{"history":[],"article":{"id":"d15d34b7-9824-4fb2-8828-4ec79a4c8915","title":"The Hurdy Gurdy Man","slug":"the-hurdy-gurdy-man","content":":::summary\n![The Hurdy Gurdy Man](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Donovan-The///Hurdy///Gurdy///Man.jpg)\n**Name:** The Hurdy Gurdy Man \n**Type:** studio \n**Artist:** [Donovan](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan) \n**Released:** September 1968 \n**Recorded:** November 1967 – April 1968 \n**Genre:** [Psychedelic rock](https://bliptext.com/articles/psychedelic-rock) \n**Length:** 35:02 \n**Label:** [Epic](https://bliptext.com/articles/epic-records) \n**Producer:** [Mickie Most](https://bliptext.com/articles/mickie-most) \n**Prev Title:** [Donovan in Concert](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan-in-concert) \n**Prev Year:** 1968 \n**Next Title:** [Barabajagal](https://bliptext.com/articles/barabajagal) \n**Next Year:** 1969 \n:::\n\n# \n**The Hurdy Gurdy Man** is the sixth studio album by [Scottish](https://bliptext.com/articles/scotland) singer-songwriter [Donovan](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan).\nIt was released in North America in October 1968 on [Epic Records](https://bliptext.com/articles/epic-records), but not in the UK due to a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented [Sunshine Superman](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunshine-superman-album) (1966) and [Mellow Yellow](https://bliptext.com/articles/mellow-yellow-album) (1967) from being released there.\nA songbook of [lead sheets](https://bliptext.com/articles/lead-sheet) to the album was nonetheless issued in both countries.\nIn [Canada](https://bliptext.com/articles/rpm-magazine) the album reached No. 19.\n\n# History\nDonovan wrote and recorded much of The Hurdy Gurdy Man in late 1967, not long after recording the songs that would form [A Gift from a Flower to a Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/a-gift-from-a-flower-to-a-garden).\nThe rest of The Hurdy Gurdy Man was recorded in April 1968, after he visited [Rishikesh](https://bliptext.com/articles/rishikesh) in India to study [Transcendental Meditation](https://bliptext.com/articles/transcendental-meditation) under [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://bliptext.com/articles/maharishi-mahesh-yogi).\n[John Lennon](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-lennon), [Cynthia Lennon](https://bliptext.com/articles/cynthia-lennon), [George Harrison](https://bliptext.com/articles/george-harrison), [Pattie Boyd](https://bliptext.com/articles/pattie-boyd), [Paul McCartney](https://bliptext.com/articles/paul-mccartney), [Jane Asher](https://bliptext.com/articles/jane-asher), [Ringo Starr](https://bliptext.com/articles/ringo-starr), [Mia Farrow](https://bliptext.com/articles/mia-farrow), [Prudence Farrow](https://bliptext.com/articles/prudence-farrow) and [Mike Love](https://bliptext.com/articles/mike-love) were there as well.\nHarrison wrote a verse for \"[Hurdy Gurdy Man](https://bliptext.com/articles/hurdy-gurdy-man)\" when they were in India, but it was cut from the studio version in order to ensure that the song was not overly long for a single.\nOn his 1973 live album [Live in Japan: Spring Tour 1973](https://bliptext.com/articles/live-in-japan-spring-tour-1973) and his 1990 live album [Rising](https://bliptext.com/articles/rising-donovan-album), Donovan explains the story and sings the previously omitted verse.\nThe last verse of \"Hurdy Gurdy Man\", written by Harrison, is: \"When the truth gets buried deep / Beneath a thousand years of sleep / Time demands a turn around / And once again the truth is found\".\nDonovan's songwriting for The Hurdy Gurdy Man centered on [drones](https://bliptext.com/articles/drone-music) on such songs as \"Peregrine\", \"The River Song\" and \"Tangier\" - the latter two being compositions by his friend \"Gypsy Dave\" ([Gyp Mills](https://bliptext.com/articles/gyp-mills)) - and [pop music](https://bliptext.com/articles/pop-music) on most of the other tracks.\n\"As I Recall It\" continued Donovan's infatuation with [jazz](https://bliptext.com/articles/jazz).\n\"[Jennifer Juniper](https://bliptext.com/articles/jennifer-juniper)\" and \"Hurdy Gurdy Man\" were both released as singles well before the album was released.\nThe recording sessions for the album are purported to have included future [Led Zeppelin](https://bliptext.com/articles/led-zeppelin) members [Jimmy Page](https://bliptext.com/articles/jimmy-page) and [John Paul Jones](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-paul-jones-musician).\nPage was in [The Yardbirds](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-yardbirds) at the time and was actively looking to rebuild that band.\nThe album credits [John Bonham](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-bonham) for percussion on the song \"Hurdy Gurdy Man\" and [Clem Cattini](https://bliptext.com/articles/clem-cattini) as the drummer.\n\n# Reissues\n\n# Track listing\n\n## Original album (US) on LP\nAll tracks credited to [Donovan Leitch](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan).\nAccording to [BMI](https://bliptext.com/articles/broadcast-music-incorporated), \"A Sunny Day\" and \"The River Song\" were collaborations with [David J. Mills](https://bliptext.com/articles/david-j-mills), but \"Tangier\" was written solely by Mills under its original title of \"In Tangier Down a Windy Street\".\nAccording to the biography of [the Beatles](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-beatles) assistant [Mal Evans](https://bliptext.com/articles/mal-evans) by [Kenneth Womack](https://bliptext.com/articles/kenneth-womack), \"Working with Donovan, Mal helped craft the breezy, evocative lyrics of 'The Sun Is a Very Magic Fellow'...\"\n**Side one**\n**Side two**\n\n## 2005 CD (EMI, UK) bonus tracks\nAll tracks by Donovan Leitch.\n

