"Jennifer Juniper"
(1968)		"Hurdy Gurdy Man"
(1968)		"Laléna"
(1968)

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a song by the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was recorded in April 1968 and released the following month as a single. The song gave its name to the album The Hurdy Gurdy Man , which was released in October of that year in the United States. The single reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. [6]

Contents

Donovan wrote "Hurdy Gurdy Man" while in Rishikesh in India, where he was studying Transcendental Meditation with the Beatles. [7] The recording features a harder rock sound than Donovan's usual material, supplying a range of distorted guitars and aggressive drums. It also features an Indian influence with the use of a tambura, a gift to Donovan from George Harrison, who also helped write the lyrics. The song may have been influenced by "Green Circles", a psychedelic 1967 song by Small Faces. The similarity is in the melody of the descending verse, the strange vocal delivery, and the topic of being visited by an enlightened stranger. In 2012, Donovan revealed that he had become friends with Small Faces in 1965. [8]

According to some sources, the song was written for the band Hurdy Gurdy (which included Donovan's old friend and guitar mentor Mac MacLeod [9] [10] ), with Donovan intending to be the producer, but the collaboration was cancelled due to creative disagreements, leading Donovan to record the song himself. [11] In the chapter dedicated to the song in Donovan's autobiography, he says that he originally wanted it to be recorded by Jimi Hendrix. [7]

Musicians for the song

There is some dispute regarding the musicians who performed on the song. In the booklet that came with Donovan's 1992 double CD, Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964–1976 , Allan Holdsworth and Jimmy Page are listed as the electric guitar players and John Bonham and Clem Cattini (spelled as "Clem Clatini") as drummers on the recording. John Paul Jones, who arranged and played bass on the track (and also booked the session musicians), was reported to have said by email that Clem Cattini played the drums and Alan Parker played the electric guitar. [12] This line-up was confirmed by Cattini. [13] In Donovan's autobiography, he credits Cattini (spelled as "Catini") and Bonham for the drums. [7] In a published interview circa 2013, Donovan is quoted as primarily crediting Cattini for the drums but saying he wasn't sure whether Bonham was also involved, and said he and Jones both credit Holdsworth for the guitar. [14]

On Jimmy Page's website, he lists this song as one on which he plays. [15] Engineer Eddie Kramer also cites Jimmy Page as playing on the track, but says that John Bonham did not. [16] In Hannes Rossacher's 2008 documentary Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan, Donovan said that Page was the guitarist; he also asserted that the song ushered in the Celtic rock sound which would lead to Page, Jones, and Bonham forming Led Zeppelin soon afterwards. In Donovan's autobiography, he credited both Page and "Allen Hollsworth" as the "guitar wizards" for the song. [7] However, he also says that "Hollsworth" had played with Blue Mink, which was a band that Alan Parker had played in. [7] In the autobiography, Donovan said that perhaps this session inspired the creation of Led Zeppelin. [7]

The four-string tambura that Donovan plays on the track has been given to him in India by George Harrison, who also helped write the lyrics. [17] In his autobiography, Donovan recalls that he began writing "Hurdy Gurdy Man" on the tambura after Harrison discussed the sitar scales he had learned from Ravi Shankar. [18] Donovan also says that with the drone of the tambura on the song, he had created "Celtic Rock". [7]

The session was produced by Mickie Most and engineered by Eddie Kramer. Donovan had originally hoped Jimi Hendrix would play on the song, but he was unavailable. [7] [11] In fact, Donovan said he wanted to give the song to Hendrix for him to record, but that Mickie Most "flipped out" when he heard the song and insisted that Donovan should record it himself as his next single. [7] [14]

Lyrics and music

The lyrics recount the tale of a nameless narrator being visited in his dreams by the "hurdy gurdy man" and his close associate, the "roly poly man", who come "singing songs of love". The song invokes "histories of ages past" with "unenlightened shadows cast" and the "crying of humanity" through "all eternity", and says "'tis then when the hurdy gurdy man comes singing songs of love". [19]

Additional verse

On his 1990 live album The Classics Live and in his autobiography, Donovan has said that there is also an additional verse that had been written by George Harrison that was not included on the radio single: [7]

When the truth gets buried deep
Beneath the thousand years asleep
Time demands a turnaround
And once again the truth is found

When performing the song in concert, Donovan often relates to his audience the story of how this final verse came about. He played the song for Harrison when they were together in Rishikesh, and Harrison offered to write a verse for the song, which he recorded. Since the running time had to be kept below the three-minute maximum generally allowed for singles at the time, the producer had to choose between the extra verse and the guitar solo, and ended up keeping just the solo. [7]

