Donovan - The Hurdy Gurdy Man (1968)

Donovan is a British singer-songwriter, who in the 60s emerged from the British folk scene to become a psychedelic pop icon.

Donovan scored another UK hit in early 1968 with "Jennifer Juniper", which got to #5. This was followed in May by "Hurdy Gurdy Man", which turned out to be one of his most popular songs. It was swirling, trippy psychedelic rock number, with electric guitars and tambura, his heaviest song to date. He had originally written it for the band Hurdy Gurdy (which featured his friend Mac MacLeod), but he ended up recording it himself and releasing it as a single. It was a huge hit both sides of the Atlantic, getting to #4 in the UK and #5 in the US.

It was followed by the release of his live album In Concert, and that in turn by his next studio album, which featured both recent hit singles. The Hurdy Gurdy Man was more classic Donovan, showcasing his eclectic blend of folk, jazz and pop. It got to #20 in the US album charts. However it wasn't actually released in the UK, due to the same contractual complications that had prevented the release of Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow. So his native country wasn't getting the nearly as much Donovan material as the privelaged US market was!

In Concert (1968) <|> Barabajagal (1969)
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