\"Teen Angel\"

\"Poor Cow\"

\"[Laléna](https://bliptext.com/articles/lal-na)\"

\"Aye My Love\"

\"What a Beautiful Creature You Are\" (Duet with [Lulu](https://bliptext.com/articles/lulu-singer))

\"Colours\"

\"[Catch the Wind](https://bliptext.com/articles/catch-the-wind)\"

\n\n\n# Cover versions","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T21:40:55.639Z","updated_at":"2025-01-25T21:40:55.639Z","search_vector":"'gurdi':3 'hurdi':2 'man':4","search_content":" \n \n**Name:** The Hurdy Gurdy Man \n**Type:** studio \n**Artist:** [Donovan](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan) \n**Released:** September 1968 \n**Recorded:** November 1967 – April 1968 \n**Genre:** [Psychedelic rock](https://bliptext.com/articles/psychedelic-rock) \n**Length:** 35:02 \n**Label:** [Epic](https://bliptext.com/articles/epic-records) \n**Producer:** [Mickie Most](https://bliptext.com/articles/mickie-most) \n**Prev Title:** [Donovan in Concert](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan-in-concert) \n**Prev Year:** 1968 \n**Next Title:** [Barabajagal](https://bliptext.com/articles/barabajagal) \n**Next Year:** 1969 \n \n\n# \n**The Hurdy Gurdy Man** is the sixth studio album by [Scottish](https://bliptext.com/articles/scotland) singer-songwriter [Donovan](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan).\nIt was released in North America in October 1968 on [Epic Records](https://bliptext.com/articles/epic-records), but not in the UK due to a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented [Sunshine Superman](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunshine-superman-album) (1966) and [Mellow Yellow](https://bliptext.com/articles/mellow-yellow-album) (1967) from being released there.\nA songbook of [lead sheets](https://bliptext.com/articles/lead-sheet) to the album was nonetheless issued in both countries.\nIn [Canada](https://bliptext.com/articles/rpm-magazine) the album reached No. 19.\n\n# History\nDonovan wrote and recorded much of The Hurdy Gurdy Man in late 1967, not long after recording the songs that would form [A Gift from a Flower to a Garden](https://bliptext.com/articles/a-gift-from-a-flower-to-a-garden).\nThe rest of The Hurdy Gurdy Man was recorded in April 1968, after he visited [Rishikesh](https://bliptext.com/articles/rishikesh) in India to study [Transcendental Meditation](https://bliptext.com/articles/transcendental-meditation) under [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://bliptext.com/articles/maharishi-mahesh-yogi).\n[John Lennon](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-lennon), [Cynthia Lennon](https://bliptext.com/articles/cynthia-lennon), [George Harrison](https://bliptext.com/articles/george-harrison), [Pattie Boyd](https://bliptext.com/articles/pattie-boyd), [Paul McCartney](https://bliptext.com/articles/paul-mccartney), [Jane Asher](https://bliptext.com/articles/jane-asher), [Ringo Starr](https://bliptext.com/articles/ringo-starr), [Mia Farrow](https://bliptext.com/articles/mia-farrow), [Prudence Farrow](https://bliptext.com/articles/prudence-farrow) and [Mike Love](https://bliptext.com/articles/mike-love) were there as well.