Donovan has said that the additional verse is a summary of the explanation given by their meditation teacher (or guru), Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, on the way in which transcendental consciousness is eventually reawakened after having been forgotten for a long period of time, and is based on part of the Maharishi's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. Donovan said the Hurdy Gurdy Man is the one who reawakens this knowledge – in this case, the Maharishi.[ citation needed ]

Music

Billboard described the song as "a groovy and infectious rhythm item." [20] Cash Box said that the "lyric presents a transcendental love & word play message, but the musical backing has shifted from the small jazz combo style of 'Wear Your Love Like Heaven' and 'Jennifer Juniper' to an easy folk + electric rock & sitar blend." [21] Record World said that "Donovan's reedy voice is absolutely hypnotic on 'Hurdy Gurdy Man', a eerie, magic-like side." [22]

Sample

In the Beastie Boys song "Car Thief", the first drum break is sampled following the lyrics "Space cake cookies I discover who I am / I'm a dusted old bummy Hurdy Gurdy man". Donovan's daughter Ione Skye used to be married to bandmember Adam Horovitz. [23]

Soundtrack appearances

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" has been used as a framing device or otherwise appeared on the soundtrack or trailer of various films and television shows, including:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donovan</span> Scottish musician (born 1946)

Donovan Phillips Leitch, known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965, and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles and albums during the late 1960s. His work became emblematic of the flower power era with its blend of folk, pop, psychedelic rock, and jazz stylings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac MacLeod</span> British musician

Keith MacLeod, was an English musician who was a part of the Hertfordshire folk and blues scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley and Maddy Prior and toured with John Renbourn. Influences include Softley, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Derroll Adams, Jesse Fuller, Big Bill Broonzy, Snooks Eaglin, Reverend Gary Davis and Davey Graham.

Hurdy Gurdy emerged from the Danish group Peter Belli and the Boom Boom Brothers in June 1967, when three members of the B.B. Brothers, guitarist Claus Bøhling, drummer Jens Peter Marquard Otzen and British vocalist and bassist Mac MacLeod formed the power trio. Inspired by Cream but with more psychedelic leanings, they split from Peter Belli and MacLeod named the band 'Hurdy Gurdy'. They had considerable success in Scandinavia, breaking many attendance records for their live shows. The band moved to England in early 1968, after MacLeod had been deported from Denmark.

<i>The Hurdy Gurdy Man</i> 1968 studio album by Donovan

The Hurdy Gurdy Man is the sixth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the US in October 1968 on Epic Records, but not in the UK due to a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented Sunshine Superman (1966) and Mellow Yellow (1967) from being released there. A songbook of lead sheets to the album was nonetheless issued in both countries.

<i>Donovans Greatest Hits</i> 1969 greatest hits album by Donovan

Donovan's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the United States in January 1969 on Epic Records and in the United Kingdom in March 1969 on Pye Records. Donovan's Greatest Hits peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Open Road</i> (Donovan album) 1970 studio album by Donovan

Open Road is the eighth studio album, and ninth overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan and the debut album from the short-lived band Open Road. While his previous work was composed by his playing solo on acoustic guitar and then recorded with a shifting cast of session musicians, Open Road was Donovan's effort toward writing and recording music as a member of a band.

<i>HMS Donovan</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Donovan

HMS Donovan is the ninth studio album, and tenth album overall, from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It marks the second album of Donovan's children's music, after the For Little Ones portion of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden. HMS Donovan is the second double album of Donovan's career, and was released in the UK only, in July 1971.

<i>Pied Piper</i> (Donovan album) 2002 studio album by Donovan

Pied Piper is the twentieth studio album, by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It marks the third album of his children's music, after the For Little Ones portion of A Gift from a Flower to a Garden and H.M.S. Donovan. Pied Piper was released in both the UK and US on 19 March 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dear Prudence</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Dear Prudence" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Written in Rishikesh during the group's trip to India in early 1968, it was inspired by actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow, who became obsessive about meditating while practising with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Her designated partners on the meditation course, Lennon and George Harrison, attempted to coax Farrow out of her seclusion, which led to Lennon writing the song.

Helen Mary "Jenny" Boyd is an English former model, the younger sister of 1960s model and photographer Pattie Boyd. She quit her modelling career in the 1960s after discovering Transcendental Meditation, stating that modelling was "a waste of her time". She later managed an addiction treatment centre and wrote two books.

"Barabajagal" is a song by British singer/songwriter Donovan Leitch, released by Donovan in 1969. It was later used as title track to the album Barabajagal. The instrumental backing is provided by The Jeff Beck Group, with backing vocals by Lesley Duncan, Suzi Quatro and Madeline Bell.