\nHarrison wrote a verse for \"[Hurdy Gurdy Man](https://bliptext.com/articles/hurdy-gurdy-man)\" when they were in India, but it was cut from the studio version in order to ensure that the song was not overly long for a single.\nOn his 1973 live album [Live in Japan: Spring Tour 1973](https://bliptext.com/articles/live-in-japan-spring-tour-1973) and his 1990 live album [Rising](https://bliptext.com/articles/rising-donovan-album), Donovan explains the story and sings the previously omitted verse.\nThe last verse of \"Hurdy Gurdy Man\", written by Harrison, is: \"When the truth gets buried deep / Beneath a thousand years of sleep / Time demands a turn around / And once again the truth is found\".\nDonovan's songwriting for The Hurdy Gurdy Man centered on [drones](https://bliptext.com/articles/drone-music) on such songs as \"Peregrine\", \"The River Song\" and \"Tangier\" - the latter two being compositions by his friend \"Gypsy Dave\" ([Gyp Mills](https://bliptext.com/articles/gyp-mills)) - and [pop music](https://bliptext.com/articles/pop-music) on most of the other tracks.\n\"As I Recall It\" continued Donovan's infatuation with [jazz](https://bliptext.com/articles/jazz).\n\"[Jennifer Juniper](https://bliptext.com/articles/jennifer-juniper)\" and \"Hurdy Gurdy Man\" were both released as singles well before the album was released.\nThe recording sessions for the album are purported to have included future [Led Zeppelin](https://bliptext.com/articles/led-zeppelin) members [Jimmy Page](https://bliptext.com/articles/jimmy-page) and [John Paul Jones](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-paul-jones-musician).\nPage was in [The Yardbirds](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-yardbirds) at the time and was actively looking to rebuild that band.\nThe album credits [John Bonham](https://bliptext.com/articles/john-bonham) for percussion on the song \"Hurdy Gurdy Man\" and [Clem Cattini](https://bliptext.com/articles/clem-cattini) as the drummer.\n\n# Reissues\n\n# Track listing\n\n## Original album (US) on LP\nAll tracks credited to [Donovan Leitch](https://bliptext.com/articles/donovan).\nAccording to [BMI](https://bliptext.com/articles/broadcast-music-incorporated), \"A Sunny Day\" and \"The River Song\" were collaborations with [David J. Mills](https://bliptext.com/articles/david-j-mills), but \"Tangier\" was written solely by Mills under its original title of \"In Tangier Down a Windy Street\".\nAccording to the biography of [the Beatles](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-beatles) assistant [Mal Evans](https://bliptext.com/articles/mal-evans) by [Kenneth Womack](https://bliptext.com/articles/kenneth-womack), \"Working with Donovan, Mal helped craft the breezy, evocative lyrics of 'The Sun Is a Very Magic Fellow'...\"\n**Side one**\n**Side two**\n\n## 2005 CD (EMI, UK) bonus tracks\nAll tracks by Donovan Leitch.\n \"Teen Angel\" \n \"Poor Cow\" \n \"[Laléna](https://bliptext.com/articles/lal-na)\" \n \"Aye My Love\" \n \"What a Beautiful Creature You Are\" (Duet with [Lulu](https://bliptext.com/articles/lulu-singer)) \n \"Colours\" \n \"[Catch the Wind](https://bliptext.com/articles/catch-the-wind)\" \n \n\n# Cover versions","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}