Clemente Anselmo Agustino Cattini is an English rock and roll drummer of the late 1950s and 60s, who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician. He is one of the most prolific drummers in UK recording history, appearing on hundreds of recordings by artists as diverse as Cliff Richard and Lou Reed, and has featured on 42 UK number one singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitar in popular music</span>

While the sitar had earlier been used in jazz and Indian film music, it was from the 1960s onwards that various pop artists in the Western world began to experiment with incorporating the sitar, a classical Indian stringed instrument, within their compositions.

Gyp Mills, also known as Gypsy Dave, was an English sculptor and songwriter. He was first in the public eye as the companion to the singer-songwriter, Donovan. He was also a well-known sculptor with studios in Greece and Thailand.

"Season of the Witch" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan released in August 1966 on his third studio album, Sunshine Superman. The song is credited to Donovan, although sometime collaborator Shawn Phillips has also claimed authorship. Because of a dispute with Donovan's record company, a UK edition with the song was not released until June 1967.

"Laléna" is the title of a composition by Donovan. Billboard described the single as a "beautiful and intriguing original ballad." Cash Box said that "sweet strings accent a hauntingly beautiful folk-flavored ballad which gets stronger with each listen." Record World said that Donovan "uses his reedy voice exquisitely."

<i>L</i> (Steve Hillage album) 1976 studio album by Steve Hillage

L is the second studio album by British progressive rock musician Steve Hillage.

In February 1968, the English rock band the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh in northern India to take part in a Transcendental Meditation (TM) training course at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The visit followed the group's denunciation of drugs in favour of TM and received widespread media attention. The band's interest in the Maharishi's teachings was led by George Harrison's commitment, and it changed Western attitudes about Indian spirituality and encouraged the study of Transcendental Meditation. The visit was also the most productive period for the Beatles' songwriting.

There Is an Ocean is a film documenting the Scottish songwriter Donovan during his time spent in Greece with his band Open Road in 1970. The film remained unreleased until 2005 when it was included in the box set Try for the Sun: The Journey of Donovan.

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a 1968 song by the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan.

References

  1. ↑ "Donovan recording sessions listing". Sabotage.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  2. ↑ James E. Perone (2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations. ABC-CLIO. p. 127. ISBN   978-0-313-37906-2 . Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Hurdy Gurdy Man" at AllMusic. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Marvin E. Paymer (July 1993). Facts Behind the Songs: A Handbook of American Popular Music from the Nineties to the '90s. Garland Pub. p. 248. ISBN   978-0-8240-5240-9.
  5. ↑ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1968". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 173–174. ISBN   9781493064601.
  6. ↑ Donovan UK chart history, The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Leitch, Donovan, The Hurdy Gurdy Man, Century, an imprint of Random House, London, 2005 (published in the U.S. as The Autobiography of Donovan: The Hurdy Gurdy Man, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2005, ISBN   0-312-35252-2.), pp. 218–219.
  8. ↑ "Donovan" . Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  9. ↑ (15 June 1968). Donovan's More Down to Earth, New Musical Express.
  10. ↑ Altham, Keith (December 1968). Coming Down From the Clouds Archived 2017-02-14 at the Wayback Machine , Hit Parader.
  11. 1 2 (6 July 1968). Don Wants to Spin a Film Legend, Melody Maker.
  12. ↑ "Clem Cattini - Drummer On 45 Number 1 Hit Singles". Coda-uk.co.uk. 2003-08-29. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  13. ↑ "Email from John Paul Jones to Clem Cattini". Coda-uk.co.uk. 2003-08-29. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  14. 1 2 "The Donovan Interview". VintageRock.com. 2013. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  15. ↑ "Sessions - JimmyPage.com". JimmyPage.com. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  16. ↑ "Eddie Kramer tells the story of Led Zeppelin's iconic sound on "Whole Lotta Love"". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-13.
  17. ↑ Paytress, Mark (2003). "A Passage to India". Mojo Special Limited Edition: 1000 Days of Revolution (The Beatles' Final Years – Jan 1, 1968 to Sept 27, 1970). London: Emap. p. 15.
  18. ↑ Leitch, 2005, p. 207.
  19. ↑ Donovan, "Hurdy Gurdy Man" song lyrics, 1968.
  20. ↑ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. June 15, 1968. p. 70. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
  21. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 15, 1968. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  22. ↑ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 15, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  23. ↑ "Car Thief". Paul's Boutique Samples and References List. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wickman, Forrest (3 April 2013). "How the 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' Got Creepy". Slate . Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  25. ↑ Vincentelli, Elisabeth. "Zodiac [Soundtrack]". Amazon. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  26. ↑ "music from Fringe" . Retrieved 15 December 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.